In a word: Cozy

Emily and Wendell are among my favorite characters and I found this book stronger and more appealing than the first. Emily and Wendell have a chemistry that I seek out (grumpy/sunshine), but with the female character playing the part of curmudgeon ... something you don't often see! As someone who fantasizes about wandering the UK, I was entranced by the setting, and Wilde's fae inhabitants are just as otherworldly and unsettling as ever. We also meet more races of the fae and the lore-packed footnotes continue to delight.

While this book could be read as a standalone, the story would not hold the same richness. It is self-contained to a point, but this one certainly builds off the previous title. Additionally, I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger, but we have a strong stepping off point for book 3. Still, the ending satisfies, and it leaves us in a comfortable place.

A few content notes:
- there is a brief appearance of a M/M pairing, though only for a few pages
- one brief appearance of a character who seems to go by they/them, which, honestly, personally pulls me out of a historical novel- even historical fantasy
- we do encounter one closed door scene between an unmarried couple
- the fae are just as viscious as ever, though there is less blood and gore than the previous novel
- there are a number of British swears peppered throughout (primarily Bl----)

As with the previous book, there is blood. There is a bit of gore. But there is also a whole lot of cheer, witty commentary, and hope.

Thank you, author and publisher, for sharing an advance copy of this title.

What a great sequel, maybe even better than the first book! I can't wait for the next one! I loved the new setting and the tie to "history."

Just as delightful as the first one! It was fun being back with Emily and Bambleby and seeing what they got up to!

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is a perfect sequel. It follows the grumpy-sunshine dynamic between Emily Wilde and her faerie boyfriend Wendell Bambleby. In this adventure, Fawcett expands on the world she created in the first installment and employs a kind of "monster of the week" approach with these two books.

An absolutely perfect and cozy sequel to emily wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries! I live for the adventures of Emily and Wendell. Wendell is such a silly boy but soooo smitten with Emily. I loved stepping back into this magical world, and can’t wait for the next book!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

The cozy vibes of the first in the series are definitely back in this second installment. Emily Wilde and Wendell are delightful characters that I love to follow and Fawcett introduces some new characters, as well. The adventure was fun, but some points felt a bit slow. While it wasn't my favorite, I'll tune into the next in the series to see what happens next.

Amazing next book in the Emily Wildes series. Loved seeing Emily and Wendell’s relationship grow and progress. Can’t wait to see where their next adventure goes.

I think I liked this one better than Ecyclopaedia of Faeries. This second book takes Emily and Bambleby to the Australian Alps with her niece and another professor, who insists on tagging along. Emily is determined to find the door to Bambleby's kingdom and free him from his family and a poison that is making him weak. In the meantime, she's working on a map of the realm of Faerie.

I have this one 4 stars. I love these characters. I feel like this one lets us understand Bambleby better, who was a mystery to me in book one. It was a sweet adventure story full of magic and love. Heather Fawcett is always a fun read for me!

Thank you to Del Rey Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

With both books in this series it’s taken me a few chapters to become invested in the story. It’s mostly due to the slower pace, but I have to remind myself I’m reading something closer to a cozy mystery that doesn’t immediately dive into the action. Still, I’ll journey with Emily and Wendell anywhere.

Emily and Wendell, along with Ariadne (her niece), Rose (their boss at the university), and the loyal Shadow (her dog) travel to the Austrian Alps where Emily believes the door to Wendell’s realm could be located. It’s far from a smooth adventure as they encounter many dangerous creatures along the way. The wildly creative creatures are one of my favorite parts of these books – and don’t get me started on the dismembered foot Emily keeps in a bag and how it figures into the overall plot.

Although Emily received a marriage proposal in the previous book, she still hasn’t given Wendell an answer. She finally comes to terms with her feelings for him, but it takes quite a while to get there. While waiting for that realization it’s easy to sit back and enjoy the vast differences between the detached, scholarly Emily, the faery king who enjoys the finer things in life, and their charming romance.

Judging by the ending, it looks like another book is coming. And I’ll be waiting. Recommended for readers who enjoy fae lore, memorable characters, and a banter-filled, slow-burn romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Emily is a Cambridge scholar who studies faeries and she is in love with Wendell, a fellow scholar, used to be rival, who is also a secret Faerie prince, but Emily knows he is a prince (now). Wendell’s stepmother is determined to kill him and Emily and Wendell are supposed to be finding a door to Wendell’s kingdom.



I liked the synopsis of this book and I thought I would have loved the story. After giving the first book three stars, I am not terribly surprised that this second installment left a lot to be desired. I had trouble getting into the story. Wendell seemed completely out of character. Which is a shame because I liked the bones of him in the first book and thought a lot more could’ve been done with him. He was a wasted opportunity unfortunately. 



I think after reading both installments, that this isn’t a good series and would have benefited from an edit making it an epic standalone instead. Both books manage to be detailed, yet vague, a lot going on yet nothing happening. It feels as though the author or publishing company wanted a series out of a story that just doesn't have the steam to be one. I am flabbergasted that they are making a third. It’s honestly, a riot of ridiculousness.

I loved this book! I didn't realize at first that this was the second book in a trilogy, but I soon got my footing and enjoyed reading it immensely. Emily and Wendell are the main characters, who both teach at Cambridge. In this world, magic exists and is studied in universities, pencils can turn into swords, and the fey may come boiling into our world out of nowhere. There is also a romance between Emily and Wendell, who is a prince of the fey. Wendell has an enemy at the university - Professor Rose, partially because the two men are writing a book with a similar theme. Professor Rose's ire is nothing compared to that of his wicked stepmother, who is trying to kill him and keep him out of his kingdom, which is hidden from him.

This series should be read in order for maximum enjoyment. I received an e-arc from the publisher Del Rey via NetGalley and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

Emily Wilde may be toying with an engagement with her fellow Cambridge scholar and former rival Wendell Bambleby, but she isn't completely sold on marrying a member of the Fair Folk royalty. She has plenty of research to do and marrying a refugee member of Fae royalty is an extremely dangerous path for a woman who spends most of her time reducing danger. Wilde has made a name for herself with her first compressive encyclopedia of faeries, but she has a new project.  Her research may give Wendell back access to his realm though his own personal door/portal, but it also might give his murderous stepmother access to him and Emily Wilde. 

Heather Fawcett's second book in the Emily Wilde series breaks the common curse of a weak secondary novel in a series. Emily and Wendell are just as fun the second time around in their awkward adventures to stay alive, if not more so now that we've come to know and love the characters. The story is fun, engaging, and a great way to spend a day reading. 

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is now available.

I was looking forward to the second book in this series even though the first one I did struggle to get into. The same thing unfortunately happened here and I now know that maybe Fawcett’s writing isn’t for me and I really really wish it were.

I really enjoyed the writing and story of this book. I was so happy to have this to jump into after book 1 and I could not put it down.

This book will be reviewed and featured on my instagram account : @emily_reads_everything. If there is no star rating on the picture, my goodreads account will have a starred rating. My GR account is linked in the profile of my instagram.

I really am obsessed with this series. The world building is absolutely stunning and the feeling of being a part of the adventure is unmatched in anything that I have read lately. Once again I am pulled into the world of Emily and Wendell and all of their shenanigans and mishaps. I really enjoy the dynamic between them and you can feel the slow development of their relationship which for me feels genuine. I adore all of the creatures and characters that we are introduced to in this installment and was so excited when Po made his way back into the story. His character is one that I will treasure. I hope that he will be returning at some capacity in book three. I was also happy to see that we finally get a glimpse of Wendell's home and more of his story and what happened to him. This is a series that I will always recommend to new readers of fantasy and seasoned readers alike.

The only appropriate way to read Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is to be cozied under a too heavy blanket, warm beverage of choice, and preferably rain in the background. I refuse to believe there is a better suited series for anyone searching for a cozy fantasy.

Emily Wilde. I would die for her. She never ceases to surprise me with how resourceful and cunning she is. Yes she is rough around the edge and has a hard time showing emotions, but that’s probably why I like her so much, she sounds like me. Emily is dedicated to her work, her loved ones, and the study of faeries. She does not hesitate once to do whatever it takes to protect what she cares about yet is somehow never rash in her actions. She is everything I want to be and I adore her so much.

Although Wendell does not play a bigger part in this book as he did in the first one, he is still the loveable love interest we all know. His shift to the backseat allows more endearing side characters to emerge including Ariadne, Poe, Rose, and even the cat.

My only concern about this book is that the format is extremely similar to the first book. This is fine with me since I am here for the vibes, but it might be something to consider if you are looking for a stimulating fantasy. Overall I enjoyed my time reading Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands just as I did the first book. I hope this genre of cozy exploration fantasy never ends and Emily Wilde will also be something I reach for for a good time.

I love the banter between the two, and Wendel enchanting her items so that he always has a weapon. They continue their research on far lands but Wendell’s step mother is out to get him, and sending assassins his way, so the once again set out on a quest to find out why and to stop her.

I enjoyed this immensely more than the first book and can’t wait to see where this journey takes us in book 3.

A nice follow up to book one but didn’t hit quite the same for me. I wish Wendell played a larger role. Looking forward to book three.