Emily Wilde has come to Hrafnsvik in order to finish her book. A researcher of the Faerie, Emily is good at research, less so with people. But this book will make her academic career, and she is determined to finish it. Of course, that means dealing with the local villagers as well as her acadmic rival Wendell Brambleby, who she’s almost certain is one of the Folk himself, who has showed up. But even as Emily gets closer to discovering the secrets of the Hidden Folk, she also finds herself drawn into the local community as well as finding that her own heart might have a mind of its own. And her knowledge and skills might be vital in keeping them all safe.
This was delightful, and I can’t thank Narfna enough for sending it to me in the book exchange. It took me a little time to warm up to Emily, but I quickly grew fond of her. I love Wendell and Emily’s dynamic, and the way their relationship evolved. Emily’s evolving relationship with the villagers was another aspect that I really enjoyed. I will freely admit that she surprised me with how all of that turned out. I really appreciated the way the Folk were written. They come across as alien, unknowable, intriguing, and dangerous. Too often in fantasy settings the faerie loose that sense of otherworldliness and danger. I’m very fond of stories with the faerie when they’re done well, but more often than not I’ve been disappointed in the way they are written. This book did not do that.
I also really loved the footnotes. A well used footnote can be such a fun thing in fiction. It certainly adds to the academic feeling of the book. I will admit to having a soft spot for academia. Or at least fictional academia. My original plan in library school was to become an academic librarian before a former children’s librarian convinced about a third of my cohort that public libraries were the way to go, myself included. I’m well aware that the reality of it wouldn’t be one I would enjoy. As much as I really just want to write research papers all day, I know that’s not what academics or academic librarians actually get to do. Anyway, this book just ticked all the boxes for me. My only nitpick was the pace which is totally a me issue. I think it works very well for the most part; I was just having trouble with it because I was feeling impatient when I was reading it. Really though, this has everything I like a little romance, a fun plot, great characters, banter. I would definitely recommend this to fantasy fans, and I’ll be excited to see what Emily and Wendell get up to in the next book. Four out of five stars.
CBR 16 Sweet Books – Exciting