Have you always wondered about fairies (faeries, or "the fae")? Were you one of those kids who played in the backyard or the woods, talking to imaginary friends, and collecting treasures from nature as if they were gold? These book recommendations are for the brave souls who step off beaten paths and walk the margins between the known and the unknown world.
Fae-lovers know the value of mystery and curiosity. They also know to be wary: the fae are not always friendly or well-meaning. They're not here to enchant us, but the possibility of their existence is enchanting nonetheless. So too are the following reads.
We've covered this before in our lineup of best books about magic for adults, we'll say it again: Fawcett's Emily Wilde series is intelligent, whimsical, and fun. The Fae in these stories are more of the Brian Froud variety i.e. intriguing, sometimes grotesque, often frightening. It can be dangerous to go searching for the fae, and protagonist Emily Wilde is well aware of the pitfalls and consequences of going too far. ...Or is she?
Little, Big is more than a character-driven novel, it’s an experience. A whole vibe. Eloquent, wild, ravishing, and purposely mysterious, you’ll laugh and scratch your head and get lost in the wonder of enchanted architecture, changeling children, and the role of destiny in our lives. This is perhaps one of the most beautifully written representations of fae and humanity overlapping, equal parts empathic and beguiling.
This memoir begins in New York City and follows a book editor's adventure to seek out real-life faeries in Mexico, England, Scotland, and Ireland. The book maintains a perfect balance of skepticism and humor, remaining a timeless read for the modern workaholic with an earnest need for enchantment. Signe's adventure will captivate, mystify, and inspire. It's impossible to finish this book and not believe in the otherworldly.
Reading this is like stepping into a memory of a dream you once had. Most of the book is told in hindsight as a man remembers the strange happenings of his youth and the family next door. The Hempstocks were unusual neighbors, with superhuman abilities to drive away evil beings and travel between dimensions. They also supposedly harbored an ocean in their backyard. Though this tale isn't explicitly about fairies, the Hempstocks give strong fae vibes in their mysterious origins and close proximity to human life, and the experiences that the unnamed narrator faces are fae-adjacent, equal parts wondrous and frightening.
Link's short stories "The Summer People" (Get in Trouble) and "The Faery Handbag" (Magic for Beginners) are mesmerizing, masterful trickster tales: they have a strong sense of realism that effortlessly gives way to magic. The glamorous fae folk in the "The Summer People" are like eccentric celebrities: rarely seen except by those who serve them, and with a powerful glow that holds people in their thrall. Teenage protagonist Fran is beholden to them for life, seemingly, until she takes a page out of the capricious summer people's book, enticing another to take her place. In "The Faery Handbag," the faeries are just as elusive, but our teenage narrator Genevieve seeks out the portal to their world, rather than trying to escape it. The portal also happens to be a family heirloom. And it also happens to have (most likely) swallowed the people she cares about most.
A timeless, quirky classic. Picture the English countryside in the early 1920s. At fancy dinner parties of high society, delicacies convey status, and conversation is a balancing act between politeness and banter. The wrong fruit--i.e. from the other side of the border, over in Faerie land--or the mere mention of magic can get you cancelled in a heartbeat, and even the esteemed mayor is not exempt. The Luddites are terrified of magic, so deep in denial of its existence, of their own history, and of Faerie land's inextricable connection to their town. In sealing the border with Faerie land, the Luddites have sealed their descent into apparent lunacy.
This list is just the beginning. Let's keep it going! Send us your additions in the comments below, or through the Submissions page.
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