3 months ago: i need this asap.

got the arc: *screams in my bed*

now: yes, wendell bambleby writes in emily’s journal once again. yes, we see the adorable poe (i wanted to cry from relief). yes, i love this book to deathhhh.

maybe the first book will always be my soul. maybe the sequel has some imperfections. but maybe i love it nonetheless.

maybe i don’t know how to exist without this series wedged in-between my cracked heart.

(key info: the first book is my favorite book in the whole wide universe)

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THE ARC. I CAN’T EVEN PROCESS HOW LUCKY I AM.

Despite having a little struggle reading the first book, I requested this ARC. AND IM SO GLAD I DID! I loved the world and was so nice to be back in it. The continued banter between Emily and Wendell left me giggling and rolling my eyes. I loved it!

I loved this book. It was a wonderfully fun continuation of the first. If you didn’t like the first you won’t like this one, as it is a perfectly faithful tonal and stylistic recreation of the writing from the first. However, this book series has absolutely been for me. The writing is wonderfully fanciful and lush, and I was happy to be reunited with these characters.

The only things I would improve would be the integration of the group with the town, and a more expansive exploration of Emily’s relationship with her niece. The former I cannot get more of as the book is finished. The latter, however, I hope to see in the follow-up to this one.

I appreciate how each adventure we’ve been on with Emily and Wendell have felt contained, yet allowed for their overarching story to expand. I’m able to be satisfied with each book itself while anticipating the next one eagerly.

About a year ago I was introduced to the world of Emily Wilde in Heather Fawcett’s adorable book Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies. It centered around an introverted and somewhat prickly scholar from Cambridge who set out to write a book about the fairy world along with her faithful furry companion Shadow, and her rival and social opposite, Wendell Bambleby. It was so incredibly charming I was enthralled from start to finish and it was one of my final 5 star reads of 2022.

(Warning: Some of what follows may spoil some of book one if you have not read it)

Naturally when Emily Wilder’s Map of the Otherlands became available I jumped at the chance to read it and continue Emily and Wendell’s journey. The second installment picks up a short time after the end of the first, and focuses on two important unresolved plot points. The first and main plot point of the book revolves around the fact that Wendell is actually an exiled fairy king who is searching for a door to his kingdom so he can overthrow his step-mother. The second point, and honestly my favorite part of the book, focused on their romance and the fact that Emily is still trying to decide if she will marry Wendell.

This book, much like the first, gripped me from the first few pages. Very early on it becomes clear that Wendell’s step-mother is trying to have him killed, and it becomes a race to save him from her schemes. I loved that Emily had to stand more on her own during this novel to save Wendell, and her inner strength and determination truly shined through. She is still the same stern academic, but her heart is allowed to truly shine through and the audience gets to see her growth as she allows others to see her softer side.

I also very much enjoyed the relationships that developed between Emily and two supporting characters, Ariande and Professor Rose. Ariande is Emily’s niece who truly comes into her own during the course of their adventure. She goes from a shy, mousey girl to someone who has the same inner strength as her aunt. Professor Rose, who I strongly disliked at the start of the book, also grew on me as he grew to be a source of support for Emily.

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️

This book is simply adorable, and I truly loved the adventure and romance. There is some spice, but it’s very mild (it’s a case of a fade to black sort of scene) so it would be suitable I think for most readers over the age of 13. There is plenty of room for a third book, and I truly hope we get to see Emily, Wendell, and all their friends again soon.

This is the second book starring the sensible Emily Wilde field researcher and dryadologist and fellow academic Wendell (whose secret was revealed in the last book).

Emily has, probably to her own bewilderment, made some personal connections and picked up more companions in her former faculty head nemesis and her niece. This time Emily and crew are in the mountains following the trail of fae researcher who disappeared many years ago while on the verge of discovering a hidden portal to the Spring fae kingdom. With a fae attack on Wendell leaving him in severe peril, it is more important that they find that door quickly. And with Emily's fae knowledge, cleverness and determination there's no one better to take on the task - with a little help from old friends and new the queat is a quietly entertaing one.

I enjoyed Emily Wilde's Map to the Otherworld just as much as the first book. I am just as charmed by the unexpected other side of Wendell's heritage and I like that the sensible analytical Emily is beginning to soften, and gasp, have a few pesky emotions. I like how she uses all her knowledge of the fae to save the day and I am really looking forward to the final book and her further adventures. These are gentle reads - I saw someone else cleverly describe them as "cozy fantasy" - but I enjoyed them.

ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley, publication date January 2024. This is an unpaid review

This is one of my most highly anticipated books of the year, and it did not disappoint! I did think it needed a lot more Bambleby... As he was incapacitated for quite a bit of there novel, we do have other characters to accompany Emily and Bambleby this time around! Including Emily's niece who is so cute and helpful and just wants to follow in her aunt's footsteps (but Emily is confused as to why). Emily and Bambleby even managed to be blackmailed by their boss into letting him join their expedition, something Emily does not appreciate. The guy... grows on you? Like a mold, that you get used to. We get to see Shadow again! And some of the characters from book 1 make small appearances. The vibes were present, and the new town was super interesting just like the last one.

I can't wait for the next installment in this world! There was some set up being done in this particular title that should play off quite nicely in the next book (set up that has to do with Bambleby's Fae court, his step mother, and Emily's role in his life).

3.5 rounded to 4

Short review: my favorite character was Shadow, the dog.

Longer review: Emily and Wendell are joined by the head of Cambridge’s dryadology department, Dr. Farris Rose, and Emily’s niece and student, Ariadne. Unfortunately, Wendell is then mostly Sir Not Appearing In This Book for the longest while, Dr. Rose goads Emily, which is good, because she's making stupid decisions that she thinks brilliant, meanwhile she's a real pill to Ariadne, who admittedly is kind of a nonentity in this book.

I almost put the book down for good, and it did take a long time tor read because of this unpleasantness, but once the action gets going in the latter portion, everything came together and became riveting!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random house for this much anticipated sequel to one of my favorite reads last year! I absolutely love anything about the fae, as well as stories that are told in a found footage type of way. In movies it's usually videotapes, but in books-- journal entries are the equivalent. So of course this kind of continuation would wind up high on my ratings and TBR! Somehow I enjoyed this one even more than the first, and if this series continues, I think my hype will too!

We meet back up with Emily Wilde as she searches for a faerie door to help Wendell out of trouble but also to continue her research and mapping of the Otherlands-- as the title suggests. There is still a newfound romance bubbling between the two academics, and the novel follows that thread but gives Emily ample time as well to develop as her own person. We learn more about her life separate from the knowledge she's been gathering for some time now, and it makes her all the more charming and empathetic as a character. The magical creatures in these pages rival those of the first book as the tone shifts from bubbly faerie lore to much darker entities. However, this doom and gloom is balanced by the witty banter between Emily and Wendell.

As with the first installment, I don't want to say too much in fear of spoiling the plot altogether. I will say that if you are a fan of cozy mysteries, slow burn romances, and learned, outspoken women-- this is the series for you. You can expect the prose to be a bit dense because of the main character's position as a scholar, and I love that the author as written it so believably. I again feel as though I'm reading a memoir of a close friend... one who needs to tell me where all the hot fae live. The marriage between fantasy and intellectual content is one not to be missed. Give these books a go!

A delightful return to misanthropic Cambridge professor of dryadology Emily Wilde's adventures with the fae. This time she's headed to the Alps to find a theorized nexus of faerie doors, possibly discovered by the long-missing academic Danielle de Grey. Coming along are loyal companion Shadow, Emily's bubbly niece and student Ariadne, suspicious dryadology department head Farris Rose, and academic-rival-turned-beau Wendell Bambleby. Wendell, of course, is also an exiled faerie king, whose usurping stepmother is now sending frightening assassins after him in the mortal world.

Emily and Wendell's romantic chemistry was just as charming as the first book--I really adore their dynamic as "two weirdos obsessed with each other's weirdness." It was a bummer that Wendell spent a chunk of the book out of commission, but it was fun to see Emily take on the role of savior for him this time around. The secondary characters (the townspeople, Ariadne, and Rose) weren't as strong as the first book; Ariadne especially felt unnecessary and I'd have preferred if she'd been absent so that more time could be devoted to Rose's character potential. Eichorn and de Grey, after so much build-up, were disappointingly lackluster. I did find all of the faerie creatures fascinating and genuinely horrifying sometimes, though also sometimes quite endearing (Poe and Snowbell especially). I loved the peek into Faerie towards the end of the book, and I'm eagerly anticipating the next chapter in Emily (and Wendell's) story! 3.75 stars!

TW: violence, description of injuries, poison/drugging, body horror, memory loss, animal attack, animal death

The adventures of Emily and Wendell continue! Another highly enjoyable book by Heather Fawcett; I just love these two <3 Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands takes up to the Austrian Alps where we encounter new Folk and are joined by some new characters, including Emily's delightful niece. Will they find Wendell's door? Will Emily give in to her feelings for Wendell? Read to find out :)

<i>ARC Provided by NetGalley<i>

I don't think I imagined that I could love any addition to the series more than I loved our introduction to it, but Map of the Otherlands surprised me. It's almost made me want to reduce my star rating for the first one - or invent a whole new system of rating books - because I genuinely have nothing bad to say about this book.

I adored watching Emily grow - watching her open her heart to Wendell, and to her niece, and even to Professor Rose. She has been the kind of person insistent that the ways that she is stuck in are the right ways to do things, but her mind changes over the course of this book in particular, and it was wonderful to see unfold.

I loved how many more faeries we were introduced to in this book! And I love that we got to see Poe again, gah. I love that weird little brownie.

I never know how to rate the second book in a series because I don't have to convince anyone to read this - if you read the first, you either loved it and will continue, or hated it and will not - so take this as a general Emily Wilde review - I urge you to pick this series up if you love books about fae, or even if you haven't read about fae yet, but are intrigued. This series is like The Spiderwick Chronicles but for adults, and with some romance. The characters are so lifelike; I often feel when I'm reading like I'm following the adventures of a set of real people long ago.

<b>3.5✨</b> I don’t know that I felt much different about this installment than the first book, and that’s part of the reason I’m rounding down this time.

+ story felt like it had a little more direction
- structure for a lot of it felt so similar that it started to feel almost formulaic?
++ Em and Wendell banter and cutesy moments were darling, as a matter of course
+/- could be very cozy except when it wasn’t and we’re being attacked by all the faeries
- - Em seemed unnecessarily curmudgeonly toward Ariadne and mostly for the plot? I don’t think that coming around moment did what the author thought / hoped, it mostly made me grouchy at Em for most of the book
- didn’t like De Grey setting a trap for the fauns jn order to extort information out of them, fantasy colonialism/WS? <i>blegh</i> (though successful, along with other bits, re: don’t meet your heroes)
- once again the reality/gravity of the stakes felt very up and down, I felt them most when Wendell took a bad turn after using too much magic and then truly in the meeting with the Queen
+ the soft, small details of Faerie as a place and magical bits and bobs were again lovely and one of the best things about both books

Overall very whelmed and while I want all the good things for Wendell, the blurb for the next one will have to really sell me on it.

<i>Thanks so much to NetGalley and Del Rey / Random House for a digital ARC of this book!</i>

An enjoyable sequel that maintains the quality and mood of the first book, but would probably function just fine as a standalone, too. Recommended.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett is the second book in the Emily Wilde series. Emily is a scholar of faerie folklore, and her charming former rival Wendell Bambleby is in trouble. So they go on an adventure to try to free him from his murderous mother's plans. This book was just as delightful as the first, and I hope there's more adventures to come. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Emily and Wendell are back and ready for another adventure!

I absolutely adored Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries when I read it last year and I’m so happy that this follow up was just as enjoyable if not better. Map of the Otherlands takes us to the Austrian Alps as Emily and Wendell attempt to locate a door to his realm.

I really enjoyed seeing more of the faerie realms in this book. We see a bit more of the different species and meet a few. I thought the magic system was interesting and I love that we got to see more of what Wendell’s powers are like. The relationship between Emily and Wendell is fleshed out a bit more in this book and I’m glad for that. While I enjoyed their love story in book one, I really felt it more here. And I’m so happy Poe was back! This book was incredibly cozy and just a treat to read. I can’t wait for book three!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for a review copy.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for my e-arc of this book and the opportunity to read it!

To put it shortly — I am genuinely and completely in love with these books and have been recommending them to everyone I know. They are full of whimsy and fascination and are now some of my favorite books of all time.

To say more — This book was the perfect sequel to Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries. These books are cozy, whimsical, and endlessly interesting. I love getting to know this world through the dually academic and personal journals of Emily. As this is a "cozy fantasy," I don't know how much I can say other than that the Faerie fainted in this book is exactly what I hope to enter into every time I pick up a book about the Fae. I'm constantly interested by the creatures, places, and even the academic references in the book. And, WENDELL!! His love for Emily is so wholesome and joyous and continually moves me to giggles. 10000000/5 <3

Listen, I do not know what faerie enchantment this author laced into the pages of her books, but I am not complaining because I am utterly smitten!
Emily and Wendell return for another adventure in this sequel, and what awaits them is another case of magic, mayhem and chaos .
While I admit I felt pretty underwhelmed because of some of the plot beats in this sequel, the book retained the charm that Encyclopaedia of Faeries had, just taking its form in a different kind of adventure vs the first one.
I really love Emily Wilde's world. The way she processes things reminds me of Jane Eyre. Her friendships, relationship, her inquisitive mind are fun to read. I love spending time in this world. And this book was even better than the first.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely loved going on another quest with Emily and Wendell! Finding beloved Shadow and Poe in this book as well made my heart so happy and meeting new characters like Ariadne and Rose always add to the enchantment of these stories. Highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands in exchange for my honest review!

Just like Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Map of the Otherlands is full of witty banter, charming characters, and adventurous exploits! Book 1 in the Emily Wilde's series was a rollicking good time, but book two was even better, in my opinion!

I loved seeing more of Wendell using his powers and seeing what he is capable of. That scene near the beginning of a book when they were being attacked at Cambridge and Wendell asks Emily to toss him and pen to fight off their attackers, and mid-air he converts it into a sword, was straight up cinematic!

Emily's character growth also continues in this book. Her natural disposition is a bit curmudgeonly, and she can come off as uncaring to others. You could leave Em alone for days with just her and her academics and research, and she'd be perfectly content. In a lot of ways, I can relate to Emily. And the thing that we learn as we follow her through her journal entries is that she's not uncaring, she actually cares a great deal, but she doesn't always know how to openly express that. We saw that growth in her in book one and it continues in the sequel.

I can't wait to see what else is in store for Emily and Wendell as the series continues!

Much thanks to Heather Fawcett, Random House/Ballantine/Del Rey, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thanks to whomever invited me to peruse the galley of this book---a marketing assistant of some kind I'm guessing, I'm sorry, I can't find the email, but thank you, thank you, thank you!

LOOOOOOOVED it! I listened to book one to refresh my memory before beginning this one, and my appreciation for book one has only deepened with age.

Beware spoilers!!

I adored Emily, so strong yet so vulnerable, and I'm no longer on the fence about Wendell. Sure, I still give him a healthy dose of side-eye from time to time, but he was so, so endearing here that I was right there with Emily, falling in love with him. Or perhaps realizing we'd already fallen in love with him and just needed to acknowledge it. <3

Rose, too---okay, no, I didn't fall in love with him, but by the end I thought he was a pretty good guy. I was nervous about Ariadne, she could have easily been very annoying, but she wasn't. I liked her, too. If she'd had a crush on Wendell, I don't think I could have stomached it, but thank goodness she was smart enough to be wary of him. And Poe was back! Oh, Poe, my little sweetie. I was so happy when I realized Emily was going to see him. I wish Snowball had been more like Poe and less...carnivorous...but I suppose they can't all be Poes. An excellent, excellent cast.

Okay, well, de Grey was rather disappointing; after all we'd heard about her, she turned out to be an asshole and we only dealt with her for five minutes. I wish we could have heard what happened to them once they returned to London; did they bask in the shockwaves and fame or defer to Emily and Co. as the real heroes?

Everything Faerie continues to fascinate me, but I admit the realm of Faerie, like the actual place, continues to baffle me. In no way did I keep straight the difference among all the layers---the borderlands, the edges, kind of in Faerie but not really, how you can be in borderlands but not in Faerie, why doors are so hard to find---yeah, all that made my eyes cross. I just mentally shrugged and rolled with it.

I was genuinely unsure what Emily would decide regarding Wendell....but I'll bet the next book will be fantastic as they navigate those unknown territories, literally and figuratively. Book three can't come fast enough.