MoodReads - Romance Book Discovery
The Stacks
DiscoverMy ShelvesReading Stats
Sign upLog in
MoodReads - Romantasy Book Discovery

because goodreads doesn't
have a spice filter

Discover

  • Discover Page
  • Reading Stacks
  • Tropes
  • Moods
  • Creatures
  • Spicy Books

Get MoodReads

  • so what is it.
  • iOS App
  • Browser Extension
  • MoodReads Premium
  • Gift a Subscription
  • For Creators
  • Share MoodReads

Go Deeper

  • FAQ
  • Roadmap
  • Request a Feature
  • vs Goodreads
  • vs StoryGraph
  • Who Built This?

The Serious Stuff

  • Values
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Support

get emails when something big happens. no spam, just news.

© 2026 MoodReads. Built by a romantasy reader for romantasy readers.

rattle the stars, bitches.

Cover of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

by Heather Fawcett

🌶️🌶️mild·Emily Wilde #1
4.1 on MoodReads (7 ratings)4.0 on Goodreads (216,314)

Rate this book

sign in to add to shelves, track reading status, and see your stats

find similar →
ReportSpoiler settings

Ending

reveal ending

Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?

You'll fall in love with a charming faerie king and believe in magic again, all while feeling like you've solved an academic mystery.

Synopsis

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series. 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, and the Fair Folk. 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.

book details below may contain spoilers. some hidden

At a Glance

A cozy, slow-burn faerie romance told entirely through a curmudgeonly scholar's field notes—think Bridget Jones meets Jonathan Strange, with better fae lore. Emily Wilde is not a heroine who grows into her confidence; she starts the book utterly competent and completely hopeless with people, and that distinction matters. The tension between her and Wendell Bambleby is built on banter and grudging respect rather than will-they-won't-they theatrics. First in a trilogy, so expect threads left dangling. Read it wrapped in something wool, ideally with fog outside.

trope onetrope twotrope threetrope four

Book Details

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.

3.96 ★ (216.3k)

Page CountHow long the commitment is.

317 pages

PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.

2023

Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?

Cozy Fantasy

PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.

M/F

POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).

First Person

Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.

Slow Burn

CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.

reveal ending

AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.

Yes

FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.

Single Narrator (unspecified)

NarratorThe voice in your ears.

Ell Potter, Michael Dodds

Narrator Count

Dual

TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
rivals competinggrumpy sunshineimmortal/mortal romanceforced proximityhidden identityslow burn
RomanceMagicActionAngstWorld
Theme Constellation

Mood & Vibe

MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.

cozyheartwarmingwhimsicalromanticadventurousatmosphericmagical

Writing StyleHow the author writes - prose style, dialogue approach, and narrative voice. This is about craft and delivery, not emotional effect.

whimsicalconversationalwittywarmdry

Story PacingDoes the story sprint or saunter? Fast = you'll miss sleep. Slow = you'll savor every word. Medium = balanced chaos.

medium

Emotional WeightHow much are you gonna cry? Light = fun feels. Moderate = real stakes. Heavy = bring tissues. Devastating = call your therapist.

moderate

Energy RequiredCan you read this on a Tuesday after work, or do you need a full Saturday and three cups of coffee? Low/Medium/High.

low

VibesOne perfect sentence that captures the essence. Like: 'Fae politics meets forbidden romance with zero chill.'

comfort read vibes

Characters

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

FMC ArchetypeWho is she? The female main character's core identity/role. Assassin? Healer? General Badass?

bookworm/scholarice queenoutcast/loner

MMC ArchetypeWho is he? The male main character's core identity/role. Your exact flavor of book boyfriend.

fae princegolden retrieverrogue/scoundrelsecretly soft

Relationship DynamicsThe interpersonal dynamic between the main characters. How do they relate to each other? This is about character energy and connection style, not plot situations.

mutual piningslow burnrivals to loversgrumpy sunshine (reversed)intellectual connectionbanter

Spice Details 🌶️

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
🌶️
Spice Level 2

Spice StyleNot just how much spice, but what kind. Emotional intimacy? Explicit but vanilla? Plot-driven heat? Know your flavor.

Academic bickering masking impossible tenderness. Romance sneaks up through dry wit, borrowed cloaks, and a faerie prince who keeps showing up uninvited.

Getting SteamyGentle kinks. Fun but nothing too crazy. The appetizer, so to speak.

tensionanticipationlonging glancesplayful bantertouch starvation

Bringing the HeatFor those who know exactly what they came for. This is where you find your exact brand of chaos. The good stuff.

None
Browse more books by spice level →
This stuff might hit different. No shame in needing to know what's coming. (7)▼
spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal
self-harmviolencekidnappingdeathanimal deathbloodcaptivity
Browse books by content warning →

World & Setting

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

World TypeWhat kind of world are you stepping into? High fantasy = full secondary world. Urban fantasy = magic in modern cities. Portal = starts here, goes there.

low fantasy / secret magichistorical

Primary SettingWhere does the story physically take place? Court intrigue = palace. Dark academia = campus. Cozy witch vibes = small town. This is about location, not world rules.

small town / villageforest / wildernesscottage / cabin / homestead

Fantasy CreaturesWhat supernatural beings populate this world? Fae courts, vampire covens, dragon riders, or just regular humans doing their best.

faegoblinstrolls

Reading Context

spoiler protected·tap tags to reveal

Emotional PayoffWhat you get for showing up. The catharsis, the growth, the 'I'm a different person now' moment. This is why the hard books are worth it.

romantic fulfillmentcomfort rereadcomfort reread materialintellectual satisfaction

Best Time of YearSeasonal mood rings for books. Summer romance reads different than winter gothic.

winter

When & Where to ReadContext matters. Some books are Beach Trip energy, others are 3am Bedtime spiral-reads. Trust.

waiting roombedtimepalate cleanser readcozy eveningwinter night by the firerainy weekend

Emily Wilde

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

#1 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands

#2 Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales

#3 Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales

this page is just the start

  • import your Goodreads or StoryGraph TBR. we tag every book with spice, tropes, CWs, mood, all of it
  • tell us a vibe (“enemies to lovers fae, high spice”) and BookMatch finds the book
  • 4,000+ romantasy books searchable by 45 fields
  • book clubs, reading challenges, and a community of readers who get it
free account

Quick Facts

Spice LevelThe heat scale. 0=wholesome, 1=kisses, 2=fade-to-black, 3=tasteful spice, 4=explicit, 5=you need a cold shower. Know thyself.🌶️🌶️mild
PagesHow long the commitment is.317
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.2023
GoodreadsThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.3.96 ★ (216.3k)
EndingEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.reveal ending

SeriesThe series this book belongs to and where it falls in the reading order.

Emily Wilde #1
Similar picks →

My Notes

Loading...

Short Takes

quick 280-character reactions for this book. drop a thought, rate the vibe, keep scrolling.

Sign in to share your take.

Loading...

Book Chat

live reactions, hot takes, screaming into the void about Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Similar Books

Cover of The Spellshop

The Spellshop

Spellshop, #1

Sarah Beth Durst

🌶️🌶️·third person
forced proximitysecret relationshiphidden identity
Cover of The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)

The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)

Cerulean Chronicles, #1

TJ Klune

🌶️🌶️·third person
found familyslow burnopposites attract
Cover of Wings

Wings

Wings, #1

Aprilynne Pike

🌶️🌶️·first person·✓
love trianglehidden identityfated mates
Cover of Stalking Jack the Ripper

Stalking Jack the Ripper

Stalking Jack the Ripper, #1

Kerri Maniscalco

🌶️🌶️·first person·✓
forced proximityrivals competingslow burn
Cover of Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales, #1)

Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales, #1)

Regency Faerie Tales, #1

Olivia Atwater

🌶️🌶️·third person·✓
beauty and the beastcursed love interestfairytale retelling
Cover of The Stolen Heir

The Stolen Heir

The Stolen Heir Duology, #1

Holly Black

🌶️🌶️·first person
enemies to loversarranged marriageforced proximity
Cover of Beyond the Highland Mist

Beyond the Highland Mist

Highlander, #1

Karen Marie Moning

🌶️🌶️·third person·✓
forced to marrytime travel romanceforced proximity
Cover of The Ex Hex (The Ex Hex, #1)

The Ex Hex (The Ex Hex, #1)

Graves Glen, #1

Erin Sterling

🌶️🌶️·third person
second chanceforced proximitycursed love interest