I was a bit thrown because I thought this book was going to be a fantasy-based encyclopaedia, but insteaf it was a research journal that was really not at all like a research journal. I struggled with blending the genre of research journal and traditonal narrative voice, because not only did it take away from some of the believability but it also removed a lot of stakes from the plot when you knew the reader survived far enough to write in the journal (for months).

What I really liked in the book was the rich fantasy world of the fae with their peculiar culture, habits, lore, and fairytale gifts. I also liked how dark the story got at times, though it was hard to sense any real danger. I also love a strong, capable main character that can handle an array of terrifying or mindaltering situations. Emily’s stubborn, hermit-like, and hyper-academic character was a joy, and so were the majority of the other characters in the book. I also loved the made up world of academia around the faes. 

The romance

for me felt lacking. I felt like there was no buildup or context for the actions between the characters and overall their pairing lacked a lot of chemistry. I enjoyed the character of Wendell more and more as the book progressed but the relationship between him and Emily needed to be stronger (which will propably happen in later books).

Overall, I enjoyed Emily’s and Wendell’s freezing adventures in the Nordic Arctic Circle, though either through the journal as a storytelling device or Emily’s hyper-academic look, it was hard to immerse to the story fully even when given vivid detail. The lore and interactions with fae were really interesting, which makes me want to read further how the story progresses and what kind of faeries will they meet next.