4.5 Stars. I would live in this world forever if I could. Heather Fawcett is able to capture the strangeness of the fae while also giving them dimension. Emily and Wendell are two of my favourite characters. I am not the type of person to ever finish series because they are usually a let down-- I was not let down in the slightest. The characters and the story held true. I cannot wait to read everything else that Heather Fawcett ever writes

This was a phenomenal ending to the Emily Wilde story, I hope we get more in the future. Emily and Wendall have taken back his realm and they now need to learn how to live in their new reality, and also lets throw in some big fairy issues as well. Emily has to face brand new challenges, not all can be helped with research either. Emily really comes out of herself in this one, but she doesn’t change at her heart at all which I adored. Wendall loves Emily for who she is and does not expect her to change either. This series is amazing and I love it!

ARC Review: Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales, but it quickly won me over with its mix of academic charm, whimsical storytelling, and deep faerie lore. Even without reading the previous books, I found myself completely immersed in Emily’s world.

Set in 1910, this third installment follows scholar Emily Wilde as she faces fae politics, an impending war, and her own engagement to the ever-charming faerie king, Wendell. With a powerful curse threatening the fae realm, Emily must rely on her vast knowledge of folklore to navigate a treacherous path to salvation.

💛 What I Liked
1. Rich Faerie Lore – The mix of Irish mythology and academic intrigue made this world feel vivid and immersive.
2. Emily’s Unique Perspective – A fiercely intelligent yet socially awkward protagonist with subtle but rewarding growth.
3. Wendell’s Charm – Arrogant, devoted, and effortlessly amusing, he stole every scene.
4. Slow-Burn Romance – The grumpy/sunshine dynamic was beautifully woven into the narrative without overshadowing the plot.
5. Engaging Writing Style – The journal format and footnotes added to the scholarly feel.

✨ What I Wish Was Different
- Pacing Issues – The heavy focus on research sometimes made the story drag.
- Too Many Footnotes – While authentic, some felt unnecessary and disrupted the flow.
- Low Tension – High stakes but convenient resolutions made conflicts feel less urgent.

🎨 What Makes It Unique
The novel treats folklore as both a source of knowledge and a living force that shapes reality, making it more than just a fantasy—it's a love letter to storytelling itself.

📖 Who Will Love This Book?
If you love mix academia, magic, and slow-burn romance, you'll find this book enjoyable.

✨ Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC! This review is based on my personal opinion. 😊

3.5 ⭐️
I love Wendell and I’d read any book that has him in it but I felt this last book was a bit samey and I was looking for some more romance. It’s a very cute low stakes comfort reading series. The writing style is great. I feel it would be better suited as a duology. Thank you for allowing me to arc read it in return for an honest review!

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is the captivating third book in Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series, combining elements of light academia, fae lore, and slow-burn romance into a beautifully woven narrative. Fawcett's mastery of whimsical storytelling and intriguing world-building continues to shine in this enchanting tale of a scholar’s journey through the perilous and politically charged realm of Faerie.

Emily Wilde, the dryadologist with an insatiable curiosity for the fae, has always felt more at home in the world of academia than the realm of human social norms. Now, she faces the ultimate test of her skills and her resolve as she becomes the queen of a faerie realm. The plot kicks off with Emily and her now-fiancé, Wendell Bambleby, who was once her academic rival, stepping into the heart of Faerie after Wendell's long-lost kingdom is thrust into their hands. What could have been a dream scenario for Emily—a chance to immerse herself even further in faerie culture—quickly turns into a deadly nightmare. As they assume the throne, they find themselves surrounded by dangerous magic, political intrigue, and secrets that could tear their world apart.

The allure of this series lies in the central character of Emily Wilde, whose academic inclinations often clash with the high-stakes, chaotic world of Faerie. Initially, she feels out of place—an unassuming scholar thrust into the role of queen in a realm filled with beauty and danger. Fawcett explores Emily’s internal struggles with her identity, her sense of belonging, and her increasing feelings for Wendell. Their relationship, which has evolved from rivals to partners, adds a layer of sweetness and depth to the story. Wendell, as the dashing and mercurial prince, is both Emily’s anchor and her greatest challenge, his magical abilities often serving as a foil to Emily’s bookish, knowledge-driven approach to life.

The faerie realm itself is a character in its own right. As Emily and Wendell delve deeper into the mysteries of the kingdom, readers are treated to a world filled with faerie lore, scholarly treasures, and deadly curses. Fawcett’s vivid descriptions bring the realm to life, blending magical landscapes with the danger lurking beneath the surface. The kingdom is not just a place of beauty but also a land rife with betrayal and curses, especially with Wendell’s stepmother’s malevolent magic threatening to unravel everything they’ve worked for. The ticking clock of the curse adds urgency to the plot, keeping readers on edge as Emily and Wendell try to uncover the secrets before it’s too late.

The prettiest type of writing and a world which is so homely. Reading this during autumn again. I adored this concept, need a reread soon

Emily Wilde I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Overall this is a pretty satisfying end to the Emily Wilde series (I'm kind of assuming this is the end of a trilogy although I can certainly see further books in this world). I didn't enjoy it as much as book 1 or 2 but I've come to love these characters and the writing style of this series so much I was having fun regardless.

My only issue with this book was the plot fell a little flat for me - I maybe should have reread the first 2 beforehand to try and remember what the style of these books is like because it kind of felt like the action happened very quickly and was over in just a page or two, which didn't fit for me with the ending of a trilogy. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the ride, but I just maybe expected the exciting and dangerous parts to be a tiny bit more epic.

I will be rereading this series in physical so I can annotate so I will update this review when the paperback is out!

Thoroughly satisfying last course of cosy academia
—
In Fawcett’s third outing with Emily Wilde, tales come to an end, mysteries are illuminated, and plenty of new horrors are revealed. After Emily’s previous shenanigans in Faerie, she is now returning with her fiance Wendell by her side, triumphantly taking their thrones. But is all is not well in Faerie: an unforeseen curse and an impossible cure are all that stand in the way of Emily’s happiness. Will she be able to find the answers in her beloved tales, or will Emily at last succumb to the capricious fates of Faerie?

As in the previous books, this is a gentle but brilliant fairy tale expanded into epic fantasy, that uses all of the strengths of the two genres to create tension and overcome obstacles to happy ever after. And although this wraps up the story so far, there’s plenty of mileage for the next chapter.

A delightful five stars: must read!

I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with this ARC!
This series has easily become one of my comfort series. I loved everything about it, including the atmosphere. It was so refreshing to read about older main characters (not just the typical 18-25-year-old leads). Emily and Wendell's story had the right amount of suspense and comfort that I love (and my soul needed). What a beautiful journey! So sad to see this series come to an end, but I cannot wait to see where life takes Heather Fawcett next!

Wow I loved this book I love Emily and Wendell so much im going to miss them so much.
I think this one my favorite series.
I would highly recomended it

Gosh I ADORED this book and I found this the perfect cosy ending to this charming series.
I will always happily read more from Emily and Wendell!!
Heather Fawcett has crafted such a wonderfully magical series full of quaint academics and loveable characters and I will be keeping my eyes open for anything else from her!

I have been avoiding writing this review because I still don't fully believe my favorite series has reached its conclusion.
Heather Fawcett has written a book and a series that will live in my heart and that brings me immense joy. There was nothing I enjoyed than reading each scene, especially with the dynamics between Emily and Wendell, and how different they are.

"If Wendell’s stepmother has us slain before I have a chance to contribute to the scholarly debate, I will be very disappointed."

I loved every single moment: the humor, the characters (main and secondary, they added a lot of richness to the story), the ambience and the setting in different locations, Shadow and Orga.

My small complaint is that I wish we had more moments between Emily and Wendell, this was a very action and dark book and I longed for those moments.

However, this is and remains a favorite series. The conclusion was lovely and I am grateful for the chance to read an early copy.

Thank you, Emily!

I’m so sad to be giving this 2 stars, especially since I loved Book 1 and liked Book 2.. it’s so unfortunate that this one didn’t hit that mark that those did.

We are following Wendell and Emily on their most dangerous study yet, as they travel back to his realm and take over as King and Queen and rid the lands of the darkness that is taking over from a curse.

There are new fae and folk that we get meet and the return of past characters which was nice and there were a few whimsical moments and banter shared between characters, but unfortunately it become lost in the scenes, where they either rushed or dragged on and there was just no balance.

There were moments where it needed to be dark and it’s just wasn’t dark enough and moments of magic, where it wasn’t magical enough too.

Not how I wanted to end this series 😓

Thank-you Little, Brown Book Group, Netgalley and Heather for a Digital Advanced Readers Copy, in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed finishing this series, but this book did a thing or two too much. There was a certain plot point that was quite unnecessary and took up too much oage space and time, and it got quite tiresome to try and finish, which is why it took me so long.

4.5 Stars
Another triumph by Heather Fawcett. I love the style of this book, like her previous two Fawcett utilises a more academic writing style including footnotes to push her narrative along and make it more believable that the FMC is an academic herself but also gives this story a touch of whimsy. The story was engaging and it had a really satisfying conclusion. Would definitely recommend.

This series was enjoyable but had ups and downs for sure. I struggled through book one finding it a bit tedious but I very much enjoyed book two so I was very much looking forward to this book. Overall, I enjoyed the book but found the ending unconventional. What I thought would be the final scenes of the book came earlier on than I expected. I remember checking the percentage read on my ebook because I was thinking it was odd we were already at that part where they take on the big bad. What followed after that scene was a bit strange to me and the ending was sort of lacklustre. I don't want to add anything that will spoil it for others but how she handled what happened was definitely different than I expected or could even understand.

Emily was definitely a character I struggled to get in sync with as she is quite prickly and I found the relationship between her and Wendell hard to get my head around because the romance between the two is so lacking in the story. I wanted to love them together so much more than I did and felt there should have been more scenes that showed why they were willing to go to the ends of the earth for each other. Wendell himself was my favourite and seemed to be the best written of the characters in the book. I felt like I understood his motives the best but there were a few times where the author just leaves him behind and it seems strange that she had.

I am glad to have read the series through to the end but not sure I would go back to read them again someday. They unfortunately didn't make their way into my heart like some series/characters do but it was an enjoyable enough read overall.

I received an early ebook version of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This was the perfect book to end the series. The story was just as great as the first two and it just wrapped everything up nicely

thank you netgalley and little, brown book group uk for the e-arc!!

i really thought at first that this series was a duology but we all knew the ending of the second book that there's a third, anddd here it is!

the novel picks up where map of the otherlands left off, with emily and wendell still in the faerie realm. wendell’s stepmother, the former faerie queen, has disappeared after cursing the land, leaving chaos in her wake. now, emily must rely on her academic expertise to navigate the dangerous politics and magical hazards of the faerie world.

as she records her discoveries in her compendium, emily also wrestles with her growing feelings for wendell, who is still reluctant to fully embrace his destiny as the rightful faerie king. their journey takes them through eerie landscapes, ancient courts, and encounters with fae creatures both mischievous and malevolent. the central mystery revolves around uncovering the lost stories of the faerie world—stories that hold the key to undoing the curse and restoring balance.

while the book is beautifully written, i find it slower than the previous two. the focus on folklore and world-building occasionally takes precedence over action. i felt that the climax, though satisfying, lacked the high-stakes tension i expected. would've appreciated the more introspective and emotional resolution.

emily wilde’s compendium of lost tales is a fitting and enchanting conclusion to the series. It deepens the lore, strengthens character arcs, and provides a thoughtful meditation on the power of storytelling. while it may not have the same level of tension as earlier books, it offers a richly rewarding experience for fans who have followed emily and wendell’s journey from the beginning.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett is a charming and whimsical fantasy that immerses readers in a magical world filled with mythical creatures, hidden secrets, and enchanting adventures. The story follows Emily Wilde, a determined and curious scholar who embarks on a quest to uncover forgotten tales. Fawcett’s writing is rich with magic and wonder, and the characters are delightful and memorable. The book strikes a perfect balance between heartwarming moments and thrilling discoveries, making it a captivating read for fans of fantasy and adventure.

This is such a lovely ending to an academia, cozy fantasy trilogy, that is just a warm hug of a story. Emily is such a brilliant main character, and the faerie lore and magical storytelling makes this series so enjoyable.

The storyline of this series is engaging, written in the style of a journal (with added academic footnotes throughout), and I love Heather Fawcett’s academic approach to a warm love story. Emily is delightful and so dedicated to her career that she sometimes struggles to see what is before her.

The story was a little repetitive over the three books, and what was a novel idea with the added footnotes in the first book, became a little distracting as the series progressed and the story developed. Plus the pacing of this last story felt a little all over the place.