Group Reads Discussions 2023: "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries" Discuss Everything *Spoilers*

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

Come share all your thoughts! Some questions to get discussion going:

1. What did you think of the world?
2. What did you think of Emily's ambitions and insights?
3. What did you think of the character relationships?
4. What worked or didn't for you?
5. Overall thoughts?

Non-spoiler thread here: First impressions

[Eric]

Very clever

[Eric]

I was pulled into this very idiosyncratic universe

[Oleksandr]

Maya wrote: "faeries are real and everyone knows (and is scared of them)"

I liked the scared part too, because after vampires turned from ugly monsters to sexy villains (I guess Twilight is to blame for that among other things) having faeries closer to the original is refreshing

[Oleksandr]

My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I thought this was delightful. The romances were meh to me, personally, but I also almost never enjoy the romance. I thought the worlds were cool, and am very on the side of everyone knowing that fairies are not our friends!

[Oleksandr]

Allison wrote: "I thought this was delightful. "

Agree!

[DivaDiane]

I was happy that the romance was held to a minimum. But I do appreciate that this was Love long in the making and reluctant at least on one side.

[Ellen]

Allison wrote: "I thought this was delightful. The romances were meh to me, personally, but I also almost never enjoy the romance. I thought the worlds were cool, and am very on the side of everyone knowing that f..."

I agree. Absolutely loved the depiction of the Fae.

[Diana]

Maya wrote: "I didn't think that I would be able to put up with the journal entry writing style for the entirety of the book, but I really enjoyed it! Interesting take on a world where faeries are real and ever..."

I agree about Emily being taken to marry the faerie. It did help shed light on the King a little. The book for me is one of my favorite of the year.

[Ann-Marie]

I wasn't a fan but I went in expecting cozy and this most definitely did not meet my expectations of a cozy book. That may be a me problem but yeah, I am unlikely to read the sequel.

[Rachel]

It’s funny because it fit pretty well into cozy for me. I listened to the audiobook however and that may greatly hangry the flavor of the story? Lots of wry humor and such. Narrator definitely added value in this case.

[Ann-Marie]

Rachel wrote: "It’s funny because it fit pretty well into cozy for me. I listened to the audiobook however and that may greatly hangry the flavor of the story? Lots of wry humor and such. Narrator definitely adde..."

I listened as well. For me in a cozy story the characters do not lose fingers, toddlers are not kidnapped/replaced with evil changelings that torture the parents and directly lead to many kidnappings as a result. It is a me thing for sure, I read quite a few horror books in October and wanted to do cozy in November and saw this on several lists and this did not deliver for me in that aspect.

[Oleksandr]

I agree that it is cozy in style/prose but not in themes

[Panda]

Maya wrote: "I didn't think that I would be able to put up with the journal entry writing style for the entirety of the book, but I really enjoyed it! ."

Agreed. In my review I called it word vomit as the book opens with Emily droning on and on and on and on.... I get it's the style and the character, but it took too long for the story to actually start.

Oleksandr wrote: "My review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

I read your review and I feel like naming the time period wasn't necessary, unless the second book is more in the human world making the date relevant. I agree that once the author set a time, there are expectations of what the world would be like and Emily's profession and status is a lot of fluff fantasy to add to an otherwise serious topic of the faerie world.

Allison wrote: "... I thought the worlds were cool, and am very on the side of everyone knowing that fairies are not our friends!"

Agreed! I enjoyed the darker view of faeries. If we were to find another species living amongst us, there's no reason to believe that if some of them happen to be tiny that tiny automagically translates into cute and friendly.

Ann-Marie wrote: "... I went in expecting cozy and this most definitely did not meet my expectations of a cozy book....."

It's funny because I thought that I had read a thread that suggested that this was a delightfully whimsical kind of book and while I expected the faeries to be tricksters, I wasn't expecting child stealing, maiming, torture, and killing. The book was a heck of a lot lighter than my last couple of reads and while I could 'turn off my brain' and enjoy, I cracked the book looking for a whole lot of whimsy and less stabby stabby, bloody, RIP.

Rachel wrote: "It’s funny because it fit pretty well into cozy for me...."

You don't happen to live in Derry, Maine, do you? People living over there have a higher tolerance for the stabby stabby, bloody, RIP experience than most of us. /s

===
Once the story got going, it was cute. The world was beautifully imperfect.

Despite the majority of the characters being moody, I think I actually didn't like them except for the little guy that baked Emily faerie bread, I would consider reading the sequel and did add it to my list.

I am hopeful that the sequel includes some more of the ultra short faerie tales. I enjoyed them a lot and would be disappointed if there weren't a few scattered in, like there was in this book. I am also hopeful that the wedding is included, mostly because I am curious what happens with the seasons, the families, the child that was returned and my favorite little faerie, although he did say that it didn't matter where Emily was so I am guessing that he would be included regardless.

[Oleksandr]

Pandorahh wrote: "I am hopeful that the sequel includes some more of the ultra short faerie tales. I enjoyed them a lot "

I second that! The stories are good and from what I can judge - original, not just copy-paste of existing ones

[Sarah]

I found the mood or exposition similar to Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre and I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much. Wonder if others found the same?

[Olga]

I didn't have any cosiness expectations going in, so the cutting and kidnapping stuff didn't really bother me and I was able to just enjoy and appreciate the story.

The first few chapters were a bit of a chore, but the footnotes and general information about the Faeries dumped on me made it interesting to read.

The romance plotline was clear to me after the first "Bloody Bambleby" thought, but it was so nicely done with all the mutual trolling, that I actually enjoyed it and found myself rooting for them by the end. I liked the proposal scene and how these events were involved in the second proposal and Em's kidnapping.

Poe is my favourite character in this book. I do hope his appearance in the second book won't be limited to just one or two short episodes. Curious about the trinket he gave to Emily.

The village and villagers was cool. All this Nordic "we either hate or love you" thing. I liked how both were earned - hate by being ignorant and blind to social norms (which also played a lot into Emily's character) and love by actually saving Lilja, Margret and Ari. But the fact that they were absolutely OK with saving her when she messed up didn't convince me much. I'd expect to see something like "I'm so angry with you right now, but I also love you, so I'm going to help", rather than this unconditional forgiveness.

And yes, the need to save her. This whole part was my least favourite. It felt too much even for that world. And going to free the King after she chopped off her finger and freed herself from enchantment? Seriously? She's a mad scientist, but she's not stupid. At least she's not supposed to be. And "a seer told me I would one day be locked up by my own people, and only a mousy little scholar could get me out again" part was again too much. Bamleby's explanation that marrying her was the only reasonable way to pay her for freeing him had way more sense.

Is it me or do Faerie royalties in this world have a very deep sleep? The King was trapped while he was sleeping, Bambleby slept through not one, but two times when Emily went to do some crazy shit...

Bottom line, I still enjoyed the book very much. It's definitely in my top 10 this year. Looking forward to discussing it at VBC this Sunday.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

LOL Olga!

So I hadn't interrogated why she went to save the king after she cut her finger off. I was just like oh yeah, this chick friggin loves fairies and chasing them alone and unarmed. /end of consideration.

Sarah, no, not alone! There's this trend I've noticed of authors writing like neo-Victorian books in a blend of Georgian, Regency, Victorian kinda like how so much fantasy is "medieval" with everything from bronze age to the Enlightenment sort of jumbled up into one global mish-mash. I enjoy the Brontes and Austen and Shelley, so I like seeing "that era" but it is a bit odd that that era is three eras, all of them are subtly but importantly different in style and form, and I don't actually think anyone really knows anything about that era except calling cards and extreme politesse.

Whatever, I gloss over those epic fantasies whose horses can gallop all night and day and have peasants none of which have a communicable disease that can't be treated and weaponry in battles that span 500 years of use.

[DivaDiane]

LOL Allison. Yes, my brain goes, this isn’t really Earth or the England we know or whatever but rather some alternate universe and simply accept that maybe that Earth’s medieval period had good hygiene or really strong horses or whatever.

[Bonnie]

20% -"February the first"

Is there a reason she is up at the Arctic Circle in the winter instead of any other time? Already by the time she arrives there would be very little daylight to be trekking around the foothills.
(Well I suppose it's fantasy so the Earth and Sun don't have to work the same as ours but seems like they should)

[Oleksandr]

Bonnie wrote: "Is there a reason she is up at the Arctic Circle in the winter instead of any other time?."

Definitely an interesting question. My guess it was made for out-of-story reasons, the author wanted to stress the ineptness of Prof Wilde with household chores like keeping the fire and needed a cold for that. Also to contrast, but that's later that 20% so I won't spoil

[Bonnie]

Pandorahh wrote: "I read your review and I feel like naming the time period wasn't necessary, unless the second book is more in the human world making the date relevant. I..."

Yes. If it were a fantasy place, a vague Earth analog, or the time was not specific, I might not get so jarred by anachronisms/regional language probs. She tried with the language sometimes (whence, henceforth, thusly...) but then characters say "I feel as if I am in a movie" "I love ice cream" "I welcome your feedback on this manuscript" etc.

Lilja and Margret, OK I try to imagine that on this isolated northern island nation they have openly same-sex relationships... But gay weddings in 1910?

I kept running into notes that did not ring true for me, would knock me out of the story. Emily dragging her trunk for a mile though the town; not knowing how to light a fire or maintain a woodstove; the students only staying two days--seemingly happily--then absconding with no notice (did anyone worry they had been kidnapped by fairies); leaving Cambridge over two terms instead of one, and why in the dead winter? How could she trek around in the foothills and write in her journal when there are probably three hours of daylight and freezing cold; how did so many villagers know English; most of these people would use Mr/Miss/Professor, not first names...
Too many things I could not buy.

Like others above I liked the included stories about fairies, the footnotes, and little Poe

[Bonnie]

And I love the cover of the book! Little Poe claws sticking out, click click click
Get him a beaver hat, stat

[Oleksandr]

Bonnie wrote: "Yes. If it were a fantasy place, a vague Earth analog, or the time was not specific, I might not get so jarred by anachronisms/regional language probs..."

I agree, setting time and place is a lazy worldbuilding - readers should roughly imagine the European urban life set in 1909, so no need to stress that there are steamrollers, long dresses, to hint what Cambridge uni means etc (nothing of this in even an English village btw). However, I guess the author passed it to give more attention to faeries and this was made quite solid IMHO

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

A reminder that in about 10 hours I'll be posting a link to join for the Zoom discussion of this book!

Video and audio will be optional, I read through the chat as well so you can participate at whatever level you feel comfortable with! come chat with us!

Check here for the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Or follow the group calendar:

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/...

[Olga]

Bonnie wrote: "20% -"February the first"

Is there a reason she is up at the Arctic Circle in the winter instead of any other time? "

As far as I understood it's because she wanted to study the Hidden Ones, who leave for the summer and come back in winter, with the snow (the 'real' snow that is, it was mentioned a few times in the beginning that she would see when the winter comes).

[Georgann]

I'll be the odd man out here. I didn't really enjoy this book and gave it 3 stars for ok. I just couldn't be excited to read it. I only really liked the funny scene with the ax.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Odd men out are very welcome! I think there are others there. In fact, a lot of our discussion in VBC was about how illogical it was and whether we could just "turn off" our brains and go for the ride or if it was distractingtly inaccurate.

[Banshee]

It's interesting for me how the discussion evolved into finding inconsistencies and trying to figure out the historical context. I actually didn't even consider any of this while reading the book.

I suppose the mood was just so perfect for me that I just went with the flow and submerged myself in the story. It's not that I disagree with any of the criticism, it's just that the book fit me like a glove.

That, and the similarity to the Lady Trent series. That was actually the reason why this novel flew from "mildly interesting - will check it out at some point" to "need to reserve it on Libby NOW". And the parallels were definitely there. The context was different, the subject matter was different, the personalities of the main characters were different, but the core idea was still there and I loved it.