An absolute brilliant third instalment in the Emily Wilde books.
I loved the first two in the series , so was delighted to receive the digital proof of Compendium of Lost Tales.
Picking up pretty much where the second book ended, we rejoined Emily and Wendell’s journey to reclaim his kingdom.
At times sad, funny and mysterious, I was hooked from page one. I love the romance between Emily and Wendell and the added complications of a cursed kingdom and a vengeful Queen, made the story fast paced and mysterious.
Cannot recommend this series enough.

In my review for Emily Wilde #2, I made a point that mixed with all that charm, Fawcett actually depicts Faefolk as scary creatures not bound by human standards of morality, logic and reason. This is what raises stakes for every adventure she takes and it's essentially what raises the stakes for romance. Wendell may be the most lovable, humorous, sunshine of a romance hero to curmudgeon Emily, but he is a faelord; one of the royal ones and they are the most terrifying.
This actually comes to play in this novel as Emily follows Wendell to support him in claiming his kingdom and becoming the new queen of Silva Lupi. And she constantly feels out of the place, because... she is.
Naturally, it doesn't go smoothly because the old queen couldn't leave without a fight, so the realm is cursed. Emily takes upon herself to find the solution because, as every dryadologists knows, the stories about faeries are based on truth.

This novel is the lightest, the coziest in trilogy for two reasons. First, because romance, found family and friendship is at the forefront of this novel. Emily and Wendell still have the same banter and chemistry and despite multiple concerns from her friends and her own experiences she is simply unshaken when it comes to Wendell. She has doubts about herself in that world, but not really about Wendell. Sure, logically it seems like she decided to put some legitimate concerns aside, but this novel is simply not about that. And Wendell is as smitten as he's always been, but I missed his fussy, drama queen-ing as he would run after Emily. In this novel, he was mostly left to rule only to be saved in a very dramatic fashion by his wife. I am going to miss them as a couple.

Second, it's because this novel is the weakest in terms of plot, mostly because everything comes too easy to Emily, so I've never felt like she was really in danger... until she did something terribly reckless I thought we left behind in Hravsnik because we are learning from mistakes. Apparently not.
A lot of it was convenient for an issue Emily has in hand, like Farris' revelation he never thought to share with her in previous book. Or having a boggart in your kingdom just when you need him. Perhaps this is due to this being a final book in planned trilogy, so Fawcett wanted to wrap loose ends, revisit some old characters, have more adorable scenes with Shadow and show what a good boy he is. Orga, Wendell's cat, was the star of the novel and I would read the whole trilogy of Orga's war on Lord Taron, an epic bloody tale that would be.
Even though this one wasn't my favorite, trilogy as whole was such such a delight, feel-good read to me and I love having them on my shelves. :)
Recommended.

i love emily and wendell finally a immortal fae with a full grown adult instead of a teenager i win

very cute and cosy like the first 2 books in the trilogy and well written, enjoyed it thoroughly though pacing was a bit slow.

thank you to netgalley and delrey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5⭐️

This was so delightful and I‘m so sad this series has come to an end. It’s the perfect blend of cozy fantasy, academia, romance and gore. Can we please get some spinoffs? I need more Taran in my life.

We‘re picking up right where we left off with the massive „family feud“ (cough cough) with Wendell‘s stepmother. And now Emily & Wendell have to deal with a vicious Faerie court and a curse cast by stepmommy dearest. Emily tackles this head on with what she does best - academic research. God I love her. Wendell‘s his usual flamboyant self, but always just randomly gets super deadly (esp when Emily’s threatened). It‘s the best kind of whiplash.

I was pleasantly surprised with the twist on the traditional „beating the villain“ plot. I don‘t want to spoil anything, so I can‘t go into detail. Just read it for yourself!

What I love most about this series:
- Wendell and Emily‘s relationship - they‘re so perfect for each other. The relationship was a subplot in books 1 and 2 but has a much more prominent place in this final installment.
- The animal companions. 🐶🐱🦊 I honestly can‘t with the assholery of those characters. 😂
- Speaking of assholery… Taran!!!! He‘s a murderous grumpy cat whose husband is human - I mean… this is the best premise ever for a book! What more do you need?

This was honestly one of the best ARCs I‘ve ever received and I can‘t wait to get this for my bookshelf.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit for providing me with a digital review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing me with an ARC 📖 💞. This was perhaps my most anticipated read of 2025, and the fact I got to dive in early was such a treat. 🌿

I fear I cannot adequately convey how much I love these books, nor how I wish I could remain in the world of Emily Wilde forever. If I always had the next instalment to pick up I’d be content. 📄

Utterly magical, incredibly charming and, and totally wholesome, this was another cozy but high stakes masterpiece. I am obsessed with the quiet, brave and brilliant Em—she is one of my favourite FMCs of all time. I am equally obsessed with Wendell and all of his theatrics. The way he is SO smitten with Emily… I could read about them forever, as I’ve mentioned. (I will never get over his use of “my Em” in this book🥹).

The plot in this instalment was consistently well paced and engaging, as it was in the first two, and I really enjoyed spending time with characters we’d come to know (hey Poe 💚). The writing style (beloved footnotes and all) is just my cup of tea (no pun intended), and I love what the author does with Irish folklore. ☘️ ✨

A final applause for Shadow’s subplot in this book. My goodness, did it pull on my heart strings (as I’m sure it did with all pet/dog people!).

To me, this trilogy is perfection. No notes. 🧚🏻‍♀️

Rated 4.5/5

The writing was engaging and transported me back into that world with the rich descriptions. There was a good balance between the description and keeping you on track with what was happening to the characters. There were emotional bits to the story, humorous bits (although I didn't think that there was a much humour in this book as in the previous ones, but there wasn't really the space for it in this book) and of course meeting back up with old friends (and enemies!). A lot happened to the characters which kept me on my toes!

There was a good pace to the book, which meant that whilst you were given a lot of information, the story kept moving well.

There was an interesting flow between the chapters. As it was done in the style of a journal it was stilted in places. I liked that. It made it feel more authentic and added an extra layer to the story. As you got further into the chapter, it flowed well and everything came together nicely.

The chapters were fairly long and split. They were essentially journal entries that were dated, so you knew where you were in the story, although time moved differently in different realms so that wasn't always relevant!

I liked that there was a illustration to indicate that you were about to start on a new chapter/journal entry.

To add to the journal style, there were interesting footnotes added to the bottom of the page. You did have to remember what it was referring too, but it was an interesting feature.

The characters were excellent. I loved the straightforwardness of the main character Emily. I enjoyed how we got to see what she was feeling. She had a very dry sense of humour which made me smile.

The surrounding characters were great. They were well described and added suspense, tension and horror to the book. I loved the different personalities that were on display. There was something for everyone.

Lastly the settings. I loved the rich descriptions of people and places. It took the reader to some wonderful places, both pleasant and not. I was completely drawn into the fabric of the story. Whilst it was a character based story, it was necessary for the amount of description that there was to be given in order to ground the story and to make it make sense. The descriptions were well balanced with what the characters were doing, making for a great read.

Overall a great third book, full of rich descriptions, tension and suspense.

4.5 STARS

I think this might be my favourite of the series! It still had that cozy feel but the stakes felt higher, the pacing was a bit faster and I felt a lot more affection for the characters

There was more romance, I am officially obsessed with Wendell and Emily, and character development. You get to see old faces and new and it sort of felt like everything really came together in the end from all three books. I love how much different Emily and Wendell are but they really balance each other. Wendell is whimsical and flamboyant and I think Emily steadies him when he needs it. Emily is still her curmudgeonly self but she comes out of her shell a lot more because of Wendell. And they both really have an appreciation for each others differences, they don't try to change each other. And I love seeing the sheer amount of affection they have for each other

While I enjoyed this immensely, I rated 4.5 instead of the full 5 for two reasons. For one, I found myself skimming the stories and footnotes because they were a bit much in my opinion, it's not a huge issue I believe some people enjoy them. And second, I didn't like how Emily and Wendell were apart for most of the book. I think these books are mainly beloved for those two and while I loved that there was more romance when they were together, it felt we were missing that spark from Wendell being Wendell and their banter and affection

I really like the contrast between the cozy and light academia vibes with the brutality of the fae. I think this has been a prominent theme in all of the books but seemed a bit more evident in the third due to even more worldbuilding and being directly in Wendell's realm for most of the book. It felt sort of like Howls Moving Castle met The Cruel Prince and I ate it up

Shoutout to Shadow🥹 the goodest boy, Orga the absolute sassiest girl always looking out for Wendell, and of course Poe!

This book is just truly delightful and it has made me want to go back and reread the first two (I know this is the last book but is it really? 🥺)

Oh, what a wondrous and beautiful (yet, also, sometimes terrifying) adventure this book series has been!

The amount of charm these books have is off the charts - each page is practically dripping with charm, humour, and whimsy, and this instalment is no different, as we continue to follow Emily in her scholarly based adventures - this time around exploring kingdoms, securing thrones, getting fitted for faerie regalia, and casually hopping into places that not many humans have hopped before.

The romance between Emily and Wendell has just been an utter joy to read, and that continues here - even when they’re being impossible with each other, it’s from a place of love and understanding and it’s honestly everything. Their banter remains top notch, as do their sweeter moments, as they strive to secure Wendell’s kingdom.

I don’t want to give away too much about the plot as a whole, but I deeply enjoyed it. As always it’s a mixture of light moments that peak into quite dramatic crescendos, which require scholarly knowledge to help solve and put right. I love it. Give me fifteen of them.

The supporting cast of characters were as fabulous as ever, invoking both humour and fear in equal measure.

This book was one of my most anticipated for 2025 and it did not let me down, and has solidified the series, as a whole, as one of my favourites. While this book does mark the current end for the series, I’m sure I speak for many others when I say that I do hope that this isn’t the last we see of this world, and these beloved characters. But if it is, well. What a stunning trilogy it is!

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.

a wonderfully cosy fantasy once again! I love seeing how wendell and Emily's relationship develops and grows stronger throughout all of the their experiences
the academic side of Emily was super strong in this book and I loved it! it was so fun to see how she focuses on her research and how she sorts through things both rationally and irrationally when she's deep in the lore she's found
shadow was a joy to read as always and I loved that there was a character with my name in the book!
a joy to read, im hoping we get to venture back into the world of Emily and Wendell soon 🥰

One thing I love about fantasy books is world building. I enjoy books which make my mind wander in an unfamiliar land and give my own interpretation of how the author wrote about it.

This book felt a little overwhelming for me because I had to read the installments prior this. Regardless, it made me enjoy the time I spent though I took longer.

I don’t know why I had to discover a treasure by getting a copy of third installment but I am not complaining! I should have discovered this long ago!

This was the perfect conclusion to Emily and Wendell's story. I loved every bit of it- the romance, the world building , the fae lore. I'm so sad to see these characters go, I wish I could read about them forever. Another perfect book from Heather!

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is a fun, magical adventure that follows Emily and Wendell as they embark on a journey through enchanted lands, they uncover forgotten stories, lost magic, and dangerous secrets. The book takes place immediately following the events of the last book.
The world-building is rich and imaginative, and the banter between Emily and Wendell adds a nice, humorous touch.(I'm gonna miss them a lot )
It’s got that perfect blend of magic, mystery, and heart without being too heavy.
The pacing is mostly solid, though there are some moments when the story slows a little.
This was the perfect conclusion to the series.


Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First things first, I wanna thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance, this was the first ARC I received and it couldn’t have been a better book for the occasion!

The third and final installation in this series, and my favorite by far! This book had a strong and exciting beginning. After the previous book’s adventures to find a door to the Silva Lupi, Emily and Wendell embark on to Faerie to Wendell’s kingdom. The story follows them as they deal with problems big and small. The former queen and Wendell’s stepmother has cursed the land and they must find a way to restore the Silva Lupi to what it was, before the curse takes over the entirety of the land.

The way in which they untangled this problem was my favorite bit! I love stories within stories, parallels and references, and puzzles-to some extent- and all these were used to get them to their goal. The story was overall lovely and cozy, as the previous two books had been, but in my opinion this volume was written more splendidly. I cannot elaborate without giving away some key points in the plot, but all I can say is that
many lesser known aspects of Faerie and its mythology are explored, and there is even some personal history unearthed.

There is a cast of new characters to love or even hate. Emily and Wendell also remain their lovely stubborn and strange selves. Orga is, as befits her, still a hero. And Shadow also gets some chances to show off his heroic side. The world of Faerie is explored both geographically and mythically; we get to see a number of new enchantments and glamours, different Folk, and also some horrible curses and poisons.

I think this book will be perfect for people who love fantasy, a cozy read, or a tale interlaced with academia. The writing style is beautiful and magical, while staying quirky and funny. Plot was, in my opinion, strongly and neatly organised, beautifully tying everything together. And on top of all that the book took you through the motions- you experienced joy, fear, anxiety, and even grief- I did shed some tears in fact! The world building was also amazing leaving the reader in love for the book’s universe and wanting to go back adventuring with Emily and Wendell. I cannot recommend this book enough and I do hope that more books might one day be written about the imperfectly perfect characters and their wonderful magical world.

What I loved: this felt like a wonderful completion to the series, and I loved that we got to spend so much time in Faerie and exploring more myths and legends. The twist at the end about the interpretation of the guiding folklore was a clever touch! It was so comforting to be back with characters from Book 1 and 2, but still keeping Emily front and centre. Without giving away any spoilers, thank you for "healing" a certain character: I wouldn't have survived if something had happened to them!!

What I didn't love: that the series is over!!! 😭 I will miss these characters so much, especially Shadow. I did feel we saw a more vulnerable side of Wendell in this book, which wasn't always enjoyable - he really can be carelessly selfish at times, but isn't that to be expected of a Faerie King?? 🤣

"I have learned there is one thing a person never tires of, no matter how long they live. And that is being in love. All else is ash and amber."

I was so excited when I got a copy of this arc, that I almost cried - and while it wasn't quite as incredible as the previous two in the series, it did not disappoint.

I loved the chance to explore more of Wendall's realm, and the evolving story arc added some lovely nuance to his and Emily's relationship. Watching Emily adapt to life in Faerie only made her character more endearing, and I enjoyed watching her learn to be herself in a realm wholly alien to her.

While this was a great read (and I stayed up way too late finishing it), I would have loved to see more of the light academia touches that shine through the rest of the series. But there were also some great new characters and obstacles that fit in nicely to Fawcett's worldbuilding - not to mention the return of other familiar faces!

Overall, this was a heartwarming and compelling read, that provided a satisfying - but still open-ended - conclusion to Emily's story. I'm so grateful to have early access, and I'm excited to see more people get to enjoy this fantastic series!

Books with similar vibes - A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft, Tea You at the Altar by Rebecca Thorne, Winterfrost Market by Jenny Sandiford, and The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.

Firstly I wanna thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance.
Emily Wilde's books just got better and better and this one was definitely my favourite.
I love that it started with Emily and Wendell going to his kingdom but her stepmother's disappearance left them a problem they had to solve.
I loved that Emily was able to return to the mortal world a few times to research on the matter and we got to see familiar faces from the other books.
This was a fantastic cosy read. I don't know know if there'll be more books or if it was a trilogy but, if it was and this was the last book, it was a very good ending for very cosy, fun and mysterious read.

I was not ready to say goodbye to Emily and Wendell so I’d been putting off reading the final instalment. If you loved the first two Emily Wilde books you will love this one, whilst it wasn’t my favourite of the three I enjoyed spending more time with these characters and seeing how their story would wrap up.

This is cosy fantasy set in the dark world of faerie done incredibly well, the unique character’s of Emily and Wendell are such comfort characters to me. It was so lovely to see Emily’s open up to her feeling feelings and see her character growth without losing her uniqueness. I did miss some of the original banter between Emily and Wendell that we had in the first two books but as their relationship has progressed it made sense for them as they aren’t in their initial stages of a romantic relationship anymore.

As with the first two books I enjoyed Emily’s pov written through her journal entries, the footnotes can be a little clunky (especially when read on the kindle as there was a need to flick through pages) but I always enjoy these little informative additions to the story. They are a part of Emily’s scholarly character and I think this little quirk works very well within the story.

This felt like the perfect round up to Emily and Wendell’s story but I did like that it was also left open to possible future adventures. I absolutely adore this whole series and there will always be a special place in my heart for these wonderful characters.

Thank you to orbit and author for giving me a digital arc via Netgalley to read and review early.

I really enjoy this series. Emily is a prickly focused and lovable character, committed to her studies but learning how to love her Fae Prince, Wendell. They've returned to his realm to claim the throne and help its recovery from his stepmother. And whilst Emily thinks this is the perfect opportunity to research Fae politics she finds herself instead drawn to a folk tale that echoes the events unfolding in Wendell's own realm.

And to repeat, I enjoy this series. But I haven't rated this book especially highly for a few reasons - some parts felt rushed. Other parts felt as though they jumped from one conversation to the next scene before the conversation had concluded. We are finally exploring a faerie kingdom but end up seeing relatively little of it. It's poor scholarship to use one tale only as the basis for all of your research. And the ending just felt a little weaker than the other books.

Some of that may also be because we are now in faerie. And it feels less like a mysterious other world when apparently it is a lot more easy to cross in and out of it, especially when you have a King on your side...

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book picks up pretty much where the last one left off, with Emily and Wendell returning to his realm. This book had a lot of returning characters, which was nice, though not enough Poe for me.

The descriptions were still whimsical and fantastic. Emily is as focused as always, quite single minded on following stories in this case in an attempt to save the realm. I did find this dragged in places.

While this book is enjoyable, I didn't find it quite as enjoyable as the first two. I really wanted more interactions between Emily and Wendell as those are my favourite things about these books.

This book finishes pretty open endedly, there would at least be scope for some short adventures. I still love this series as a whole and would recommend.

Disclaimer: e-Arc provided by Little Brown Book Group Uk, Orbit via Net Galley for Review. All thoughts are my own. My thanks to Orbit, for providing me with the arc for review.

Plot
The third and final book following the adventures of Emily Wilde and Wendell through the land of the Fae. The book takes place immediately following the events of the second book.

Thoughts
Sigh…

This book was fine, it was just slow and I think it let the previous books in the series down. There was any dramatic plot moments, and I felt it was made up of a lot of smaller moments.

I also disliked how little of the romance we got, Wendell is barely there which is mad when I think about how the earlier books felt more Romantasy leaning.

Overall, a good conclusion to the series, but a bit underwhelming.