Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands was incredible. I was sucked back into the world(s) so quickly, and I cannot get enough of this world. There is something so special about the world Heather Fawcett created. It is fresh, fun, and just rich in detail and experience. It's the equivalent of reading what Howl's Moving Castle felt like for the first time again. I am in love with the dynamic between Emily and Wendell, and their character archetypes feel so new and refreshing for a fantasy book. They're established, have been friends, and she's not just some other girl in need of saving. Emily is resourceful, clever, snappy, and boldly unconventional. Meanwhile, Wendell is almost foppish in his lack of regard for societal limitations which makes him an absolute blast to read about. I also adore their dynamic. He would burn the world for her but get upset that it had the audacity to get ash on one of his fine cloaks. And she is resistant to the idea of marriage and becoming yet another fairytale swept up into the dangerous world of Faerie, but would go to the ends of every realm to seek justice against anyone who hurt him. The sequel is as good if not better than the first. I love getting to see how resourceful she is, and how quickly Wendell can go from a cinnamon roll to a cinnamon roll that will absolutely obliterate those who endanger his Emily. I cannot wait for the next book, and am waiting with bated breath for book 3! 5/5 Stars!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett is a cozy historical fantasy that continues the story of the first book. The story revolves around the titular Emily Wilde, a professor of faerie folklore. When faeries suddenly appear at her university, she embarks on an adventure with fellow scholar Wendell Bambleby. Together, they journey to the Austrian Alps in search of a magical door to another realm. Will they brave the dangers of the woods? And will their relationship go from colleagues to something more?

Here is a lovely excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Here I intend to provide an honest account of my day-to-day activities in the field as I document an enigmatic species of faerie called "Hidden Ones." This journal serves two purposes: to aid my recollection when it comes time to formally compile my field notes, and to provide a record for those scholars who come after me should I be captured by the Folk. Verba volant, scripta manent. As with my previous journals, I will presume a basic understanding of dryadology in the reader, though I will gloss certain references that may be unfamiliar to those new to the field.
I have not had reason to visit Ljosland before, and would be lying if I said my first sighting this morning didn't temper my enthusiasm. The journey takes five days from London, and the only vessel to get you there is a weekly freighter carrying a great variety of goods and a much smaller variety of passengers."

Overall, Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is a delightful cozy fantasy that will appeal to fans of Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle or Rebecca Ross's Divine Rivals. One highlight of this book is the romantic banter between Emily and Wendell. Another highlight of this book is that it is a slow-paced fantasy. Sometimes, I don't want to read about battles and explosions on every page. Sometimes, what I want is to read something delightful, imaginative, with low-stakes. If you're intrigued by the excerpt, or if you're a fan of slow-paced adult fantasy books, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in January!

Book 2 in the Emily Wilde series, featuring Professor Wilde a scholar of faerie folklore. She is well known for her catalog of lore in her Faerie encyclopedia. It's the 1900's and there are certainly fae folk amongst us, though they have the propensity to be a bit mean. The story is written as journal entries which I just love personally!

Emily is once again working with her friend Wendell Bambleby and the two provide hilarious banter and hint closer and closer to a potential love match. While this reads as a cozy mystery, it is far too creative, far too complex and amazing to be pigeonholed by genre. It is just fabulous and I can't wait for more!

This sequel was just as charming and whimsical as the first. There is a cozy familiarity to this installment that readers will enjoy, like a comforting hug: Emily and Wendell banter their way through a new mystery set in another remote village with quaint townsfolk to befriend and regional faerie to both terrify and delight. Shadow, Emily’s dog, continues to be a trusty and loyal sidekick. But the newer characters were also really great, distinct additions and it didn’t feel like they were intrusions who distracted from the main trio: Emily’s overly enthusiastic niece Ariadne and her prickly colleague, Department Chair Rose who may or may not be a big softie.

Despite treading some familiar territory with the set-up, I didn’t find anything to be too formulaic to the point of ineffectiveness; there were still twists to be enjoyed, and the witty dialogue was still fresh and sharp. If Encyclopaedia of Faerie is evocative of winter, Map of the Otherlands is all autumn. The changes in season and scenery were well-written and enough to make us feel as if we were truly discovering a new world alongside the characters.

I really hope there will be subsequent adventures because I will keep reading all of them! This is a series that likely could continue forever… there is such a sense of satisfaction in seeing Emily uncover clues and outwit the faeries around her in surprising ways. I continue to enjoy the delightful details Fawcett envisions, like enchanted pencils transforming into swords, Emily’s continued use of footnotes referencing “scholarly” references/sources and folktales–in her own private journal. I can’t see myself growing tired of these things as long as Fawcett continues writing the way she does. The ending of this book hints at one more sequel at least, so we can start there!

Emily and Wendell return in this second installment of this fantastical, faerie filled series. This time, they are traveling to the Austrian alps along with Emily's niece, Adriadne, and department head, Dr. Farris Rose. They are seeking the door to Wendell's realm as Emily works on her Map of the faerie Otherlands. Similarly to the first installment, they experience setbacks (Wendell's stepmother sends many assassins after them) and unexpected encounters with various creatures.

This book feels a bit more fast paced than the last one and there's definitely a bit more action/violence as well. I thought it was a great continuation of the story and can't wait to see where the next book goes! I love that in each book, we get to know more about the world and different settings both in and outside of the faerie realms.

I also love what an active role Emily continues to have in this story. Certainly Wendell is a huge help with his powers, but as he continues to be affected by the poison he ingests in the beginning of this book, he can use his magic less and less and becomes very ill every time he does. This naturally puts Emily in more of that active role - what's also nice to see here is that Wendell has total faith in Emily's intelligence and abilities which in turn helps her own confidence. I also loved seeing the evolution of their relationship in this installment.

The format of these books - we're reading Emily's journals - remains one of my favorite things about this series! It's so engaging to hear how Emily experiences these events. And we even get to see Wendell write a chapter (and filling in some of Emily's blanks) while she is recovering from her journey into his realm.

I was super immersed in this book the entire time and whole-heartedly recommend this series! Five stars from me, Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherland publishes January 16th, so you have plenty of time to read the first book! (You really do need to read these in order)

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/Del Ray for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am sharing this review voluntarily.

Thank you, Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

I've heard alot of about the first book of the series, which made me want to read this title, and now I know I'll have to read the first book. It didn't take away from my experience of reading this one, but they did refer quite a bit to it, and I love the story, writing style, and characters enough to want to follow up with the series.
This is a story that is made for people who love stories and a love-letter to stories in general. We being with Emily having obtained an artefact from a University that she thinks can help her locate Wendell's door to his realm, which apparently is where the first book leaves off. She has several theories in the works in regards to this, including locating a missing scholar, one Danielle de Gray. Before she sees Wendell for breakfast, she has a bizarre encounter with a mysterious ribbon man, and thinks nothing of it for a while.
By the time this book takes place, Wendell and Emily's relationship is established, though somewhat tense, as in the last book, Wendell as asked Emily for her hand in marriage. She had declined this, and this is a passing joke between them. Meanwhile, the head of the university wants to fire both Wendell and Emily for their less than orthodox methods of research. Apparently, they are at odds with each other, as one represents the old ways and tradition, while the other represents innovation and trailblazing.
So when Emily goes to warn Wendell about what's to take place and Rose is there during his lecture watching him, they are suddenly attacked by evil faeiries who are on a mission to assassinate Wendell, and the truth of his identity is revealed to Rose, who is outraged by this. Emily determines it is not safe for them to stay in Cambridge, and so they leave, off to a quest to trace de Grey's whereabouts, which they believe to be the key in finding the door to Wendell's realm. Along the way, they are joined by Rose (who Emily begrudgingly allows) and her niece Ariadne (also begrudgingly) and what ensues is an adventure filled with lore, a haunting romance, and the ambition to unravel a mystery.
I enjoyed this story very much, told in the form of a journal. Emily is such a joy to read and follow along, and I admire her guts and tenacity as she tries to solve an unsolved mystery as well as save the love of her life. This was very well written, and as mention, is an ode to storytelling and folklore. I also loved the growing relationship between Ariadne and Emily as well as the budding friendship she makes with her former scholar foe, Farris Rose, who you do grow to understand and love.
Honestly, I don't normally read a book that's smack in the middle of a series, but now I know I have to read the first book, and follow up on the third for my next venture into Faeirie.

4.5 stars!!

*Sincerest thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book!!*

One of my most hyped, most anticipated sequels and for good reason. Just as whimisical and charming as the first book. Once again we follow Emily in her diary-esque narration of her academic research, daring adventures and nail biting quests. This book picks up quite quickly at the begining, I was really impressed how the story evolved from the first book to what it became at the beginging of this one. It felt like a natural transition.

Once again we follow Emily, and crew, to a remote location in search of faeries or hints thereof. We do get 2 new interesting side characters who brought a lot to the story in their own right.

One thing I wish is that we got as acquainted to the villagers in this book as we did in book one. But that being said I believe we spent less time talking with the villagers because of the fast paced nature of the plot. There was even a slight political air to the conflict which I LOVED and hope we get more of in book three!!

This felt like it flew by in the best way and I cant wait for ya'll to get to read it!!

Emily, Wendell, Ariadne, and Rose find themselves in the Austrian Alps, looking for a Nexus to make their way to Wendell’s kingdom and take back his throne. Their search becomes partially sidetracked when they realize that the two professors who disappeared 50 years ago are still stuck on the edge of Faerie, trying to find their way to each other. So not only must they find the backdoor to Wendell’s kingdom, but they must save the professors as well. This book is filled with magic, adventure, folklore, fauns, and of course faeries.
This book was a phenomenal sequel to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. I would consider this book a cozy, enchanting fantasy novel in the way Fawcett describes all the faeries and Emily’s adventures with Wendell. Each character has depth to them, and you can see how all of their perspectives of faeries shift from the beginning to the end of the book because of all that they have encountered. I absolutely love all the footnote sections in the book; it gives the readers information about all of the types of faeries without being too obvious of an info dump. I have loved to see how Emily’s character has grown throughout both books, becoming more secure in herself and going with her instincts. I do wish that there were little sketches of landscapes or maps throughout the book since it is titled Map of the Otherlands. I know she was creating a map, but it would be fun to throw in those elements as well for the readers. I would give this book 4.5 stars, I cannot wait for the third book to see how Emily and Wendell attempt to take back his throne!
I will also be posting this review on my Instagram: @dr.cs.bookworm I will be posting this review on July 5th as well as again in January, closer to when the book comes out. Thank you for letting me have an ARC of this book!

I loved this book! Historical/fantasy/academia? I’m here for it! I loved everything about it and how it was written. The banter and the characters were wonderful, and I especially love Emily. She’s smart, witty, quick, and tenacious. I so enjoyed going on the adventure with her and Wendell- it was a ton of fun to read! I will be rereading this at some point and will buy it when it comes out. If you loved the Encyclopaedia of Faeries then you’ll definitely love book 2! A cozy book that will make you feel good and smile as you read, you won’t be disappointed! Definitely recommend!
Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for this arc! I had a wonderful time reading this.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

If you liked Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries, you'll love Emily Wilde's Map of The Otherlands. I enjoyed this book so much! Maybe even more than the first. It's such a delightful, cozy read that I'd describe as cottagecore historical fantasy meets dark academia mystery (it that's a thing).

I liked the journal style storytelling and the writing itself was beautiful. I'm glad I read it on my Kindle however as there were a lot of big words I needed to highlight for definitions! Not in a pretentious way though as it fit with the nature of the characters and setting of the book. And if you're not reading it in a British accent, you're doing it wrong!

Unlike the first book, I felt like this one focused more on Emily's relationships rather than just her academic pursuits. It was nice to get a more in depth look into her character. I feel like she has grown a lot since the last time we saw her. Then of course there is still Wendell being Wendell. We were also introduced to more lovable characters and got small glimpses into some old favorites (Poe! ♥️). I dont want to say much more than that to avoid spoilers.

All in all I absolutely adored this book (and the last) and will read as many as the author wants to write. I love the world she has built.

Thank you again NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early! I can't wait for the release so I can add it to my shelf next to my copy of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries.

Genre: cottagecore historical fantasy
England and Austria, 1910

Emily Wilde, now tenured professor of Dryadaology at Cambridge, has plans to publish a a map of the Faerie Otherland to accompany her Encylpoedia. This project will take her to the Alps, near to the Door that theoretically should lead back to fellow professor and exiled faerie king Wendell Bambleby’s realm. None too late, either, as he’s been poisoned by something while out celebrating on his birthday and is losing his grip on his magic. Along with her niece Ariadne, the head of the department Dr Farris Rose, and a severed faerie foot, Emily and Wendell make their way to the continent on an academic expedition.

Emily chronicles her adventures through her detailed and footnoted journals, giving us an intimate and personal and yet still academic perspective of the story. The journaling format gives us a reflected and measured tone, but doesn’t take away from the intensity of some of the experiences. Emily is far funnier than she intends to be, and I love the character that Heather Fawcett has created. I’m such a sucker for footnotes and parentheticals, and relate to Emily’s journaling with them (which Wendell calls her out on).

I enjoyed the first book, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, immensely, but I enjoyed Map of the Otherlands even more. The romantic tension between Wendell and Emily is a delight - he’s proposed to her multiple times in the way only a whimsical and carefree king of faerie can do - and Emily has responded in precisely the way a neurodivergent mortal can, with wary rejection. They’ve made it a running joke and the basis of their continuing friendship, and I looked forward to their “where would you be without me” banter.

One of the things this series does well is ties together Faerie lore from a variety of cultures. Wendell is Irish, so we see Irish folklore throughout, but we also get stories from Austria and Germany throughout this book, plus ties back to the Scandinavian folklore from book one. This rounds out the story, adding layers for anyone who has an interest in fae beyond popular romantasy.

I can’t wait for more of Emily’s adventures in book three!

I loved this one even more than the first. What a joy it was to be back in Emily and Wendell’s world. This story was more fast paced than the first which had me engrossed in it quickly. Sprinkled about with new and old characters, Emily is ready to tackle another adventure to help Wendell find a way back into his kingdom. There are new friendly fae and dangerous fae about and a mystery or two for Emily
to solve. It was an exciting adventure and I loved the increase of romance.
I was happy to find out that this will not be the last book and I look forward to seeing where their story takes us from this exciting ending. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was bouncing between a 4 and a 5 star rating on this, and then realized the fact that I was completely immersed in this book and the world it created for the last two days should probably inform my rating. I was initially introduced to Emily Wilde’s world through the Fantastic Strangeling’s Book Club through Nowhere Bookshop (which I absolutely love, you get a generally incredible book sent to you once a month and then can read at your own pace and join online discussion at your leisure or not participate at all - I get no benefit here. I just like the book club). I really enjoyed the first book and was definitely looking forward to the next opportunity to escape into this world of the fae (probably should be careful of wording there, don’t want to invite any visitors).

Generally speaking, those who know me probably have heard me talk about how I feel like most second books, movies, etc. are more about advancing the plot and aren’t necessarily exciting or immersive as first and third novels. I will attempt to avoid spoilers but this book isn’t that. The characters themselves started to gain more depth and where there was shallowness, it was explored as part of the character. The world itself was built out further with full mythologies and folklores, to the point I wanted to do some Google searching on my own time to see what was Fawcett’s creation and what is grounded in real folklore. The description of the places was just as well done, it was easy to imagine being there and being lost in the world you were reading about. I thought the second book was stronger than the first book, in terms of character development, pacing, and storytelling. Obviously read the first book because it’s also great, but I think this one is even better.

One piece I wanted to call out, having wanted to pursue a life of academia prior to making a a complete career change. Fawcett does a great job of creating a world that examines the lives of women in academics. Wilde’s and deGrey’s experiences with other senior colleagues and respected men in their fields and how their ideas and work was treated in both their times resonates with today. Even with all the advances in society, academia has not necessarily changed the way we would like to see it change. Especially when women are not demure, quiet and prone to acquiescence. Sometimes Wilde is not a sympathetic character and I love that about her, she’s written with flaws and in a way that would not be problematic if it was a senior male academic, yet she’s held to a different standard and has to work twice as hard at times for her ideas to be heard.

I’m also going to add, should Heather Fawcett ever need an on-site travel research assistant, I would 100% volunteer as tribute. Having been to and wanting to travel to some of the locations mentioned, I would love to visit these sites. The writing takes you there, but I would love to visit in person. I can also attest, folklore and the fae are still alive and well in Ireland.

Please be advised I received an advanced readers copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am so excited to see more of their adventures! I hope there will be a third installment. I was able to get into this one more quickly than the first, but I would have liked to see more Bambleby. Good to learn more about different fae and Poe in particular. As with the first, there were many too convenient moments where there was an after the face plot explanation rather than in the moment.

Another amazing adventure with Emily, Wendell and the growing gang of fae and friends!
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands gives the reader everything we loved about the first book, playful banter between Emily and Wendell, dangerous and mysterious new fae who our heroes must survive and outwit, and a growing found family plot that I am living for.
I’m glad that there were references back to the first book and its characters, which really expands Emily’s world. In fact Fawcett doesn’t throw any detail away, and we even get to the bottom of the De Grey-Eichorn mystery!
This book definitely had more danger and bloodshed than the first book, and I can even say I was freaked out at some points! (All I say is that first encounter with the fox fae was not as cute as I thought it would be). But I liked that there was actual danger and consequences to some of Emily’s choices.
I cannot wait for the next installment and getting deeper into Faerie with Emily and Wendell.
Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh, how very excited I was to receive this installment. Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries was one of my favorite reads from this last year and I was very eager to dive back into this world and read more about these characters.

If I were to compare the two books, Map of the Otherlands feels quite a bit more fast paced in my opinion. I flew through it in one sitting. The addition of the new characters did not detract from the story at all, though they did feel a bit extraneous at times. I was quite interested in the new types of fae that were introduced but I found they did not enthrall me in quite the same ways the creatures did in the first book. I'm not quite sure what was missing for me. I think the setting and the atmosphere of the first book were stronger. That being said, I think the plotting and pace of this book is an improvement. I think fleshing some things out a little bit more as far as the setting and Emily's research goes might help quite a bit. The biggest part of what I enjoy about this series is that academic look at the fae, and their roots in folklore. I love Emily's analytical nature and learning about this world through her. I really quite enjoy the dynamic between Emily and Wendell as well and will happily continue to read stories about them. I am really intrigued to see where the story goes from here!

In book one “Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies, Emily is socially inept, constantly struggling with social interactions and preferring the company of her dog Shadow, to that of humans. While her colleague Bambleby is the complete opposite, winning others over at a glance and constantly seeking out the companionship of others. Well, without giving too much away, let’s just say, Emily and Bambleby had to work together, to defeat a semi-evil Fae. Bambleby helped coax Emily out of her solitary lifestyle, all while helping her find “new found family” and love along the way.

In this second book in the series, Emily has published her Encyclopedia, been granted her tenure at Cambridge, is enjoying her new found love with Bambleby and still thinking on his proposal. She is also working on her Map of the Otherlands now, to go with her Encyclopedia. All is well, until, Bambleby's stepmother, sends assassins to kill him, forcing Emily and Bambleby to go in search of a doorway, into his Fairy Kingdom. And of course, Emily, being Emily, wants to continue working on her Map while on this quest as well.

We are introduced to some new characters as well. A colleague of Emily’s, a curator at Cambridge named Rose and Emily’s niece, Ariadne, who is hell bent on becoming and Dryadologists herself. Both join Emily and Bambleby on their quest, although they are not exactly welcomed on this venture, I particularly enjoyed the parts where Poe rejoined us on this journey. Poe being one of my favorite characters in the book. (Poe gives me Dobby vibes) I absolutely adore him.

Once again, we encounter more dangerous Fae, one very dangerous half Fae (Bambleby's mom), more magic, and we get a little more romance in this second book.

This was such a cozy, comfort read for me, although I’m not quite sure it’s meant to be.
I found it absolutely delightful.

As much as I enjoyed the first book, I found this second installment to be even more enjoyable. The author has masterfully crafted a world that feels both familiar and fantastical, drawing you deeper into its enchanting embrace.

It really is hard to do a review, and not give too much away, especially when the book has not even been released yet. Which, by they way, this book will be released in January 16, 2024.
But if you enjoyed Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies, you will be sure to enjoy this book as well.
Easily 5 stars

I will leave a review on Amazon as well, once the book has published.

As we continue to follow the story of Emily Wilde, we are dropped back into her no nonsense, scholarly p.o.v. When it appears Folk have been sent to attack Wendell, Emily and Wendell must head out to find a Nexus that can get Wendell back to his home in Faerie.
As they head off with some extra company, they begin to unravel dryadology and fairy mysteries.
Map of the Otherlands stands up to its predecessor. In fact, I may have even enjoyed it more. The witty banter between main characters and the intricate world Fawcett has built make the reader feel absorbed into the book, not wanting to leave the world. I hope there will be another installment of this series.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is a wonderful follow-up to Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and it's just as delightful and whimsical sprinkled with lots of magic, action, romance, mystery, and adventure. Along with reuniting with fan favorites Emily, Wendell, and Shadow, we are introduced to new characters just as lovable as those we've met in the town of Hrafnsvik (Norway). Heart-stopping action and adventures are set in the sweeping landscape of St. Liesl (Austrian Alps).

Fans of book 1 are surely not to be disappointed!

A whimsical and fantastical story following two professors researching and documenting the Fae life within their world. For fans of Stephanie Garber’s ‘Once Upon a Broken Heart’ Heather Fawcett’s lyrical writing will sweep you away into a world similar but unlike our own.
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands takes place a little while after the events of the first novel but the story kicks right off with action and adventure. We continue with our main Characters Emily and Wendell while also getting some new additions to our cast, a stubborn Head of Cambridge, and Emily’s enthusiastic niece. The romance between Emily and Wendell continues to develop slowly. Fawcett has written a reverse grumpy/sunshine with witty banter that makes me laugh aloud numerous times.
I love the world, set around the early 1900’s primarily taking place in a cottage in the forest/mountains. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is perfect if you're looking for a cozy cottagecore fantasy with a romance subplot and a dash of academia.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.