-----------WHAT I ENJOYED: ------------
- I have to say, I absolutely adored being back in this world again, following Emily, Wendell and Shadow on their adventures through Faerie. I continued to love the dynamic between Emily and Wendell. They are honestly like a charming old married couple, who bicker and taunt each other, but whose deep-rooted love can be seen in every interaction. Wendell is basically just a golden retriever character, who cares for and protects not only Emily, but those she cares for as well. They are just so cute together, and their relationship really had me swooning at points!

- However, there were a lot of changes in the character dynamics as well, as this book is set nearly a year after the events of the first book. I think the most obvious change to me was in Emily's character. Heather Fawcett continues to be ridiculously clever in her writing style, in that the changes in Emily could mainly be seen through how she approached her journal, rather than through her physical actions.

- Emily's journal has become a lot more personal in nature compared to the first book, and so shows her being more open and slightly more relaxed. It was really lovely to see these changes in her character, as she seemed a lot more settled in herself, especially within a social context. We got to see little cameos from the characters from the first book who Emily made lasting friendships with; this was not only just a nice little throwback, but it also shows how much Emily has grown as a person as she was very...opposed...to making friends before!

- As well as seeing some of our old favourites, we got introduced to a bunch of new characters in this book, which was so fun as they really balanced the dynamic of the group. The two main new characters were Ariadne, Emily's niece, and Professor Rose, one of Emily and Wendell's co-workers. I especially loved the addition of Professor Rose as he disapproves of basically everything Emily and Wendell do and so we finally got to see someone who wasn't slightly in awe of them! However, he does have (begrudging) respect for Emily and her work, and so it was fun to see how their work ethics were different, but also how they learnt from each other.

- I really loved the addition of these side characters for a couple of reasons. First, their deeper exploration, added with the personal tone of the writing style, made me feel really connected to them and the wider story in a way that was missing from the first book. So, it was nice that I didn't have the same complaints in this instalment!

- But, more importantly, I feel like they made Emily feel a lot more real as they brought out different sides of her character. We saw her trying to balance being a strict professor with being a responsible aunt with Ariadne. We could see how snobby she can be in her work with her interactions with Professor Rose, and how her professional jealousy can lead to her being very single-minded. We get to see these pretty negative qualities in her, but they just made her feel more rounded and realistic as no one is perfect. Rather than making her unlikable, I just found her to be even more charming honestly!!

- Moving on from the characters in this book, let's talk about the actual plot because it was a lot more action heavy than the first instalment. We see our characters going on another adventure to further their knowledge of the Faerie realms, but there is a lot more at stake as Wendell is also trying to find a way back home. But, the home he is trying to return to is not the safest place, and so we got to see a really dark and menacing side of Faerie too. Some of the events are not for the faint of heart, but I loved how it added a new layer to this world, and really captured the essence of the classic fairy stories!

- This book felt a lot more structured in terms of plot and world development, and always left me wondering what was going to happen next. We have a deeper knowledge of how the Faerie realms work, giving us a fuller understanding of this world in general. It was exciting and full of mysteries, whilst also managing to maintain the really cosy and whimsical atmosphere that made me fall in love with the first book. I think Heather Fawcett did an amazing job with this second instalment, and I'm now totally invested in this series!

---------OVERALL THOUGHTS---------
If you couldn't already tell, I absolutely loved this book. I honestly could not have asked for a better sequel; it expanded our knowledge of the world, it kept the super cosy atmosphere while also making the story exciting, and it really added a lot of development to our characters. This series is quickly becoming a new favourite, so I am definitely going to be picking up the next book when it comes out! I 100% recommend this series if you are into cosy fantasy.

Thank you again to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands
the charming light academia Sunday Times bestseller
by Heather Fawcett

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Romance, Sci Fi & Fantasy

I loved the first book, fabulous, and this second lives up to that promise. Emily is her same slightly awkward self, a little out if step with the rest of the world. Even This world ;-) Wendell is the same, that on the surface slightly flaky persona, but underneath a really sharp, intelligent person. It took a while in the first book for me to really get to understand Wendell, Emily was no problem, she feels like me, a bit outside the normal range...what's that phrase? Singing from a different hymn sheet..

Emily's new project is fun, and she thinks she may make progress on finding the door to Wendell's realm. That's becoming quite urgent, as his stepmother, the current Queen, has been sending assassins for him. I love how Emily just takes all this danger in her stride, deals with assassins and attackers as if its is just part of everyday life. She just ploughs on, intent on her goal. Nothing fazes her :-)
There's a great mix of gentle humour, subtle clues and weird oddities, along with vicious fae, and a few helpful fae. Often because they have their own agenda so help has to be accepted very cautiously of course.
Its a fabulous read again, with all sorts of different characters, and some fun moments mixed in with some real dramas, and a daring rescue. Roll on book three.


Stars: Five, another great installment, looking forward to the next!

ARC supplied by netgalley and publishers

Beatiful sequel in Emily's world.
Perfect for a cozy afternoon read.

Can't wait to continue with book 3!!!

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 really enjoyed the first book, so when this came up as available to request, I just had to. It didn't feel like it suffered from second book syndrome, but rather just continued on with those cosy vibes!

This second instalment of Emily Wilde’s escapades with her faerie fiancé did not disappoint. I was straight back in her world as I read this diarised adventure story. As the main voice of the book, Emily’s character is clear and complex as she continues to learn how to connect with people (and faeries), rather than hide in academia. And her relationship with Bambleby is central to that process. Often touching and always exciting, this book is one of my favourite finds of the year. Bring on the 3rd instalment. Can’t wait!

I don't really think I have the words to truly express the love and adoration I hold for this series. I started the series last year, going in not quite knowing what to expect, and fell in love with the world and characters created by Heather Fawcett. Going into book two had me scared I wouldn't feel the way I did after book one, that genuine joy and warm feeling a good book brings to you. However, I was not disappointed while reading this second instalment in the series.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands had everything I craved, from the humour, to the characters, to the setting and the plot. I simply couldn't get enough, and I doubt I ever will. It is by far my favourite read of the year so far, and I simply couldn't praise it enough for how much enjoyment I got out of reading it. Every character brings in something different, a vision of their world and the adventures they go through. The journalistic style of the book and the flow of the narration, no matter how hard it tries to stay unbiased, at least from Emily's perspective, is explored in such an entertaining way that I couldn't stop myself from reading.

The two complaints I probably have are that I wish the book could go on for longer. I wished it didn't end, yet I had to accept the fact it would. And I will always hope for more Emily and Wendell scenes of them just together.

I am more than excited for book three to come out and can't wait to pick it up next year!

Similar to the first book of this series, although I love the cover of these books I find the cover and title a marketing nightmare-for years I saw these and assumed they was actual little kids encyclopedias and did not understand why the book girlies were hyped about it. After reading it i’m still eh. However I liked this one better than the first and presume i’ll like the third better yet.

The story is written as academic Emily Wilde’s field journal as she goes on a new expedition to discover fairies in the Austrian mountains. In this world fairies are known about and avidly studied in universities but still largely regarded as mischievous tricksters that the general populace leave alone. Emily is an academic from Cambridge and is attempting to discover a faerie door while working on her latest book. She and her colleague Wendell Brambley end up entangled in a small wintery mountain town’s fae community drama and an adventure ensues with vague romance. Mostly same as the first.

My opinions on the series remain the same after reading this one. I think the characters are interesting and the world building fascinating however the dedication to writing the whole story from the perspective of a scholar’s field journal left it extremelyyyyy boring and bland and very young sounding. This limited perspective made the romance mostly left to the readers imagination. I found the plot twists particularly boring as our main character is very clever and would often just state things as they are. Although I do appreciate this dedication to writing an erudite character who actually is smart and useful and not just supposed to be smart. I often found Emily’s character sorta boring since she solely focuses on her research and rarely mentions emotions, romance, or social interactions. There was an allusion to her perhaps being aromantic which would be nice rep and make more sense. It could also be argued this lack of romance is because it’s supposed to be academic notes but that is ridiculous since she often mentions things that are not academic related.

I also disliked the one chapter we get from Wendell’s perspective. I found it quite lazy. It’s exciting to get the love interests perspective but I think that should either be a consistent choice to have every other chapter from a different POV or do it as a seperate novella or just tumblr release.

Although the story was fun I found the climax events escalated entirely too fast and resolved too quickly and easily. However I do think it was better than the first book’s. There is also virtually no character development. But I did enjoy when the human characters experienced fae lands. It had a very visceral feeling to the descriptions and woozy character actions. I also absolutely love the fae world building it’s fascinating.

I really enjoyed this continuation of Emily Wilde and it really kept the cozy fantasy vibes from the first book. I like the development of the characters and the introduction of new characters. I liked to get to know more of Emily's background and the reason she is so passionate about her research.

I am so here for the continuation of the slow burn romance and I absolutely loved the development of their relationship in this book.

This series never loses its charm and it really is a cozy book you can snuggle up with when you want an easy going but still exciting folklore inspired fantasy.

I can’t wait to read the third book in this series when it becomes available!

A Whimsical Journey Through Faerie Realms, with a Dash of Romance!

Heather Fawcett delivers another charming adventure with Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, the delightful second instalment in the Emily Wilde series and omg did I love it!

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if an intrepid academic got tangled up in faerie politics and romance, this book is the answer and it’s a joy from start to finish!

Emily Wilde, the brilliant yet socially awkward scholar of faerie folklore, is back on the case, this time mapping the faerie realms. Her quest takes her (and us!) to the enchanting Austrian Alps, where stunning scenery meets perilous Folk magic. At her side is none other than Wendell Bambleby, her infuriatingly handsome colleague who just so happens to be a faerie king on the run from his vengeful mother. Their banter? Top-notch. Their chemistry? Absolutely swoon-worthy.

Emily’s academic curiosity leads her deep into the mysteries of faerie doors and hidden realms, but the story doesn’t stop at magical maps. Along the way, she navigates new friendships and the budding realisation that her feelings for Bambleby might be more complicated than she thought. Cue all the heartwarming (and occasionally hilarious) moments as Emily, who’s better with ancient faerie manuscripts than human interactions, figures out not only the workings of faerie doors but also her own heart.

Fawcett strikes a perfect balance between academic intrigue, enchanting folklore, and laugh-out-loud moments. Emily’s prickly, no-nonsense demeanour is the perfect foil to Wendell’s effortless charm, and watching their relationship develop is just as exciting as the magical mysteries they unravel.

While the plot moves at a brisk pace, the heart of the book is its characters, especially Emily, who remains wonderfully relatable as she fumbles through social situations while excelling at all things faerie. And Wendell? Well, let’s just say if he ever needs a door back to his faerie kingdom, we’re all holding it wide open for him.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is an utterly enchanting sequel that weaves adventure, romance, and folklore into a captivating tale. Perfect for fans of whimsical fantasy and slow burn romances, with just enough faerie mischief to keep you guessing! If you love faeries, folklore, and a quirky academic heroine, you’re in for a treat.

Now, where do we get our own faerie map? ;)


Thank you to the publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit , the author Heather Fawcett, and Netgalley for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review

Oh. I love these books! This is the second in the series and it’s every bit as good as the first.
I love the world that the author has created here, it really makes you feel like you could be living in it. It’s immersive, engaging and I couldn’t wait to pick it up. The character development has really progressed well, and brings a lot to the story.
I’m looking forward to more from this author in the future.

What a book, I read this directly after reading the first Emily Wilde book in the series. The way that Heather Fawcett writes is so easy to read but descriptive, especially when describing all the Folk they meet on their journeys.

In this book Emily and Wendell are going on another "quest" with some extra helpers this time including Emily and Wendell's colleague Rose and Emily's niece Adrianne. These characters while only being introduced in this book really grow within themselves while the "quest" continues and hope this isn't the end for their storylines.

There are some returning Folk from the last book which I really enjoyed and you learn about even more Folk in our land and otherlands which I really think made this a perfect read.

Emily and Wendell's relationship grows in this book and I feel like you get to know Emily more. The description of the Faerie lands and the Folk kept me reading on wanting to know what would happen next.

I love that the story will be continuing in book 3 and I cannot wait to pick that up once it is published.

I would like to thank netgalley and Little Brown for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this and can't wait for book 3.

The second instalment of Heather Fawcett's rich, folklore-infused series, Map of the Otherlands was just as enchanting as book one: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries. While I ended up loving Encyclopaedia of Faeries, I actually found this second book faster paced and immediately more enjoyable.



I don't always get on with novels formatted as journal entries. I sometimes find it incredibly limiting, though in this context the format works. It allows Emily to insert footnotes and information about her academic learning and findings which she would not naturally explain to the characters in the books, since they are often also scholars. 



Without saying too much about the plot, I found myself much more endeared to the characters in this book, and I also really enjoyed seeing them in their Cambridge setting. It was so lovely to see the reappearce of some beloved characters from book one, as well as witness the gloriously addictive relationship between Emily and Wendell. Emily's sincerity combined with Wendell's humour and charm just make for the most wonderful scenes together. I am so excited for more of them in book 3.



This is such a perfect rainy autumnal day read, to curl up by the fire with a mug of something warm (like Wendell's favourite hot chocolate). I am so glad I got around to reading these books and thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for this copy.

Another wonderful installment of deliciously light and romantic regency style fairy tale.
These books make me so happy. They make the magic of the fae seem so very possible.
And the love story between the FMC and MMC is just so adorable.
The Emily Wilde series is an auto buy and I recommend it for anyone that loves romantasy, regency, and the fae!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had high expectations for this book and I was not disappointed. Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is the second book in the Emily Wilde series, and certainly lived up to the first, in my opinion. This time around Emily and Wendell are exploring the Austrian Alps, evading assassins and discovering the world of faerie doors.

This, to me, is Emily's book! I found I connected with her much more as a character in this story, as she delves into her own self awareness and nurtures her relationships with other characters. In particular, we see much more of Emily and Wendall's romantic relationship blossoming, albeit at a slow pace. I love the grumpy x sunshine dynamic in their relationship, I find it very wholesome! Though, on the topic of Wendell, I would've liked to have seen more from him as he was missed in his absences, thus we found Emily having to fend for herself much more.

Along the way we are met with friends, new and old, which was lovely to see. In particular, I loved Poe's cameos and found a new and extended love for Shadow.
However, some of the new characters fell a little flat for me- such as the Austrian villagers, whom I found to be ultimately pretty forgettable. I also think some more folk interactions (like Poe's in book 1) wouldn't have gone amiss.

Heather Fawcett’s writing style is truly beautiful, she creates some delightfully visual world building which really got my imagination to work (in the best way possible!) I appreciated the little nods and references to book 1, like the continued use of footnotes- there's something really cosy about those! I found the eloquence of her writing was lovely to read and consistent throughout, but some of the word choices were lost on me and pulled and me out of the story a little, at times. I also read someone saying that illustrations would be a great addition to these books and I absolutely cannot agree more!

I absolutely adore the whimsical vibes of this series, it just emanates warmth and cosiness, an ideal autumnal reads for fans of folklore, fantasy and light academia.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book.

In this sequel, we are following Emily, a scholar studying dryadology (faeries). She goes on an expedition to try to find a very specific door ( a nexus) that most people in dryadology don’t think exist, except Danielle De Grey. She wrote many papers but they were discredited and no one has heard from her since. Emily uses her work to try and find the nexus to gain access to Wendell’s kingdom.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel! Short, rather easy to go back to even after reading the first book a while ago and riveting.

It was nice to have Emily interacting with Ariadne, her niece, and learn a bit more about her family. I also love her relationship with Wendell.

I think my favourite character is Poe. Such a cutie! I love him so much. I already loved him in the first book, but having him in this sequel again was the cherry on top!!

The diary/journal format is still amazing! It adds a little something in the writing, especially when Emily narrates events that happened. I love the duality of feeling like we are living the event at the same time as Emily, but we also know that she is sitting down and writing all in her notebook.

This series feels like magic. It is so cozy with all the classical sense of faerie folklore, the quirkiness of characters, the immense world building, the little plots and twists of colliding faerie world and human world, it just pulls you in.

Emily and Wendell are grumpy x sunshine in the very flesh.
Emily Wilde, what a passionate professor you are. Her curiosity, eagerness to go beyond for her research, all the while being super socially awkward, and little (yet so big for her) acts she does for Wendell are all charming and inspiring.
And Wendell Bambleby, he is an icon. He is a star. I love him and his princess acts so much, well he has been a prince and king all his life after all. The way he and Emily annoy each other with all the jabs while being supportive and secretly affectionate is quite swoony. I love how he loves Emily and she is absolutely clueless about her effect on him. Still. Maybe she knows a little more now.


In this story, they follow a lead for a door to Wendell’s realm in the Alps, of course it is a huge adventure with all kinds of near death experiences as well as so much being served for Emily’s research. I know some about Austrian/Alpine folklore on Krampus and their festivities, it was fun to read glimpses of it.
For the majority of it Wendell was poisoned and half conscious, I wish we had more of him and more of Emily/Wendell adventures. It is not like he was absent, he was there quite a lot and jumped up on his feet in very critical moments coming rescue even and they still had quite a few cute, bickering, intimate and fun moments. I love seeing them having more romantic moments even though the story does not focus on their romance. I love seeing them together getting along as this one definitely has more romance than first book.

I also loved how, especially Emily, keeping up with the old friends and making more here. Her bond with Lilja from first book and Ariadne here. I loved seeing little cameos from the characters from the previous book as well as Poe and Snowball and their huge help here. Emily finally becomes more open to socialising and relationships in general rather than solely focusing on her academic life, her character development is quite impressive.

Shadow is the best magic dog, and most loyal. I love that we have Orga now, Wendell is of course a cat person, and his cat is as snarky as him. I would love to see them more in the next book based on the little glimpse in the end.

And lastly, the writing is magical as ever. I believe it is the biggest impact on the story feels this magical and cozy because of that. It is so vividly descriptive yet not overwhelming with that world/magic building. I love even the footnotes adding so much to that sense. The characters having distinct and consistent voice all the while their development is visible. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Thank you so much Orbit and Netgalley for providing me this ARC for my honest opinion.

I’m so in love with this book! The author’s writing beautifully balances whimsical faerie lore with Emily’s personal growth, making each page both intriguing and emotionally resonant. The intricate exploration of faerie doors and romance creates a captivating journey that’s as thought-provoking as it is charming.

Aaah I love these books so much!! Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with the eARC. I adored the book.

Map of Otherlands is the second book where we follow faerie scholar Emily Wilde. Go read the first book if you haven't already!

<spoiler>In the second book we continue the search for Wendell's realm. This brings them to Austria.

I love Emily and Wendell so much! The new charactes Ariadne and Rose were also great. I like the aunt-niece dynamic between Ariadne and Emily.

I also really enjoyed the mystery surrounding De Grey and the ribbon man.

And I just cannot wait for the third and final book!</spoiler>

If you love whimsical books with the Fae, a slow burn romance, and some scholarly words, these books are definitely something you need to pick up!