Discover the whimsical world of faeries, maps, and reluctant romance in Heather Fawcett’s enchanting sequel to a beloved fantasy series. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands picks up the pace in a way that fans of slow-burn academia and fae magic have been eagerly waiting for. If the first book felt like a quiet winter stroll, this one is more of a brisk hike through twisting forests and unpredictable portals. And I mean that in the best way.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett picks up with Emily and Wendell setting off on another academic and magical journey, this time to uncover the secrets of the Otherlands. It’s all part of Wendell’s quest to reclaim his throne, but things quickly spiral into a whirlwind of strange realms, faerie politics, and increasingly high stakes. What starts as another scholarly expedition becomes a fast-moving, danger-filled adventure through magical borders and hidden truths.

And honestly? I loved this book so much more than the first. Where the first one was slower and more atmospheric, this sequel really ramps things up. It’s way more action-packed, the pacing is quicker, and I found myself completely hooked from the start. I didn’t expect such an exciting shift in tone, but it worked so well. I flew through the pages.

Wendell and Emily absolutely owned this book. I was already a fan of them, but here? I loved them even more. Their dynamic is such a perfect mix of banter, tension, and genuine care. Every little moment between them had me smiling, swooning, or both. Wendell continues to be a mischievous delight, and Emily’s dry, grounded perspective balances him out beautifully. They’re just… everything.

The supporting characters also really stood out this time. Everyone felt more developed, and I especially adored Shadow. That character brought so much intrigue and emotional depth. And the storyline itself? Totally my thing. It had just enough twists, magic, and heart to keep me fully invested.

My only little critique is that things occasionally felt a bit rushed. When they switched worlds, it was sometimes hard to keep up, and I had to pause to reorient myself. And the ending wrapped up quicker than I expected. I would’ve liked a few extra chapters just to let everything sink in a bit more. But those are small things compared to how much I enjoyed the ride.

Overall, this was a huge improvement from book one and exactly what I was hoping for. It felt like the series really found its footing, and I am beyond ready for book three.

Final thoughts

This sequel completely swept me off my feet. It took everything I liked about book one and made it bolder, faster, and even more emotional. Emily and Wendell’s chemistry was magic, the worldbuilding felt richer, and the plot had just the right mix of whimsy and danger to keep me turning pages late into the night. While there were a couple moments where the pacing stumbled or the world-hopping left me spinning, it didn’t take away from how much fun I had. This was such a cozy yet exciting read, and I’m already impatiently waiting for book three. If you’re into magical academia, fae politics, and a romance that simmers beneath all the chaos, this one is a must.

This would not normally be my thing, but I found this to be a worthy sequel to book one; Emily Wilde’s encyclopaedia of fairies. I love the lightheartedness of this easy-read, and found that it would be a fantastic read for all age groups.

Overall, this was a great read for those of you who enjoy a cosy setting, and the aesthetics of the book are truly beautiful - enchanting for anyone who enjoys fairies and woodland adventures.

4.25 Stars. Not as much fun as the original Emily Wilde adventure, but the characters are still charming, the settings and mythology is still impressive, the chemistry works and the over-all pacing of the story is excellent. I'm excited for more!

A fairytale for adults! I loved this sequel and cannot wait for the next, the character development, I was obsessed with! Like no other book I’ve read before, I couldn’t put it down.

⭐⭐⭐

I really wanted to try this book but I think im not the right audience for this one. I struggled with the first book too but I wanted to give this one a chance.
The writing style just wasn't it for me to be honest. I think if you're in to cozy fantasy, you would like this series.

Thankyou Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book begins after the events of book 1. Emily has tenure and is planning her next adventure. She is joined by her niece, Rose (a colleague) and Wendell. Meanwhile, Wendell is under attack from an unknown adversary. The trip to the Austrian Alps is in hopes of finding out what happened to Emily's idol Professor de Grey. I liked that we saw more of Emilys family dynamics and that she had a lot of personal growth. The story was fast paced and humorous. This was a delightful and fast read. I would highly recommend.

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit in exchange for a free and honest review.

I love how Emily's character developed more empathy and understanding. It's a very slow process for her since page one of book one but she's slowly getting there!
I love how she's becoming wiser to dangers instead of risking everything just for her academic studies. When she does risky stuff, it's more for the people she cares about. Her character really is growing and developing. I can't wait for book 3!
I miss the villagers and the family atmosphere from book 1, but we had new characters that joined in their journey, and these added that extra layer of family to the group.
And Poe returned!! I love him so that was one of my favourite bits!
I've no bad things to say. I loved this book!

I really struggled with this one, I just found the story line too slow. There was some parts I did like, but it wasn’t long for me to detach from it again

A must have cozy read!

Heathers take on fairies was fresh in her first story and in the second book we set off on a new adventure and finally start to get some of that slow burn payoff. Dare I say I liked it more than the first?

It was a great ending with an open door finish and can't wait to see what she cooks up next!

I absolutely adore this book. It is a fun cozy fantasy and the representation of academics is perfect. Some of things about Ireland/Irish fae could use more work but mostly it’s spot on. It suffer from the fate of a lot of people who forget Ireland is a real place, but otherwise I loved it. The characters are still just as amusing and I love the banter.

Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Heather Fawcett for the advanced copy of Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
I was very excited when I found out there was to be a sequel to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Map of the Otherlands did not disappoint. Whilst perhaps a bit slow to get started, it maintained the same air of mystery and wonderful academic charm of the first book in the series.
The footnotes are phenomenal, the books and papers quoted feel absolutely real and genuine. I could believe that Dryadology is a genuine study and that the Folk are a real and known phenomenon in our world.
Emily, the protagonist, is written as perhaps being mildly autistic – something I can identify with. But this is written in nothing but a positive light and is never made into a negative or dramatic thing. Likewise, there are mentions of same-sex romantic pairings which are treated as extremely normal and not commented on – something which I also really appreciate in a story.
Overall I enjoyed this story tremendously, despite its slightly slower start, and I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series to see how Emily and Wendell’s tale progresses.
Moods: adventurous, dark, informative, mysterious
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, peril
Pace: slow-medium
Character development: weak-medium
Plot or character driven: plot
Diversity: high
Spice: 0/5
Trigger warnings: Amputation, Animal abuse/death, Blood/Gore, Death, Guns/weapons, Physical illness, Poisoning
Rating 4.5/5

So amazing. I loved this book. Emily and Wendell are everything and thier growth as a couple so perfect. I loved that poe is was still part of the story I love that little guy. I cannot wait for the next one 😍

🌶️ Rating: 4 on the RCRS scale (fade-to-black)

Another uniquely original story with Emily Wilde & Wendell Bambleby! Although fairly slow paced, the writing style & character development is so special and different. Neither Emily nor Wendell try to endear themselves to anyone, and they don’t ever really apologise for the decisions they make - particularly those that result in saving each other.

While their relationship was incredibly new and a little unsure in book 1, it’s great to dive into it more in this book as Emily grapples with Wendell’s proposal. I’m looking forward to seeing where the plot goes in book 3!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands.

3.5 STARS

Compared to the first book this one is less cozy, but it is still a nice book with which to cozy up on the couch, with hot tea with you. I loved that the story is told through Emily’s entries in her journal (and I loved that we got a chapter written by Wendell too). It made for a really biased narrator because we meet some new characters here, Ariadne and Rose, and we see them through Emily’s lenses, so we aren’t really impartial toward them, but this is a thing that I appreciated a lot. I don’t want it for all my books, sure, but it was a nice change of pace.
And Emily is a great narrator, so I am more than okay with this.

The book as a whole was interesting and I enjoyed following Emily and her “team” exploring the Alps, but the end felt a bit rushed, especially the resolution to the main conflict.
It is true that in part is due to the fact that Emily’s memory is addled, and this is a brilliant thing, but still… it felt a tad rushed.

That said, I really enjoy Emily and Wendell. Wendell is a dear, and I would have loved to see him a bit more, especially because things aren’t really looking great for him in this book, and a couple of chapters by his POV would have been interesting (and fun, because Wendell is fun!) but Emily is so refreshing! I love her because she stands her ground and she knows her worth. And this is just sooo good!
Sure, she may not be your usual kick-ass heroine, but I loved that she can stand for herself. Sometimes she may border on arrogant, but she never passes the limit, she is just very good at what she does and she knew it. She is not apologetic, she is not humble, she knows she is good and she made the other face it! Lately, I read a lot of books about people who were just so insecure and who just were “yes people” and it was so annoying. I loved to see Emily being so strong and self-assured! I think that this was, by far, my favorite thing in the book.

Mind me, it is a nice book on the whole, with interesting characters, both old and new (Shadow and Poe are my favorites!!), and an intriguing plot (and we get to see Faery’s land!!). I had fun with it, and I think Emily is becoming one of my favorite academics!

Unfortunately this one was not for me. I loved the creativity and premise of this though. Thanks for the opportunity to read this in advance.

The second book in this delightful series and it was beautiful and magical! Emily Wilde and her scholar Wendell Bambleby are on another adventure, this time seeking out another way in to his faerie realm. The dynamics between them continued to be hilarious and I loved the light steps into a slow burn romance potential. The writing is poetic and I cannot wait for more!

I loved this book! Emily and Wendell are so much fun together. I like that we get to see more of where Wendell comes from, learn about him as the story progresses while still maintaining the fae mystery.

I'm very curious about where it'll go from here.

I love this series so much - it brings me such joy as reader to get lost in this world. I cannot wait for the third instalment however will be upset that the series will be ending.

I absolutely ADORED this story. Such a magical follow up to book one, and it kept the wonderful whimsy of the series going. I character development was spot on, and I can't wait to read it again.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands : This is the second instalment of this series and it is a little more intense and darker than the first. It is a mash up of romance, academia, and fantasy. The characters are complex but likeable, and the storyline is pure escapism. Definitely a world to cosy up and get lost in.