Wow this book was so good! Heather Fawcett has really outdone herself in her top notch writing and world building. Her writing is just as descriptive and attention grabbing in this book as the first book and the characters have my entire heart! The relationship between Emily and Wendell made me so happy and I thoroughly enjoyed their banter and relationship progression. I love how complimentary their personalities are to one another and I eat up the golden retriever energy that Wendell has! I loved getting lost in this story and cannot say enough great things about it!

I think I like the second book just a bit more than the first book! I loved the banter between Emily and Wendell. They of course get themselves into some fairy trouble. I think this one is a bit more dark than the first one but I was here for it. I do wish that we got to know the townspeople in this book more but I do understand that would have made it harder to resolve the mystery. Overall I enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray for this ARC.

Having learned of Wendell's true identity and fended off his offers of marriage, Emily realizes that she can still help her friend reach home if she can solve the mystery of Danielle de Gray's disappearance. She, along with the unexpected additions of a senior professor and her young niece, travels to a village in the mountains of Austria, where she is frequently attacked and occasionally persuaded to be friendly. Meanwhile, something seems to be wrong with Wendell, as each time he attempts to use his magic, his strength is leached from him. This resembles a classic fairy poison, and Emily is more determined than ever to find a way into the magical realm and stop these fairies from messing up her life.

This book is populated by a cast of truly charming characters. Not that I'd call Emily charming to her face. They strike me as believable, and the way they work within their natural faults and strengths is refreshing. The story is twisted as I'd expect a fairy story to be, and the darkness is limited to something we can view with scholarly interest, not something to revel in. I appreciate this very much. Oh yes, I'd definitely read a third in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

After loving the first book I’m so pleased that the second one still creates the same feelings or comfort, curiosity, and a hankering for a good cup of tea as the first! The pacing is great in this story and learning more about Wendell through Emily’s eyes is an important part of that. The setting and description of Faerie are familiar but don’t feel overused. Overall a wonderful addition to the story and to Emily’s journals. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was absolutely amazing and an incredible follow up to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands picks up after Emily and Wendell have returned to Cambridge after their adventure in Ljosland. Emily’s next objective is to create a map that documents the realms of faerie, which ends up taking her and Wendell to the Austrian Alps. Through Emily’s journal entries, we observe as she develops new relationships and discovers more intricacies of the faerie world.

Heather Fawcett does a wonderful job creating an immersive and whimsical world for her readers. The playful banter throughout the book often had me chuckling while I was reading. It is such a charming, cozy book that I can definitely see it as one of my new comfort reads. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who was a fan of the first book and wants more Emily and Wendell shenanigans in their life.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Absolute wanderlust 😍🦋🌼

A magical and mystical adventures await Emily Wilde and Wendell Bambleby in the followup to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries!

I love that this light academia fantasy is once again formatted as Emily Wilde’s journal (with the cutest, most wonderful footnotes!) It’s analytical and fantastical and full of magic!

We get more depth into Emily and Wendell’s relationship and I adore watching them interact more! The presence and interactions with more of the common Fae made my heart so happy!

The villain in Emily’s adventure this go around is Wendell’s stepmother, born of a human and a faerie - neither one yet a combination of both.

Somehow the author pulled out a sequel that I think was maybe? Better than the original? Certainly I really enjoyed this sequel and I was supremely lucky that I got this arch right upon getting the first book from the library and was able to jump right into it. I enjoyed how Emily is just so herself but she’s growing and it’s great to watch. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!

I think i appreciate this installment even more than the first. The world that Heather Fawcett created just becomes more vibrant in Otherlands. Love the spooky academic and wildly natural vibes within this book. I don't know if it's the mystery or the fae intrigue, but this book feels like the perfect autumnal/winter read. loved the footnotes and how much more depth we get to Emily.

This story is a great continuation of Emily and Wendell’s quest to get him back to his faerie throne. The plot was captivating in how they interact with the folk, and the characters, new and old, are equally compelling.

I wish there was a bit more dialogue between Emily and Wendell that is more focused on their relationship and how they’re going to make their relationship work, it was a bit of an enigma for me. We get a lot of talk how the folk are fickle when it comes to human relationships; so why is Wendell so different and loyal to Emily, is it a miracle? They are a fun couple but sometimes I’m a bit curious why they like each other, other than sharing a love and interest in faerie lore.

Overall very enjoyable and cozy read. I will continue reading whatever Fawcett produces.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc. All opinions are my own.

I loved the first of Emily Wildes adventures, and I was pleased to love the sequel just as much. The author launches you straight into the adventure, and although I would have liked Emily to have dealt with what was surely outstanding trauma from her fae experience from the last book, the benefit to readers is that this book has the ability in many ways to standalone. Emily and Wendell are off to find the door to his realm, along with a few new characters and new types of fairie. Emily has clearly been softened some by the events of the 1st book and I liked seeing that although she is still very much awkward and pedantic, her feelings towards others has become a bit warmer. If you liked the 1st book you will be sure to enjoy this follow up and I’m already looking forward to the next stage of the groups adventure.

I am now of the opinion that Heather Fawcett can do no wrong in her works. This was a perfect follow up! If you are looking for cozy, romantic fantasy then this is your series. Heather Fawcett is an instant buy for me now, so much so that I have also bought her ya and middle grade novels. I can’t recommend this author enough

I love this series and I’m only bummed that I have to wait for the next book for who knows how long. Fawcett has managed to create a scholarly curmudgeon who, if she were living today, would probably be “on the spectrum” somewhere. She’s lovable and cranky and adorable. There’s a distinct Susanna Clarke aura around Fawcett’s Faerie that draws me in. Delightful.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

releases: 1/16/2024
(thanks to @netgalley & @penguinrandomhouse for the ARC)

SYNOPSIS: When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO: academic banter (flirting), sass, faeries & magic, mystery of all mysteries, fighting for a kingdom (faeriedom?), magical cloaks & scarves, traipses throughout Faerie, magical portals, timey-wimey magic coolness

CWs: poisoning (magical), assassination attempt, being lost in the woods, nonconsensual hypnotizing (but like...faerie magic?)

>>LISTEN. someone upset Wendell on his birthday and our boy was upset. and I AGREE with him. I would be so upset if I was disrespected like that!

okay, but in all seriousness, this book is just as delightful and fun as the first. we have our BA female lead Emily who isn't messing around! i love her go-getter attitude (and the lovely little moments of learning and self-reflection she has!). I love that she doesn't need a man (Faerie king) to save her..... [redacted due to spoilies].

I cannot recommend this book enough!

A brilliant, cozy read.

Oftentimes sequels let a reader down, but this was not the case for this gem. I've loved diving into Emily's full and sometimes perplexing head. She's quite the character, but so are all the supporting cast members too.

I will always recommend this series to anyone and everyone of all ages.

Emily Wilde continues to surprise me. I almost DNF’d the first book and by the end, I loved it and I wanted to hang out with Emily. Knowing I read the Emily Wilde book slower than other books (for an unknown reason) I went into this knowing I wouldn’t finish in 24 hours but would probably like it. I was wrong. Even though I read it slower, it enjoyed it even more than the first. The relationship of Wendell and Emily is perfect. Some new additions add some comedy and frustrations. Emily and Wendell are still trying to find his door in book 2 and they adventure to solve a problem I wont say here, ends up bringing me closer to both of them. We get more Shadow too! I can only imagine we will get a 3rd book I will read equally as slow but just as enthusiastically.

This was a great second installment of Emily Wilde’s world. Luckily, I recently finished the first book and was able to jump right into the second book. I loved the relationship between Emily and Wendell and learning more about Bambleby’s backstory. There was action, there was a epic quest, there was witty dialogue, there were footnotes, all the elements I loved about the first book, perhaps executed even BETTER in the second book. Well written and I loved the cliffhanger for the third!

Myth: 5/5

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next in this series, and it lived up to my unreasonably high expectation. Emily and Wendell continue their journey with just as much wry wit, aversion to emotional display, and faerie antics as they had on the first.

Magic: 5/5

This book focuses a lot more on Wendell’s magic and the magic of faerie as they continue to search for his door. In particular, it plays beautifully with the impacts of faerie on a mortal’s mind, especially on display through Emily’s journal entries.

Overall: 5/5

More Emily and Wendell, more Dryadology academics, more faerie politics. I enjoyed every moment of Emily’s adventure and can’t wait for more.

Heather Fawcett please tell me where to send my firstborn.

I was worried that nothing could top the first Emily Wilde book, but this was such an amazing sequel! It had all the charm of the first but with increased stakes AND all the messy character growth that started in book one.

I have such a fondness for Emily for her autism-coded ways of viewing the world, and it was great to be back in her head following along with a story that—if you were paying attention—is heavilyyyyyyy foreshadowed in the footnotes of book one. I really felt her growth in this book, where she is still obsessed with being the best dryadologist, but she's also far more invested in the lives of the people around her, from Wendell to two new characters: a colleague from Cambridge and Emily's niece. Both are interesting additions to the story who had perspectives that Emily and Wendell can't on their own.

I would be remiss not to talk about love of my life, book boyfriend extraordinaire, Howl-coded Wendell Bambleby. I loved him just as much here as I did in book one, and I'm already eagerly anticipating when I can finally listen to the audiobook and hear all his stupid comments aloud. I was especially in love with the scene where they went.... camping *wink*.

I am already so excited to read this again, and I can't wait to own a copy (or two... or three...) for my bookshelf.

Emily Wilde Book 3: Please come soon. I miss you already.

(Also, who knew that Poe of all characters would make me cry?)

"When I returned to the cottage, I found you as I described: out of bed, your hair in utter disarray, asleep over your journal. I put you back into bed and washed the ink stains from your cheek. [...]
How I missed you."

*INCOHERENT SCREAMING*

Book two is even better than book one.

I had to pace myself with this one, I really didn't want it to end.

Once again, Emily and Wendell are in dire danger and with Wendell, things are never what they seem.

I really wouldn't want to spoil this book for anyone, but like that the last book, Emily finds kindred spirits in the strangest of people, Professor Rose for one.

We get to see beloved characters from the the first book, her hound Shadow, the helpful little guy and his tree, Poe.

All in all, a great way to wile away a hot summer day.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it as much as the first book. Still such a great read!! I really like the writing.