Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is a followup which for me was just as good as, or possibly even slightly better than, its predecessor, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Once again, Wilde and her colleague Bambleby (now Emily's lover, but also the exiled monarch of a Fae kingdom in Ireland) find themselves on a field trip abroad. This time, though, their interest is more than merely academic[1]. Bambleby is under threat, and to meet the challenge, the pair need to identify a door that leads back to his kingdom.

Once again, the pair settle into a remote village (the time in Switzerland), risk antagonising the locals, and begin fieldwork.

Once again, there's bickering over methodology, jealousy over use of the results and a concern with reputation. Now, though, it's not between Emily and Bambleby but involves a third party - Dr Farriss Rose, the Head of Department, who insists on joining the trip. Pretty soon, the fieldwork turns into a search for two long-missing dryadologists who came to this isolated Swiss town and, apparently, vanished into the Otherlands.

I was afraid that with my favourite two dryadologists[2] now an item, the romantic tension might reduce but I'm happy to say that Fawcett doesn't disappoint on this score, having them navigate a new phase of their relationship, still unsure of where they stand and with Dr Rose trying to throw sand in the machinery of their romance by warning Emily not to become entangled with one of the Folk. (Based on the extant literature, that is of course Very Wise, and Emily does have her doubts - she's quite realistic about Bambleby and avoids placing him on a pedal above other Fae).

We see, I think, in this book an even stronger and more determined Emily than ever (perhaps a reaction on her part to how she was entranced and beguiled in the previous book) and a rather helpless (at times) Bambleby. That allows exploration of a variety of fairytale motifs, Emily alert to the extent to which her life may depend on a narrative. But Fawcett doesn't stint on the horror either, and Emily has plenty of causes for regret in this story - both because of things she does, and things she's unable to prevent.

With all the charm and sideways humour of its predecessor, but perhaps a slightly more direct storyline, one driven by Wilde and Bambleby more than in Encyclopaedia, this book was a delight to read and really takes this series forward - events being left on a total cliffhanger with the opening of the third volume destined to be very exciting, I think!

Footnotes[3]

[1] I hesitate to use that term - the academic in-jokes here and allusions to professional feuds, lack of tenure and the annoyances of students are as fresh and funny as ever.

[2] Academics who study the various serious subject of the Fae and related entities

[3] There must be footnotes!

I'm very pleased to say that this was a sequel worth reading! Just as charming and whimsical as the first, I loved seeing Emily and Wendell again and it was just so much fun! This series really does just feel like a warm hug, and I love escaping into this world with these characters. I can't work out yet if I liked this more than the first book, but it's definitely very close. The way these books are written is so unusual but works so perfectly for these stories, and makes them so distinctive. What I really liked about this one was that I felt we got to know Emily a lot better; a lot of her journal entries felt much more personal than academic this time around, and we really got to see her feelings towards the people around her. And Poe was back! I love Poe so much, I want a Poe. I think this book did feel slightly too slow at times, particularly around the middle of the book, but I still enjoyed this so much and can't wait for the third book!

As someone who loves both the weird kind of faeries and any academia-related books, this series is basically a dream come true.
Written in the style of a journal, Emily Wilde’s Map Of The Otherlands follows our delightfully grumpy heroine even further into the faerie realms.
After feeling like there wasn’t enough worldbuilding in the last book, this was <i>perfect</i>.
There was more adventure, more magic, and literally everything I wanted more of before!
Emily was the first reason I fell in love with the series, and she always makes me smile.
Her determination to succeed is admirable, and her begrudging affection for those she’s grown close to is honestly adorable.
Grumpy/Sunshine is one of my favourite tropes (either way round) and Emily and Wendell are possibly the best at it.
The juxtaposition between Em’s focus and Wendell’s dramatics is precious, with barely a chapter going by without Wendell complaining and Emily scoffing at him.
Their relationship continues to be my favourite part of this series, and I think it’s only getting better.
From what I can remember, this is meant to be a trilogy (I might be wrong) so hopefully it’s not that long until we get the next book!
Based on how this one ended, I’m hazarding a guess that the next book might end up being my favourite of the three, but I guess I’ll have to wait and see.

thank you to netgalley, the publisher and author for this arc.

4 stars.

she's done it again!! i really loved the first emily wilde book, and i love the second one just as much!
the characters, the scenery, the whimsical feel to all of it, i LOVE it. the characters are so well-written and likable, they make reading this book such a wonderful experience. just like the first one, this book is a bundle of cozy feelings and magical delights. the dynamic between emily and bambleby, who are complete opposites, is so entertaining!! they're fun to read about, and keep reading about.

i really look forward to reading the third installment!

📖 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 📖 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Perfect if you love:
🌳 FMC narration via journaling
🧚🏼‍♂️ Whimsical Fae
🌳 sprinkling of light romance 💕

“𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚.”

The FMC is a scientist and I believe (?) from her narration, autistic. As a fellow neurospicy I found her confusion with understanding people’s emotions/ body language etc really refreshing to read. Her verbalising wanting to thank people but not really knowing how/ not realising she’d offended someone/ reading the room are all things I have (and know others) struggle with. The quote above is just delightful, for that peace. I know there’s increasing rep for lots of things in our books now and while I got caught up in the whimsical fae of it all it’s the characters I really fell in love with.

Bambleby is the opposite to Emily and their comraderie is just *chefs kiss*, also the audiobook with the Irish accent is just amazing for bringing the characters to life. I love how she’s focused on her research and Bambleby is causing chaos again!

Such a lovely whimsical read

This review is long overdue. When I first read about Emily Wilde and her adventures as a scholar who studies faeries, at some point last year, I went in completely skeptical because this is the kind of story that is either incredibly amazing or incredibly bad. Lucky me, it was so good I finished it within two days. So, obviously I had to get the next one.

I have nothing to add to the blurb, so let's jump into the aspects that make this story so outstanding. First, let's talk about the writing. The entire book is the diary of a scholar - and that is exactly how it reads. It has so much character, you feel like you get to know Emily on a deep level. She writes detailed accounts of all that she experiences, adds some author's ideas or conclusions on the matter, and then finishes with her own theories and/or whether she agrees or disagrees with said author. It is amazing! Her writing is completely scholarly, it is down to the point, with some very specific terms used here and there, no decorative expressions, no prolonged sentimental sentences. It adds so much to the story - this is one of those examples of a diary done right.

The world building continues to impress. As Emily is a scholar, she has her theories about the world, and sometimes she is right and sometimes she is not. I loved it! I also love how well the author managed to show instead of just tell, despite the extra difficulty this story being in the form of a diary adds. When there is some telling, it usually happens as part of Emily's theorizing - something happens and then she explains the different ideas different scholars have about the subject and adds her own. That way, it always feels connected and makes absolute sense for the story to unfold. However, we have yet to truly explore fairy. I hope we will get there in the next installment, as we barely scratched the surface in this one. The entire narrative is mystical, with an air of winter and mist and I truly love it. You just get a unique feeling when you read this book.

Our main character is Emily, our scholar. She is a scholar through and through: always working on one thing or other, with a little underdeveloped emotional intelligence, smart, but sometimes impulsive when a chance to discover something new presents itself. I love her strengths as much as her flaws. She is completely human, resourceful, clever, sometimes obstinate, prone to make mistakes, yet kind and loving.

Then there is Wendel, and he is a true fairy: vain and dramatic and so much fun to read. It is noteworthy that for all his vanity, he loves Emily just the way she is and that is maybe the most amazing thing about him. He is a prince and yet his pride does not stand in his way with her. He has no trouble expressing his admiration and complimenting her. He builds her up and supports her. He knows he can depend on her and his pride is not wounded by that! (although he does joke about it being so).

All in all, this is a great continuation of Emily's story and I am very grateful I got the chance to read it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for that!

Oh I love them so much!! Stepping into this world was like going to see old friends. I adore Heather Fawcett's storytelling abilities. Her writing is incredible and witty, creating a fun plot and loveable characters.

While any story involving the folk can be vicious and even murderous, Emily Wilde's books always feel cosy and a warm hug. I enjoyed the adventure, it was fun and felt fresh even as a sequel.

I love Em and Wendell - they are perfect, together and on their own. I could listen to them bicker all day. Emily's inner thoughts had me cackling again and Wendell's laissez-faire attitude is always delightfully entertaining. I liked the addition of Ariadne. She added another side to Emily which was great to see. I was howling whenever she referred to her as a brat!

Heather Fawcett has written another charming and zany adventure with the most lovable characters
and I cannot wait for the next Emily Wilde instalment!

What to expect:
- Perfect Whitty Banter
- Sequel
- Diary Entries
- Light Academia
- Faerie and Folk Field Trip
- Austrian Alps

Such a gorgeous follow up! It was really lovely to return to such a vivid and exciting world. Our two main characters are so well-written and it was exciting to learn more about them and watch their relationship develop. Fawcett is a master of turning the mundane magical, and turning the world we know into something mystical. I can't wait to read the next one!

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is a fantastic melding of Fae folklore, magical realism with a unique take on the dark academia sub genre. Fawcett again meets the challenge of crafting intriguing and multifaceted characters, a strong feminism fantasy that has the hallmarks of dark academia while avoiding the stereotypical aspects. This is a beautifully written and compelling fantasy series that defies a being placed into a single genre but spans a variety to give depth and complexity to a truly unique series.

This is an intriguing fantasy Fawcett’s world-building is to be praised with the incorporation of folklore, fairy tales and history to spin a new and exciting alternate history where Faerie exists alongside late Victorian era society. A compelling read that shouldn’t be missed.

Conclusion

A highly recommend read. This is perfect for fans of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, fairy tale reimagining and folklore-infused fantasy. A great new addition to the genres of dark academia and alternate history. I cannot wait for the Emily Wilde’s next adventure in this series!

It would be an incredibly hard task for Heather Fawcett to top the brilliance of the first Emily Wilde book, which was pretty much nigh on perfect.
So did she? Hmmm - not quite, but a hair’s breath away!
In this second instalment, we’re still following the other-worldly adventures of Cambridge Dryadologist, Emily Wilde and Professor Wendell Bambleby, her lover (and exiled fairy king).
They’re joined in their search for Wendell’s fairy door back to his kingdom by Shadow (Emily’s Black Shuck type dog) and also the curmudgeonly and slightly mean-spirited Professor Farris Rose and new Dryadology student (and also Emily’s niece) Ariadne.
This time they’re in the Alps and they end up also trying to find out what happened to the fabled missing Dryadologist Eleanor de Gray.
The book is written on the style of Emily’s journal and I particularly love her footnotes which refer to instances of folklore and cites different books (oh I wish the bibliography was real!!).
Can’t wait for the next book!

I read this a couple of months ago and I was sure I had reviewed it but I must have forgotten to do.
So, here we go, just a few quick words.
I really enjoyed this second book in the series, even more than the first. I do feel the romance was stronger here (at least it was out in the open from the start). I loved Emily - her determination, her strength, her resourceful and academic focus. And I also loved how she cared about Wendell and how she genuinely got to like him.
At the same time, Wendell is his usual fairy king self, only this time he is in need of rescuing and nursing back to health. The caregiver/homemaker role is something that comes naturally to Emily but she goes on to help, support, and ultimately save Wendell in the best way she knows how.
I do think the pacing of both books is a bit uneven, the story dragged at times, but overall I was deeply invested in all the characters to keep going forward. And by the end, the effort was more than worth it.
It's am usual fantasy / fairy series with MCs that are not your stereotypical bad boy/cruel fairy kind and timid booksih scholar heroine that falls in love with him. It's rather the opposite but with complications and nuances and I think it's the nuance and multi-layers of the characters that I really liked about that book.

CW: violence, poisoning, magic

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An enchanting whimsical cosy read. It picks up where it left off. The adventure they go on together is such an highlight

And honestly I really can’t wait for what is in store for them in the next one.

4.5 Stars

I absolutely loved the first book and this one did not disappoint! If you enjoy a cosy fantasy mystery then this one is perfect.
I really love Emily’s writing style and find it has such a nice flow to it. The way that it’s wrote in journal entries really makes you feel drawn in and connected. I’ve not read a book with this kind of format before and it just works perfectly.
The world building is fantastic and I absolutely loved exploring and learning about the new myths and creatures. I just love how this beautiful world keeps expanding and giving us more.
I really like the relationship between Emily and Wendell and how well they fit together. Both bringing different personalities into their relationship. The banter and laughter between the two just makes you love them even more. It was so nice seeing their development from the first book.
We also get to meet some new side characters in this book and they definitely brought more to this book and they fit in perfectly too.

I can’t wait for the third book in this series!
I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Disclaimer: e-Arc provided by Little Brown Book Group, Orbit, via Net Galley for Review. All thoughts are my own. My thanks to Orbit, for providing me with the arc for review.

Thoughts
After giving book one 3.5 Stars, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book!

This book focuses much more on the relationship between Emily and Wendell which is definitely the strongest part of the story.

I always worry that sequels will be disappointing when the first book is so wonderful - but Heather Fawcett has absolutely blown me away with Map Of The Otherlands.

Just when I thought a cast of characters couldn't be more endearing and loveable she proved me thoroughly incorrect. As well as building beautifully on established relationships, this book contains new and welcome faces.

The subject of Faeries has always been a childhood fascination to me, and this series feels utterly magical and so REAL. I truly lost myself in some of the footnotes and had to remind myself that (sadly) Dryadology was not a real subject one could study at university.

Though I don't believe Fawcett has explicitly stated that our protagonist is autistic, I do feel it is heavily implied and I resonated so heavily with Emily's thought processes.

If you are looking for a story that makes you literally feel like you're away with the faeries, please pick up this series. It is whimsical, weird and wonderful. I eagerly await the third in what is now one of my all-time favourite series.

(Very grateful to have received this ARC from Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group - sorry it's a little late for the release!)

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries was one of my favourite books of 2023 and I couldn't have been more excited to be able to read its sequel.

I have definitely grown to appreciate cozy fantsy and these books are a perfect example of this genre.

Very enjoyable and I cannot wait to read the next one!

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett is the second book in the Emily Wilde Series.
 
After really liking the first book in this series, I was excited to continue Emily Wilde’s story and this sequel was really enjoyable as well.
 
Emily Wilde is a professor of faerie folklore, and I really liked the academic aspect of this series and that in combination with heart-warming moments is just lovely. Emily is working on an encyclopedia of faerie and is trying to expand this with a map and that is a major focus in this book, and I find cartography absolutely fascinating and liked how it was portrayed in this book.
 
She is assisted by Bambleby who is not only a scholar, but also an exiled faerie king. He provides such a great additional perspective, and it was very intriguing to learn more about him and his mother.
 
This book is just magical and cozy, and I always have a good time returning to this world. They go on an adventure to the Austrian Alps, and I loved to accompany them and see new friendships. The story also includes a little bit of a mystery with faerie doors that made the plot even more intriguing.
 
Overall, this book is a great sequel, and I can’t wait to return to Emily Wilde’s world in the next installment. 
4 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

4.5 ⭐

“Assassins are a monstrous breed. Either they attack when you are at your worst, or they are having a go at you on your birthday. I have never known a more dishonourable profession.”

Okay. Book 2. You’ve (hopefully) picked up Book 1. You’ve met Emily, Wendell and Shadow. Been teased with a serious slow burn through a vague academic journal narrative and (basically) you’re ready for round 2. Time to map the realms of faerie, oh and help Wendell too.

I loved Emily and Wendell's continued banter and developing relationship, although it felt a little slow to get going again after it felt so developed by the time the first book ended. Partly because of a different setting, they’re back at the University, and we’re meeting two new important characters at the start. These two things do influence the dynamic at first but not for too long. Plus, I loved seeing the (increasing) hijinks they have to deal with at the Uni after all the references to them working together in the first book. I also enjoyed meeting the new characters, including Emily’s niece Ariadne, and they grew on me way more than I expected. It turns out I have room in my heart for a lot of Fawcett characters.

I still feel as though the language and style of writing does not always seem to fit the journal narrative or is utilised to its full potential but I also found I noticed it and was bothered by it less than the first book. It helps that we now have a grounding in the world-building going into Book 2 and I went in expecting it to read similarly. I loved exploring a new part of the world from an alternative history, as well as all the new creatures and myths that came with it. Fawcett beautifully describes the variety of settings they visit, and like her characters, includes all the little details that make it all come alive.

This series feels like the definition of a cosy but still high-stakes fantasy with slow-burn romance and all the grump/sunshine. It includes sweeping landscapes, animal companions and missing explorers. If you enjoy any of these aspects, you’ll love this sequel, but be warned- you’ll also want the next instalment immediately. Bring on Book 3!

I enjoyed everything about this book!
I absolutely LOVE Wendell and Emily’s relationship and how well they work together.
The way they always manage to get into trouble with the fae and how well they come up with a solution to get out of it.
The world building in this book was beautiful and I found myself picturing everything and wanting to see it!
Wendell was so cheeky and funny he was also so protective and caring towards Emily, I loved reading every part of the book which included him!

Review posted on Goodreads on March 9th 2024:

I’ve never before read a book set in my home country which wasn‘t written by someone from here. Heather Fawcett, you are an absolute icon for making Austria this book‘s setting.

↣ Emily is the most badass and fearsome female main character ever and she doesn‘t even need to use any physical strength. I really liked her in the first book, but after this one, I truly love her. Her power is her sharp mind and I admire that so much since I am also very much a scholarly person. She is such a grump with a heart of gold, just an overall great female lead.
↣ Yes, of course I love Wendell. If Emily and he didn‘t fit together so well and I didn‘t respect Emily so much, I‘d be jealous of her. He‘s so devoted to Emily and supportive of everything she does. He‘s not a malicious Fairie but actually rather thoughtful. However, he‘ll still go on a murderous rampage to protect the ones he cares about and not think twice about it and I love that for him honestly.
↣ Emily and Wendell are such a great couple, and we get to see much more of the romantic components of their relationship in this book, which I adored so much! They truly care about one another. Moreover, they‘re so funny together, their banter made me laugh out loud and giggle a couple times. Also, there was an incredibly romantic scene in a tent and I reread it like three times before moving on, but I’m getting ahead of myself here… you should go read this book and find out about that for yourself 😉
↣ As I‘ve already mentioned, I loved the setting of this book. I still can‘t believe I got to read a book by a non-Austrian that is set here 🥹 As a kid, I actually built little houses in the forest with my grandma for the „zwerge“ I thought lived there, so having a book make all those childhood fantasies become reality was truly magical for me. The Alps are a beautiful backdrop for this story and while I‘ve never been to St. Liesl specifically, I have been to many similar small mountain villages like it.
↣ The side characters make these books shine even further. ✨ Shadow is the perfect dog companion and we also get to see Poe from book 1 again. Emily‘s niece Ariadne is so loveable and their relationship development is wonderful to watch. I also enjoyed Rose and the different research perspective he brought to the little group.

I could gush about this book forever, but I don‘t want to rob you of precious time you could already be picking up this book. Which you should! This series will be your new fantasy gem like it is mine

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an ARC of this book!