Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for a digital copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries earlier this year and was excited to see where the story was headed. I don't generally enjoy journal type stories as I feel they loose a bit of intrigue and urgency for the characters. If I'm reading a journal obviously the events turned out fine for the characters. However, Emily and Wendell are so charming as characters that I'm willing to overlook a less thrilling format.

This did still take me a bit longer to read through than expected and I think it's because beyond Emily and Wendell the side characters were not as charming this go round. We have a colleague from Cambridge, Rose, who is generally just a stuffy old man. There is also Emily's niece, Ariadne, but Emily keeps herself so distant from Ariadne that she doesn't feel fully formed as a character until nearly the end of the book. Even the townspeople of our new setting, St. Liesl, don't feature as much as the townspeople in the previous book. As a character reader I felt like there was a bit less for me here. We did still get plenty of fun and terrifying faerie creatures. I always love how Fawcett is able to capture the grotesqueness and beauty inherent in fae creatures.

There were some great twists and turns in this book with many reveals I did not guess at. I loved the final act of this book and eagerly await the next installment!

One of my most anticipated books being published in 2024, this was a captivating and delightfully academic installment of what I sincerely hope is going to be a continued series of adventures for Emily, Wendell, and Shadow. This one felt a little more action-packed than the first since it jumps right in with an assassination attempt and a race against time to find two lost professors and a back door into the Faerie kingdom of the Silva Lupi. New friends, cameos from old friends, new Folk faces and misadventures, the continued use of footnotes, a dash of romance, and a never-ending amount of curmudgeonliness from our titular main character make this such a fun and satisfying read. These books are equal parts charming and just a little dark, and I am here for every second - at this point, I would read Emily Wilde’s grocery list.

Pub Date: 1/16/24
Review To Be Published: 1/2/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm reviewing this book based on a free ARC, but I also pre-purchased it as well.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is the second book in this new series by Heather Fawcett. I read the first book, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries during a phase where I was devouring "cozy fantasy." I LOVED it and couldn't wait for the next installment. The Map of the Otherlands did not disappoint.

The series is about a scholar at Cambridge University in England who is studying "dryadology" in the early 1900s. It is set in our world with the exception that all the tales we've been told about fairies, leprechauns, and other folktale creatures have been proven true and are being studied. In both books our main character, Emily, travels to remote parts of the world in order to discover something specific about the folk for her studies. She is joined by fellow scholar, Wendell, in both books. Other characters change between stories.

The books are written in a journal style by Emily. This may sound tedious, but it is so well done that I sometimes forget that it's not just a narrative. I love the way that Emily doesn't skip over details that paint her as selfish or arrogant at times. It helps build her character so well.

Overall I thought this second installment was great. If you liked the first you will like this one as well. The only thing I thought was subpar compared to the first was the village. In the first book we really got to know the villagers and they added a lot to the story. In this book they were just kind of there in the background which I thought was a shame and missed opportunity.

This sequel picks us right after the first book, with Emily’s encyclopaedia earning her tenure, but still uncertain if she should marry a faerie king. In this story, she is interested in creating a map of the faerie lands as she tries to find the door back to Bambleby’s kingdom. The story just as excellent and charming as the first book! It also has the same level of danger, but written in Emily’s observant journal tone that keeps the vibes calm and cozy. I love Bambleby even more in this story. He is still annoying and prompus but so dedicated to Emily the entire book! He never once doubts her and is her biggest supporter, even as the situations they find themselves in get more wild and dangerous. I love this series and can’t wait to see what Emily and Bambleby get up to in the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Fantasy is a talk order to take on, and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Fantastic follow-up tale with a wonderful atmosphere. World-building and characters were engaging.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett! This was a great followup to the first book and I'm super excited to see more of Emily's wild explorations!

As an avid fantasy reader, I find it hard to find a unique read. Fawcett definitely succeeded in this, though! From the worldbuilding to the format to the main character, everything in this series is just so refreshing, cozy, and fun. The first book was one of my standouts in 2022 (an arc copy) and I was eager to continue on with the story.

While I don’t think this one quite lived up to the charm of the first, it was a solid read. Wendall’s quest to find a door back to his old kingdom continues and Emily is back with her wits to assist. I really liked the addition of Ariadne and hope she sticks around! While the fantastical components were just as good, the plot moved a lot slower and didn’t feel as climatic. I also enjoyed the tension between Emily and Wendall more in the first book but there were some sweet moments here. As usual, loved the format of journal entries in lieu of chapters but it does take away from the cinematic appeal most fantasy brings. If you enjoyed the first book, this is certainly worth reading! Can’t wait till the next book.

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an arc, and I’m so glad because I enjoyed it so much! I read book one and immediately needed book 2, I love Emily and Wendell and the little friends/acquaintances that Emily makes along the way! Cannot wait for the next book!

I really wanted to like this one as much as the first one, but at 25% I found myself pushing to get through it. This streamline of consciousness from Emily is hard for me to follow along with. I found this type of books do better as an audiobook. I'm really enjoying to relationship between Emily and Wendell. I also liked how we get to see Emily's niece as her assistant. I however dislike Rose as a character and wish he would stop interfering with Emily's work and methods.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and this second book was even better!

I felt like Emily really grows through her experiences and mistakes in this book and comes to some important decisions after working through her feelings. Watching her come to certain conclusions was satisfying to see.

The new characters are interesting and give Emily new challenges when it comes to her personal and professional relationships. Both of which can be tough for her to navigate, because as she's not a people person.

All my favorite things from the first book were still there too. The book had the same cozy fantasy vibes. Emily was still a refreshingly imperfect, but incredibly smart and resourceful female lead. The banter between Emily and Wendell was even better in this book, and so funny and sweet. Book 2 showed even better how well they compliment each other, not just in their adventuring, but personal lives too. The footnotes in Emily's journal kept adding details to the world so it always felt like there was more to discover.

I'm hoping there will be a third book so I can find out what other adventures Emily and Wendell get up to!

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the eARC!

Loved loved loved this new addition to the series. Captured all the original magic and created more.

3.75 stars

I always have such a good time in this world! I didn't love this second installment as much as book one, but it was still well worth a read.

Emily and Wendell are back and at it again, this time researching to create maps of the Otherlands, aka Faerie, in the Swiss Alps. This book picks up several months after book one ends, but things are pretty much in the same spot with all the characters. There's a new cast of side characters here (and a lot more of them) that I didn't care for one way or the other. Emily's seriousness and Wendell's laissez-faire attitude play off each other hilariously. 

I love the whimsy and magic of these books, but definitely felt it more in book one when the world was being established, and I appreciated all the "outside resources" cited in both (but more often in the first), and research Emily was doing (again, in both, but more often in the first). This one has a bit more action than book one, so if you're still iffy on the idea of cozy fantasy this might be more speed. I'll happily read all the books in this series, but truly think book one would've been perfect as a standalone, as well. Both books wrap up nicely, though, so you won't be left on a cliffhanger or unsatisfied between installments.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review of #EmilyWildesMapoftheOtherlands

If you enjoyed the first book, you will enjoy this addition to Emily’s story. We are off on another mystical adventure with Wendell and Emily, as well as some new faces. I very much enjoyed the dynamic between our two main characters, and I liked the addition of Emily’s niece to the mix.

My only complaint to this book is that it is very similar to the first book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full of all the whimsy and wickedness that made me love the first book, Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is a cozy fantasy that once again has the makings to be a traditional fairytale in the making.

I am eagerly awaiting the third book, and seeing where else Wendell and Emily’s adventure takes them to next!

Beautiful and whimsical and so, so cozy. Full of heart and lovely atmosphere. Fans of the first novel with greatly enjoy this follow up.

The charm of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies is alive and well with this sequel. I’m in the midst of a particularly busy season of life with work, school, some semblance of a social life that this series has been a perfect escape exactly when I needed it. A cozy fantasy vibe but with high enough stakes to keep you interested, I’ve already recommended this series to a number of friends of similar tastes.

A lovely sequel to a fantastic first novel. I love this magical little world and the banter of the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed every step of this story.

Heather Fawcett, once again, delivers a cozy romance in a world that I could get lost in. Heather, miss girl, you slayed this one.

I find that I preferred the setting and cast of characters from the first book more than this one, but it was still highly enjoyable. Emily & Wendell share a fascinating relationship that’s so enjoyable to read about. I also enjoyed the addition of another magical pet & more interactions with Poe. I hope there will be a 3rd book to follow!

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy!

While I’m not fond of historical fiction, or really historical anything, I quite enjoyed the first book in the series and was ready to read the second. Emily really speaks to me as she’s not exactly a warm person, but she definitely cares in her own way, and she loves science especially the world of faerie. In this latest, she is once again on a quest to help Wendell deal with this family drama and his latest problems, and a visit to his lost kingdom is in order. I really enjoyed this book but especially the parts that took place in faerie. I was hoping we’d see more of the queen and the world, but I think this is a duology, which I, to my surprise, find disappointing. This is a whimsical, fun, well-written history fantasy that I’d like to read more about. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.