A perfect sequel to where we left off in Emily Wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries. The sequel is as whimsical and cosy as ever, however the author did introduce some darker stakes to the story. While the first book was about Emily and Wendell helping the villagers, this time the plot is centered around them.

The book retains the witty and fun banter between Emily and Wendell and this occasion with more affection for each other (lots more from Emily). In the sequel, they are determined to find the door to Wendell's kingdom in faerie and there are plenty of obstacles to prevent them. Our protagonists this time are accompanied by an experienced Dryadoligist from Emily's department and her assistant/niece. I liked both additions to the party. Emily and Wendell can be opposite ends of a spectrum and the new additions just makes the situations more "normal".

I did find at times certain scenes or plot points dragged on unnecessarily and felt repetitive. Sometimes I was thinking "oh Emily have you not learnt anything from your past mistakes). Additionally, there was less input from the villagers in the sequel compared to the first book. I did enjoy the interactions with the villagers in the first book and would've loved if there were more connection to them in this book.

Heather Fawcett's world of faeries is wonderful as ever and I'm excited to know more of Wendell's kingdom in the third book! Yes there's a 3rd book!!!

Thank you Little Brown Book, Orbit for the eARC via Net Galley for an honest review.

OMG, this book is an absolute delight! It's got everything you could ask for - cozy vibes, banter, darker faerie elements, and romance.
The writing is superb, and the academic journal format used in the series continues to work wonders, immersing the reader even more into the new adventure (while amusing Wendell to no end!).
But that's not all - we also get to see Emily and Wendell's relationship take a more central stage in the plot. Wendell's devotion to Emily is just heartwarming, and I was pleasantly surprised to see Emily finally confront her feelings for this gloriously vainglorious beam of sunlight (with a terrifyingly chaotic side).
And for those who are wondering, yes, his infamous cat finally makes an appearance!
Honestly, I can't wait for the third book in the series to come out. I'm already on the edge of my seat in anticipation!

𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗘’𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗣 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗦
—𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘄𝗰𝗲𝘁𝘁 | 𝟱🌟

“𝘈𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵. 𝘈𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦; 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘺𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵.”

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
✨Cosy fantasy
✨Light academia
✨Socially awkward FMC
✨Faerie folklore
✨Epistolary fiction

𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆:
After writing the worlds first encyclopedia of faeries, Professor Emily Wilde now turns her hand to mapping Faerie itself whilst helping colleague, love interest, and exiled faerie king, Wendell, to find the door to his kingdom.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
This has easily turned into one of my favourite series. I’m absolutely head over heels for Emily Wilde; her scholarly ways and her socially inept mannerisms. She is the kind of character who is just as likely to save your life from the fae as she is to accidentally insult you.

Consistent from the first installment in this series, there is a tone that blends matter-of-fact with amusement and indignation. I would even go as far to say that this book is better than the first because it’s so rare that a second installment in a series can make me fall in love even more with the characters, provide a story that I can be absolutely glued to, and raise the stakes in a way that is congruent to the world that has been created.

An incredibly delightful follow up to a book that I have not stopped thinking about since I read it. Emily Wilde 2 reinforces my love for this world that HF has created and I genuinely marvel at the effect it has had on me; despite the numerous descriptions of scary and violent fae, I wholly want to be a fixture in Map of The Otherlands.

𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 | 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆

The much anticipated successor to the captivating "Encyclopaedia of Fairies," "Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands," written by Heather Fawcett, provided me with the opportunity to once again explore the enchanted worlds. The fact that I was given an early copy of the book to review made me feel both lucky and appreciative. I had gone head over heels in love with the first book.

At this point in the narrative, Emily Wilde, a bright historian of faerie culture, and Wendell Bambleby, an exiled faerie king with a history that is cloaked in mystery, are resuming their relationship. Wendell Bambleby is an infuriatingly charming companion. Together, the two individuals set out on an expedition to discover the mysteries of the faerie world, and this time, their journey brings them to the breathtaking Alps of Austria. Emily is under the impression that they would be able to discover the illusive door that leads to Wendell's world and a chance to foil the evil schemes that his family has devised if they explore the frozen landscapes.

The pleasant and charming atmosphere that this second chapter exudes was something that I couldn't help but take pleasure in, as a lover of cosy fantasy. The writing of Fawcett continues to capture readers by building a tapestry of wonder and lightheartedness that envelops them in a world that is quirky. A personal touch is added by the narrative style, which is suggestive of a diary. This gives each chapter the impression of being a treasured entry in Emily's notebook to the reader.

It is the love story between Emily and Wendell that takes centre stage in this sequel, which provides readers with a lovely mix of moments that will make them laugh, make them kick their feet, and make them blush. In contrast to the previous book, which concentrated on magic and the construction of the universe, this one goes more deeply into the developing connection between the major characters. I felt myself fully at home, enveloped by the warmth of a wonderful world, despite the fact that the focus had shifted towards something else.

It is extremely admirable that Heather Fawcett is able to provide distinct personalities to the roles she plays. The heroine, Emily, and Wendell, together with a mesmerising cast of side characters, go on an amazing trip that not only highlights the magical worlds but also the protagonist's inner development. Emily's progress is shown by her reluctance to accept assistance, which adds depth to her character.

Despite the fact that the book continues to have a whimsical mood, I must admit that I have a tiny concern about it. There are moments when it seems like a trip that you've been on before, kind of like the quest from the first book. In spite of the fact that Emily is confronted with fresh threats, the structure continues to be fairly repetitive, which contributes to the feeling of having a "middle book syndrome." Having said that, the knowledge that the stakes are going to increase in the subsequent episode helps to alleviate this fear.

The conclusion is that "Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands" is a fitting continuation of the series. It offers a captivating escape into a world that is filled to the brim with enchantment and romance. The engaging quality of the plot, together with the promise of increased stakes in the subsequent volume, has me anxiously expecting the next chapter in Emily and Wendell's incredible trip. This is despite the fact that the nitpick is rather small.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the eARC! So happy to be approved for this. I may, or may not have checked NetGalley every day in the hopes it would be added...

It was great to be back with Emily and Wendell, this time starting out in Cambridge. A couple of new secondary characters who made dynamics more interesting, and a whole bunch of new faeries!

The interaction with the faeries, Emily using her vast knowledge of them to her advantage, as well as the banter between Emily and Wendell made this a great read for me.

I was hesitating between 4 and 5 stars, because I thought there were a few too many coincidences or convenient reveals, but I really enjoyed it, so 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

I LOVED returning to Emily and Wendell for more adventures in faerie. This book was just as captivating and magical as the first, filled with dangerous Folk, scholarly arguments and footnotes (oh how I love the footnotes!)

Book two sees Emily and Wendell journey to the Alps in search of a backdoor into Wendell's kingdom. They're joined by Shadow and two new companions, and a host of new Folk. A new setting brings new challenges, the least of which is new villagers for Emily to begrudgingly befriend.

Despite the fearsome Folk and the danger of faerie doors, there is something incredibly cosy and comforting about this series. Returning to this world was like putting on a favourite sweater and I can't wait for the adventure to continue.

4.5 ☆
I have a real obsession with cozy fantasy, so I absolutely had to like this second book in the Emily Wilde series, and so it happened!

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is a perfect sequel! Emily and Wendell's story continues and becomes more and more interesting. The two characters are adorable and their love story makes me giggle and kick my feet and blush! I love them!!

This second book is so cozy and cute... I have to admit that the first book was more about the magic, the world-building and aesthetic and this one was more focused on the main couple, their relationship, their development and their love story. But anyway I loved the second one in the same way because I felt like I was at home, in a cozy world full of magic!

Heather Fawcett's writing never ceases to amaze me, she manages to capture me in a whirlwind of magic and light-heartedness and manages to give life to wonderful characters that will steal your heart!

As in the first book, I loved the way the story is written, a sort of diary in which each chapter corresponds to a particular event or day reported by the protagonist in her diary.

I can't wait to read the third book! I'm really curious and excited!

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books UK for providing me with this ARC!
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is out everywhere on January 16, 2024! Don't miss it!!

This was a fun read with a perfect whimsical and cosy atmosphere. I am glad we got to see more of Wendell from the very beginning of this book and how his and Emily’s relationship developed. It made an excellent sequel and I actually found myself enjoying this more than book one. Definitely one of my favourite books this year and I can’t wait for book 3.

Thank you to netgalley and little brown book for this ARC.
After reading the first book I was super excited to read the continuation. It still has that cozy, comfort, slower-paced, magical feel that the first one does.
However, I did find the pace dragged at certain points in the book. Meeting new characters and the descriptions of the world they explore is still as good as the first book.
The conclusion was not as much as I would’ve hoped for. It was great having some action that really pulled me in but it seemed over too quickly with the time jump and POV switch.
All in all, I will still be reading the third one and hoping for a great story.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for Goodreads!

I am so happy to have received this ARC and to get to be back in Emily Wilde’s world! Overall, the book had the same whimsical vibes as the first one and kept me engaged throughout. Whilst I did not love it as much, I absolutely recommend you keep going with the series if you fell in love with Book 1!

The story captivated me from the very beginning, picking up where we left off looking for the door to Wendell’s scary yet enchanting world. We get to set off on another exciting adventure with not only them but an amazing cast of side characters. Which brings me to potentially my favourite part: something this book does extremely well is grow the group of people travelling with Emily, which also shows her personal growth when it comes to (reluctantly) accepting help. The romance also develops at a very rewarding pace, whilst staying true to Emily as a character and her personality.

The one issue I had with this book and why it did not get a five star rating from me is that at times it feels like it’s more of the same. I feel like the stakes needed to be raised a bit more, and whilst Emily faces more dangers, the format remains largely the same: her quest os very similar to the one in Book 1. I don’t have a huge issue with this since Book 3 is set up to raise the stakes significantly, however it is a bit of a shame to see that this book suffered from the middle book syndrome.

I’ve really enjoyed being back in this universe and cannot wait to see Emily and Wendell again in Book 3!

This was a fun read with all the cozy fantasy vibes. It was a great continuation on from the first book in the series and I think I actually enjoyed this more. I loved how Emily and Wendell’s relationship has developed and that we got to see more of Wendell from the beginning. The setting and the characters are written well with Emily narrating her adventures through diary entries.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC of this book to review.
This review will be posted to my Goodreads account on 4th January.

I actually enjoyed this even more than book one! This has all the cozy fantasy vibes of the first book. I like that we spent more time in Cambridge at the beginning (I would in fact read many novellas about the inner workings of the faculty department). I liked the additional characters. I loved Emily and Wendell's relationship, of course. I think people are going to love this one just as much as the first.

I think as well that this book sorted the pacing issues I had with the first book. I feels a lot more ironed out. Considering the ending of this book (no spoilers) I am a little 'hm' on what the next one will be like. I'm intrigued by the story but for me this series really shines when Emily and Wendell are tramping about the countryside trying to complete their research and the various strange things that happen to them. But once again, Emily and Wendell are just adorable. I love that Wendell believes in Emily unconditionally.

I do have one teeny tiny thing I want to point out that hasn't been fixed since the first book which is the use of american english by english/irish scholars. It's noticeable. Especially since they use the actual english versions later in the book (for example, Emily says 'closet' and 'couch' then switches to 'wardrobe' and 'sofa'. Like. Pick one.)

Loved loved loved this. Every bit as good as the first book with some interesting new characters and plots added in.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett 4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This series is such a cosy delight!! It is basically Naomi Novik's slavic fairytale retellings on cosy fuzzy steroids!

Emily Wilde is a Cambridge professor with an expertise in Fair Folk. In the first book she travelled to a small town in Iceland to work on her Encyclopedia and while doing so befriending the people and magic beings in town.
In this second book we travel to Austria following the mysterious disappearance of a fellow researcher looking into fairy portals. So that they hopefully can find a backdoor to Wendell's kingdom, and Emily can finish her Map of the Otherlands.

Even though I dont care for the grumpy-sunshine romance I absolutely love our female main character. While I preferred the Icelandic small town in the first book, I still highly enjoyed this installment. The writer does an excellent job at creating suspense in a cosy cold setting.
On top of that the footnotes make this the perfect scholary experience!!
I cannot wait to see where Emily goes next as I love a good faerie adventure!

This book was better than its predecessor. I put aside what I disliked the most about the first book and I had a reasonable good time, let’s say. The plot is more interesting that the plot of the first book for me, and the universe is rather intriguing as well. The new characters brought a new dynamic to the novel that made me enjoy reading this novel more than the first one. Ariadne is the best addition to the story. She is sweet and kind. Rose is not the most likeable character but I liked his straightforwardness towards the main character.

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

I absolutely loved this book! It had everything my cottagecore heart could dream of, and overall it made me very happy to be reading it. Where I wasn't the biggest fan of Wendell before, I really loved him in this book! The quests Emily goes on in this book are amazing as well. It is honestly the stuff of dreams, and I long and ache for these times and to live like Emily. The writing style can be a bit slow at times, but to be honest it fits this kind of book. All in all I can only recommend you read this series!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an early access copy of this book.
Emily new story takes us to the Austrian Alps so she and Wendell can find a door back to Wendell’s realm.

Fawcett’s prose is absolutely delightful, her creativity in the folklore and legends surrounding the folk. She has crafted a unique and vibrant world that is so magical to read.
The folk themselves continuted to be delightful and horrifying at the same time. (Poe continued to be a sweetie and made me crave a freshly baked loaf of bread on a number of occasions.)

I cannot wait for the third instalment to return to this world.

I will be publishing this review on the 4th of January 2024 (two weeks before the publish date) on my Goodreads. But I can post my review earlier if approved by The Little Brown Book group Uk.

4 ⭐

This second book is just as magical as the first one. While I was enthralled by the magic and world-building of the first book, I felt like this one was more focused on the main couple and the other characters. I love how this book was able to keep up with the previous one. I especially enjoyed reading about Emily's new adventure as it felt a lot more interesting and complex, while also having to keep and create new relationships (with family and colleagues). I also found this book a lot more interesting since the very first page, seeing as both Emily and Wendell were present, but I truly like how Fawcett is able to still give them both their space, while also creating cozy and beautiful scenes of them together.

One of the things I found the most original is how the story is told: as it was all part of a diary with daily entries. The overall atmosphere made me curious and happy about the book and the series!

Fawcett was able to give us a sequel that was just as great as the first installment. This series is the epitome of cozy fantasy and I can't wait to read more!

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for the copy!

Loved this story!! A great continuation from the first in the series (emily wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries). I really enjoyed the plot and the sense of adventure and think Heather's writing style is great.

I did find the book quite similar to her first, but that's not necessarily a bad thing considering how enjoyable the first book is!

Would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoyed encyclopaedia of faeries!

My thoughts:
I loved going back to Cambridge and Faerie. The world building in this book pick up right where the last one left off, with Emily and Wendell back in Cambridge about to leave for a new adventure. Emily’s journal documents all the mystical, wonderful and terrifying creatures that she meets on her quest and makes me so excited for book 3.

Summary:
Genius scholar Emily Wilde and exiled faerie king Wendell Bambleby embark on an Alpine adventure, seeking a door to his realm amid dangers and newfound friendships.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.