Emily Wilde is a young Cambridge professor who, at the early age of 26, is one of the world's foremost experts on the Faerie Folk. She has traveled to the far northern town of Hrafnsvik to study the previously elusive ice faerie folk. The town people are leery of her because she is an outsider, and she lacks social skills, so she has a rough time getting any cooperation from them, until her academic frenemy, Wendell Brambleby shows up. His dazzling appearance and charm smooth the ruffled locals, but she is infuriated when he offers to co-author a paper with her, knowing that she will do all the work and he will get all the credit. As they begin to work together to solve some local faerie abduction mysteries, Emily begins to wonder if there is more to Wendell than meets the eye. That suspicion becomes a hope, when she finds herself in a predicament from which only his special special skills, and the help of new village friends, can save her.
I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but I am glad they did. It is a delight. Emily's personality is super quirky, and the chemistry between her and Brambleby is a lot of fun. Fawcett has an expansive imagination and her world building is wonderful. She has obviously spent a lot of time studying the faery folklore of the British Isles and she calls on many traditional faerie folk tropes in the book. Since I have been adjacent to the academic world my whole adult life, (my husband is a professor), the banter about getting papers published, and presenting at conferences was just an added bit of fun for me. I am sure I will be recommending this book to my fantasy loving friends and am eager to read the next in the series. (352 p. 2023)
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