I knew the moment I began this, the third in the Emily Wilde series, I would fall happily into a cozy, well written, story that would take me into the faerie kingdom of Wendle and Emily, while I softly chuckled through their dialogue and wondered at Heather Fawcett's ability to paint a picture of far-off lands with words.
Compendium of Lost Tales did not disappoint. I love Emily's ability to approach situations logically while also doing everything she can to protect the Faerie King with whom she has fallen in love. The romance is sweet, but not spicy. The situations Emily finds herself in are sometimes scary, but they are quickly resolved using her brain and mustering her courage.
I always enjoy the way the story is told through academic journal entries and never seems disjointed or overly encumbered by the footnotes about historical texts. These always seem to add special bits to the story.
Thank you very much for the eARC provided by Del Rey/Ballantine Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales was a really good book. It was my favorite of the three books. When I started reading the series, I was not sure how I felt about it, but with every book I read, I enjoy it more and more. As per the other books, this book is written in journal form from Emily’s perspective. I enjoyed that this book followed that same format. I also really enjoy encountering characters from previous books. With this book, I feel like we are really seeing Emily’s growth not only as a character, but also as a leader. I found the story heartwarming, fun, and really enjoyable. I am not sure if this is intended to be the last book in the series, but I hope not because I have really become fond of Emily, Wendell, Poe, Shadow, and all of the other characters in this series. I would recommend this book to any Emily Wilde fan.

I loved the first two books in the Emily Wilde series, and I thought I would love this one too, but I guess the third time isn't always the charm. I struggled to finish this book. Emily seems to have lost some of her confidence and self-assuredness, which is somewhat understandable considering her relationship with Wendell and how the fae react to it, but it seemed a reach compared to her reactions to her previous adventures in the fae kingdoms. This book is longer than the other two, but despite the new characters and adventures, it lagged for the first 2/3 and it seemed as if much didn't happen. There's still much to love here, but I hope if there is a book four that it feels a bit more like the first two books.

In this third volume of the Emily Wilde series Emily and her now-fiancé Wendell return to his realm to seize back his throne. In doing so they have to face a curse placed by his stepmother and the doubts of the fae about their new king and Queen. In my honest opinion these books get better with each new volume and I can’t wait for a fourth!

Another absolute banger from Heather Fawcett. I absolutely adore her characters and this universe. I hope she writes 20 more of these.

This series is not my favorite genre, but for some reason, it’s been a fun read for me. I think this might be the last book, but I guess we’ll see. Anyway, this latest has Emily and Wordell back in Faerie to take back his kingdom, but of course, not everything goes smoothly. This is like the other books in that it is whimsical, well-written, engaging, and fun, and I hope there will be more in the series. Fans of the first two books will enjoy this latest, and maybe series ender, and if you’re new, it’s best to start at the beginning. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This is the first series I've felt really invested in since my YA days - I was so excited for this! Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I'm not a big fantasy reader so I think what I like about this series is that it's pretty grounded in reality and academia/science, but with faeries. This installment takes place primarily in the faerie realm and started with more political drama, which I'm less into, but still features Emily researching to find a solution to a curse on the kingdom. I was happy to see some old friends from the previous books and more Orga and Shadow, but I felt like there wasn't a well-developed new cast of secondary characters here. And without spoilers - we don't get to see part of the climax because Emily isn't there?

4 stars only because of how much I liked the previous two books so I'm probably holding this to extra high standards, but if you like the series you'll like this and if you haven't started this series you should :)

I adore Emily and Wendell, and their relationship gives this conclusion to the Emily Wilde series all the stars. I appreciated the backdrop of Faerie to Emily's adventures, and her character development throughout the series culminates really nicely in this third installment with how she is able to be more comfortable being herself, find her people, and embrace her found family. Fawcett has some wonderful phrases that made me smile a lot throughout this book, even as I was sad to see this story come to a close. So there you go: A lovely finale to this cozy fantasy trilogy.

This was the third installment and a satisfying return to the adventures of Emily, Wendell, Shadow and crew. I’m not sure if this is the final chapter, but I hope not because I could read about these cozy academic shenanigans endlessly. There were some characters I felt were definitely missing some screen time, but we did get to know more of our favorites. I’m so glad for the character growth for Emily and her relationship, but I will say a bit of the aforementioned mentioned academic endeavors suffered a bit because of it. The pacing of this book was more calm and linear than the others, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your preferred reading style. That being said, I’m not sure I have recently read a series that leaves you wanting more while also wrapping up each so book nicely. This series will definitely be one of the few that I will read over and over again.

Thank you Ballantine/Del Rey Publishing for providing an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good ending to the series. I very much enjoyed it, though, not as much as the first two.

I absolutely love Wendell. He is a great switch up from the dark and moody male leads we've been seeing copy and pasted lately. He is still incredible powerful, but in nearly every other aspect is unique.

This one did fall into the same pattern as the first two, with having something like two climaxes. Which actually doesn't bother me, but does sort of take out the 'all is lost' feeling for the first climatic event.

<spoiler>The ending, magical fix with Shadow, was a bit cheesy... but hey, I am not mad about it. I would have been heartbroken of something horribly had happened to him. So I will take the silly potion rather than them killing the dog!</spoiler>

This is one of the few series that I do plan to collect the physical books to.

A perfect installment of the Emily Wilde series! The banter, the romance, the wittiness. I loved it all! If you liked the previous books this one will sweep you away.

nother delightful and moving installment to the Emily Wilde series.

I have loved Emily, Wendell, Shadow, and their various companions since the first book. They have journeyed with me through some dark times and given me comfort and a cozy place to escape. Book three adds more depth to the relationships, setting, and motivations that have been introduced in previous books. We see some old friends and explore some important questions at the hair of the story--who is Emily, exactly? A scholar? A Queen of Faerie? And in marrying Wendell, is she marrying the man she loves or the King of Where the Trees Have Eyes?

As always, Emily's research and knowledge of faerie guide us and the other characters as, once again, things go awry and our lovable curmudgeonly future monarch must find a way to put them right. I love Emily's voice and narration and think we could all learn something from her unique approach.

Curl up by the fireplace with your cocoa and a cozy blanket and get ready to welcome yourself home.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is the third book in the Emily Wilde series and is, unfortunately, my least favorite of the three. That’s not to say that it’s a bad book, so much as I didn’t feel like the Emily previously established in the other two books is the Emily we were given in book three.

The Emily in the first two books was full of dry humor and curiosity, and while she was always wary of the folk, she never felt overtly fearful to the point that she couldn’t save herself. It didn’t really feel that way here; she seemed timid and socially anxious rather than socially awkward for a good portion of the book, which felt like it undercut her previous development and adventuring.

Furthermore, her relationship with Wendell felt more like a prop rather than a point of interest, with very little needling or banter. And she spent too much time wondering when his capricious faerie nature would turn against her instead of simply trusting him and their relationship as she always had before.

I’m still excited for the next book, if there is one, but this dampened some of my enthusiasm for the series.

Thank you to Del Rey and Random House, and to NetGalley for an arc of Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales in exchange for an honest review.

"Hand you the right storybook, and you are capable of anything."

I don't know if there's been any confirmation that this will be the final book? So I will hold on to hope that there will be more stories and adventures from Emily, Wendell and my favorite Shadow.

What do I say that hasn't already been said? This series is beyond fascinating! And magical. And oh, so beautifully written! I love going on adventures with Emily and her inquisitorial, no-nonsense brain full of Faerie facts and myths and stories. I am transported every time and I don't ever want to leave.

I do have one objection with this instalment. I didn't get enough of Wendell?! But I love seeing how down bad he is for our dear Emily. He's so smitten it's beyond adorable!

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales was the perfect read for Christmas Eve! Atmospheric, lovely, and adventurous with a dash of beheading and a smidge of bloodthirstiness.

This final installment of Emily Wilde was yet another whimsical and endearing tale with characters whom I have grown to love so much. Emily was just as Emily as ever, and I enjoyed her journey through Wendell's kingdom as she navigated being a new Queen of Faerie. I did miss the settings in ordinary, small villages that the first two books offered, as I enjoyed the fresh take of having fae characters in a mortal setting. However, this book wrapped up the series in a fantastic way, and fans of Emily Wilde will surely adore it.

I wholeheartedly adore this series and recommend it to anyone who will give it a chance! It has compelling characters, the most perfect settings, and such cute and enthralling plots.

The original dry humor, quick wit and artful antics continue—and it’s absolutely wonderful to be back with Emily and Wendell and pick up their story again along with all the contributing characters that make this righteous romp through fairy land that is “not all sun-splashed meadows and harmless archeology,” a marvelousness enjoyable and cleverly written read. 😉 They really do make such a great team, just brilliant! 🧚‍♂️ 👑♥️

Review 8.5/10✨ I still can’t believe I got an arc of this book. What an amazing holiday gift🥰📖🎄

I don’t want to spoil anything so I will keep it short and sweet! This was just as enchanting and cozy as the first two book in the series. More of it took place in faerie than the others, which was fun! The book never tried to over explain the land and customs, which I appreciated. The Otherlands are unknowable, even to those who live there, you simply have to accept the magic around you and go with the flow. I loved the emphasis on story and how it dictates the world. It reminded me a bit of The Hazel Wood in that sense.

My only con is that I wish we had most Wendell and Emily together as they did spend a few bits of the book apart. I’ve always yearned for more romance in these though. I feel like the journal entry writing kind of forces that to hold back.

However I overall adored this book. I think it might be the final one? But I will keep my fingers crossed for more!

You can get Emily Wildes Compendium of Lost Tales on February 11th! I’m excitedly awaiting the arrive of my copy🌿

Thanks to netgalley and Orbit books for a copy of this story.

If stories are the foundation of Faerie in Emily Wilde’s world, then Compendium of Lost Tales is the book that allows readers to join Emily herself as she learns what it is to live in one. Fawcett brilliantly weaves both characters and plot from the prior books into a fast-paced and deeply intriguing conclusion. All roads have led to this stunningly clever end, where even the most seemingly benign references prove integral to Emily and Wendell’s tale. Not lacking any of the series’ prior humor, readers are swept into the world of Faerie and the Silva Lupi, a whimsical, if unsettling, new setting reminiscent of the fairy tales and folklore of old. While Emily’s scholarly pursuits are never far from her mind, nor her social fumbling entirely overcome, love and found family rest at the forefront of her motivations, lending a new humanity to our beloved dryadologist. It is, in short, a perfect, fairy tale ending.

(Social media posts and cosplay content to be made and shared in early January @as.itseams)

🧚‍♂️ 𝔼𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕖’𝕤 ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕦𝕞 𝕆𝕗 𝕃𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕋𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕤 🧚‍♂️

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is the third and final book in the Emily Wilde series.

I was relieved that it picks up just minutes after the second book ends. For those who haven’t read the series, book two ends on the verge of a big adventure, and I would’ve been disappointed to miss out on any of it.

That said, while the idea of the adventure is exciting, the actual journey feels less thrilling. The pace of the first half is a lot slower and much more introspective than the second book was, with Emily focusing just as much on her new role as Queen of the Folk and the dynamics of her Wendell’s relationship, as on the challenges they face together.

Another big change was the shift from a lot of Wendell and Emily to more of Emily with everyone else—or sometimes just Emily on her own. It was a mixed blessing. I missed the banter with Wendell, but it also made their moments together feel sweeter. Watching Emily interact with other secondary characters, or even stand on her own, really highlighted how much she’s grown throughout the series—especially in how she connects with others and learns to accept their help and friendship.

The second half of the book definitely picked up the pace, with more suspenseful adventures and several emotional roller coasters. I was thrilled by this shift and had a hard time putting the book down. I loved the ending and how the author brought everything full circle, much like Emily’s folklore legends and stories.

Even though I was a little let down by the beginning, I really enjoyed the book overall. I’m a bit heartbroken that this is the last adventure with Emily and Wendell and I hope Fawcett will choose to revisit these characters someday. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub date: Feb 10, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey/Ballantine publishing for my E-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett is a charming, fun romp and a worthy continuation of the Emily Wilde series. Fans of the first two books will not be disappointed! It was a joy to be reunited with the original cast of main characters and meet some new characters. Fawcett has created an engaging and heartwarming story that entertained me and made me eager to discover what would happen. Her characters are enduring; you quickly care about and root for them. Keeping up the momentum in a series can be tricky, but in this case, everything you loved in the first two books continues in the third!