10/10

Thank you Netgallery, Heather Fawcett and (Little Brow Book Group) Orbit publishing for providing me with an e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Emily Wilde's tales and through it we get to see her and Wendall blossom. Finally got the romance I was aching for in this book as we get a conclusion to their story. This one focuses mainly on Emily and her fears surrounding becoming queen and the emergence of a curse that sends them off on another adventure.

The first book will always hold a special place in my heart, but I think this one wrapped things up nicely though I was hoping for a bit more of a-something- at the end. It lacked the shine that the others had. The stakes felt a touch lower and the pacing more meandering but coming off the back of a high octane action I just finished, I actually quite enjoyed the change. A perfect book to curl up in this weather.

PS: Still team cat. 😼

I loved the world and how its written the second book of it was ebven more fun to read. I loved it and im happy that netgalley gave it free to read for me.

Read this book for:
🍄Magical Realm
🍄Opposites attract
🍄Faerie Politics
🍄Mortal vs. Faerie
🍄Found family

Synopsis
Emily Wilde has always been a scholar first and foremost, devoting her life to the study of faeries and chronicling their mysterious ways. But when she and her once-rival-turned-fiancé, Wendell Bambleby, claim the throne of Wendell’s long-lost faerie kingdom, Where The Trees Have Eyes/ Silva Lupi, Emily finds herself navigating a realm of peril and beauty she’s only dreamed of. With a deadly curse threatening to destroy their newfound kingdom and an enemy lurking in the shadows. Together, Emily and Wendell must untangle centuries-old mysteries and confront deadly enemies before their dream of a faerie kingdom becomes a nightmare.

My Thoughts
Out of all three books, this one was my favorite. I absolutely loved the quest that Emily and Wendell embarked on to save the kingdom. Their journey began with uncovering where Wendell’s stepmother might have hidden after placing a curse on the realm. To find her, they had to unravel an old piece of folklore about King Macan and the bees, which added a layer of mystery and magic that I found fascinating.

I also really appreciated how most of the characters from the first and second books made appearances in this final installment, including the Hidden King, Lilja, Margaret, Rose, Ariadne, Snowball, and Poe. Their presence tied the series together beautifully, and it was satisfying to see their individual arcs contribute to the greater story.

The part I didn’t enjoy as much was the scene where Wendell sacrificed himself. It wasn’t the sacrifice itself that was the issue, but the way it was written. I had to reread the scene three times to fully grasp what was happening. The description of what took place in Anne’s hideaway felt too vague and disjointed, making it difficult to follow. While the story later clarified what had occurred, I think the buildup to that moment could have been handled more effectively to help readers understand the stakes and events as they unfolded, rather than leaving it feeling so abrupt.

Even after lifting the curse, Emily and Wendell’s quest was far from over. Emily not only had to figure out how to save Wendell from death, but she also had to find a way to protect him in the long term. This involved taking the King Macan story in an entirely new direction, where she required the assistance of her first fiancé, the Hidden King. This twist added another layer of complexity to the plot that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall, it was a really fun read. I loved the dynamics between all the characters and how Emily’s personality shone through—always a scholar first and a queen second. It made for a deeply engaging and satisfying conclusion to the series!

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Wendell. We are here to conquer your kingdom. This will be difficult if you do not know the way to the bloody throne, Now, answer me one way or another - are we lost?"

I have always loved the relationship dynamic between Wendell and Emily. They've always maintained such a great balance to one another and really played into the cosy aspect of "cosy fantasy".

I think for me this was maybe not as well paced as the second book but I definitely enjoyed it and will be picking up my own physical copy to complete my set upon publication. Sad to see the series end but what a journey it's been!

"Emily Wilde's Compendium of the Lost Tales was the final chapter in Emily and Wendell's adventures. And what can I say? For me it was the best of the three! It picks up exactly where the previous chapter left off with a plot that runs its course in a linear, intriguing manner, full of research, action and predictable but satisfying twists and turns.

As in the other books, I loved the new setting of the story, which was immersive and fascinating with the descriptions of the environments and the capricious and cruel beings that inhabit them. But the part that fascinated me the most was the power given to myths and stories, from the most to the best known. In fact, here they are not treated as mere means of entertainment, but rather as a solid basis for world building, research and the solution of the protagonists' own problems.

"Emily Wilde's Compendium of the Lost Tales was the final chapter in Emily and Wendell's adventures and quests. And what can I say? For me it was the best of the three! It picks up exactly where the previous chapter left off with a plot that runs its course in a linear, intriguing manner, full of research, action and predictable but satisfying twists and turns.

As in the other books, I loved the new setting of the story, which was immersive and fascinating with the descriptions of the environments and the capricious and cruel beings that inhabit them. But the part that fascinated me the most was the power given to myths and stories, from the most to the best known. In fact, here they are not treated as mere means of entertainment, but rather as a solid basis for world building, research and the solution of the protagonists' own problems.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the advanced reader copy - I have never been more excited to receive one in my life!

A wondrous 5 stars!
I must admit that reading the synopsis for this book, I was a little worried how it would stretch to a whole book while keeping the atmosphere of the past two, but I should never have worried. Heather Fawcett has hit it out of the park AGAIN! It is everything I hoped for and more for the conclusion to Emily & Wendell’s journey. I only wish I had the audiobook accompaniment so I could hear Wendell’s endless “oh, Em”. An amazing end to an amazing series, by far one of the best I have read in recent memory.

characters: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
plot: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
setting: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
prose/writing: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

final rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

p.s. surprisingly learnt a bit about the history of folklorists in this book with all the “lost tales”, so I’m counting this as educational for sure

Another cozy, heartfelt tale with our beloved cast of characters, a fun adventure in a new land and some mild peril thrown in. Heather Fawcett does not miss when it comes to cozy fantasy, so I expected nothing less when it came to the third instalment of Emily Wilde’s journals. I adore the world building and characters in these books, plus the dynamic between Emily and Wendell is one I love to shout about. This is probably my least favourite of the series, but in no way does that mean it’s not a brilliant story that’s written incredibly well.

It was SO GOOD to be back in this world. These characters are fantastic and the third instalment does not disappoint. All the things we love are here in abundance and these two fools are still deliriously in love.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I could put this book down – absolutely loved it.

“And what sort of Queen would that make me?” He looked perfectly earnest as he leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Mine”

This last book was a true roller coaster of feelings. I laughed a lot, cried a bit, had a lot of tension and fears. The story picks up just after the end of the previous one (and for that, I was tremendously happy to read the 3 books one after the other), yet, it felt a little different.
Emily has grown a lot in the first two books. This time it’s more about Wendell’s evolution, and their relationship, and I think that is what makes this book different. In this one, Wendell tries to reconquer his realm, but, mostly, they learn to live together (and OMG Wendell in this one, he’s so invested… I adored that). That makes the book a bit (just a bit) calmer and more political, but it remains as whimsical as the first two ones. All that said (and remaining true), I think the most emotional part for me was about Shadow. Last year, my life was a lot about my elder dogs, and everything that H.F. writes about the old Grimm carved something special in my heart (the end, OMG the end).
As you can tell, the Compendium of Lost Tales is just as likable as the two other books, and if you liked them, you’ll love the conclusion to the story (except the fact that… it is the conclusion… I would love more of them !!)

Thank you so muchHeather Fawcett, Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit and Netgalley for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

What a wonderful ending for a glorious Trilogy.

The story continues where the last book left off. We follow Emily and Wendell into Faerie, where Wendell continues trying to reclaim his Throne.
I Loved this book immensely. I must admit that I am rather sad that the series is now complete, simply because I will miss our Protagonists and their cast of wonderfully endearing supporting characters, but I felt the ending (whilst being open ended in a hopeful sort of way,) was perfect for them.

This installment felt slightly different than the other two, likely because we spend most of our time in Faerie with the Fae rather than with humans. Lord Taran was immaculate, I found him a very enjoyable character, well developed and really rather amusing. Poe the pixie returns and is as charming and endearing as he was in the first book. Wendell continues to be my most favorite character. I especially loved seeing his Fae nature shine through when Emily was in danger. Though I never truly forget he is Fae, it's at times like these where you truly remember what he is and how far removed from human he really is.

Pacing was on the slower side, though I did not find this a detriment to the story and felt it fit well with the authors prose and style as usual.

Overall, I Loved this last book as much as the last ones. The world Heather Fawcett has created in this series is wonderfully immersive and descriptive. It feels alive, full of whimsy, interesting eclectic characters and interesting plot that although slow at times, never feels boring or overly complicated for complexities sake. I cared very much about Emily, Wendell and best boy Shadow. I will miss them and I already want to begin a reread of the entirety of the series. I would absolutely LOVE another story set in this world, perhaps following one of the supporting characters where we visit back with Emily and Wendell and see how they are getting on.

Thank you to Little Brown Book UK and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

I’ve finished my 1st ARC of the year and what a way to start! Emily Wilde #3 is due to be released on the 11th of February & @netgalley & @littlebrownbookgroup_uk were kind enough to let me have an early copy!
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales picks up not long after #2 and Emily & Wendell are settling into life in Wendell’s realm. Our favourite pets Orga & Shadow are still around and provide us some comedy as well as other characters from book #1 & #2 popping up.
Now for the review!
As ever I wish there was more of Emily & Wendell’s romance. It is technically there on the page but I wish it was a bit more than the banter. I love the banter don’t get me wrong but I think I just want a bit MORE.
I do think I like this more than the ones that have come before and I will definitely recommend it!

I'm so sad this series has ended, but what a finale it was. Fawcett perfectly blended the new with the old, allowing us to explore Wendell's realm and learn so many more facts about faerie, whilst giving us plenty of throwbacks to the previous books and I just loved every single second.

Emily has always been a favourite character of mine, and I think that's largely in part to the way we are given her POV. It's the unedited, internal thoughts we see the most, though with Emily these do tend to be what also escape from her mouth, but Fawcett manages to give us so much introspection, whilst still never allowing the story to drag or loose pace in any way. You can really see how much she has grown as a character in this book, but I also love how the most important parts of her, the things that make her uniquely Emily are never seen as something that needs changing. Fawcett allows Emily to remain wholly herself, whilst still giving her room to grow and I have just loved following her on this journey.

Our side cast stays fairly similar to previous books, with the introduction of a few new faces, as well as some old favourites making a re-appearance, Poe is just the best, but I think my standout 'side-character' was Lord Taran, Wendell's Uncle who helped Emily in the previous book. He's really the epitome of this aloof, dangerous fae, and his interactions with Emily managed to have me on edge as well as laughing my head off in equal measure. I think he's more like Emily than any other characters, most happy in the presence of those he loves and not one interested in small talk or politics, and I enjoyed what he brought to the story.

The romance between Emily and Wendell is one thing that has grown on my throughout the series. I didn't love it as much in the first book, but the more time they spend together, the more I found them growing on me. Wendell adored Emily, exactly as she is, and Fawcett does a standout job of showing him as this doting fiance, Emily's every whim catered for, whilst also allowing us to see his fae side creeping through. The intrinsic danger and fickleness that show sometimes. He may have lived in the mortal world for most of his youth, but that does not make him human, and I loved how she allowed this side to be shown. How Emily wasn't some damsel who fell in love with a pretty fae Prince, rather she fell in love despite that. As an academic she knows more than anyone the danger the fae can bring, but she also knows Wendell and knows that, despite how much he may enjoy murder, he would never hurt Emily herself.

Fawcett makes sure to leave no stone un-turned in this finale. While we spend the most time with Wendell in his Kingdom, she also allows us nods and even journey's that take us back to the very first book. Her descriptive writing, as well as how she tells the story really transport us as the readers there. Seemingly in awe and terrified alongside Emily depending on what she is being shown... rolling fields or trees with eyes for leaves. Emily has been saved on more than one occasion by her wits and her studies alone, but Fawcett really leans into it with this book, allowing Emily the chance to show the importance of stories in fae. Fawcett really took me on an emotional roller coaster... I felt like one of Wendells moods, gloriously happy one second and murderous the next, and there were a few moments where I was worried that Emily and Wendell wouldn't get their HEA. It's the perfect blend of character and plot driven and Fawcett manages to keep us entertained on both fronts.

Fawcett has somehow managed to make the coziest of fantasy series, whilst also giving us plenty of peril and danger. It's humorous, it's heartfelt and there are certainly horror elements, but all told through Emily's scholarly viewpoint just add a touch of humour and lightness to the story. It's a series that shows the importance of stories themselves, and I have honestly loved every single second spent in this world, with these characters. Fawcett has absolutely cemented herself as a auto-buy author and I am eager anticipating whatever she brings out next.

This final installment in the Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett is a beautiful conclusion to an amazingly whimsical series! Following Emily on her scholarly adventures has been a delight, and I loved experiencing this magical world through her detailed and charming journal entries.

In this book, Emily, Wendell, and Shadow venture into the faerie realm of the Silva Lupi to help Wendell reclaim his throne. The journey is filled with challenges, but Emily’s vast knowledge and scholarly enthusiasm make her the perfect person to tackle them. The story beautifully balances tension, humor, and heartfelt moments.

I thoroughly enjoyed Heather Fawcett’s enchanting writing style and Emily’s unique, spirited voice. The characters were charming and lovable, with even the minor characters leaving a lasting impression.

The whimsical worldbuilding was another standout element, transporting me to vivid and imaginative faerie realms. I couldn’t help but wish I could visit those magical lands myself—though only with Emily as a guide, because I’d certainly get into trouble alone!

I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy original, whimsical, and magical tales with lovable characters, an endearing romance, and fantastic worldbuilding. It’s a journey that will charm, entertain, and stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page.

Big thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review shared on:
Goodreads; https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7218203677
thestorygraph; https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/4e865f15-e33e-4862-b6e3-0d6c63080194

After loving the first two books in this series, this one was still good, but it moved at a much slower pace. The story was very much centered around Emily, and the supporting characters didn’t have much depth.

It was very slow to start but the pacing really picked up in the second half of the book, and it was much more entertaining from there.

While it was a good addition to the series, I must admit I was a little bored at times.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for an arc of Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales! Publishing date 11th Feb 2025!

What can I say about this final installment in this magical series? Like all the other Emily Wilde books this was a fun, whimsy and cosy read. Without giving too much away, I adored how Emily retraced her steps from previous books and past characters reappeared- it felt like all loose ends were addressed. I'm also one for the found family troupe and this definitely delivered that.

Overall, I wouldn't say this was the best one in the series (the first book will always be my favourite) however I adored the story and the usual whimsy element in these books. Would recommend to anyone who loves a cosy fantasy read!

Cannot wait to see where the author goes next- she will always be on my autobuy list!

An enjoyable end to one of my favourite trilogies of recent years! Though this book is probably the weakest of the 3, it still contains the heart and warmth that made me fall in love with the books from the first page.

I would have loved to have read this but there was a technical glitch with the kindle download and I cannot read via the app as the writing is too small.

4.5⭐️
I have put off writing this review for so long because I am struggling with what to say. I am honestly unsure if it is my least favourite in the series (but still amazing guys!!) because the pacing is off somehow and I can't quite pinpoint where or how exactly, or if it is because that reading this book was bittersweet as I knew it was the last book and didn't want my time with Emily and Wendell to end.

I struggle with endings so much - to the point that I have not watched the last season of many many shows I am obsessed with because then I can keep pretending they haven't ended. I know, I'm strange and delusional.

I was so so so excited for this book and I adored my time with these characters, getting to see Wendell's kingdom and watching the relationship between Emily and Wendell continue and flourish in the faerie lands! It was a brilliant instalment to the Emily Wilde series!

But whilst I truly did love this book so so so much (although book 2 is still my fav, then book 1, then this one last but by no means least), there was just something about it that didn't hold the same magic as the first two books for me. Again, I am still trying to work out if that is something in the book, or if it is entirely my fault and because I was aware it was the end and mourning the end even whilst reading it, which very likely could have coloured my view of the book.

I do also listen to the audiobooks after publication as well (I read this as a netgalley arc ahead of publication), so I will see if that feeling lingers after listening to it and absorbing the story twice. If it doesn't then I know it was my own emotions and sadness at this beloved series ending that caused the "issue" for me and nothing to do with the book's pacing (or whatever else it might have been). So I will update this later on after I listen to the audiobook!

Let me start by saying that while this third installment wasn’t my favorite in the series, it still delivered a delightful journey worth diving into for fans of Emily and Wendell.

Picking up right where the second book left off, the story sets out with promise but initially stumbles. For the first 30-40%, the pace dragged, and I found myself questioning whether anything was actually *happening*. Emily herself felt a bit off—too shy and self-conscious as she faced the Silva Lupi court. It was a far cry from the passionate, pragmatic scholar I’ve grown to love.

But fear not! Once you push past that slow start, things *finally* pick up. Emily reclaims her spark, diving back into her role as the determined academic, unraveling folklore and forgotten tales to tackle the curse plaguing Wendell’s kingdom. That’s when the magic really comes alive again.

Now, let’s talk about Emily and Wendell. I missed their signature banter, which is such a hallmark of this series. Wendell, ever the gloriously vainglorious beam of sunlight (with a side of chaos), felt almost sidelined in the first half, and the two didn’t spend much time together. But the final quarter of the book more than made up for it, bringing back their delightful dynamic. Wendell’s letters to Emily were an absolute highlight—adorable, heartwarming, and so very *him*. His unwavering affection for Emily, mixed with his charm and occasional flair for drama, reminded me why he’s one of my favorite characters in fiction.

And can we take a moment to appreciate Orga and Shadow? Whether you’re a cat or dog lover, their distinct and endless love for their humans/fae will absolutely melt your heart. They’re the unsung heroes of this series.

While *Compendium of Lost Tales* didn’t quite reach the heights of the first two books for me, it still offered an engaging, cozy adventure. The fairytale vibes and light academia aesthetic remain as enchanting as ever, and I wholeheartedly recommend this series to anyone looking for a whimsical escape.