This book was in equal turns cozy and delightfully horrifying. It has a gradual ascent into the fantastical that is something I aspire to most ardently as a writer. It starts with Emily Wilde settling into a cold mountain village northeastern Europe to study a "newfound" and unique species of faerie. She mentions her colleague Wendell Bartleby often and wishes for his social finesse. It's good that we get some time with her alone, because once he shows up, he's a bit of a show-stealer.
The story plays fast and loose with the gender tropes between Emily and Wendell. Emily is stoic and socially cold, while Wendell is affable and socially adept. He gave me Howl vibes. I love that he has some of his own entries in the journal. I love that she gradually stops calling him Bartleby and starts calling him Wendell without addressing the change.
It doesn't fit perfectly into the definition of cozy fantasy I've written about before. The landscape is fascinating but far from idyllic, and the scope rises too high. It feels more like a historical romantic fantasy to me. It has strong literary elements and the spice level is low in a refreshing way for the category.
My local bookstore link: https://www.viewpointbooks.com/book/9780593500156
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