I absolutely LOVED this installment of the Emily Wilde series, even more so than the first book.

In Map of the Otherlands, we follow Emily, Wendall and a few others to Austria to hunt for Wendall's door to his realm - and also solve the mystery of a scholar's disappearance many years previously.

What I loved most about MotO was the characters and character relationships - these felt elevated and further explored than in the first book. The romantic tension between Wendall and Emily is so good, I could practically feel it through the page - but I also loved the additional side characters joining them on their adventure and how Emily (notoriously Bad With People) interacted with them.

I found the quest/adventure/mystery/scholarly expedition in this book more engaging than the first, with everything kicking off straight away. I couldn't put the book down!

Safe to say if you loved or even liked the first book you'll ADORE the second.

While I was struggling to actually get into the first book, this one was much easier. The introduction of new mostly main characters was lovely and made the development interesting. The plot and story in general pulled me in and I just needed to know how it ended, especially with what happened to Wendell. It’s a lovely book, a fantasy book more on the cozy side but with enough “action” to keep you reading. I absolutely recommend this.

I received this as an arc, which I’m grateful for.

I quite enjoyed the first book in this series so was looking forward to the sequel and it didn't disappoint. In fact, I think I preferred it slightly more than the first book!

We join Emily Wilde, a professor who is currently working on a map of fairy realms. She's off on another quest with Wendell Bamblebury and 2 others (no spoilers as to who LOL). If you recall from the first one (spoiler) Bamblebury is an exiled faerie king and in this book, there's a quest for the door back to his realm.

This book is pure cosy vibes and I loved it for that. The footnotes are a great feature. I loved the writing style, the detail, the pacing - would definitely recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher/author for accepting my request to read and review one of my most anticipated books on the year.

I read and ADORED Emily Wilde 1 when it came out. I have forced so many people to read it too. It was such a beautiful and heartwarming and fascinating story that brought out my inner child that was told of the fairies at the bottom of the garden.

So when I started Emily Wilde 2 I went in with high expectations and a lot of excitement. But sadly this book just did not work for me at all.

The characters we came to love so much in book 1 just fell horribly flat and failed to emotionally impact me. The “romance” was not enticing and I failed to see how Wendell actually fell in love with Emily when she is so rude and brash.

I found the plot to be missing any kind of vaa vaa voom as well. By about 50% into the book we haven’t had many things occur that truly captivated me as a reader, or made me laugh or cry or even smile or think.

I think this was very much so a case of not having a truly engaging plot to follow mixed with that kind of dimmed enjoyment of a second book in a series where new characters are introduced that you can’t seem to connect with.

I just found that the setting was also not so vivid, whereas in book 1 I could imagine all the settings so brilliantly.

I wish this was a new favourite book but sadly it just did not work for me. Buy it seems everyone else is adoring it so maybe I’m just a fussy old nag.

I am so excited to return to the world of Fairies and see in what troubles and adventures Professor Emily Wilde and the exiled faerie king Wendell Bambleby get into.

Since returning to Cambridge University, Emily and Wendell have been searching for the door that will take Wendell back to his kingdom to reclaim his throne, but his evil stepmother has sent assassins after him, turning a lecture into chaos. Expecting more assassinations attempts, Emily and Wendell travel to Austria to follow the steps of a famous scholar who disappeared many years before, in the hope to find the door to Wendell’s kingdom, and they are accompanied by Emily’s loyal dog Shadow, Ariadne, Emily’s nineteen-year-old niece and an enthusiastic student of Dryadology (the study of faeries and fae), and Dr. Farris Rose, the pompous Department Head at the university. As they embark on an intrepid journey full of adventure, magic, and danger, Emily and Wendell’s relationship deepens as she also learns to navigate new friendships.

I enjoyed Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands as much as the first one, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies. I adore the characters of Emily and Wendell and I loved how their romance developed. Slow-burn, but so cute and adorable: Emily is still her serious, awkward, and reserved self, while Wendell is still charming, witty, over-dramatic. I was also delighted for the return of Poe, the adorable Little Folk who is always happy to help Emily, and I enjoyed the addition of new characters for a more entertaining and intriguing narrative.

Enchanting and well-written and perfect for fans of fantasy and historical novels, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands left me eagerly waiting for book 3!

I really enjoyed this sequel to Emily Wildes Encyclopaedia of Faeries. I will say it was more of the same that we got in book one and I adored Wendell and Emily’s characterisations - I wasn’t just as interested in the expedition as much as book one but I still really enjoyed the story overall. Cute and cosy fantasy romance

*Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review*

I didn't adore it but I didn't hate it. Wendel's a really good developed character but Emily felt flat in many aspects of the book. It was okay buy I didn't loved it, hence the 3.5 stars.

3.5/5 stars!
Like the first book, Map of the Otherlands gives me a feeling of comfort and a relaxed evening with lots of me-time and quiet thoughts.
I'm also happy that there isn't such a hard cut story-wise between the Real World and the Faerie World (where in book 1 it seemed like 2 different stories in one book).
However, I felt left out by the author and the writing style. Many situations are quickly dismissed and simply accepted as being done. There's a character here who hasn't necessarily been the main character's biggest fan for years and this is taken care of within a 2 sentence apology. This may be due to the first person perspective, but it still feels unnatural. If I put myself in Emily's shoes, I would have spent more time with the thoughts and actions of those around me.
I also thought it’s a shame that Emily lost many of her character traits from the first book, which makes me rather sad. She often had little idea of what to do with social interactions and reflected, tried her best and thought a lot about social „normalities“ and „abnormalities“. This barely happened in this book. Don’t get me wrong - I’m all in for self acceptance! Nevertheless, certain interactions and general characters seem off to me, intangible and just too far away.
Emily sometimes behaves in a way I cannot grasp logically (or even emotionally). To me these situations seem like a means to end and speed up the plot. Ideas and twists are simply not told here, you are just presented with a result you have to accept. Even the end just seems way too quick and just like a „there you go, the story is done“.

In short:
Unfortunately, in Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlans, I wasn't really part of the story but was only allowed to watch from the outside and was repeatedly kept at a distance - I felt left out. Sad!
Because I love Emily from Book 1, I love Shadow (who gets way too old way too quickly). I love Wendel, Rose, and all the other new characters - who can be so many things.. if you let them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Continuing where book one left off, we are thrown back into Emily Wilde's world. This time, Emily and Wendell are travelling across the Austrian Alps.

I don' think this was as academically focussed as book 1 in the series, but that's not a compliant. I did feel like there was a fair amount of info dumping happening though which sometimes pulled me away from the story itself.

Overall though, a cute cozy fantasy, perfect for those days where you just want to curl up under a blanket and read to your heart's content.

The first book was incredible in this series, but this sequel was so phenomenal. I was left speechless after finishing and i cannot stop thinking and dreaming about these characters. This book really stands out as a fantastic sequel, including more prominent characters, more action and adventure, more romantic development, and even more cosy found family which i adore. This book was like a cosy warm hug that you never want to leave. Easily a 5 star read! I will forever recommend this Emily Wilde series to everybody i know!

Emily Wilde, the socially inept Cambridge academic and no-nonsense expert of faerie folklore, sets out again. When fellow scholar and exiled faerie king Wendel Bambleby's life is threatened, Emily embarks on a quest to thwart the evil plans of his mother.

This adventure is the second in the Emily Wilde series and continues where the first left off. It is just as charming, pacy and fun.

Not a standalone.

What a beautiful story! Heather Fawcett is one of the most creative, wonderful writers I have recently discovered. This sequel beautifully compliments the first book. Would highly recommend.

Book review 📚
Emily Wilde's map of the otherlands by Heather Fawcett - 4.5/5 ⭐

Another absolutely flawless read from Fawcett. I was so incredibly late to Book 1 of Emily Wilde but once I did read it, I swooned. It was cute and cosy, utterly amazing. Book 2 is absolutel no different. Actually that's a lie, there was maybe a bit more "drama" in otherlands, but it was still cute and cosy!

I'm unsure if I rate it more then book 1, it's very difficult because I thoroughly enjoyed both of them and would read them all over again. I even preorder the hardback way back in November I was that eager for it! The covers are absolutely breathtaking, easy to pick up simply for the look alone.

However, the writing. My goodness. I have never seen anything like it. I'm not a cute and cosy girl, I'm and dark and tragic reader. But Fawcett makes me swoon over the Emily Wilde books. They're easy, seamless and phenomenal. I find myself in absolute awe when finishing a good book and this was easily one of the best books I've read. Both 1 & 2 are equally as good as each other with absolutely no flaws at all.

I would sell my soul to to be able to read then both again, they will remain 2 of the best books I've read for a very long while. I will now go and hunt to the end of the worlds to make sure I read every single book by Fawcett for the rest of my life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

I have not read Heather's first book , but i was very intrigued about Heather's story telling and writing .

so my thoughts well we all know i'm a sucker for romance and fantasy and a bit of mystery , and lots of adventure and i can say it had it all . i could not put it down as i always wanted to know what was happening next., it always had a very cosy feel to it, like when raining curled up in my reading chair candles on it gave you that sunshine feeling like a big warm hug .that kind of story .

heather writing i thought was amazing very well paced and her story telling wow just wow .

the characters Emily and Wendell i loved very much they are very quirky and very clever .

this book has my heart I can't wait for more .

im giving the book 5 cosy stars

I loved the second book about Emily and Bambleby even more than the first book! (No strange names - I'm looking at you Mord.) This time the backdrop is the Austrian Alps, and we follow the gang on an adventure that will unraveling both secrets and feelings. It is super cozy, and full of charm, I loved seing their relationship evolve. Can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to @Netgalley, publisher @littlebrownbookgroup_uk and author @heather_fawcett for providing me with an digital ARC.

Emily Wilde‘s Map of the Otherlands was a worthy continuation of the first book! I enjoyed it even more than the first book since way more happened and we got to know a lot more about Wendell and his realm.
I also really enjoyed that the story is set in the Austrian alps since I live in Austria and barely see stories written about it!
The book had a cozy feeling about it and was really enjoyable to read after a long day to just relax.

We get a lot of information in the book tho I have to say at some points in the story it’s a lot all at once. It makes sense for places and parts of the story to be described in detail since it’s Emily’s journal but sometimes it seems a little overdone.
Also some parts of the book seemed to go by so fast while others went on for quite some time which made the pace of the book feel off at times.

All in all it was a good cozy read which I definitely would pick up again in future and definitely recommend if cozy fantasy stories are your thing!

This is the continuation of the Emily Wilde’s series and it’s an amazing book. We follow Emily and Wendell as they embark in another adventure in Austria hopping to find the door that leads Wendell back to is realm. I recommend read the first book beforehand otherwise it may not make much sense.

I felt like this book had a less academic side and it has a bit less worldbuilding to it since it’s more focused on the quest our main characters are in. We still have the journal-style writing that’s quite interesting. We got to explore cute villages while we deal with quirky characters, and we can almost smell the freshly baked bread (that’s described a couple of times throughout the story).

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, fill with magic and it made my heart warm with the setting. I recommend this series to everyone who enjoy an eccentric scientist whiling to take some risks for the sake of science and to fulfill their own curiosity. This is one great example of a cozy fantasy done brilliantly I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for Emily’s next adventure.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

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Thank you so much to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group/Orbit for the eARC of this, the second book in the Emily Wilde series.

As with the first book, I adored this. Emily is such an awkward character when dealing with others, which my introverted neurodivergent heart can’t help but relate to. Seeing her relationship with Wendell continue to grow was so sweet, and I loved the cameos/mentions of characters from the first book. I also enjoyed the mystery elements of the story.

From a world perspective, it was very interesting to get deeper into the faerie worlds and meet more types of faeries.

I can’t wait to see how Emily and Wendell’s adventures continue in book 3 (and beyond?).

"Emily Wilde's map of the Otherlands" by Heather Fawcett is a continuation of Emily Wilde series and it's another brilliant book that the author has created. It has everything; another gripping yet charming adventure of Wendell and Emily, creepy- cute faeries, cosy feel like mystery, unique characters and a tiny sprinkle of romance which makes it just so much more special.

Emily has finally finished her Encyclopaedia of Faeries and was granted a tenure. It seems like it was everything she ever wanted, but as soon as a mysterious figure appears to her hinting with clues and Wendell's birthday concludes to unforeseen events, Emily is more than eager to jump into solving a new mystery. Considering, she promised to her fellow scholar and her new romance interest that she will help him to find the door to his home. With her new companions, Wendell and her loyal dog, Emily decides to travel to the village of St. Lies in Austria. She's determined to solve a new mystery and help Wendell in process.

This time our scholars don't travel alone. We meet the grumpy Department Head and professor Dr. Farris Rose and Emily's young, but determined niece, Ariadne. Of course, a few more side characters that make the story so much more colourful.

I absolutely adored how Emily struggles with her feelings towards Wendell and her niece. How she has to overcome obstacles and open herself more to the others that care about her and love her. Emily grows and matures so much by the end of this book.

Wendell, however goes through transformation as well. With every book he becomes more carrying and starts feeling more compassion for others. I loved how Wendell and Emily romance complimented the story. Wendell's consistent pestering of Emily to say yes to his proposal in marriage was charming.

I couldn't finish my review without mentioning beloved Poe who appears in this book again. He is so sweet and hands down my favourite faerie. However, there is another faerie that shows up in the second book and competes for Poe's spot of cuteness, it's fox like, fierce faerie called Snowbell.

Beautiful continuation of the series. Even at times a bit of a mess and definitely not perfect, the book gave out cosy vibes. The unique world building, creepy faerie world. I will absolutely wait for a conclusion of Emily's and Wendell's story.

After the first book I was very excited to receive this one!

Emily, we meet again! what a great sequel. Fabulous writing, story and I completely lost my self in the Fae world yet again.

Another great easy fantasy read. I really enjoyed it.