Very cute read. However you really need to have read the first book to fully understand the characters.

I will definitely try rereading this book again after I’ve read Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Thanks must go to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to read and review.

I found the first book in the series dragged a little so was slightly concerned for the follow up. However, I was proven wrong and thoroughly enjoyed part two of Emily and Wendell's adventures. Although I still struggle to see the love story for the most part as it's not a slow burn, not an enemies to lovers, more a romance of convenience? I'm not convinced of the love storyline and it slightly irks me, but the rest of the characters and side stories make up for that plot hole. I am looking forward to book 3 in the series to find out how this duo ends up.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, the enchanting second installment in the Emily Wilde series, is a captivating blend of faerie folklore, academic intrigue, and heartfelt adventure. Emily Wilde, the curmudgeonly yet brilliant professor and faerie scholar, returns with an even more compelling narrative that seamlessly intertwines the mystical and the academic. Having recently authored the world’s first comprehensive encyclopedia of faeries, Emily’s expertise is put to the test when mysterious faeries from other realms begin appearing at her university, thrusting her into a new and perilous journey.

The relationship between Emily and Wendell Bambleby, her charming former rival and an exiled faerie king, adds a rich layer of complexity to the story. Emily’s reluctance to accept Bambleby’s proposal of marriage, given the inherent dangers and secrets of loving one of the Fair Folk, is both poignant and relatable. Bambleby’s quest to find a door back to his realm, all while evading assassins sent by his murderous mother, propels the narrative forward with a sense of urgency and high stakes. This dynamic duo’s adventures lead them to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where the breathtaking scenery contrasts with the lurking dangers of faerie folk, adding depth and tension to their journey.

The author has crafted a story that is both heartwarming and thrilling, with well-developed characters and a richly imagined world of faerie realms. Emily’s new project, creating a map of these realms, serves as a fascinating backdrop to the unfolding drama. The interplay between Emily’s prickly demeanor and the new relationships she must navigate, coupled with the ever-present threat of dangerous Folk, keeps readers engaged from start to finish. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is a delightful read, earning a well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars for its imaginative storytelling, nuanced characters, and the seamless blend of magical and real-world elements. It’s a must-read for fans of faerie tales and academic mysteries alike.

another adventure with em and wendell, and with new characters too! i loved going back into the emily wilde universe, with its journal style and particular way of narration. emily and wendell are even more adorable and fleshed out in this book, with the new information about new fairies, new worlds and new enemies? if we can call them that. i loved the new additions to our little group, the dynamic between them was hilarious. i'm patiently waiting for book 3? OF COURSE

Cute autumn read with magical themes and a lovely cosy read for all the feels. Love the writing style and the cover

This was such a fun and whimsical read! I don't always engage well with books with a more historical tone, but the fantasy element definitely helps. The dynamic between Emily and Wendell is charming and sweet, and whilst the pace did lag for me in certain spots, it was only a brief period. I'm also very much enjoying the conversational tone of a book written as a series of diary entries, and am very much looking forward to the publication of book three!

So I learned the hard way that this cannot be read as a standalone. I was entirely lost so went and read book one before returning to this one to find it a very worthy sequel and I suspect there will be more books.

A cozy fantasy full of feels. Emily is a lovable and awkward FMC and the side characters really add to the atmosphere. I enjoyed the format of the storytelling and would recommend to fans of a cozy read like maybe TJ Klune.

Please note that there is a love interest - Wendell. It's kind of an opposites attract, slow burn and fits into the overall story well.

📌 The book picks up where the first one ended and retains the same feel. I enjoyed it just as much as the first book 😁😄. If you enjoyed the first one, you won't be disappointed with this one either. Everything I loved about the first book was even better in this one.

📌 The banter between Emily and Wendell is still great. Maybe even better. There may be a bit more romance here than in the first book, but it does not overtake the main plot. If you want spicier stuff, you won't get it here, but that's okay. After all, we learn the whole story through Emily's diary, who logically wouldn't write such things in her research notes. And she's still not the most romantic soul. She's more of a practical academic.

📌 In the sequel, you can also look forward to two more new academics. One of them is Emily's colleague Professor Farris Rose, and they are further accompanied to Austria by Emily's young niece Ariadne, whose youthful enthusiasm contrasts beautifully with Emily's more serious disposition. I loved her 💗. Unfortunately, the locals aren't there as much as in the first book.

📌 Some may not be exactly fans of footnotes, but I enjoy them as much as I love the idea of studying dryadology and then wandering the forests and mountains and making friends with supernatural creatures 😄😁 (and there are many!). Don't worry, the beloved Poe has a cameo here! And Shadow is still my love 💗. The cool thing is that we get to learn so much more about the fae and the magic system It's a cozy fantasy at the core, but I liked that there's something dark in every book, and that darkness slowly increases.

📌 And one more piece of good news... Wendell has his contribution to Emily's journal again. I love his narration.

📌 Overall, this series is so beautifully written that it's hard not to fall in love with the characters and the world. I'm looking forward to the third installment 😄. I'm so curious to see what the author has in store for us.

Even better than the first book!
While the first book took a while to get into, this one had a lot more happening from page one and while still very much cosy, had an underlying issue that needed to be solved that built up to a climax.
Also, with how this ended, it opens the series up into a much bigger story and I will be eagerly awaiting the third book!

3.5
-
Fawcett’s writing style is incredible. Once again she has created such a beautifully whimsical narrative that captivates you immediately. I loved the direction that this novel went in, I thought it added so much to the series - I would say the plot points and overall stakes of the story were a lot more engaging than the first instalment! I also loved seeing the variety of fae and folk which developed the magical system of this world greatly.

However, the character development fell flat for me. I thought Emily Wilde was incredibly irritating in this novel, especially with her niece who she seemed to take everything out on! I would also say I was not that interested in her and Wendall’s relationship as the marriage questions kept being dragged on. Whilst, I was engaged with this story throughout, I felt a little let down by the characters and their interactions.

TW: murder, disappearance, physical injury, poisoning, animal death/injury

This was so much fun!
I'm in love with Emily.... period!
All my favourite magical things rolled into a book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for this review.

Apologies for my delay, I’ve had a very hectic few months.

Emily Wilde is such an amazing series and I cannot recommend it enough. It’s truly wonderful.

I did not give the first book in the series a full five stars because I was waiting to see what would happen next. This book builds so well on the first that I am so very glad I did that just to differentiate my experience with the two books.
This book was hilarious. It is not meant to be a humourous book, it is an adventure with a dash of romance. It can even qualify as a thriller with all the danger everyone in the book is always in, but the tone of the writing and the cold academic footnotes about fantastical things was something that had me chuckling very frequently as I worked my way through the book.
Emily is not exactly a unique character. We have had multiple leading ladies in the past couple of years with poor social skills but who are extremely intelligent. It is the story that revolves around Emily that sets this series apart. Faerie Folklore is an actual academic department in this world, and the academic tone is almost perfect. I know some of the discussions/meetings because my husband is in academia himself (although nothing remotely close to the subject matter depicted here).
I would not recommend reading this book without having read the first because although the characters grow into themselves here (as well as endearing themselves to the reader), one needs to know where they started from.
I must mention the random footnotes again. That and the way conversations happen between everyone are things to relish.
I did not go into any of the details of the adventure on purpose. One should go in order with this series, and once a reader is about to pick up this book, they know what the plan of action is going to be.
I look forward to the next, although it might be more of a battle than I would appreciate.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I thought the first of the Emily Wilde books wonderful and worried that the 2nd would not be as good, I am very happy to say I was wrong, it was just as good. I love this world Heather Fawcett has created and her characters are amusing and very satisfying, and ones you are happy to revisit. This is a really good book and follows her brilliant take on the world of fairie. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy T. Kingfisher, Holly Black, well worth your time and money.

This was such a fun follow-up to the first book. I really enjoyed it, even though it does follow a similar structure as the first book.

The first part of this book is set at a university, which I liked. I love a good university setting, and I wish the entirety of this book took place there. It was fun seeing Emily in her “natural” habitat and getting a glimpse of her day-to-day life with Bambleby.

Bambleby is of course the best part of this book (though I love Emily as well, don’t get me wrong). We got more of him and their relationship, which I was all on board for.

My one concern is actually with the next book. Judging from how this book ended, the next book might take us away from the scholarly aspects of the first two. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but I’m hoping Fawcett can pull it off.

I loved the first book in this series and was really looking forward to reading this one! Emily is such a likeable character and Wendell is just a dream! I'd love to see this turned into a tv series or film as its so interesting and definitely has a great world that could make it on the screen. I can't wait for the next one!

A wonderful, wonderful sequel. It keeps the magic alive I think you really need to have read the first one to get the most from this book. A lovely cosy fantasy

The long awaited sequel didn't disappoint! Thank you Heather Fawcett for giving us this cosy and pure fairie series!! I cannot recommend this series enough!! The world expands, new characters are introduced and adventures await!!! Cannot wait to read the last book of the series.

All the yes's for this fantastic and brilliant book, and then if you have more, some more yes's please. I love this book. It is soft and fun and r ally exciting. Throughout the book, we get the opportunity to meet and know more about so many creatures, we get tonsee the land and wonder at the adventure. The author has so beautifully taken us completely on this journey, really offering us the world. There is so much detail out in yo everything and you know because it all feels so real and easy to connect with. The story of Bram is great and I really like that it is like a wee side quest for their journey, but it also means so much more. I honestly have fallen for this author's writing style and they are now on my must read list, for life.

Heather Fawcett brings us back to the incredibly imaginative world of Emily Wilde to solve a decades old disappearance that could link to Wendell's past. I loved this book as much as the first especially with new character.