Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. A genius scholar and meticulous researcher, she is working to complete the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. While she excels in her field, Emily is less adept at social interaction, preferring the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk over parties and small talk.

When she journeys to the remote village of Hrafnsvik in the far north to study folklore, Emily has no intention of befriending the local townsfolk. Her plans are further complicated by the arrival of her academic rival, the dashing and insufferably handsome Wendell Bambleby. Bambleby quickly charms the villagers and inserts himself into Emily's research, much to her frustration. As Emily draws closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the nearby forest, she must also investigate the true identity and motives of Wendell Bambleby. To find the answers, she will have to navigate dark fae magic and the mysteries of her own heart.