5⭐️

Finishing a beloved series always feels so bittersweet, but I am happy to say that this was the most perfect ending to this series that I could've asked for, and I am so honoured to have been given the opportunity to read and review it early. This series will always be my go to recommendation for cosy fantasy, and I am so glad to say that this entire series has been full of 5⭐️s for me.

The stakes are higher in this book than they have been in the previous two, and I found that worked really well for me, as we built towards the culmination of all of Emily and Wendell's academic adventuring and whimsical wonderings. I really enjoyed how folklore and mythology was woven into this book, and especially loved the inclusion of Irish faerie mythology, as this is something that has always fascinated me. I found that this heightened inclusion in comparison with (what I can remember, as it has been over a year since I read book 2) the previous books worked really well with the faerie kingdom setting of this instalment, and helped to craft the beautiful, whimsical, and yet ever shifting and dangerous world that Emily found herself in. I found the plot of this book absolutely fascinating, and was so intrigued by how stories and storytelling and fate was such a crucial element of the plot. The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat (especially one moment around half way through, which had me STRESSED but so completely and utterly hooked) and, even though I know there have been some complaints about the pacing of this finale, I didn't find any issues of the sort that bothered me. I have so much more I could say about the plot (and the twists), but I'll say no more out of fear of spoiling this incredible final adventure.

With the setting of Wendell's faerie kingdom, I thought this book provided great space for the expansion of the whimsical worldbuilding in this series. I enjoyed greatly seeing even more varieties of folk of all kind and their peculiar (and morbidly gruesome) ways, and I found that Fawcett's setting descriptions were particularly vivid and beautiful in this book, and almost fell as in love with Wendell's realm and all its majestic natural beauty as Wendell himself.

Something that stood out particularly in this book was the characters and their relationships. I loved how Emily developed as a character, and as always felt a deep kinship with her that has made my reading of this series so enjoyable, and of course was delighted to see my beloved Wendell Bambleby again. Their relationship really stood out to me in this book, as in book 1 and 2 it was still developing whilst here they are a fully formed couple, and I loved reading their interactions and seeing their love written so clearly in every word and glance. Emily and Wendell are truly one of my favourite fictional couples, and I adore how healthy and supportive and so full of love and whimsy their bond is. The side characters really stood out to me in this book, and I enjoyed their varying personalities and relationships with Emily, but, as a disabled woman, the one who stood out to me most was Niamh. Though I do not have the same disability as Niamh, I loved seeing disability representation in this book, especially as this was done so casually and with so much respect and care, and I adored seeing how her disability accommodations were so easily, yet carefully, woven into the magic of faerie. I really hope to see more of this inclusive representation in the wider fantasy space.

Overall, this conclusion gave me everything I could've ever wanted and I adored it so much. This series has been firmly cemented as one of my favourite series of all time, and I cannot wait to recommend it over and over again. I urge everyone to pick up this adventurous and whimsically wonderful finale when it releases next week, and loose themselves in the magic of faerie one more time.

I'm so sad this is over as I need more Emily and Wendell!! I was completely hooked from start to finish, I loved the world building and the Irish Folklore which is so magical, along with the absolute joy of Emily who has a perfect symbiotic relationship with hilarious Wendell and their romance is so wholesome and heartwarming. Please write more!

Thank you so much for this ARC copy!
When Otherlands concluded, Wendell and Emily were on the verge of invading his ancestral home to reclaim his throne. I wasn’t anxious about the battle or the possibility of anyone dying: I was anxious that Wendell and Emily wouldn’t possess the same narrative momentum now that they had confessed their love for one another. Honestly? I was concerned that they would need to be apart, or that Wendell’s new role as King of the Fae would transform him into a terrible person simply for the sake of the story. But as I mentioned, I should have simply placed my trust in Fawcett.
I cherish that Emily remains true to herself; I cherish that Wendell is still true to himself. I cherish the impact stories have on the series' plot. And I’ll never become weary of Emily’s research journals!
Let’s just say that most of this book revolves around Emily trying to rescue Wendell from himself, while still being unable to suppress her scholarly inclinations.
Look, if you appreciated the first two entries in the series, you’ll appreciate this one as well. The only thing I would have liked to see more of is Wendell taking over the journal in a couple of more pages! I enjoy reading from his slightly warped perspective.

Heather Fawett has done it again! I absolutely ADORED this third installment of Emily and Wendell's journey into the magical realm of Faerie. There is just something so undeniably cosy about the way the author has written this world, it feels like I could step forward and suddenly find myself in the places she writes about 📖

No spoilers from me but if you enjoyed the first two books in the series, you won't be disappointed in where this story takes you! The stakes feel higher but the grumpy/sunshine romance and the light academia feel of the writing feel like going home ✨

Another brilliant story I devoured it just like the first!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book

3.5 stars rounded up.

What's more difficult than saving the person you love from an evil fae queen? Becoming a queen and restoring the realm you helped save...

Emily Wilde 3 is just as magical as the other parts of the series, and as the story takes place almost entirely in the realm of faerie, there is something whimsical and horrific around every corner. I loved seeing more of this world, but unfortunately the narrative felt really scrambled so I wasn't always able to fully appreciate the wonderous setting.

Unlike book one which has a very scholarly tone and methodical plotting, or even book two which dips into the emotional turmoil Emily is feeling about Wendell and the villagers and captures a search and rescue vibe, this volume is episodic and kind of all over the place. Is this a story about restoring the kingdom? Is it about revenge? Is it about documenting the experience? Emily herself can't seem to decide. Even her research ideas change frequently...

While the plotting was meandering, the characters were developed a bit more so I could truly appreciate the relationship between Em and Wendell. They're both openly warmer towards each other and it was enjoyable to read. Plus, it was interesting how things started coming together, almost like Emily's life has become one of the stories she has spent so much time studying.

The real hero of this book is Shadow though. Honestly, he does all the heavy lifting and deserves all the cuddles and snacks.

A magical return to the faerie realm with more beautifully rich imagery and loveable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group and Orbit for the e-ARC.

This third installment of the Emily Wilde series sees Emily as a reluctant monarch over a less-than-enthused faerie populace, and a curse ravaging Wendell's kingdom.

There was a lot to love about this book. As Wendell is my favourite character I was thrilled to see more of the faerie side of him, yet he retains all that made him loveable. The grumpy/sunshine dynamic still prevails, yet Emily shows her love in rare emotionally vulnerable moments which were appreciated. Wendell is so clingy it's both hilarious and endearing—they're one of my favourite book couples because of how chalk and cheese they seem.

And Shadow! I wanted to sob for this old dog, and the innumerable creatures who help Emily on her quest.

As usual, the world is filled with beautiful imagery, the footnotes only adding to the richness. There is just the right amount of plot to keep the story going and I felt the pacing just perfect. Without spoiling anything, the final quarter or so was tense, but I knew Emily would find a way.

Overall a very enjoyable read and perfect addition to the series.

4.5 stars rounded up.


Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is like a hug. It's very comforting and exciting to again be following Emily's travels and curious quests.

What an absolute delight this book is. The worldbuilding, the story. the characters. It's safe to say that this book filled that Emily Wilde shaped void in my heart that the second instalment of the series left.

I find that Emily's character has grown immensely from when we first met her in the first book, something that adds a star in and of itself for me. While I found her obnoxious earlier, she's now someone who takes more consideration, lets herself be more vulnerable, even if it's just in close quarters with Wendell. I love that she's suddenly out of the shallow water and now has to figure out most on her own in an entirely unknown world to her. She's been cast out at the deep end and she's learning how to swim. I adored the new set of characters too, even if some were more obnoxious and melodramatic than others, they all fit very well into the chaos that is Emily's life in Faerie.

I especially felt the worldbuilding was strong in this book. It builds onto the already established rules and stories we were taught in Map of the Otherlands and Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and then pushes even more stories and trickeries on us without making it overwhelming for the reader. And in true Emily fashion, the footnotes are a very nice supplement for understanding what she's journalling and thinking so frantically about at times.

The plot never feels like it's lagging to me, although I do feel like it rushes too fast into a few events, only to pivot and change its course suddenly. I wasn't looking too hard for the foreshadowing (and they might have just escaped me in earnest), so to me I felt like I was being dragged along by the hand trying to keep up with Emily's thinking. I'm chalking this up to fit her character, even it if felt weird to me at times.

All in all, I really loved this book as an end to the series. It's comforting and I'd give a lot just to have a bit more of Emily and Wendell's future quests.

Just as cosy and suspenseful as expected from an Emily Wilde story, I liked this entry but it seemed less eventful compared to the two previous. I liked the hunting for myths to predict how events would play out, as well as the twist about Death however, it all seemed to be solved a bit too easily. I adored Wendell's wedding gift to Emily although I was worried for a minute!

I felt that this booked lacked what made me fall in love with the first instalment of the series. As much as I love Emily as a characters, the overall cast was too small for me to care much about the progression of the plot. Emily is so interesting, a 31 year old scholar who doesn’t abandon her passions and interests and has a unique insight into this new world to which we’ve been introduced.
The pacing was quite slow which would be considered appropriate in many ‘cozy’ fantasy stories but I feel like this book lacked stakes and intrigue, it might just be because I felt as though the two main characters had already ‘won’ and my expectations as to the plot wasn’t met.
While not the strongest in the trilogy, I’m still very happy with the ending and am very grateful to have had the opportunity to read this as an ARC before others (trust me, I got intense bragging rights)

Having loved the previous two instalments, I was so excited to jump back into Emily Wilde's world. This time, we follow Emily and Wendell as they work together to try to save Wendell's realm from ruin.

It was great to see some more of Wendell's kingdom. I saw on Heather Fawcett's Instagram that the main inspiration for the kingdom was Killarney National Park in Ireland, where I actually went on holiday last year. I was really able to picture it while reading. Of course, the beautiful prose helped a lot, too! Heather Fawcett has an amazing way of writing that feels so authentic to Emily's character and the academic world of dryadology. It's made me want to reread the whole series again because I've had such a great time with it.

The only reason that this book wasn't a 5* read for me was because the stakes felt a bit low for Emily. Many things seemed to happen quite easily for her, so I would have liked to see her struggle a bit first! However, this story was so cozy and full of Wendell's signature charm. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes some higher stakes in their cozy fantasy.

I really enjoyed the first two in this series, so was happy to be approved to read this one. However, this was a DNF for me. I got to around 40% and was quite bored. Nothing had seemed to have happened and I just didn’t reach to pick it up. Such a shame as, as I said, I enjoyed the first two. I think perhaps it should’ve just been a two book series, or even a stand-alone. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers.

Thank you NetGalley & Orbit for the ARC. 3.25⭐

What can I say. I liked it just fine. Now that I've wrapped up this trilogy, it feels like neither sequel really managed to capture the magic that Encyclopaedia of Faeries had for me, which is wild given that this novel is 80% set in a faerie realm this time round. It's essentially the culmination of Emily's life's work. But ultimately, what drew me in for Book 1 was Emily's scholarly pursuits. It was academia for the sake of knowledge and exploring the unknown, to satisfy her curiosity, for her career and passion. Not that there's none of that in here, or that Emily doesn't do any research in this instalment. But the main motivation behind it was to seek an answer in defeating Wendell's scheming stepmother, Arna. And that led me to realize I just simply don't care as much about that particular plot. Emily's too busy helping to fend off the Big Baddie and learning what life as a faerie queen will be like to properly engage in academia. There's a scene I do give credit to where Emily attempts to explain to Wendell's fae uncle about her passion for new discoveries, and I wanted more of that!

On that note, the titular plot of her digging into old lost faerie tales for the life lessons that could help them defeat Queen Arna was ... okay? It felt convenient expecting history to repeat itself beat-for-beat in the tale that Emily unearths, which she uses to guide Wendell's next moves. But convenience is really how this novel feels, right up to the resolution of the Arna problem. It was SO incredibly anticlimactic that this makes Arna a flat antagonist in the end, despite all the viciousness and devastation we're told and shown earlier.

The meh parts aside, it was delightful to come across past characters from the previous books, given that one of the strengths of this trilogy includes Emily making profound human connections. She's come a long way from her social awkwardness and unintentionally perceived rudeness. Shadow, the best boy, also continues to be a highlight, and I love that we get a good amount of him being utilized.

I dare say this almost feels like the most romantic book of the three, despite Emily & Wendell spending the most time apart compared to previous books. Their chemistry, yearning and unwavering devotion to each other is wonderful to read. There's so much swoonworthy words of affection they have for the other. Wendell cares for Emily's happiness so much that he worries about whether she is able to acclimatize or just find joy in taking up residence in his kingdom. And he never gives the impression that his crown, his throne, is more important than her. His thoughtfulness at knowing Emily so well really shines through; he knows just what will cheer her up and bring her comfort. And despite all the insane power and violence he demonstrates here, Wendell still rightfully respects Emily's need for space, and trusts her decisions. He might be exasperated by her actions at times, but never raises his voice or power in anger at her. Excellent husband material.

Meanwhile, Emily doesn't make him choose between her or his kingdom. Even as Wendell wouldn't hesitate to give up his throne for her sake, she's trying her best to be the queen that'll actually help and solidify his rule. And while she's not the type to do a Grand Gesture as a sign of her love, putting her life on the line FOR him absolutely counts for more. There's also something so heartfelt about Emily refusing to doubt Wendell as yet another capricious and cruel faerie, despite all the historical evidence of the Folk's cruelty to mortals. All the other humans warn her about the nigh possibility of having her heart broken, and she also has to experience the condescension of other Folk for being a mortal betrothed to fae royalty. Yet their faith in each other is unshakeable. I've absolutely enjoyed seeing the progression of their romance from Book 1. They're an incredible couple to follow.

Overall, while this trilogy did not end on a high note for me, Emily & Wendell still delivered.

This is absolutely delightful especially for the third in the series, I thoroughly enjoyed the sheer escapism and found it was the perfect icy cold winter read. A wholesome blend of grumpiness, chilling enchantment, thawing and romance.
The historical research element was perfect, and I loved the different theories about faerie. The whole thing was such a pleasure to read. Looking forward to the next instalment.

The third volume in the widely-beloved, cosy fantasy Emily Wilde series. Emily is a dryadologist (an academic who studies faeries, or "folk"), whose matter-of-fact perspective of a whimsical world makes for a brilliant, amusing reading experience.

This time, Emily and Wendell navigate their newfound position as rulers of a realm in Faerie. With help from characters from the previous two volumes, they battle against Wendell's evil stepmother.

I ADORED the first two books in this series, but I was unfortunately very disappointed with this volume. The cosy vibe that has made the series so renowned was noticeably lacking, while the plot felt rushed, without any real stakes. Perhaps Emily's story has been maxed out and her character too versed in the faerie world, because it just seemed like one of the repetitive fairytales that she and the others ironically study throughout the book.

It reminded me of certain series' that I used to love as a child - The Rainbow Magic Fairy series in particular by Daisy Meadows - where a few exciting books started the series off, and then endless sequels began to be churned out as cash grabs once the originals found success. They always lacked the substance of the originals, and I only read them to provide a pale echo of the enjoyment I had when reading those first volumes.

Heather Fawcett claimed this was only a 3-book series, which would mean this wouldn't follow the formula I mention. But I'm sceptical, as the ending felt like set-up. Perhaps a spin-off series will occur? I am unsure whether I would read one, if there was, due to this book.

It wasn't terrible by any means. Emily and Wendell had their usual banter, and both characters shine as always. But unfortunately, that's all that did. I would have preferred a better grounding in the human world, with more focus on the friendships of the series, and a much tighter plot. The writing felt slightly vague, rather than the well-crafted style of the other two books.

It was still enjoyable, but I can't rate it above 2.5 stars knowing the potential of what it could have been.

I loved the third novel in the Emily Wilde series! My lunch breaks went by way to quickly while reading this, I needed to keep reading! This series and especially this installment are a complete comfort read and super cozy. I prefered this book being even less dark than the first and second books.
Also the Cover is just stunning.

I love delving into the fairy world of Emily Wilde! In this book, we get to spent the most time in Fairy, meeting many new characters and discovering more of the perfectly non-sensical and beautifully dark otherworld. This is, for me, the book's greatest boon, as I thought the story lacking a bit of its usual charm. It might be down to a jumbled version I had to download because the publisher took down the Kindle version from NetGalley - apparently it was faulty. Well, I am nearly positive that a bit of editing can smooth over some of the plot jumps. Nonetheless, Heather Fawcett has created a world that I would always and gladly go back to.

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC through NetGalley prior to publication, so I would like to say thank you for that. I've enjoyed the prior books in the Emily Wilde series and I was highly anticipating the release of the third book, so to be able to have read it prior to it's release was very exciting for me.

Heather Fawcett's writing, particularly in this series, is familiar especially in the pacing of the story. Compendium of Lost Tales is similar to all the books in the series, with it's slow and steady pacing throughout to build the plot, until the last 20-15% of the book where it feels like suddenly everything is happening all at once and you can't really keep track or process what is happening - which I think truly puts you in Emily's mindset because even she comments in her journal entries at these points that everything is happening so quickly and unbelievably. Then the final 10-5% of the book is almost... Calm? Like the wake after a storm where you just get on with life afterwards.

I think I enjoyed this book more than the second installment of the series, though neither hit quite the same as the first book personally. But this time we actually spend most, if not almost all, of our time in Wendell's faerie Kingdom and we're not just learning about the different types of folk through observation with Emily but seeing the day to day lives and such. We see glimpses into Wendell and becoming King, how his Court works.

Wendell Bamblebee, in my opinion, is an underrated "book boyfriend" because he has quite a few lines in this book in particular that - to be frank - make my heart swoon. His devotion to Emily is beautiful and he knows that she may find living in Faerie overwhelming so he goes out of his way to not only adjust his home to welcome her more but also gives her options for respite AWAY from his kingdom - even bringing familiar friends to the cottage he provides her so she may be happy.

The plot was my favourite out of all the plots, but despite it being Wendell's to recover his Kingdom, to find his step-mother and save his land from the rot her curse has brought to it - we actually don't see much from him, his point of view, anything. It's Emily, which is understandable because it's her series, but I would have liked so see more from Wendell. Another journal entry where he's stolen it and wrote about what he got up to while taking court or in a meeting. If Wendell had snook off to try and find information on where his stepmother used to leave to, anything. Instead it kind of came off like Wendell was there, they waltzed up and he became King and then he tagged along while Emily saved the day.

This was my first time actually physically reading one of the books in the series as I'd read the first two books in audio format so getting used to the way this series is written was a little bit difficult at first, but once you do get used to it you find that it blends seamlessly after a while. I often found there were times the story shifted so clearly from a journal entry to simple storytelling, and other times I hadn't noticed until a footnote was added with a reference to dryadology or folklore.

Speaking of the footnotes, they did become particularly distracting in this read just due to formatting as an ARC. For some reason, this book could not be opened when transferred over to my Kindle so I had to read it on my phone via the Netgalley shelf app and the footnotes would often be broken up between the text and dialogue, which made it distracting and difficult to read as sometimes I'd have to flip between pages to find the second half of the footnote.

I fully foresaw this book being a 5 star rating throughout much of the book, I was so excited for it, the plot was going where I thought it was and then.... It just started to fall flat in the last? 10-15% of the book. I understand what it tells us, it's the end - they're not completely saying goodbye to Cambridge and it's just meant to serve as a goodbye to us, it's almost like we're back to the start, etc but I feel like we could have ended on the hype that was saving the Kingdom, Wendell coming back, Stepmother being in a minor exile, etc. It was a good ending, but so open-ended that it was almost not concrete enough for me to feel satisfied with it, if that makes sense.

no words can express how i adore this series (and this will my new brainrot atp).
anyways, the characters from books 1 and 2 have a freaking reunion, and i cried how i miss these characters from the past books 🥹
also, now i know why it is titled as compendium of lost tales 🤭
and as usual, these emily and wendell scenes in here got me screaming, kicking, and giggling my feet 💖

An enchanting journey with a fantastically Fairie conclusion.

I was so happy to be able to read an advanced copy of this story. Emily and Wendell’s story has enthralled me and captured a special place in my heart. The trilogy itself is so well written and paced and every character shines.

I was sad that this book was the conclusion, as I wanted to follow the characters adventures forever, but that said it was ended in such a satisfying way that felt perfect for Emily, Wendell and all those we come to love.

The book is so immersive, filled with wonderful scenery and well described characters. They all have depth and personality the story wouldn’t be the same without a single one of them.

The mix of cosy academia with the wonder of Fairie was everything I needed in my life and I now with I was a Dryadologist with my very own Wendell…. And Shadow of course.

Thank you Heather Fawcett for taking me back to the enchanting days of being a child staring at fairy gardens and flowers and forests hoping to befriend the little folk.