This is one of the best Fantasy series I have read in a long time. It's like a fairytale for adults!!

I love the writing, the journal style story telling, the whimsy, cottage core vibe, the magic, the lore, the sharp, smart heroine, the dreamy fae hero, with his charming, chinnamon roll, unassuming yet strong and badass way, the side characters who all have a story to tell and an interesting journey, the adventures.... I could read this forever!

That being said, I didn't love this book as much as the first, which was one of my top10 reads in 2023. Maps had a bit of a second book syndrome if you will, as in the middle felt draggy and with too much lore and history and too little action. It almost made me space out for a few chapters.

Also, I would have loved for Emily and Wendell's Romance to be explored more. I'm okay with closed door Romance but I still wanted more interactions with them. There was a lot of forced proximity potential... And don't get me started on the almost one bedroom. *facepalm*

Though it is a lot of show don't tell with them... The way they fight for each other like it was just natural, made my toes curl. I loved Emily's adventure in the Fae realms, her stubborness and strenght and all the risks she took to save Wendell. I swear, these two make me melt into a puddle and I need to see more of them together, battling all odds! Their banter, sarcam and dry humor feels so natural yet sharp and cute.

So, all that being said, Maps didn't have the same mindblowing effect the Encyclopedia had, but I still enjoyed it and love these characters and the world and I cannot to go on the next adventure with them.

Quotes:
I think if it was just a matter of good looks, one could get used to him, but Wendell has—I can think of no better way to put it—a vividness that is difficult to ignore. It is largely indefinable, and perhaps all faerie monarchs have it; I don’t know. There is a sharpness to his presence that snags one’s attention.

“Where would I be without you, Em?”

...Your luck will run out if you aren’t careful.”
“I’d wager it ran out long ago, as I’m presently traipsing round the world on an errand for an indolent monarch,” I replied acidly, which only made him laugh again. We threw the stick for Shadow once more, and then we made our way back to the cottage beneath the gathering stars.

A smile broke across his face as he saw me barrelling towards him. He opened his arm, the one not holding the light, but he underestimated the ferocity of my embrace, and we toppled backwards into the grasses.
“Emily?” he said dazedly. “Surely not. I must have inadvertently summoned Danielle de Grey. My Emily would never be so flamboyant in her affections.”

*review copy provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion, thank you

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review about this book.

I have to preface this by saying that I did not love the first book like a lot of people did, as the writing style really threw me off, and I had a hard time caring for the characters…
But I loved the story and I knew that I wanted to continue and see where it went.

I have liked this second book more in terms of the writing style (either there were less footnotes, or I got used to them 😅 so they bothered me less) but I still stand by my statement before, and really find it unrealistic how MUCH Emily Wilde is able to write every day in her journal 😂

I have also liked Emily Wilde as a character better in this book, but Wendell is still my favorite! The surprise for me was how much more I cared about Emily’s dog Shadow in this book!

I cannot say any particulars about the plot without spoiling anything, but I do want to say that it was a bit faster paced than the first one, but still as strange in its pacing, as we alternated with moments of really cozy fantasy, and suddenly get thrown into creepy horror-like descriptions and events when encountering faerie…
It did mot work for me really well, but I can understand the appeal for others.

I will for sure pick up the third book when it comes out, as I do love Wendell and Shadow, but will know that it will never be a favorite for me, and will take me a while to read 😂

Absolutely pick this up if you have loved the first one, and if you like dark academia and atmospheric reads!

I found this book to be absolutely delightful. It was a fantastic sequel to continue Emily and Wendell’s adventures. After being attached in Cambridge, they must start the quest to find the door to his homeland. I do wish we had seen more of Wendell throughout the book. Emily must solve the mystery of why she keeps encountering a strange, bewitched traveler on her way to find the door to other worlds, alone. She is the sole star of the show. The side characters, a rival professor and her niece, felt lukewarm to me. The conflicts between her and the professor were not true, gritty conflicts. The real drama happens when she finally finds the door, of course, and meets Wendell’s mother.

I enjoyed being swept into faerie forests and lands, as well as the creatures they encountered. It reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, whimsical, mystical, and absurd. You never know who you will encounter, whether they’re screaming slugs, or Snowbell. It’s always a good sign when you get goosebumps after a character is introduced. I keep thinking about Snowbell, a terrifying, sadistic fox-like faerie who might help you, or eat you.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this advanced reader copy.

Firstly: the audiobook narration of this book is truly the way to experience the story properly. It’s really hard to make journal entries compelling at times because you miss the anticipation of the climax. Therefore I really think the audiobook is the way to go in order to fully enjoy this story.

Secondly: speaking of journal entries… it is hard to write compelling action sequences this way. Because you know everything has already happened and it’s being relayed to you instead of feeling like you are actively experiencing it. The author really did a great job, but choosing this particular form of storytelling there’s only so much a person can do.

Thirdly: the climax of this story was rather disappointing. It just ends, seemingly with no issues whatsoever. She luckily gets help finding the castle. She luckily gets admitted and finds what she’s looking for. She luckily escapes the castle with help. And then *bam* everything is resolved perfectly. The ending felt more like a middle grade book than an adult novel. I need more from my heroines. In this regard Emily Wilde didn’t meet me expectations.

Fourthly: this book wasn’t as compelling (in my opinion) because one of the best characters wasn’t as prevalent in it. Wendell is the glue that helped shape the first book and make it so enjoyable. With him being mainly incapacitated in this book I felt like the book was missing it’s heart. Wendell brings out the best in Emily and makes her personality shine, without him she’s like burnt toast. He’s the fresh homemade jam we need, and we needed more of him.

Lastly: this book follows almost the exact same blueprint as the first one. Emily is going on a trip to study. She is then bombarded with unexpected guests who throw a wrench in her plans. They go to a secluded town with less than ideal weather. While there she doesn’t try to ingratiate herself with the townsfolk and everyone else picks up her slack. She makes it her mission to two people (both of which are couples) who have been trapped in fairylands. Then she does something in order to help someone else and finds herself in a castle. The main difference with this one is she does find a way to extricate herself from peril (even if it feels anticlimactic).

Honestly, I feel like a lot of this reading experience is more about me than anything else. The author gave me brownies with the first book (pun intended) and I loved it. Starting the second one I anticipated receiving a different type of treat but instead I got a brownie again but we were missing the key ingredient (Wendell). I’ve seen a ton of glowing reviews for this book and I know others are enjoying this more than I did.

The second book in @heather_fawcett’s Emily Wilde series is just as delightful as the first, this time following Emily and Wendell Bambleby as they go exploring for Wendell’s door to his lands before his stepmother succeeds in assassinating him. Joined by Emily’s niece, Ariadne, and Dryadology department head Dr Farris Rose, the quartet travel to the Germanic mountain village of St Liesl, where they hope to pick up the trail of Danielle de Grey, a former professor of Dryadology who had disappeared in the area while searching for a nexus of doors, purportedly leading to multiple Faerie lands from one area, with the intent of finally finding Wendell’s missing door.

While keeping with the usual wit and humor that make these books so much fun, Fawcett does add a small dash of darkness here, showing that the Folk do in fact have teeth and can bite, and should be handled delicately. It’s still a downright fun book to read, and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series, even if I have to wait another whole year!

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett is out January 16, 2024, from Del Rey Books.

Thank you to @netgalley and @delreybooks for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

🏷️: #emilywildesmapoftheotherlands #netgalley #delreybooks #emilywilde #heatherfawcett #fantasy #bookreview #bookstagram #bookdragon #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #books #frommybookshelf #frommybookshelfblog

This was an amazing sequel to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries! I even liked it more than the first book which is extremely difficult to do when writing a sequel. Usually, a sequel drags and doesn’t have the same energy as the first book but somehow Heather Fawcett improved the energy I got while reading this series!

Emily and Wendell’s latest adventure is utterly enchanting!

“Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands” picks up shortly after the first installment, following genius scholar Emily Wilde and her colleague and former rival Wendell Bambleby as they seek out the door to his realm.

To my excitement, this book continues to read like a journal but with more of Emily’s personal feelings recorded alongside her academic musings. Many of those feelings pertain to her relationship with Wendell as it further progresses. I absolutely LOVE that their romance is a slightly more prominent aspect of the storyline because their banter, devotion to one another, and dynamic is not only highly entertaining, but is what makes this novel shine.

I also really enjoyed Emily’s character development in this one. She is the same brilliant scholar we all know and love, but as the stakes get higher, she gradually lets down her walls and learns to listen to her heart in addition to her mind. It was a joy to see her embark on her own quest, cleverly outsmart those in her way, and make some new faerie friends along the way.

I eagerly await book three in this magical series!

This story, along with the first book, hits such a point of desired reality for me. If Faerie and Fae were real, I imagine I would be a lot like Emily Wilde. I love how single minded she is in her pursuit of knowledge, how she's not afraid to stand up for herself against condescending men. It was also nice to see her slowly realize that there are other things that are important in life as well as learning about Fae. I'm usually not a big fan of books written as a diary/journal but this series has so far done it extremely well. Can't wait to see where Emily goes in the next book if there is going to be one.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The sequel following Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Emily and Wendell are back at Cambridge with a new project and a marriage proposal pending. A great sequel, it incorporates the beloved characters readers got to know in the first book while also incorporating new adventures and companions along the way. New faerie realms are explored and old foes arise in this exciting, immersive and unexpected second installment to the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands was just as engrossing and wonderful as the first book in the series. I liked the setting and characters, and felt whisked away by the writing.

Originally I did not plan to give feedback on this title; However, I have Spence been able to pick up this series and I was consumed by it! This book especially. It was so whimsical and fun. If you enjoy fantasy then you will devour this series.

ARC Review Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands

I was so excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley! I really enjoyed the light academia and folklore/fantasy of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Book 1 of the Emily Wilde Series) and was eager to get back to Emily and Wendell’s story.

(Beware: If you haven’t read Book 1 there may be mild spoilers in this review)

We pick up at Cambridge where Emily is pondering her relationship with Wendell, working on her newest piece of work: a map of the Otherlands, and hosting her niece as an assistant.

Things begin to go awry when Wendell is threatened and the Dean discovers his true identity. While seeking a remedy for Wendell and searching for the door to his realm Emily is forced to pack up for another adventure with not just Shadow and Wendell, but with her niece and self-important colleague in tow.

They travel to the alps where they meet more of the Folk and Emily relies on her intuition and knowledge to stay one step ahead of disaster.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read: it’s whimsical and academic, romantic and dryly humorous. I adore Wendell (Irish, blond, cheerful, and magically tidy? Dream man.) Emily is a perfect, grumpy genius ahead of her time, and I love her for it.

I will patiently wait for the next installment now.

Thank you to NetGalley and @heatherfawcett for this ARC!

#emilywildesmaptotheotherlands #netgalley

4.5!

This was so good! I really loved the first book and this one is an amazing follow up. Emily Wilde is such a fun character to follow, and I love the development of her in this book. The narration style lets us get a close look into Emily's thoughts and feelings, and I really enjoyed reading this (including the addition of footnotes).

I do feel like this had a similar formula to the first one, I really enjoyed my time reading this, devouring it within a two days. This was a great addition to this series and I am excited to continue the journey with Emily and Wendell!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

I had few complaints about the first book in this series but happily all my complaints were dealt with in this sequel and it is one of my top favourite reads of 2023. I loved Emily and Wendell’s relationship dynamics were shown in this book. I also loved how Emily’s character growth is portrayed and how we get to see her strengths as well as vulnerabilities and how she herself addresses some of these shortcomings and tries in her own quirky way to deal with them. If I had a teeny tiny complaint, it would be that some parts of the book dragged a little bit especially towards the second half. But the overall vibe of this book was immaculate and it makes such a perfect cozy fantasy read for the winter with just a a touch of the eerie to make it extra special. Definitely a book I would recommend and a series I would follow

5/5 Stars
Thank you to the publisher for the early review copy via netgalley!

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries was one of my first cozy fantasy books and I adored it when I listened via audio. Map of the Otherlands was just as good, if not better. Emily maintains her quirkiness while also growing as a character. We meet knew types of fae, go on a new adventure, save some people, and continue the romance that started in book one.

I highly recommend this series if you love cozy books!

Map of the Otherlands is just as much a blast as the Encyclopedia. We also have the addition of Emily’s niece, whom Emily does not like and is rather mean to. We get more of Poe and a snuggly fox faerie named Snowbell. And plenty more of Emily’s quick thinking.

You can’t mention this book without mentioning the footnotes, which are an absolutely lovely addition that adds another complex layer to an already fun read.

The only thing I was left struggling with was how mean Emily was to Ariadne. But Ariadne repeatedly proved herself and fits right into this quirky crew. I love how strong and assertive Emily is, and I love the dynamic between the characters.

Historical fantasy can be an absolute blast, and Fawcett continues to give fans a superb read with happy enough for now endings with the promise of more in store. I would love to see more of these characters, including a friendship with Dr. Rose, down the road. An absolute blast!

I loved this as much as I did the last book! This was amazing read and I got so hooked and couldn't put this down!

I am an a high after finishing this book. I loved the first and loved this one even more! The adventure, the new characters and creatures, the story, OBSESSED! The FMC and MMC are so unique and adorable with each other I can't help but smile while reading. I really didn't it want this book to end.

This series just keeps getting better.

There is something about Emily and Wendell's dynamic that really works for me. Emily is so clever and is always one step ahead of everything and Wendell is constantly in awe of her and recognizes how brilliant she is.

I loved that in this novel we have Emily showing more emotion than in the first novel and we get to see her continued growth when it comes to friendships. I very much have enjoyed reading her as a character, and reading the books in her journal format, so we can really have an insight to her thoughts.

I can't wait to see where the next book takes us.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands was a fantastic follow up to Encyclopaedia of Faeries. The continuing witty banter between Emily and Wendell made me chuckle and the introduction of new characters such as Farris Rose and Ariadne were a nice addition to the cast. We get to learn more about Wendell's realm and how to cure Wendell from his current ailment. The pace of the plot was similar to the first where it plods along until nearly the end, which I didn't mind. It gave the reader time to explore the settings and the faerie folk inhabiting the area. I adore this type of fantasy book where the atmosphere and supporting characters (Shadow has my heart) have a little more focus rather than simply being written for context. I look forward to continuing Emily and Wendell's adventures in the next book!