If you loved the first book, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, the second book is just as wonderful!

Some of the things that I love most about this series is the unique storytelling style with journal entries, the banter between the characters, and getting immersed in the world that Heather Fawcett has created. The journal is a perfect way to tell this story because you feel like you really are understanding what Emily is thinking and feeling. Also, Emily and Wendell's relationship is fun to see them navigate and try to figure out, especially since you mostly see it from her perspective. The world is beautifully described and it feels like the setting is almost it's own character with how it changes.

One particular thing I loved about the second book is that there is a mystery Emily sets out to solve to find Wendell's home. This leads to learning about de Grey, another researcher who became lost decades ago with only occasional people saying they sited her still in the forest. Emily, determined as ever, sets out to solve all the mysteries with Wendell, her niece, and another professor from the college. The backstory to the disappearance of a researcher and the door that can lead to Wendell's home was fun to learn alongside this group!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an ARC copy of the book!

Emily has just published her Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and now she’s on to a new project- mapping the realms of the faeries. She’s also navigating her feeling for Wendell Bambleby, her infuriatingly, charming academic rival.

An attack of faeries draws Emily once again on another adventure, with Bambleby and Emily’s niece Ariadne tagging along, this time to the Austrian Alps in hopes of finding a secret faerie door, the answer to the disappearance of a long-lost scholar, and even more answers to Bambleby’s mysterious past.

I liked Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, but I loved Map of the Otherlands! I’m a sucker for anything with academic research, lore, digging into the mythology or culture of different peoples. There’s so much of that in this book, and I ate it up! The footnotes added all the extra nerdiness I wanted with the perfect amount of humor.

Emily and Bambleby’s relationship had the perfect amount of tension. It’s hard not to love Bambleby. He’s so insufferable at times with his need for luxury and leisure and whining about doing work, but there’s just something so lovable about him! And he’s also got that mysterious quality that makes him compelling. I loved where their relationship went in this sequel.

This isn’t a fast-paced book. In many ways it’s less adventurous that Encyclopaedia of Faeries, although the last few chapters are pretty thrilling! But I adored all the slice-of-life, in the cottage moments, the times they were just wandering the countryside mapping out the region. And the ending with the chapter from Bambleby was perfect!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine, Del Rey for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

Happy release day to this gem of a sequel! I really enjoyed Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and the sequel was just as cozy and whimsical as the first! These books are so perfectly charming, with fun adventure, quirky characters, and heartwarming friendships.

This novel follows Emily and gang on a new adventure in Austria, this time with a few new characters including an ambitious niece and another curmudgeon colleague. These books also are packed with humor and I always find myself chuckling along. Wendell has such dry sarcasm in response to Emily, and her awkward quirkiness just blends into some hilarious endeavors. There is again a very light touch of romance, but is a very minor subplot to the book. Enough to make you go ‘aw’ but minimal enough that those who aren’t romantasy fans won’t take much notice to it.

I loved having cameos of some book one friends again (Poe!!) and the new fae we got to meet here as well! Some of them were downright frightening! I love the found family aspect within these books and find them so cozy and charming.

Again, I really enjoy the diary/journal style of this series. It allows for information to be told to the reader in a unique way and really lets us into the mind and thought process of Emily. She is such a unique character, so to be in her mind as opposed to witnessing her research from the outside makes for such a different experience!

This book again ended nicely wrapped up without a cliff hanger, but with plenty of crumbs laid out to get the reader intrigued for book 3! Can’t wait to see what is in store next for Emily, Wendell and the gang!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Emily and Wendell are back! Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries was one of my favorite books of 2023, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to immerse myself back into the scholarly world of adventure and mythical creatures. I'll cut to the chase early here: as much as I loved book 1, I actually liked the sequel even more than the original! Map of the Otherlands jumps right in where we left off in the first book, and the hijinks and adventure are quick to unfold. The author wastes no time with introductions, which I love when continuing a series, but be sure you're refreshed on the events on book 1 and ready to roll when you crack open this beautiful cover. Emily's intelligence, confidence, and quick wit make her one of my favorite female lead characters. This book is adventurous, hilarious, action packed, and heartwarming. Make sure it's on your TBR in 2024!

I'm so grateful to Heather Fawcett, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to curl up with this gem prior to its publication on January 16, 2024. My opinions are my own, but I'll shout my affection for this book from the rooftops.

I loved this book! I think mostly because it was faster paced than the first (because of less world building) and more characters! I also loved that the story continued with Wendell and Emily and will continue in book 3 as well!
I loved the little side quests that all led to one big quest, and that characters from the previous story came into play! (Especially sweet little poe)! But really, I can’t to see what happens with Wendell and his kingdom now that hopefully the stepmother is gone (thanks to Emily)! I wasn’t too sure about Emily/her character but she’s grown on me!

I can’t wait for more!

Thank you netgalley, Heather Fawcett, and Random publishing house for this ARC!

Another brilliant edition to this series. I love that these books are never what I expect and somehow feel far outside typical fantasy but still encapsulate everything I love in the genre.

Emily's exploits in this book are different from the first, but no less compelling to read. The world that has been built in these books is utterly fascinating and kept me on my toes about where everything would go next. While twists abound I felt like I was learning new pieces of the world on every page, everything fit together so well I barely noticed the pages flying by.

I will say that my favorite part was once again when Wendell took over narration - there is just something about that Fae (honestly as much as I love Emily I would also love a book entirely from Wendell).

If you loved the first one, you will love this one. And now I just need more, please.

Emily has seemed to develop a taste for adventure now, as she makes her way all over the Alps with Wendell, Rose, and Ariadne. Looking for the nexus, a door that leads to multiple Faerie realms, so that Wendell can go home, has been her goal. But what she doesn't expect is to find not one, but two lost scholars, and a host of malevolent creatures seeking her demise!

She also shockingly continues to make friends of the common fae. First Poe, and now Snowbell, who are exceedingly and unexpectedly helpful for fae creatures.

Of course, Wendell has gotten himself into a dire situation and now Emily needs to save him. As she predicted, of course. But she finds herself less confident to survive without him than she thought as she enters Faerie once again.

Will she accept his proposal? Can she get what she needs to save him? Will she make it out with her mind in tact? This one was so good!

HAPPY PUBLISH DAY! Oh my goonies if you loved the first book then prepare yourself for even more of everything from Heather Fawcett! I can't wait for more from this author! Emily and Wendell are OTC and their adventures are so epic! Emily's journal entry are so inquisitive and relatable it's cute. I know the new additions to gang seem needed but I was indifferent about it. I will say more actions or plot wise happens in the first book. Thank you so much Heather Fawcett, Penguin Random House, and Netgalley for this wonderful arc!

Emily is back and on another adventure. Together still with Wendell, who is eagerly awaiting a solid answer to his previous proposal, there is now even more danger around them. Wendell’s stepmother has begun sending assassins after him. Together they head to the Austrian Alps to with Shadow and a couple new companions in search of a door to his kingdom to somehow stop these attacks.

Although Emily still lacks social grace, she is doing her best to be more compassionate. She’s also grown even more confident and stubborn in her knowledge and acceptance of all the Faerie nonsense and danger that surrounds her. She’s a scholar at her core, but there are still lighthearted moments between the group as they search for answers and encounter even more magical creatures in difficult to comprehend places along the way. A dangerous and peculiar adventure where even Emily’s logical mind cannot make sense of everything she sees, this story was an engaging one.

Since this story is told as Emily’s journal entries, which she updates throughout her adventure, they are a combination of past and some present tense descriptions of what she is feeling and experiencing. It keeps us close to the story as it unfolds without putting us directly in it, which I thought was a clever way to leave out specific details of certain scenes without it feeling like anything was actually missing. While there is both romance and a number of battles in this book, the romance is quite mild and the battles are described in a way that they are neither detailed nor gruesome.

Overall, this series has been a lot of fun so far. Well-written and enjoyable, I hope we get to see more of Emily and Wendell in the future.

I enjoyed Emily Wilde's first adventures in Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, so I was excited to get an ARC from NetGalley for the second book in the series. This one was just as fun although I felt it read a little more technical than the first. Both are written as if they are Emily's notes from her research into the world of the Fae. The first book did have a lot more footnotes than the second, which made the second feel a little less cluttered, although it may not matter if you read these in print form.

Emily's second adventure is the search for a way to get her partner, Wendall (who happens to be a Fairy King) away from his murderous step mother. Traveling to many Fae lands and narrow escapes from dark magic, Emily is once again downplaying her epic adventures in the notes we get to read. I like the academic feel and the fun creatures we get to meet in Emily's books, I would give them both a read if you haven't yet!

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2024/01/16/emily-wildes-map-of-the-otherlands-by-heather-fawcett/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

4.5 hearts

After reading the first book in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/353912-emily-wilde" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Emily Wilde</strong></em></a> series, I knew I wanted more.  Emily is a great character with strong ideas and skills.  She and Wendell have decided to go on a search for the door to his homeland.  But his step-mother is trying to assassinate him so that slows them down.  Wendell is ill for much of the story.

Another distraction is Rose, the department head, who disbelieves Emily's research and is determined to discredit her and Wendell.  Her niece, Ariadne, who has just decided to study dryadology, is thrilled with trying to assist her aunt, Emily.  Emily prefers to be independent and would not work with her except Ariadne is so competent. Rose and Ari coax and push themselves into joining the search for the door, the nexus and solving what happened to another researcher who searched for it, De Grey.

Emily is trying to decide about Wendell's marriage proposal, feeling she can't marry him but she wants to marry him. She has a lot of personal growth with developing her relationships with Wendell, Ariadne and Rose. It's charmingly honest how she thinks of them and her idiosyncrasies.

It's a wild and dangerous adventure.  Without Emily's knowledge, courage and ability to work with all different types of fae, things would have ended quickly.   I loved Emily's quick and measured guesses as to what would work and how to survive.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Okay WOW DID I LOVE THIS! Absolutely a 5 star read. I fell in love with Emily, Wendell, Shadow, Poe, and truly the whole Emily Wilde world in the first book, and then this sequel came along and was somehow even better.

It’s so smart, so funny, so swoony, I can’t imagine getting over it any time soon. THE BANTER!!! The fact that the darker side of the fae folklore is such a big part of it instead of the fluffier fae stories that are so popular is so appealing to me. I love that darkness. I’m so glad there is one more to look forward to!

I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH.
I was nervous that my level of excitement was going to get in my way of enjoying this but no, my love for this series knows no bounds.
I've discovered that my favorite thing about Heather Fawcett's writing is her immaculate understanding of every single character, even random side characters. Every interaction and piece of dialogue is catered to the idiosyncrasies of the characters and it is truly a wonder how well she writes so many different personalities! I'm in awe.
This book was more exploratory than cozy in my opinion but it made for an excellent change of pace with some additional characters. I had my doubts about these new folks [lol] and wow by the end I loved them and the dynamics they added to the group.
And Poe! My boy Poe was not forgotten and I am forever grateful.
Can't say more great things about this series and author, brava!!

I received a digital e-arc via Netgalley from the publisher though all thoughts are my own.
This was one of my most anticipated books of this year and it didnt disappoint.

I loved getting back into this world to reunite with Emily, Wendell and Shadow who are an adorable trio and full of surprises.

Emily has established tenure as a professor at Cambridge and she is preparing to set out on a journey with Wendell and Shadow to create a map about the Otherlands also known as the Fae Realm.
When a horde of Fae Assassins suddenly try to murder Wendell, she learns that his stepmother may be trying to take him out and also that he's been poisoned.
Determined to try to keep him safe, she starts to make plans to journey to the Austrian Alps.
Reluctantly after much pressure, she finds herself bringing along her neice Ariadne and her overbearing boss Rose who also happens to be very well versed in Dryadology.

As with most plans, things dont go quite as expected and things are about to get very interesting.

Wendell seems to be growing sicker everytime he uses his Fae magic and Emily is determined to try to find a cure even if she has to storm her way into his realm and find his beloved cat who has mysterious powers as many Fae creatures do.
Also there's some volpine/humanlike Fae who are equal parts vicious, curious and sometimes helpful, fauns that are the opposite of Bambi, even more Fae assassins, and so much more that kept me on the edge of my seat as I had to know what would happen next.

Full of adventure, Fae facts, surprises, the bonds of friendship and Fae mischief, I very much enjoyed this book.
Highly recommend and I'm anxiously waiting for the next book to come out because I want to see what new adventures Emily and Wendell will go on!

Trigger warnings: death, violence, poisoning, attempted murder

A fun, refreshingly read for fans of cozy fantasy with an interesting romance element. I’d call this an academia romance lite with professors. Emily is a unique character probably on the Autism Spectrum, but not specified in the book. It’s nice to see characters like her as the main love, interest, and protagonist. The pacing is pretty slow. The characters are interesting. The magic is unique.. I’d put this down for fans of legends and lattes, a discovery of witches, the scholomance trilogy, etc. It has a good sense of humor and also reminded me of the Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix with the character Merlin minus the gender-bending. I haven’t read the first book but was able to follow along pretty well. I think I would have liked fewer footnotes and more action, as I found the pacing a bit slow. Great writer though.

- I loved this book more than I loved the first one. I feel like this book had higher stakes than the first one, but it still felt like a cozy fantasy. The plot in this book was so good and there were times where I was getting nervous because I didn’t know what would come next. I love the journal entry format, and I just love Emily and Wendell. I hope we continue to get more of them as a couple. This book was just amazing and I have no complaints.

This book is published today, January 16, so if you have read the first one, please go read this, and if you haven’t read Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, please go read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Ray for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Wildes Map of the Otherlands garners another 5 star from my favorite author of 2023! This sequel of Emily Wilde's latest adventure - finding Wendall Brambley's Faire door - is just as enchanting and fun as the last novel! I truly advise everyone to pick up this series - it is so unique and funny. Emily and Wendall are fresh protagonist archetypes - Emily is curmudgeonly, stoic, overly-confident, messy and adventurous while Wendall is sassy, a homemaker, romantic and flighty. It is refreshing to see these stereotypical traits swapped for the FMC and MMC. The new cast of side characters were intriguing and wrenched my heart - de Gray, Ariadne, Rose and the return of Poe and Shadow.

My favorite quotes (too many to include):

On the topic of Wendall's marriage proposal:
---“It would cease to dangle if you accepted.” He rested his hand over mine and teasingly ran his thumb over my knuckles. “Shall I write you an essay on the subject? I know how fond you are of those. I can provide an extensive list of reasons to acquiesce.”
“I can imagine,” I said drily. A slow shiver traveled up my arm. “And what would be the first? That I shall enjoy an eternity of clean floors and dust-free bookshelves, as well as a constant refrain of nagging to pick up after myself?”

---“I enchanted all of your pencils,” he said without opening his eyes. “You always have at least one upon your person. I knew they would come in handy.” He added, as I continued to stare at him, “Well, I can’t carry a bloody sword around with me everywhere,” misunderstanding entirely.
“Why didn’t you enchant your own pencils?” I groused. “I would have, but I can never remember where I put them.”

---“I would like to see your kingdom first,” I said. “Before I decide whether or not to marry you.” He opened his mouth to reply— I believe he assumed I was still jesting with him. But then he caught sight of my expression. “Oh?” I had surprised him. His face broke into a smile. “Em, you will have a map to every province, and a key to every door. I promise you that. You know I would have taken you already, if I could?”


---“I’m sorry,” I said, self-conscious now. “Perhaps I shouldn’t talk.”
“Whyever not?” He drew back, examining me with a perplexed smile. “I like the way you talk. And everything else about you, in fact. Is that not clear by now?”

From Wendall's Journal Entry: "I confess that, as I have been writing this, I have had to stop myself several times from waking you, to hear the story from your own lips again. How I missed you. “It was only a day!” I can hear you reply. Well, a day is far too long.
Do you know? Rose asked me why I was not more surprised by your feat. He does not understand you as I do, Em, but as you seem to consider him a friend now, I told him the truth: in order to be surprised, I could not have known already that you are capable of anything."

Cue the waterworks!

Emily Wildes Encyclopaedia of Faeries was a top favorite read last year. And dare I say, I loved this one even more.
The Faerie lore, the magical world and the fun banter between the characters is just wonderful. A truly delightful read.

I have said it before and I’ll say it again I’m still in utter shock to have received this ARC through Netgalley. This is the second book in the Emily Wilde series. The book begins shortly after the end of book one (I can’t recall an exact time frame but it’s a few months and the encyclopedia has been published). Like the first book it also is written as journal entries. Which is probably some of my favorite books since I was a kid I’m a sucker for a diary/journal entry book. On top of that the budding romance between Emily and Wendell had me kicking my feet and squealing. I can’t explain it but I love them so much. Besides Emily and Wendell we are introduced to two other characters who go with them to find the door to Wendell’s kingdom, as well as other fae and some returning fae make an appearance. To end my quick review I absolutely loved this book and plan on buying a physical copy and rereading it which I don’t usually reread books so that says a lot! The ARC did end with a thing saying “The story of Emily and Wendell’s will continue in book 2” this was book 2 though so I’m assuming it meant to say book 3? Hopefully there’s a third book I would definitely pick it up if there was.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is the second book in the Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett. I love these books and I especially love the audios. Fawcett expertly continues to capture the dark side of fae, the wonderment of their worlds and the absolutely adorable dynamic between Emily and Wendell.

This novel has more action and a bit more peril involved. The way Fawcett weaves stories and legend kept me captivated. It's equal parts cozy, dark and ridiculous and you feel like you're unraveling a mystery with everyone. Farris Rose, Department Head where Emily works and Ariadne, Emily's niece, were fun editions to the journey adding banter and character growth to the plot.

The audio is narrated by my personal fave duo, Elle Potter and Michael Dodds. Have I mentioned how much I love it when series keep the same narrators? Well, I do. Elle has a mesmerizing voice that makes Emily spring off the proverbial pages. Yes, I realize Emily is not a springer but you get my drift. Michael makes a wonderful Wendell. The charisma and humorous charm are captured easily as he narrates Wendell's part.

I would recommend this series in any format if you haven't jumped on the Emily Wilde train yet!! True rating 4.5/5.