Enter, if you dare, the realm of faerie. A dimension of hypnotic beauty full of desolation and danger. This is an altogether different genre than my fairy tales remixed post. That was focused on well known fairy tales, like Beauty and the Beast etc, while this focuses on faeries or the Folk themselves. Those lovely, mischievous sociopaths that enjoy toying with humans; trapping them in Faerie, whisking away their children in the night or ensnaring them inside doomed contracts.
The land of Fae is populated by a hierarchy of faeries who are powerful, beautiful and predatory. Literature often crowns them with common characteristics such as: the inability to lie, an obsession with human art and music, copious use of deceptive glamour magic, manipulative bargaining, primal urges that swing from extreme to extreme and a fear of iron and salt. They love to toy with humans for passing amusement whether they are replacing human children with changelings, pulling harmful pranks or creating carefully crafted deals that end with like a human dancing to death or something equally awful. I find all of these tropes fascinating and love witnessing how they’ve evolved over time and within different cultures. What were the events that had people creating legends and superstitions in an attempt to protect themselves and understand a wild and unpredictable natural world? The built in mythology of the fae is a rich playground for authors; my attention always perks up when faeries are involved. Of course, the books aren’t always magical, there are many duds. But, once in a while, a few will strike just the right note of (safe) escapism.
Draw a salt circle, put on your iron ring and, for goodness sake, take off your name tag before entering one of these stories.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
There once was a Raven King who ruled over the north of England and when he disappeared hundreds of years ago, so did magic. Now in the early 1800s, magic only exists in the theoretical, until two magicians begin to revive the practical side of magic. The old, ornery book miser Mr. Norrell along with the young, ambitious and rash Jonathan Strange connect and clash over their varied approaches to magic. When resurrecting a bride leads to a fateful bargain with “the gentleman with thistledown hair”, they find they are meddling in forces they cannot hope to comprehend as the world around them grows more and more erratic. It seems as though this mysterious gentleman has his own agenda and the power to enact it.
Meet the Empress of Footnotes; sometimes the footnotes here take up entire pages. Embrace it. This is also a tome; Goodreads says its 1000 pages. Embrace it. This book is an incredible piece of work with stupendous, meticulous writing. It is stupefying that this is Clarke’s first novel. Though, it did take her ten years to finish and I believe it. It is classic fantasy wrapped inside historical fiction that often feels like it was written in the 1800s recounting events that have just occurred. Its playful tone swirls around mystery, darkness and danger; I especially enjoy how our wry narrator pokes fun at dry, dusty scholarship while also highlighting the hubris that comes with wild, unchecked power.
Clarke’s cheeky, academic realism builds the plot slowly, fully fleshing out the world. Perhaps in excess but, you guessed it. Embrace it. It is creepy, fantastical and eerily spine-chilling at times with thrilling gothic elements (love a mad woman1). Its gorgeous writing, detailed world building and horrifying revelations of faerie create a powerful, singular work of fiction. This is for fantasy lovers and even for those who mostly enjoy historical non-fiction and are curious about what is beyond the veil. Embrace it. This one is special.
Extra Credit: There is a TV show from 2015 but I know nothing about it except that it exists. I think this was a mistake for them to create as this story belongs to the written format alone. 2
Extra Credit 2: Susanna Clarke Wrote a Hit Novel Set in a Magical Realm. Then She Disappeared
“It has been remarked (by a lady infinitely cleverer than the present author) how kindly disposed the world in general feels to young people who either die or marry. Imagine then the interest that surrounded Miss Wintertowne! No young lady ever had such advantages before: for she died upon the Tuesday, was raised to life in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and was married upon the Thursday; which some people thought too much excitement for one week.”
The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King by Holly Black
When Jude was seven years old, she and her two sisters were abducted to Faerie by their parent’s murderer. Becoming his adoptive children3, they’ve made Faerie their home but their very human nature means they won’t ever fully belong. In this realm they are viewed as playthings, if not food. Jude is desperate to claim her place in this world and her schemes have her clashing4 against Cardan, the wicked (hot) and most hated of the High King’s sons. As sides are taken in a violent grasp for the crown, Jude must confront her truest, basest self5 if she is to succeed in a world teeming with deception, enchantment and betrayal. And, darn it all if Cardan isn’t all that he once seemed to be.
I read this a while ago now when I still read Young Adult. Fun and mildly sexy, (as much as YA6 will allow) the second book, The Wicked King7, is better as it goes deeper into Cardan’s character. However, let it be known now that I do NOT approve of the direction of the final book.
There is a bit of awkward blending of faerie and the real world/modern day, but we are mostly in faerie anyway so it’s not too distracting. This one is fast paced with thrumming tension, sizzling chemistry and some exciting twists and turns. I enjoyed Jude’s bald ambition and penchant for violence and trickery (she learned from the best after all) though she can get annoying and sort of bratty. Again, it is YA. Nothing ground breaking here, but it’s full of imaginative and eerie descriptions, morally grey characters and some deliciously psychotic faeries all of which combine for a quick, engaging afternoon’s amusement. Though again, I am not happy with how the trilogy ends so don’t say I didn’t say I didn’t warn ya.
“Faeries make up for their inability to lie with a panoply of deceptions and cruelties. Twisted words, pranks, omissions, riddles, scandals, not to mention their revenges upon one another for ancient, half-remembered slights. Storms are less fickle than they are, seas less capricious.”
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Emily Wilde, a professor and renowned scholar of faeries, is writing an encyclopedia on the subject and no one, not even her annoyingly amiable and absurdly named colleague Wendell Bambleby, will distract her from this task. When Bambleby crashes her research trip to a remote town (promptly charming all the locals who have given Emily the cold shoulder due to her off-putting scholarly approach to personal interactions) they soon discover some truly dangerous Folk may be about. The kind of Folk with less than benevolent intentions. Emily must use her scientific prowess and knowledge of faerie lore to rescue the town, herself and her life’s work from the clutches of her own observational subjects.
This is adorable, breezy, engaging and well written. It is told through journal entries which adds to its appeal because it really is absurd that our protagonist somehow finds the time for diary entries while adventuring, but here we relish the absurd. After all, in this world faeries are real and are taught in Cambridge. I love a juicy grumpy/sunshine dynamic and its reverse shines here8. Emily is ornery, verbose and her scientific approach to everything is especially endearing as she is almost completely lacking in people skills and just wants to be left alone with her books9. This allows her interactions with the (suspiciously?) socially adept Bamblebly to be filled with snippy banter and loads of cute squabbling. I dare you not to smile when Wendell hijacks Emily’s diary with his own entries. Their connection is sweetly romantic with very light sexiness, nothing graphic but still compelling. The world is set up sort of scientifically, with each fae creature having its own unique physicality, powers and lore that are ripe for study and observation. Stories are incredibly important for dealings with the Folk as they contain actual useful knowledge; full of specific cultural implications, ways to communicate, interact and, sometimes, escape all the different species.
The second installment of the trilogy, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, came out earlier this year and is almost as delightful as the first. The voice and antics are just as fun but I don’t think the plot was as strong, it felt mildly repetitive at times, but I did enjoy the creepier vibe. The final installment, Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales, comes out next February and I’m quite looking forward to it.
“There was something about the stories bound between those covers, and the myriad species of Folk weaving in and out of them, each one a mystery begging to be solved. I suppose most children fall in love with faeries at some point, but my fascination was never about magic or the granting of wishes. The Folk were of another world, with its own rules and customs---and to a child who always felt ill-suited to her own world, the lure was irresistible.”
Previous newsletter books that belong in this category
Any other visits into faerie land you’d recommend? You know what to do:
what a shame she went mad
as aunt march says in gg’s little women: “i may not always be right, but i am never wrong”. this statement gets me.
families are complicated
;)
its giving “who’s afraid of little old me” vibes
not NA (new adult) mind you
i like this second one the best of the trilogy. some exciting setups, hot encounters and ends with a terrific cliffhanger
i think the classic of this trope is grumpy guy/sunshine gal. think new girl’s nick and jess
same emily. same
from cozy romantasy
Jonathan Strange really sets the bar for this whole genre. I haven’t reread it in ages, but I might have to have a go at it soon.
Are The Cruel Prince and A Court of Thorns and Roses or whatever it’s called the same thing? In my mind they are interchangeable, but maybe that’s just because they’re both big booktok books.
I am patiently waiting for my copy of Emily Wilde from the library - really looking forward to reading it!
I truly despise Cruel Prince so much. I felt like I just kept waiting for something to happen. There was one point in the second half of the second book that I really thought things were taking off, then it just sort of stopped moving forward well again in the third book. Such an interesting plot line though.
Encyclopedia or faeries has been on my tbr forever! I need to just do it.
I have never heard of Jonathan Strange and now looking at it I am frightened and intimidated. I will add to my list for probably a few years from now when I feel mentally ready to tackle it.