A lot of us were raised on Fairy Tales.
Stories of the fae can be light, fun and adventurous – or can take you on a dark path through a Grimm strange wood.
In this post, I’ll suggest 3 ‘Fairy’ related reads for those willing to dance with the little folk for awhile.
Centre yourself with mindful musings from ‘The Cottage Fairy’; go toe-to-toe with Emily Wilde exploring faerie lore; or circle the Erl King Hill with the Hastings boys – but be sure to be home by midnight.
Happy Reading, Friends!
“Enter the world of the hidden folk – and discover the most whimsical, enchanting and heart-warming tale you’ll read this year, featuring the intrepid Emily Wilde. . .
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 encylopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at 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.
But as Emily gets closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones – the most elusive of all faeries – 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.”
"One doesn't need magic if one knows enough stories." (p193)
This was a fun read – full of fae folk bewitching a small, close-knit community; a plucky, stern and awkwardly loveable heroine who would rather get on with her studies than make friends or save them; and two Kings, trying to get back to their respective kingdoms with mixed results.
I liked that the love interest aspect of the story wasn’t overpowering, but remained a soft hum behind an interesting mix of adventures.
Fawcett does a great job in creating a magical but believable world in which faeries live amongst humans, and the study of them is a viable career path for those that dare to interact with the mercurial folk. It’s also a little dark at times, as all good fairy tales are.
The ending came on a bit sudden, leaving the characters open for further adventures – however a nice lead-in to ‘Book 2’ which is expected sometime in 2024.
Overall, cosy and exactly what I wanted. Onwards, friends!
Readers who like this book may also like:
“The Cottage Fairy Companion is your accessible and beautiful guide to mindful living. It teaches the fundamentals of cottagecore style through the practices of The Cottage Fairy’s daily life.
Romanticise your life anywhere. The Cottage Fairy Companion helps readers open their eyes to the everyday magic right in front of them. It gives a new perspective by revealing the lessons nature teaches about finding beauty through the good times and the bad. Everyone-from city-dwellers to country bobkins-can find delight in this book. It shows that you do not need a cottage in the rustic countryside to achieve a cottagecore aesthetic, or to apply aspects of slow living to your daily life.
Use mindfulness for healing and fulfilment. Paola Merrill, author and creator behind the popular YouTube channel The Cottage Fairy, left a hectic life in the city for the rural mountains in search of a deeper connection to herself and the world. She learned that nature is the biggest teacher of all-if we open our eyes to its wisdom. Mindful living can be applied in most walks of life, and Merrill’s writing encourages you to find healing and fulfilment, wherever you are.”
I’ve been a fan of Paola’s and followed her YouTube channel for a long time now, and enjoy her focus on nature, art and finding joy in simple day-to-day living. When she announced she was bringing out a book, I was more than happy to order a copy.
This is a great book to read through on cosy evenings, or when you have time to relax with a cup of tea and re-connect with yourself in a mindful way.
While I’m not one to run into the kitchen and start making Lavender Lemonade, or knock up a wreath for the front door – I appreciated Paola’s watercolour art scattered through the pages, her seasonal poetry, and the lyrical way she reflects on her life and surrounds.
This would make a great gift for a crafty/woodland-loving friend, or the perfect addition to a coffee-table bookstack that you can jump in and out of when you need a reminder to stop and smell the roses.
Readers who like this book may also like:
“The town records have it listed as Erl King Hill – ‘Hill of the Elf King’. To the locals it is known simply as the old Kessler Place. A great ramshackle house, it stands among deep woods, full of memories and myth.
There are strange stories about the old place: talk of haunted woods, strange lights that dance like fire, buried treasure and lost children, now long forgotten. But for the Hastings Family, Gloria and Philip, and their eight-year-old twins, Sean and Patrick, and Philip’s teenage daughter, Gabrielle, it is the stuff of dreams.
They are looking for a fresh start and they think they have found it – until the day Sean and Patrick discover the secret of Fairy Woods and the luminous elfin beings who lure them into an unearthly world of ancient Celtic magic.
Suddenly, what was a dream has become a terrifying nightmare. For those entrancing sprites are in reality demons determined to possess the children’s very souls!”
This book was first published in the late 80’s, and does read like it – cue eye-rolling at the gender dynamics – but I did like the nostalgic feel of an old paperback fantasy story. Why does no-one seem to make covers like this any more?? A giant spider-looking faerie beast – take my money! Ok, we could probs do without the kid, but he’s probably a changeling about to steal your soul – so might get a pass.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the fae folk and their world, and would have loved to spend more time there. We spend a lot of the book reading threads that don’t seem to go anywhere – focusing initially on the teen daughter Gabrielle (maybe just so Feist could write some overly sexualised creep scenes) and building intrigue around an old Magi cult that I didn’t care about. When we get to follow the twin boys and their interactions with the tricksy sprites, it gets a lot more enjoyable. Changelings, the dark Unseelie Court and doors leading to endless magical realms – oh my!
I’m not sure this story will stay with me for any length of time, but I would read another book set in this world if the faerie court should ever swing back by this neck of the woods again.
