Review originally posted on FYA blog on 2/25/25.

Spoiler warning! If you haven’t read the first or second books in the series, some plot points will be spoiled in the review below. Go read them, though, they’re fantastic!

Cover Story: Montell Jordan

This is my least favorite of the three covers, but I have only seen the online version, which looks more…cartoony, maybe?, than the others. So maybe when I finally get the hardcover to round out my set, it won’t look as goofy. But aside from that, I appreciate the tiny details that correlate directly with the story, especially the creepy eye-trees (and the snails, omg)!

The Deal:

Over the last two novels, Emily has recognized that she, improbably, fell in love with a whimsy-loving faerie and has agreed to marry him, which also means that she’s participating in a coup for Wendell’s stolen kingdom and, if successful, will become its queen.

The fight for the crown is actually relatively straightforward, but what comes next most assuredly is not: stories and tales have weight in the faerie world, and though Wendell’s evil stepmother may be deposed, her curse could be his downfall.

Now Emily needs to navigate trying to lead a notoriously capricious people while also ensuring that Wendell lives to take his next breath.

BFF Charm: Platinum

Emily is so dear to me as a character by now. She’s a dragon with a soft heart for the ones she loves, a lover of stories, order, and knowledge, and has an acerbic wit that makes her pretty good at insulting comebacks. She can also be a smug know-it-all, and it’s impossible for her to pretend to be what she isn’t for too long, even to her detriment. She isn’t always good at it, but she craves connection with others, which, as an introvert, I totally understand. This book tests and stretches her as a person, and she comes out all the better for it. I reread the first two book in anticipation of this one, and what struck me is how vivid of a character Emily is compared to so many self-insert or bland, “strong” main characters we get in fantasy and romance settings. She is truly unique, and I would gladly follow her into a magical realm without hesitation.

Swoonworthy Scale: 9

Wendell and Emily are so perfectly matched for each other—and Fawcett writes it so well—that this is one of those books where finally getting to see them together, like really together, is as much of a delight as the build-up. It’s not constant banging to prove their love, but the little moments of domesticity and deep understanding of what the other person needs from you, or what quirky parts of them that you appreciate like no one else. It’s the mental sparring that ends in a toe-curling moment that gets me going. And yes, there’s also some traveling into the depths of terrifying nothingness to prove devotion that has me alternately tearing up and kicking my feet. In short, this relationship was my catnip and I was high as a kite for its entirety.

I probably highlighted more than 30% of the book to a point that slogging through said highlights was a study in frustration, so enjoy these somewhat random samplings that illustrate the moments I mean:

He rose, shaking the dew from his cloak. “You have that look.”
He had mirrored my own train of thought, which made me scowl at him irrationally. “Which?”
“The one you wear whenever you outsmart me in some area,” he said.
“Well,” I began with a shrug, then stopped. My magnanimity was wearing thin, I’m afraid. “Haven’t I?”
He laughed, a clear, bright sound, and then, before I knew what was happening, he had lifted me off my feet and spun me through the air, the greenery and shadow of the forest a whirl all around me.
“My beloved Emily,” he murmured in my ear.
“Yes, yes, all right,” I said, though I did not pull away. My smugness was back, together with a warm sort of satisfaction. It was pleasing to see him this happy.

And:

Flowers dangled like fat purple lanterns, dewed petals limned by the hearthlight of the windows.
“Much better,” Wendell said.
I gazed at the place in silent awe. After wrestling with myself for a moment, I said, “You could add one or two more.”
He looked delighted. “That was exactly my own thought!”
I watched as he summoned more vines, taking his time with the placement. It was not so much the flowers themselves I appreciated, but the magic trick. I do not think I shall ever grow tired of that.

Talky Talk: That’s What I’m Talking About

This was a VERY satisfying conclusion to an absolute delight of a series. I have no objectivity when it comes to this world and these characters; I adore them and I would gladly read more of them just noodling away through their hopefully long lives, going on adventures to every mountain in the world and complaining all the way.

Endings are always a challenge, and getting to Wendell’s faerie court has been a two-book build-up. If I had to choose, this wasn’t my favorite of all three books (book one still holds my heart). I could’ve gladly spent more time in this new world without there being a big problem to solve that overshadows the exploration, but I want that for all my favorite media, so it’s not necessarily this book’s fault.

Bonus Factor: Faerie Court

Trying to lead or manage a group of immortal and self-involved faeries sounds exhausting, but it is fun to observe. There’s a lot of new and interesting faces in this book, including Taran, the full-fae half-brother to Wendell’s stepmother who has been alive for probably a thousand years and is completely Over-with-a-capital-o It. A few friends make cameos as well!

Bonus Factor: Loyal Pet Companions

Part of what made me tear up in this book is Shadow, Emily’s Grimm-in-the-guise-of-a-dog and constant companion, as Fawcett is evil and reminds us that Shadow is getting old and creaky. I was literally going to RIOT if she killed him off in this book because I CANNOT HANDLE THAT. What happened instead was beautiful and still made me cry because I will forever miss all of my babies who have crossed the rainbow bridge, but at least I was able to leave my riot gear in the closet.

Bonus Factor: Faerie Creatures

I love that Snowbell the murderous fox-creature is back continually trying to insert himself in things because he loves the drama of it all, and we see way more of the Trees With Eyes than I, like Emily, would ever want, but my favorite fae creatures are the snails, which are mentioned very briefly in book two and are hilariously deployed here in a way I won’t spoil.

Apparently, they [the snails] possess a crude intelligence and value their dignity above all things; as such, they spend most of their lives occupied with revenge quests. While their vengeance may be slow in coming, they always have it in the end.

Relationship Status: Mated For Life

I rarely ever buy physical books anymore, but I needed the complete set of you, Book, for my home library, so we can always be together.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Random House. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is available now.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This review is coming a bit late because the first ~30% of the book is admittedly a bit of a slog and took me a very, very long time to get through. After that first third, things picked up quite a lot. Emily is such a wonderful character and her drive to discover and learn and succeed continues to shine through in this book, and what made that first part so slow to get through was that the goal of the book really hadn't become clear. Once it does, the rest of the book is fun, fantastical, and a blast to read. 4/5 stars.

The 3rd installment in this historical fantasy series follows professor Wilde on a deeper adventure into the world of Faerie. If you like suspenseful historical fantasy books with an informative diary style narration, you might like this one! People who have liked “The Bear and the Nightingale” should try the Emily Wilde series!

A satisfying conclusion to a charming trilogy! This installment is somehow less engaging than the first two, perhaps because of slower pacing, but taken as a whole, the trilogy is clever and original, and highly entertaining.

They are so adorable. “Beloved Emily”. This series ends in a sweet quiet sort of way but open enough that they could always come back. It does feel more like an Emily story but the moments where Wendell and Emily are together on page are the best. Emily is still being academic, studious Emily and Wendell is still being his chaotic sweet self. The plot is a bit slow at times but it is filled with humor and that makes the journey sweet. For the last book in the series it does feel quiet compared to the other two but I think it fits. I would definitely read just to see more of Wendell.

Thank you Del Rey and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions are my own.

In the third and final installment of the Emily Wilde series, we follow Emily and Wendell as they try to regain control of Wendell’s fae realm.

I have to say that I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had re-read the first two books. This series feels more like it should be enjoyed together, not a book here and a book there. I think it would have all come together more nicely for me.

The book continues with Emily’s method of journaling to capture what is happening, and though some of the journal entries do note how Emily is able to recall so many details, it still left me wondering exactly how she does it. I felt like a lot of the book was also spent more on describing various aspects of Wendell’s realm instead of having Emily go on more adventures. For a large portion of the book, I wondered when we would get to the “compendium of lost tales” part and how that would play into the whole story. I eventually got my answer, but, given the title of the book, I felt it came way too late for it to matter. I also felt we didn’t get much in the way of different tales, and just go variations of the same tale.

I did enjoy reading Emily’s writings, and especially when she would write about the things Wendell would do for her, and I enjoyed reading about her doing her own thing as well.

I’ll end with saying that I was definitely hoping for a grander ending — I’m not sure what — but after considering it, I thought the ending was appropriate and fitting with not just the whole series but Emily herself.

3.5 stars, Perhaps the coziest of the trilogy, but also the flattest plot. While I love the happy ending, it felt like the easy solutions to every problem weren’t entirely earned. However, it was beautiful to see the characters I’ve come to know and love flourish and this was still such a successful end to the series.

I was strangely disappointed in this book! I enjoyed the first two in the series, but this one just felt weaker somehow. It wandered further from the original scholarly premise and attendant trappings, which may account for some of it, and the journal conceit didn't seem to suit the story as well here as it did in the first two books. Overall, though, I was just sort of bored. I stuck with it past my usual DNF point out of my affection for the earlier installments, and because so many other reviews of it were so dazzling, but I never did see in it what others seem to. It got somewhat more interesting around the 60% mark, but it wandered so much that I kept losing interest.

This was a great conclusion to Wendell's and Emily's story! More mystery and research, and even some sacrifice. This story has room to be picked back up, to see what adventures Wendell and Emily has gone on.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is the third and supposedly final in Heather Fawcett's series about a scholar studying fairies who becomes mixed up in their magic. The books are written as if fairies are a real scholarly subject and Emily is studying them as one would another culture; footnotes to various fairy stories are even included throughout to add to the seeming reality of the stories. However, fairies can be capricious and dangerous. In this novel Emily has the possibility of becoming the queen of a fairy realm if she marries its heir. She has some hesitation though that despite Wendell's devotion that fairies have been known to tire of their mortal loves. The couple must also overcome a curse put upon the land by Wendell's half fairy/half human stepmother. Fawcett does a great job at creating a strange world that is both beautiful and yet spooky at the same time such as trees that have leaves with eyes and kind brownies with needles for fingers. Beauty can be monstrous and monsters can be kind in the story which also speaks to being aware of ones expectations and prejudices.

I love everything in this series!!! they are perfection and I can't get enough. This was fun, exciting and the perfect amount of romance.

The third (and final?) installment in the Emily Wilde series and it did not disappoint! Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is a delightful addition to this series, picking up right where the 2nd book ends.

This series blends cozy fantasy vibes, historical academia, folklore, adventure, and a touch of romance to create something truly magical. I love the whimsical and richly built world Fawcett has crafted.

I dare you not to fall in love with the characters in this series. Our leading lady, Emily, is fiercely intelligent, yet socially awkward. This story is told through Emily’s entries into her field journals, drawing the reader into this world. I enjoyed getting back to Emily’s meticulous pursuit of academic research and Wendell’s charming antics. Their romance is more of a focus in this story, so there were more tender moments between Emily and Wendell in this book. I enjoyed watching their relationship continue to develop. I also appreciated seeing some familiar faces from previous books, adding a sense of nostalgia.

If you enjoy historical fantasy that leans a little more cozy with charming characters, I highly recommend you give this series a go. While I sincerely hope there ends up being more installments in this series, I cannot wait to see what Heather Fawcett writes next.

I received an eARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adore this series. I did read this one pretty slow but it was honestly because I was trying to avoid finishing the book. I am unsure if this is the last book in the series since there are more things that could be explored but it also ties up the main story line from book one. This is my favorite cozy fantasy series. I love that the key to determining what steps to take is to learn from the history of Faerie via the stories that have been left behind. One of my favorite parts of these books is learning the folklore surrounding the fae folk. I always liked how the tales seemed to give insight into current situations throughout the series and this book is essentially confirming that as a fact. It is a nice "life lesson" that while you must learn from history you can also prevent yourself from repeating it. I will probably re-read this series for years to come as a comfort read. I already want to restart book one and our journey with Emily and Shadow, and Wendell and Olga. Also Shadow and Olga had me cracking up throughout this book.

I’m glad I read this book so I could wrap up the series, but honestly, it was a bit of a slog. The writing style is so creative and often so funny, but it also leaves me feeling somewhat detached from the characters and their adventures. I also thought the story was ending like three times before it actually did, and I had to force myself to finish. If you liked the other two, you’ll like this one!

This was such a delightful ending to such a wonderful series. The third volume of Emily Wilde's finally allows us to se Wendall in all his Fae finery as he returns home and the two have to figure out life beyond the door. The best thing about the series is the dynamic between the two main characters and their banter and relationship just keeps getting better. I loved how Fawcett particularly weaves stories throughout this book as a means of solving some of the problems the characters confront (namely what to do with Wendall's evil mother). Anytime authors give narratives agency of their own and the ability to write ones on ending is a big plus to me, and here Fawcett does it beautifully. If you enjoyed the first 2 books, this will be a fun and satisfying ending. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

I just truly love this series. I love Em and Wendell. I love how it's cozy academia. I love how dryadology is a thing. There are footnotes. It's told through Emily's journal...and I just...I love it so much. And Wendell is just adorable with how much he cares for Emily.

A charming and cozy academic fantasy, and a return to form for the Emily Wilde series.

I really love books that make an academic study of something fantastical, and the first book in this series did a brilliant job at that. I was less fond of the second book, which got away from the series’ original intent and devolved a lot into romance and faerie realm nonsense.

This book, though it does take place largely in Faerie and not in Cambridge, refocused its tone and feel back to what made the first book so good, and I was glad to see Emily behaving more like, well, Emily.

The plot here was a clever extension of the broader narrative, and I loved the sweet story arc for Shadow. I’m hoping the next book in the series focuses back on Emily as Scholar and is rooted primarily in Cambridge, but this book was a great step in the right direction.

Oh, Emily Wilde, this pains me to write.

I loved the first two books in this series. This new one, though, while still good, didn’t have the same spark.

Pacing throughout the first half or so is slow, with lots of unnecessary information dumping and meandering about with filler that didn’t enhance the story or move it forward.

Too much of the story is driven by a failure to communicate between Emily and Wendell, our two main characters. This didn’t sit well for me, partly because I dislike the trope, but mostly because it didn’t fit the characters normal communication style.

All that being said, I still love these two characters and all the magical sparks they bring.

*Thanks to Del Rey for the free eARC, provided via NetGalley!*

***Thank you to Del Rey for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience with the finished hardcover and audio versions of the book, which I purchased.***

I think it’s safe to say that I adored this series. The writing was just so whimsical, and the characters had such distinct and lovable personalities. I loved the field journal format of the story and its focus on all of the faerie research. Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales thrust the characters into new, impossible scenarios. I had such a great time seeing how they reacted and worked through the new obstacles thrown at them.

Both Emily and Wendell grew a lot in Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. It was so much fun to watch Wendell come into his own as king. He’s always been such a flighty, but passionate, character, and those characteristics made him such an interesting monarch. He truly cared about his realm and all of the creatures in it. It allowed his more serious side to shine through at times. Emily was still a curmudgeon, but she had grown so much since the first book, especially in relying on those around her. She struggled with fitting in as queen and trying to be someone she was not. She eventually found her footing, though, and learned that just being herself was all she needed to be successful.

I loved the focus on the importance of stories in Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. Emily used the legends of faerie to try to decipher how Wendell could defeat his stepmother without losing himself along the way. The process of the research was fun to read, and I enjoyed getting to piece together the stories alongside the characters. However, I did think there were a couple of times that the logic of the answers felt a bit too easy or abrupt.

All of the research happening in Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales was also such a great way to broaden the world-building. The series has always done a great job of balancing the whimsical and horrifying aspects of the fae. That continued to be the case in this novel. The creatures and locales were all so fascinating. I particularly adored the animal companions in this story, even more than in the previous installments. I do wish we’d gotten to go on a full tour of Wendell’s realm, though. That felt like such a huge, missed opportunity for fun adventures.

I found the plot of the novel compelling, as well. It even had more than a few surprises that I didn’t expect, including some great connections to the previous stories. I will say, though, that it felt like the story had a bit too many climaxes. One major thing would get resolved only for something else to pop up seemingly out of nowhere. It made for engaging reading but also caused a bit of whiplash, especially in the last third of the book. The story also explored some great themes about governance, learning from the past, being true to oneself, and loving someone for who they are, among others. However, it did so in ways that were quite subtle. The messages never overpowered the plot, but they were integral, nonetheless.

Overall, Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales was a great conclusion to this trilogy. The depiction of the faerie world is possibly my favorite I’ve ever read, and I just came to love these characters so much. I really want to read more of their adventures one day. If it’s not meant to be, at least I can revisit these three books anytime. I can’t recommend the series enough! Therefore, I rate the book 4.75 out of 5 stars.

This is the final book of the Emily Wilde trilogy, and I couldn't think of a better ending to the series. We once again follow Emily Wilde and Wendell on their misadventures, and its just as heartwarming as its always been. In addition to that, we get to see all of our favorite characters again. Overall it was a very fun adventure.