Book Description:

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.

My Thoughts:

I adored this book!! I have always loved anything faerie, my whole life, so when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. It also has an academic theme which is another of my favorites to read about.

Emily is a bit of a … hmm. Emily is all academia, all about her studies, very logical, very smart and sharp, driven, committed. However, she is a bit prickly as a person. She is perfectly happy with her books and her dog Shadow and her research, and as far as other people go, she needs them for research purposes but does not want to hang out with them or be like, friends. She sort of gets off on the wrong foot when she arrives in the village of Hrafnsvik, which is not great since that is where she plans to stay for an extended amount of time for research purposes. Despite having made contact with a brownie, her time is not going all that smoothly.

Enter Wendell Bambleby, a fellow academic full of the charm and joy that Emily lacks. He is Emily’s total opposite, and she doesn’t regard his work ethic in the highest esteem. However, he soon has the townsfolk wrapped around his finger, which does make the work and research easier. And Emily and Wendell do seem to have a little something sizzling between them, just under the surface.

Emily and Wendell soon learn about the the Tall Ones, a group of fae that prey upon the townsfolk, and Emily is resolved to learn more about these mysterious, dangerous fae. She also starts to put a few things together about Wendell too, while some delightful romantic tension builds between them.

My only complaint is the ending! I needed more story and now I have to wait for the next installment and I hate that! I am not good at waiting and I want to know more about Emily and Wendell and this world of faery.

I loved this book completely and if you like adventure, academia, or faery stories, then I highly encourage you to read this one.