There's just something about this series that manages to both keep you on your toes while also giving you all the cozy feels. Heather Fawcett's writing is so immersive that often times I feel like I'm right there between the pages enjoying some hot coffee and a loaf of bread from one of our favorite common faeries.

Emily's newest journey is focused on helping Wendell find a way back to his realm where he is the rightful heir to the throne. In typical Emily Wilde adventure form, we are met with some challenges along the way and of course have some new mysteries to solve.

I particularly enjoyed the new crew that joined Emily and the banter between them, and especially loved Emily's interactions with the Faerie folk.

I admire the sweet romance between Emily and Wendell and how it's not forced upon the reader or takes away from the story in any way.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed book 2 in this series and look forward to the next adventure Heather Fawcett takes us on!

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for providing me with an ARC for this book!

Map of the Otherlands was as delightful as the first installment and made me just as unbelievably happy. Emily and Wendell are so dear to me.

This book picks up a few months after the Encyclopedia of Faeries leaves off. Emily and Wendell are at Cambridge when Emily thinks she might know where the door to Wendell’s realm might be located and how to get in. New (very endearing) characters are introduced when Wendell and Emily head to the Austrian Alps for their next quest.

I felt we didn’t get to know the new townspeople as much as we did in the first book and that was a bit disappointing to me, but other than that, I loved the setting. At the midway point of this book, it slowed down a bit and I got a little bored - even in the first book's slow parts I was still so invested in everything that was happening - but I kept going and soon enough it picked up again and I was invested once more.

The romance, whimsicality, and of course, Emily’s journal entry format make this book so unique and lovely. The main characters are still the dry, witty, and heartwarming ones you remember from the first book, and the little cameos of past characters made me so happy!

All that being said, I didn’t like this one more than the first. Mostly because the first one has such a special place in my heart and it’s one of my favorite books ever. I purposely read this over four days when I could’ve binged the whole thing the same day I got approved for this arc, I just didn’t want my time with these characters and this world to be over.

Overall I loved this one a lot! If you love the Encyclopedia of Faeries, you'll love this one too. I laughed and cried, and I'm so glad I got to read this early!

If you liked Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, you need to come hurry back to Emily and Wendell's story as quickly as you can grab your favorite blanket, fuzzy slippers, warm cup of cocoa and settle in a comfy chair by the fireplace for a couple days reading. If you haven't read the aforementioned Encyclopaedia of Faeries, I'd recommend heading there first since that will get you introduced to the main characters (this really isn't a series I'd read out of order or skip to the second). This book has a cute, light-heartedly romantic feel and some strangely addictive quality that made me not want to put it down until I had finished, or perhaps I was under some fairy enchantment. Either way, I now need more people to read it so that this series can continue because I need the third book now and I'm pretty sure that anyone you likes cozy, romantic, whimsical books will feel the same.

Note: I received an e-ARC of this book for free from Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group. This has not impacted my opinion of the materials.

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.

In Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands we follow our two main characters Emily and Wendell on a journey for a magical faerie door that will allow Wendell to travel back to his realm. Our main characters endure many mysteries, new friendships, dangerous faerie folk, and the complexities of deciphering one’s own heart.
When I received this ARC I was beyond ecstatic for I thoroughly enjoyed the first one in the series! I’m immediately struck by the serene beauty of this book with its perfected cottagecore aesthetic, showcased from the very beginning by its beautiful cover. This novel picks up right where we left off in the first one with Emily enjoying her tenure and success of the encyclopedia while Wendell is still taking his naps and enjoying his breakfasts. The format of the writing in the book is done as Emily’s journal entries as it did in the first in the series. Every time a new footnote is tagged to the entries it really helps to enhance the authenticity of the world we are transported to while reading. I loved the continued polarizing differences between our main characters, Emily and Wendell; Emily with her ornery disposition and fierce tenacity for answers and knowledge, and then Wendell with his laid back friendly demeanor balance each other extremely well. I enjoyed the new character additions especially Emily’s niece, Ariadne and the newly introduced Folk side characters; I am also so glad we got to see Poe again because I just love him! I am most definitely anxiously waiting for the next installment of the series to see where Fawcett takes us and all these characters that have created such happiness in my heart!

This book and series is for anyone looking to read a cozy fantasy with a sweet slow burn romance of the grumpy sunshine variety, 1900’s light academia vibes, and hints of mystery than this is for you!

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands comes out January 16, 2024.

Thank you again NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a hard review to write. I really did like the first Emily Wilde book- Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Any reader should start there!

I do love the way Emily observes the rules of various faerie species and figures out how to make them work for her. It was harder to like Wendell in this book as the author seemed to amp up his frivolousness. The romance between Wendell and Emily felt thrown in and not as good as the friendly, interdependent relationship that was present for most of the first book. I liked the addition of the niece, Rose, as I thought it helped to soften Emily a bit. I did not care for Eichorn and wish he had been left back at Cambridge!

I did find this one was a little bit of a struggle to get through. It felt like the plot dragged on and on. It took me nearly two weeks to get through it, and I am a 3-books-a-week kind of reader. I wasn't always sure what the author meant. I am sure it made sense to her inner vision, but it didn't seem to translate as well on the page this time. That being said, I’m intrigued to see where the rest of Emily’s story will go, and I will likely pick up the next book when it comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

I give Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands a 5 out of 5 stars. It was incredibly amazing, I felt like it was an even grander journey than the first book, if you can believe that since that book was so amazing as well. I was so encapsulated in this world the whole time. It is super intriguing and leaves you wanting to read more. The main character Emily and her co-worker/friend/maybe love interest Wendell are back at Cambridge after their last trip to create Emily’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries and they’re being contradicted by another co-worker who believes that their works on this project are fake due to some mishaps that Wendell got into during the first book. At the same time, Emily’s niece is a new student at Cambridge and she is determined to do whatever it takes to accompany Emily on her next big adventure to Austria to find a door to the Otherlands. On the way to Austria, something very bad happens to Wendell, so they are now racing against the clock to find the door and make it to the Otherlands before Wendell’s condition becomes irreversible. There’s multiple missions going on at the same time, there’s things developing between characters, you get to meet new characters, there’s new creatures, new fairies, you get to see some old friends that come to their aid. It is an incredibly captivating story, I couldn’t stop reading it. It was so whimsical and enchanting! There were certain times where I was sitting on the edge of my seat, anticipating what was going to happen next, and it did not disappoint. The author’s writing style for this book is also kind of an elevated, scientific, more advanced kind of English, which I personally struggled with at times just a little bit because there are some words that I did not quite understand, but overall I understood the bigger picture and everything that the author was trying to convey with the story and I really loved it. I was obsessed with it! I feel like there is a good opportunity to add even more stories and spin-offs because there’s so much uncharted territory about the environments, the worlds, and the characters/creatures of this book as well as the first book and I’m so excited to see what the author does next. I can’t wait for everyone else to read this book once it’s released, I highly recommend this book to everyone that loves folklore and fairytale aesthetics and I know for a fact that I will be purchasing a copy of this book as soon as it comes out.

I loved the Emily Wilde books. They are both like a cozy, warm hug from your favorite relative. I read this book just on the edge of sleep each night, and it reminded me of being young again, hearing my mother read whimsical stories that filled my dreams. I really can’t recommend this one enough.

I read the first book and this one was just as good! Really liking this story. This is a nice addition to the first book, and dives deeper into the world of fairy. Has lots of twist and turns and a bit of mystery.. Really looking forward to the next one.

I read the two Emily Wilde books back-to-back and am sad to leave the world! I enjoyed this book even more than the first, as it showed great character development. It picks up shortly after the first book, in a similar format for the next of our scholar's literary masterpieces.
Having the book written as a journal gives the reader insight into Emily's growth, as she expands her relationships with friends, family, and Wendell! The new characters were a great addition to the story. The story was packed with exploration, scholarship, and excitement. I can't wait for more!!

THIS SERIES IS SO ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL. THANKS NETGALLEY/RANDOMHOUSE/DELRAY FOR LETTING ME READ ON EARLY ❤️❤️❤️

Emily and Brambleby have returned to Cambridge in scholastic honor after the success of her encyclopedia, only to face unexpected attacks on both professional and magical levels. With Brambleby wounded, the search for a nexus back to his realm becomes imperative, leading them to adventure through the alps with some new compatriots and an aged but very good dog.

I just love these books. I LOVE THEM. Emily's voice is so emily, and everyone has someone in their life who is so reserved until they start talking about something they love and then just come alive. She is so real to me. Formatting these stories as journal entries just makes the reader feel like they so intimately know her, which makes it all the more fun and funny when wendell throws in entries and corrections. Emily dry, scholarly voice makes the humor all the better, and sometimes, her fears and axieties all the more pressing. The stakes were higher in this sequel, and the romance was more present, both with emily and brambleby, and with the lost dryadologists. In my opinion, both of these things were pluses. I also loved that while there were so many new folk to learn about, some of my old faves from returned. my love for shadow is F O R E V E R. He is the best good boy of all time.

All this is to say, read these books or give them to the bookish person in your life immediately.

When I read the first Emily Wilde book, I fell in love. With this second book, I have fallen even deeper. Emily is once again working on a seminal text in dryadology, and this time it's a mapbook of the lands of the folk. Luckily, this ties into Wendell's search for his door, and the two are joined by the ever-loveable Grim, Shadow and a new supporting cast as they head out in a new, more dangerous adventure. Emily is coming more into herself in this book, and this is supported by her relationship with her niece that allows her to become more open and vulnerable, while simultaneously showing her growth with relation to a more traditional colleague. More importantly, this book ramps up the stakes while maintaining the tone that we all loved in the original book. I am absolutely going to be rereading this soon, and I will need the third installment as soon as Heather Fawcett finishes it, please?

The first book in the Emily Wilde series was a fun journey into a really descriptive world of faeries and folk creatures that Heather Fawcett creates. I was really excited to read the sequel <i>Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands</i> but I do think the book gets a bit bogged down with the descriptions in the sequel and that makes the book drag a bit. That being said, I know the first book had a huge following and I think that fans of that book will not be disappointed by this one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of the book.

The description of this book interested me so much that I went ahead and tracked down book 1 to read first so that I could properly appreciate it. Neither book disappoints!

Emily Wilde is a scholar studying the Fae and juggling all the usual sorts of problems that come from being a female academic in the early 20th century like sexism, hostile colleagues, and marriage proposals from a Faerie king. (Okay, maybe that last one isn't that common). When her colleague and not-quite-fiance Bambleby's step-mother sends assassins to kill him, Emily and Bambleby go on the run with her niece and another colleague. Their only hope of saving Bambleby is to find a doorway to the Otherlands and go on the offensive, but to find the doorway they'll have to solve a decades' old mystery.

The worldbuilding and characters in this book are superb. Emily is both brilliant and socially awkward in ways that tie into and reinforce her ability to understand the Fae. Blithe Bambleby is the perfect foil for her while also coming across as plausibly non-human. Adding her niece and their colleague to the mix makes for a great, well-rounded group of adventurers. The world of both 20th c. Europe and the Faerie Otherlands are well-built and believable. The plot moves along at a good pace - fast enough that you're always wondering what will happen next, slowly enough for great character development along the way.

Altogether a great read.

Emily’s adventures just get better and better. I love thé additional characters in this book.
Heather Fawcett is a stellar writer who creates fantastical worlds. I love the uniqueness of Emily’s stories.

I will post a more intensive review on my instagram and Facebook pages closes to publication date, but I loved this story, gave it 5 stars.

Emily and Wendell are back! As the first book in the series was my reading highlight of last year, I was ever so eager to go back adventuring with my favorite fairy scholar and her occasionally exasperating exiled fairy king. The second brings back so much of what I loved in "Encyclopaedia" and introduces some new characters and elements to enjoy.

I have to start with one of the pieces that still has me grinning—Wendell has a cat AND we get to meet her! Orga is a grand addition and I am so happy to see her as part of the story. I'm a cat person myself, and I did want to shake Emily a couple of times at her treatment of this wonderful creature. Poor Emily just doesn't yet know how to properly interact with cats, but I'm sure she will quickly learn.

As much as I adore seeing Emily out in the field, I really enjoyed the time we got to spend at Cambridge with these professors. Part of what made the first book so special to me was the fact that it was an academic fantasy dealing with grown characters, so it was nice to spend some time with them in their working environment. But readers who don't find school thrilling shouldn't worry—out time in the lecture hall is focused on magical attacks and not lessons.

Wendell's step-mother has decided to notice him again and he's being attacked and poisoned (on his birthday no less! The offense!) We're soon off on another adventure, this time to the Alps and the treacherous mountains. Of course, Emily isn't going to let a small thing like royal assassination attempts totally get in the way of scholarship as she uses this time to work on her project mapping the Fairy Realms. Nothing like fitting the search for the magical door to your suitor's world into your research!

The new fey creature...associate? proved to wonderfully creepy and scary. We meet the human faced foxes when they are gnawing at the face of a fellow Cambridge professor. Despite this horrifying introduction, one of the pack soon becomes a fun addition to our group. (To be fair, Rose, the professor being eaten on, doesn't make the best impression when he first appears. But he goes on to exhibit more depth of character than he first displayed.) Snowbell the fox got my favorite line of the book, "'Oh, good! The quest will not end, then, when you are eaten.'"

Wendell gets a chance to showcase his breathtaking power in a heart pounding chase scene where he is ripping reality apart in an attempt to outrun his attackers and get our expedition crew to safety. The combination of his magical display with the fact that he's working with malfunctioning powers adds to the drama and emotional punch of the section. He's poisoned and in terrible pain, but this seemingly flighty fairy king can show a remarkable amount of grit when necessary. This highly cinematic scene reminded me of the stunning fight in the first book where he rewinds time to make the swordplay more rewarding.

I can't wait for the third book and truly wish this would be a long running series.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased review. My review will be posted to Goodreads when the book is published.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Like many others, I think I might like this one even more than the first. It is the historical fantasy cozy mystery of a comfort read. It is a lot more personal feeling than the first one as Emily's reason behind her research has changed from the first book (no spoilers). Emily and Wendall's dynamic is one of my types. I mentioned in my review of the first, Emily is the grumpy to Wendall's sunshine-Howl coded self. I LIVE for it.

It is the perfect read for the autumn and winter season. It is whimsical and lovely - with some action!

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review…

… and I’m SO HAPPY I DID.

This book somehow manages to exceed the high standard set by its predecessor. While it retains the journal format of Encyclopaedia of Faeries it mixes up the formula in other ways, namely by introducing side characters who have history with Emily and Wendell and giving the group a quest of sorts that helps move the story along. These two stylistic changes from the first installment give Map of the Otherlands stakes that Encyclopaedia lacked at times, and I felt more connected to the characters and plot in Otherlands as a result.

It doesn’t hurt that Otherlands also leans more heavily into Wendell and Emily’s evolving relationship than Encyclopaedia. I only really felt Emily and Wendell’s care for each other late in the first book in this series; but in the second book it’s prominent and a central part of Emily’s musings, and it was fun and heartwarming to see how much the two care for one another even if Emily sometimes has trouble a) recognizing it and b) naming it. Both characters undergo enormous growth in Otherlands and I’m really hoping we get to see even more of their story in future books.

If you loved Encyclopaedia, Map of the Otherlands will NOT disappoint. Rather, this second book accomplishes what few can: it retains the whimsical feeling of the first book and layers on richer action, characterization, and emotions that coalesce to leave the reader wanting even more.

*thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to preview this book. I can’t wait to buy the physical copy when it’s released!*

I didn’t think Emily could write a more comforting book than she did with her first one. But I was wrong! This was so lovely. I just wanted to curl up in a blanket with a cup of tea and chat with all the wonderful people in this book! People…I should say characters. This was quirky, beautiful and so perfect.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for a review.

This book is just as enchanting as the first! We follow Wendel and emily as they continue to look for his door.
It is fast paced and captivating.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of the second book in the Emily Wilde series on NetGalley, and I of course started reading as soon as I got my hands on it. The first book was one of my first five stars this year, so I had high hopes for this one. I am happy to say that it was just as good as I expected, if not more.

With charming characters; a fast-paced plot; and an intriguing romance, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands was even better than the spectacular first book in the series. Truly, there was never a dull moment. Fawcett has such a talent at creating lovable characters, and her world-building is so immersive that one really feels like they are a part of this universe while they read.

Emily and Wendell are one of my new favorite couples in fantasy fiction. I loved seeing the development of their relationship throughout the book; I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to see what happened next. It is always refreshing to see a romance where they are actually comfortable with one another and like one another, and I love Wendell's endless support of Emily as a scholar. One thing I love about the romance, too, is that they are likable, well-developed characters outside of one another.

The character of Emily has grown since the last book. Don't get me wrong, I love the curmudgeonly, clueless Emily in the first book, but she has all the qualities I enjoyed about her and has also continued the development that you see in Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Her cunning and her aloofness are still central to her character, but I noticed that she was more willing to work with other people and show affection (as well as she can) in this one.

As far as the new characters go, I find them just as delightful as the side characters in the first book. Emily's niece, always willing to help and just as enamored by faeries, was a wonderful addition, and I loved seeing how Emily grew to accept her as part of the team.

I try to give some sort of critique each time I write reviews, but I genuinely don't have any for this book. For anybody looking for some good fantasy, suffice to say this is a stunning, engaging, and deeply creative series. I highly recommend.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be published on January 16, 2024.

[NOT PART OF THE REVIEW. Note for the publisher: I have not included the full review on Goodreads/my blogs, but I will when the book is published, per the instructions at the beginning of the book. If necessary, I can get rid of what I have written and wait until I can post the full review to share. I will post the review on January 16th 2024, unless the publish date changes.)