This series has been one of my favourites so far and I definitely enjoyed this continuation. Love love love reading more about Emily and Wendell’s relationship. Also enjoyed the whimsical and interesting notes about fairy history and lore. Can’t wait for the next one.

This was…. Fine. I really enjoyed book 1+2 but 3 just fell a little flat for me? Its a fine conclusion to a good trilogy, and while I love the characters and the storyline, it just wasn’t my fav of all 3.

This series has been fantastic, from start to finish, fun, whimsical, engaging, entertaining….everything you could possibly want.
This book finished it so well, I know sometimes the last one can be a perfect hit or a total flop, this is definitely the former.
I’d recommend this to anyone.
Thank you.

Reviewed by Elloise Hopkins for the British Fantasy Society.

It has taken long and arduous research, but Professor Emily Wilde thinks she has finally found a faerie door that will lead Wendell back to his home, despite her peers frequently telling her that her theory on faerie doors is incorrect. It is a good thing that conviction in her own beliefs is one of Emily's strongest traits. Anyway, it is long past time for Wendell to return to his kingdom, despite what his stepmother may have to say on the subject. That would be the same stepmother that Emily previously poisoned, so no doubt she will be less than pleased to see Emily at her stepson's side as well.

At the same time, always the scholar, Emily, is working on her latest book, a collection of tales of the fae, which, as it turns out, will come in very handy for her as she encounters her next fae mystery. This time it will be her beloved Wendell in danger, but of course, with the utmost practicality, and little concern for her own safety, Emily will do what she must to set things right. Even if it means facing dangers and faeries, new and old.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is another truly welcome read from Fawcett's Emily Wilde series. The relationship between Emily and Wendell is sweetly growing in strength, and is, at times, hilariously contrary. Both are thoroughly invested in each other, and both are by now thoroughly aware of the others' most frustrating habits and deepest desires. Wendell's magic remains both an ever-unfolding wonder and danger to Emily, and his lack of knowledge of faerie politics, as they prepare to take their places as king and queen, beyond infuriating to her, and a witty contrast to her stoic and solid approach to life.

Emily's journal entries continue to inject the story with humour, and invite the reader to share in her frustrations with Wendell. He, of course, began back in book one as her academic rival, and has now taken a firm place in her heart, despite his sometimes flighty and whimsical approach to what Emily considers serious and consequential matters. The reader comes to quietly admire her strength and resilience. She faces some of her greatest fears as she prepares to become a human queen in a faerie kingdom, and tries to save Wendell from every danger he now faces as faerie king, including himself. Another absolute must read, and hopefully not the last.

Thank-you NetGalleyUK and the publisher for a free eARC in return for an honest review.

This is the third installment in Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde series. Having read the first book when it was released, I somehow requested this eARC without having realised there was an intervening book, and then had to press pause until I had read that one. However, once I had read Book #2, I dove straight into this third part of the trilogy.

I'm not sure what I enjoy so much about these books. I suspect they aren't objectively excellent... and yet, I love them. And what is five stars for if not for a book you loved? The pace is quite slow, but the world-building is beautiful, and the characters, while infuriating at times, are fully fleshed out and I resonate with them. (What does that say about me?!) I enjoy the pseudo-academic storytelling about the various different types of fae and Heather Fawcett does a good job of making this feel organic and natural rather than pasted on.

I also felt that the relationship between Emily and Wendell in this third book was... healthier? More romantic? I appreciated it more and it irritated me less! I also appreciate their witty sarcastic back and forth and the way their human/fae interaction means they never quite see things in the same light.

5/5 Stars!!!! I am feral for these two!!!

There’s something rare about a book that makes you laugh out loud, ache a little, and feel completely at home all at once, and Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (and the whole series, really) does exactly that. This finale was such a satisfying, emotional send-off for a world and characters I’ve grown genuinely attached to. And while I’m heartbroken it’s over, I wouldn’t change a thing, well, except maybe another book? Please? Hehe.

What’s always made this series stand out is the mix of rich faerie lore, whimsical world-building, and a main duo that feel both magical and deeply human. The folklore in this final book was especially well-woven, layered with unexpected twists and clever callbacks to past adventures. The tone walks this perfect line between cozy and dangerous, classic faerie chaos with emotional stakes, and somehow, the pacing kept me hooked even when the plot got a little tangled.

Emily is still brilliant, awkward, and quietly badass, even if she’s a bit more reserved this time around. Honestly, it fits. There’s real pressure on her in this book, and while some readers might feel she’s been dialed down a bit, it felt more like a reflection of her stress and growth. She’s still very much the person who can outwit ancient fae royalty and then get flustered by a simple compliment.

And Wendell… oh, Wendell. The dramatic, flamboyant fae prince who never lifts a finger, unless it’s for Emily. He’s hilarious, over-the-top, and utterly devoted, and I loved every single moment he was on the page. The letters. The protectiveness. The emotional meltdowns when Emily’s in danger. He’s a mess, but he’s her mess, and their dynamic remains the perfect mix of exasperating and endearing. Honestly, I’d read an entire book of them just having mundane conversations and sniping at each other lovingly.

Their relationship really shines in this final installment. It’s not about big romantic gestures (though there are a few swoon-worthy ones); it’s in the way they see each other, trust each other, and protect each other without question. It’s sweet, subtle, and completely believable. Every time Emily quietly fusses over Wendell or he goes feral when someone threatens her, it’s just... perfection.

Yes, some parts of the plot were a little hard to follow at times, and I wish there had been just a bit more time with the two of them together on the page. But the emotional payoff made it all worth it, and Wendell’s small written moments helped fill those gaps beautifully.

This trilogy has been pure joy; funny, clever, heartfelt, and full of magic in every sense of the word. Saying goodbye to Emily and Wendell feels like leaving behind a weird, cozy, chaotic little home. So yes, I’m begging: just one more novella. A bonus chapter. Anything. I’m not ready to let them go.

Thankyou so much to netgalley, the author and Little Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an arc in exchange for a voluntary review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

I think this may be my favourite in the series. Despite him being blond, Wendell fully grew on me in this book until I couldn’t remember why I didn’t like him in the first place. I also loved seeing some of the characters from book 1 again and it reminded me of how cosy everything felt when I started reading this series earlier this year. Compared to books one and two, there is quite a lot less action in this book and instead Emily spends a lot more time researching on her own. Although the pacing in this book is also quite a bit slower, I think this was an amazing end to the trilogy.

Is this the perfect ending to a series? YES! So many series fall flat for me at the end, but Heather Fawcett managed to give us a compelling story with heart, character growth, and a mystery to boot. This is a series I will reread again and again.

I'm not even surprised about the rating. I loved this book.

I am an avid fan of Heather’s writing, and I fell deeply in love with these characters.
It was slower than the other two books, and the plot felt a bit on the face at times, but I couldn't help but love it anyway. Just not as much as the last two.
Emily is still one of my favourite characters in this book, we followed her since the very first book, where she couldn’t even interact with any character and was only focused on pursuing her career. I truly enjoyed seeing her grow.
I loved the banter as usual, and there’s something so endearing about how much Emily and Wendell love each other. They were out to save the kingdom, and we as readers are rooting for them. And I do think that there’s something so special about creating characters that make readers care for them as if we knew them our all lives. And that’s what I did.
There’s an element of cosiness that brings back the feeling of longing for the slowness that the first book had.
Although! I was in between accepting that - yes, slow is steady, and Emily Wilde was never about being a complicated, action-packed book. And! , I want more action and more political intrigue. Maybe that’s why my rating reflects that conflict within myself.
The pacing was jarring at times. which weakened the book (for me), and lack of other character's POVs made it a bit less interactive with the world and more stale.

However. I still love this world and its characters dearly. And I wish it would never end.

I preferred Wendell in this book than in the previous two - but this could be because he is relegated to more of a side character. I’ve never really been a big fan of Emily and Wendell’s love story - I love Emily’s character (a strong, female neurodivergent lead) but found Wendell lacking. They don’t spend a lot of time together in this book and I wasn’t eager for their multiple reunions like I can be for couples who have been kept apart.

I enjoyed the return of the side characters from the previous books (wish we had more of Poe) but the side characters introduced in this book did not hit in the same way.

The pacing of this book was off for me - I ended up getting a bit bored by the half way point. It felt like not a lot happened even though the stakes were high (a cursed kingdom, an ‘evil stepmother’ to find) - but these were all quickly and easily tied up. I almost thought the book could have ended a couple of times before it did (like watching Return of the King!). The ending was quite open ended but I did appreciate what Wendell did for Shadow (best character by far).

In the previous two books, I most enjoyed the ‘action’ scenes but there were not really any in this book. Instead Emily spent a lot of time researching and journeying alone. Sadly, for me, this makes the book the weakest of the three.

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books Group/Orbit for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales" is an absolutely charming and delightful return to a truly magical world. T. Kingfisher continues to weave her unique brand of wit and wonder, making this compendium a joy to read from start to finish. I loved delving back into Emily's meticulous (and often hilariously dry) observations, and the expanded lore of the fae was utterly captivating. Each tale felt like a perfectly polished gem, offering a fresh glimpse into the fascinating dynamics between humans and the hidden folk. While I adored every moment, I confess I sometimes wished for a more overarching narrative to tie the tales together, but this is a minor note in an otherwise brilliant collection. Highly recommended for fans of cozy, clever fantasy!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

I am once again 100% sure that I submitted a review aaaages ago but here we go again. Too little scholarship, too much fairy chaos when I am not particularly fond of Wendell as the love interest. Reversed established storylines made this a bit more fun but I am just not a fan of Wendell...

3 stars

A solid ending to the Emily Wilde series. Did I expect something...just...more? Yes, yes, I did. Could I tell you what that "more" is? No, I can't.
The third book concentrated mostly on Emily and her experiences. Don't get me wrong, I do love Emily, but I wish we had a bit more Wendell added to the mix. The plot was kind of...slow and a bit...boring? It was interesting to see more of the Faerie world and their politics, but it did drag a little.

I do enjoy Heather Fawcett's writing immensely and will definitely pick up whatever she decides to write next!

I'm so behind on reviewing books that it's not even funny. I'm reading but just not getting around to actually putting words on the screen about how I feel about the books in question - this is bad, but what can I do? Anyway, over the summer while I'm not working, I'm going to try and catch up with the backlog...

So, if you've been reading fantasy any time recently, then you'll know how big 'romantasy' is in that genre. To be honest, it's hard to avoid it, try as I might, but while the books in this series probably fit fairly comfortably into that sub-genre, for me it's about the difference between two things: a fantasy book with a romance sub-plot vs. a romance book that happens to have a fantasy world as its background. Like its predecessors, Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is the former rather than the latter, as its fantasy plot is strong enough to carry a romance sub-plot without it taking over.

This time around, Emily spends a significant chunk of this book in Faerie, as her fiance (and fae) Wendell takes the throne of his kingdom and she's forced to go on a quest to save his life/the kingdom from a curse. As usual, Emily is a capable and well-rounded character and everything in the plot holds together well. The relationship between Emily and Wendell is important in pushing things forward, mainly as he's one of the ones in peril, but it's not the main focus of what's going on (which is probably why I like these books while others more in the romantasy line leave me a bit cold).

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgally. This is my honest review of the book in question.

I loved being back in this world with Emily and Wendell. I fell in love with them and their dynamic since the very first book.
Emely Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is a cosy fantasy with magical folklore, intrigue, wit, romance and a wonderful cast of characters.
I would never not recommend this book and this series.

I really enjoyed this series from the very first book. It’s an atmospheric cozy fantasy with magical folklore, intrigue, wit, and romance and a wonderful cast of characters, especially the protagonist, Emily Wilde, a highly esteemed professor of Folk studies and now their reluctant queen, and the always charming heir to the throne Wendell Bambleby. I have loved Emily and Wendell’s relationship from the very beginning, with their banter, her resolve and scholarly attitude against his easy and striking disposition and the way their rivalry turned into love.

If you’re looking for a fantasy book with an immersive world then look no further.

Last month I finally got round to reading the next instalment in the Emily Wilde trilogy and it was just as cosy and whimsical as the first two!

A cosy fantasy, that still showcases the ferocity and fickleness of the faeries, Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales brings us another whimsical adventure for Emily, Shadow and Wendell.

It was so fun seeing more of the faerie kingdoms and Wendell’s old home. The prose was immersive and I adored the lore behind the kingdom and faerie stories and traditions. Seeing a human try to survive in a faerie kingdoms will never get old to me and I love that Emily is a scholar trying to make sense of it all.

The pace felt a lot slower for me so I definitely took my time reading this, that said I always love being back in this world.

Emily and Wendell’s banter and relationship never fail to make me laugh and I have really enjoyed this trilogy. I can’t wait to see what Heather brings next!

I’m not sure if Heather Fawcett is planning to end the Emily Wilde series with Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales, but it wouldn’t be a bad spot to do so, with Emily and Wendell retaking his kingdom and trying to settle down to rule it. As you’d expect in a fairy tale, it doesn’t go quite so easily (and also that wouldn’t make half such a good story).

I did get a bit stalled on this one, but it was due to life events, rather than being about the book — when I was in the mood to read it, I ate it up in big gulps, om nom nom. I love Emily and her determined, matter-of-fact nature, and I love Wendell and his fairy-strangeness (tempered perhaps by his time among humans).

I also loved getting to see more of Taran, and the fairy court in general, and the appearance of some old friends into the bargain. And for those who might worry about Shadow (Emily’s dog/eldritch beast), he’s doing just fine by the end.

I continue to love the format of a female scholar getting entangled in big events through pursuing her curiosity, though Emily charges into it a bit more directly than my other favourite (Isabella, from Marie Brennan’s Lady Trent books).

"Stories shape the realms and the actions of those who dwell there. Some of those stories are known to mortals." - Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales begins just where Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands finishes, with Emily (Cambridge's foremost dryadolgist) and Wendell about to step through the magic door that will lead them from our world to Wendell's, so that he can reclaim his fairy kingdom. Emily's irritating colleague Wendell is, we have learned, in reality and exiled fairy prince who has been searching for a way back so that he can challenge his stepmother for the throne.

This story is, then, rather different from the previous two because it's less Emily trying to solve a mystery in the course of her research than a deliberate and planned incursion (even if Emily's diary and reporting style are reminiscent of an academic field trip - you can take the woman out of Cambridge, but...)

Or so it would seem. In fact, once the two set foot in Wendell's kingdom, their troubles have only begun. It's less the battle for the throne, more the elusive and downright sulky nature of the kingdom itself. Oh, and the curse that his stepmother has laid upon it...

And that does take us closer to the earlier books, which might be oversimplifiedlified as Emily drawing on her knowledge of fairy lore to solve a situation. In Compendium of Lost Tales, it's a brutal one, the kingdom is dying, how will it be saved? Wendell has an answer, but his solution is likely to cost Emily everything. can she find, as it were, a loophole in the contract? Surrounded by shifty fae, whose loyalty and friendships change like the clouds on a windy day, and with Shadow also ailing, it's a tough challenge.

I enjoyed this book the most of the three Emily Wilde stories. Until now, the fairy kingdoms have only been visited briefly, events being seen through human eyes from our world. While Emily's and Wendell's strong central characters have dominated, the human angle has distracted - I kept trying to pick apart the differences between Fawcett's Earth and our own, and to locate her Cambridge and Emily's and Wendell's society in relation to our own. That isn't really the point of the books, I think. In contrast the full blown engagement with fairyland in this third book rather frees the imagination to engage with the tricksy business of fairy magic, fate and Wendell's complicated family relationships. It also brings a slew of fascinating new characters who I enjoyed meeting.

Great fun, and a fine ending to this brilliant series.

Though a big fan of the first two books, I just could not connect with the story of this, the third instalment. Though having all the elements I enjoyed previously (independent and brave Emily, swoon-worthy Wendell, capricious fairies etc) I think the focus of the story shifting to something Wendell wanted to achieve rather than a purely academic pursuit of Emily’s contributed to my lack of enthusiasm.

Our intrepid fairy academics venture back to Wendell’s kingdom to reclaim is lost throne, and much of the book is devoted to Emily’s endless observations about the court’s denizens and culture. Though she’s ostensibly using these to write another paper and achieve more academic kudos, it does feel like her work is de-centred by the focus on Wendell and his position. She thinks he is ill-equipped to navigate the politics and complex relationships of being a ruler when actually he’s pretty comfortable in what is his natural environment.

The pace was glacial and I must admit to listening to the audiobook on super-fast speeds by the 3rd act. I had some troubles with the structure as well with the story feeling like it was ready to conclude but in reality being only 80% done.

Fans of the series will enjoy this book despite these critiques, as it’s still full of danger, evil villains, treachery and heroics we’ve come to expect from the series.