The pages of this book are filled with folklore, magic, and a little romance. The story takes place in the early 1900s in the small arctic village of Hransvik in Norway. However, not everyone in this story is who they appear to be.

This book was written for adults who enjoy fairy tales, especially faeries. It was not written for children. It contains foul language, violence, drinking, and LGBT+ relationships.

The main character, Emily Wilde, is a Cambridge professor who is an expert on faeries. She travels to the village of Hransvik to work on her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Unbeknownst to her, another professor in her department, Wendell Bambleby, has made arrangements to join her on this project. He shows up at the cottage she has rented and moves in with two of his students.

This book details the experiences of Emily and Wendell during their time in Hransvik. The two professors have very different personalities and conflicting ideas about work ethics. Emily tends to be shy, quiet, socially awkward, and likes to keep to herself. Wendell on the other hand is handsome, well dressed, has a demanding presence, a loud voice, and loves being the center of attention. Emily is dedicated to her scholarly research, arising early to make the most of her day. Wendell regularly sleeps until noon, is used to being waited on, and fabricates some of his research.

The two professors not only have to figure out how to get along with each other but also how to treat the local villagers and local folk so that they are willing to assist with both their day-to-day survival and their research project.

I enjoyed reading about the interactions that Emily and Wendell had with different types of faeries. I enjoyed reading about the faeries, their beliefs, their prejudices, their enchantments, and their powers.

If you enjoy stories about faeries and don’t mind a book containing the adult elements listed above, you may enjoy this read.

On a 1 to 5 scale, I give this book four stars. It entertained me and kept my attention. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries helped educate me on the faeries of the area and the mischief that they create. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series—Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands.