The third in the Emily Wilde series has charm, wit and adventure. It’s a gentle read that feels very familiar and comforting to readers who loved Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. It even has footnotes and describes other fae legends that pertain to the situation.

I’ve really enjoyed every book in the Emily Wilde series and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is no exception. I can’t quite decide if this or Emily Wilde’s Map of the Other Lands is my favourite (maybe a tie?). I absolutely adore Emily. I just love her dry wit, deadpan delivery and hyperfocus on her research/goals. The scholarly writing style has been one of my favourite aspects of the whole series, along with all the little digs at academic culture and politics. I also love to see a strong, competent woman being amazing at her job, and Emily is absolutely that. Wendell is her biggest fan, obviously, but I love that Emily’s established as not only having the knowledge but also the guts and intuition to take insane risks and embrace Faerie on its terms. She’s an absolute madwoman, but she understands Faerie and that knowledge and experience has been earned throughout the series, so she can get away with it, both in-story and as a character. So we get to enjoy Emily being the Best There Ever Was, constantly shocking and impressing Wendell (naturally) but also the other Fae and mortals. Which feels mythic and is its own plot-armour, when you think about it, per fairytale rules. Considering she started the series feeling like a socially awkward misfit (and she still is by the end), that was so satisfying to read. I loved that Emily is still blunt, single-minded and a little abrasive, but she’s also grown enough to foster a strong community around her and, of course, an adorable romance with Wendell. I think that’s why I enjoyed the second two books in the series more than the first; I just loved to see Emily thriving and being loved for being her cranky but well-meaning and single-minded self.

Wendell is also a superb male lead! I can’t get enough of a devoted male love interest and Wendell is peak Devotion. He loves and admires and respects Emily so much, to the point that even throughout shocking, cataclysmic plot twists, she’s his number one priority at all times. Even after searching for a way home for years (and the last two books) and finally getting his triumphant homecoming, their relationship is his main source of joy. We need more fictional men like Wendell! I also love how well-matched they are; even their insecurities mirror each other. Emily worries that being in Faerie will change Wendell, or that power will corrupt him (as it usually does in Faerie stories), and Wendell agonises over Emily being unhappy in Faerie and leaving him for her old mundane life. They both struggle to adjust to their new living situation in his realm. And that’s all beside the main plot of breaking the old queen’s curse on the kingdom. Obvious fantasy elements aside, I really like that the drama of Lost Tales feels grounded in relatable conflicts. Emily and Wendell must defeat the evil queen, but they also need to navigate their relationship through a major lifestyle change and professional/personal upheavals, while also worrying about the health of their beloved and ageing dog. Too real, Heather Fawcett!

I’ve already mentioned Emily’s strong found family, and I’ve got to say, I appreciated Lost Tale’s supporting characters so much! Needless to say, Shadow and Orga continue to be the MVPs and I love them both. They are truly the Platonic ideal of Dog and Cat, respectively, and I respect them so much for that. Even though they don’t appear as much in this one, I loved to see Ariadne, Farris, Margret, Lilja and Poe popping up to give Emily moral support and research assistance. And some of the Courtly Fae were delightfully creepy, especially Wendell’s sinister uncle, Lord Taran. I also enjoyed seeing names and references Fawcett seeded in the last two books appearing, like Niamh, a long-missing dryadologist, who’s mentioned as another casualty of Faerie in Other Lands and gets to be a major supporting character here.

Plotwise, the story whisks along apace and the stakes feel much higher – I was genuinely shocked by a plot twist about two thirds of the way in. I will say, there was a bit of build up in the first few chapters about Emily and Wendell’s “army” of allied Fae from other realms, which fizzles out quite quickly as Wendell is accepted as king almost immediately, and then their new allies fade into the background. It might have been interesting to hear about them integrating into Silva Lupi. That’s a minor complaint, though, as generally, the story was gripping. Be aware, there are some dashes of horror throughout, beyond the usual casual references to horrific fairytale violence and scholarly mishaps. Queen Arna’s curse is suitably disturbing, though we only see it in action briefly, and we even get to see a Faerie Hell Dimension! As ever, the lore in these books is brilliant. I wish dryadology was a real academic discipline and I could read all the citations in the footnotes. I will settle for more Emily Wilde books! I’ve heard this is the last in the series and, though I hope Fawcett will continue it one day, Lost Tales is certainly a strong note to end it on!

The story:
Having narrowly escaped her last adventure with her life, Professor of Dryadology Emily Wilde could have retreated to a life of safe academia at Cambridge University. But as the fiancée of the new King (former Cambridge colleague Wendell), and of course a dedicated scholar, she is determined to embrace her new role as a Queen of the Faerie.

But the previous Queen may not be as dead as Emily and Wendell hoped… A curse is sweeping across their kingdom, destroying everything it touches. Emily believes the answer may lie in one of the many folk stories that lie hidden in the dusty shelves of academia. But will she be able to locate the right tale in time to save not only the kingdom, but the one she loves?

My thoughts:
I’m so pleased to be back in the company of Emily and Wendell! The first two books in this series (“Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries” and “Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands”) were a delight, and and I enjoyed this third instalment just as much!

Emily and Wendell are once again thrown into danger, this time trying to overcome a curse placed on Wendell’s newly reclaimed kingdom by his stepmother – the previous Queen who Emily outwitted in the last book.

This book is described on the cover as an ‘academic fairy tale’, and I love all the scholarly elements; working in the scholarly publishing industry myself, I particularly appreciate the references to all the dryadology journals!

This is a heartwarming, funny and exciting story, and the perfect addition to this series. If you haven’t read the first books, I would highly recommend starting at the beginning – you’ve got a treat in store!

And so we come to the end of Emily and Wendell's journey. We've travelled to the wintry landscapes of Scandinavia, mountainous alps, and the world of the fae 🍃🧚‍♀️

Thank you so much to @orbitbooks_uk for the finished copy [PR/Gifted]!

This is one of my favourite series, in large part because the characters are so charming and loveable. Fawcett has such dry, witty sense of humour that I really enjoy.

Emily starts off the series as an antisocial scholar who prefers the company of books to people. And while that's still true by the end, she grows so much and learns to let people in and be vulnerable.

The romance between Emily and Wendell is so refreshing. Wendell would do anything for her and you can feel the love and respect between them. In a way, this book almost felt melancholy as it sees their relationship tested by the complexities of their conflicting backgrounds. It was also darker, and I loved that the fae in this world are similar to that of folklore - shifting, cunning and capricious creatures.

I love this series too much to be overly critical but I do think the book maybe tried to do one too many things. And although the stakes were technically higher, I never really felt truly worried.

But overall, I loved being back in this world and seeing old and new friends. For me, it's the perfect blend between whimsy and adventure and Emily and Wendell have my whole heart. I would read endless stories about their adventures.

These books will never not be pure magic to me, Exploring more of the Faerie Lands with a sprinkle of drama & character development is all I could’ve asked for from this final installment. Do I wish it wasn’t the end? Absolutely - such a comforting series, I recommend it to anyone and everyone.

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒋𝒊𝒔: 🍄🧌🧚🏻‍♀️👑📖🏔️
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕: The final book in whimsical, historical fantasy trilogy.

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕:
🍄Light Academia
🍄(Faerie) Court Politics
🍄Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
🍄Swoonworthy MMC and Hilarious Banter
🍄Historical Setting but Faeries are REAL
🍄 Wonder & Whimsy

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘: Reading this book was, in many ways, a bittersweet experience because, while this book was wonderful, it also marks the end of Emily & Wendell's story and honestly I don't think I'm ready for it to be over! As far as conclusions go though, this was rather perfect and I will continue to recommend this series to everyone and anyone- it is seriously one of the most solid and well written fantasy series' I have read and deserves so much love. I absolutely adore the world that the author has created, drawing from folklore and faerie tales to creaty a whimsical, cozy, quirky and unique setting. The little touches such as academic footnotes and the fact the books are written as though they are Emily's research journal really adds to this. Emily & Wendell are some of my favourite fictional characters and I loved seeing how they adapted to life in a Faerie Court. As individuals they are fantastic but as a couple- they are perfection. (I still cannot stop myself seeing them as a Dramione AU pairing... anyone else?🤣😅)
Despite the fact that I didn't love this as much as the previous two books that's like me saying I don't like Wispas as much as Twirls... I still love and enjoy Wispas I just like Twirls slightly more 🤣and I still thoroughly enjoyed every page & it's still a 5 ⭐ read for me which is a testament to the quality of this series! I can't wait to read more of Heather Fawcett's books in the future and highly recommend you give this series a go!

𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Orbit UK for sending me a review copy. This is my honest & unbiased review.

This book is yet another cozy installment to a very beloved series!
It still has those cozy, adventurous and delightful elements. Emily and Wendell are still one my favorite pairings in fiction. They're so cute and I loved how their romance was handled in this one.
I really hope this isn't the last we saw of them

So weird to say I’m happy and sad at the end of this wonderful series. Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is a fantastic and fitting if slightly open ending for the books, these wonderful stories I have loved so much

In the third Emily Wilde book, it has come time for Emily and Wendell to claim back his kingdom in the faerie. The book picks up right where the previous ended, with the same journal entry, as the pair go through the door to faerie. They prepare for the worst, but everything goes well.

Too well, it turns out. Because the former queen has put a curse on the land which kills the nature, and it’s spreading. Emily must head back to the human realm and search for suitable fairytales to find out what kind of curse it is and how it’s broken. She even has surprise help from Professor Rose and her niece Ariadne.

And they find the solution. Problem is, someone has to die for it. Back to research it is. And it turns out, you can cheat death and change the story. But the fairytales don’t like it. At all. To stop things from becoming even worse, Emily has to get help from someone who might want her dead to rescue someone who definitely does.

This was another great story. Stakes were high and academic research was on point. Emily had less trouble in faerie than she feared, but she was happy for a chance to stay in the human realm too. Wendell was as attentive of her as ever, even more so now that his magic is properly back. (Endless journals for Emily.) The ending was good, if this was the last book, but as it sent the pair on yet another research expedition, there’s room for more books of their adventures too. I’d definitely read them.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is the third and final installment in the adventures of Emily Wilde. For now anyway. I think looking back over the series, this is probably my least favorite installment. Don't get me wrong, it is still a 4 star read like the others. It just struck my fancy slightly less.

I think this might have to do with this taking almost entirely place in the Fae realm of Wendell and it has such a stark contrast to the first two because of it. Emily visiting the fae realm in the second book was also my least favorite portion of the story in that one. I like seeing the mysteries of the fae in our world and how they traverse it. I don't nessecarly care about their world. This is a personal thing of course.

I still enjoyed reading this because I loved the characters. Emily Wilde is trying to find her footing in Wendells world. She's just not quite cut out for it, despiting knowing the stories, the lore and the theories. But actually being there is a different matter. And while she gains some footing by the end, I think there will be plenty of struggles on her horizon.

Wendell is still Wendell but shows his more violent tendencies fae side in this installment. Of course it was always there and he is still in no way as bad as other fae's. But it does give pause to look at his character a little different. In the previous two books he was the odd one out but very charming. Sometimes he wouldn't really feel fae though. Now in this book it is very clear that he is fae and has their nature. I think that sometimes puts Emily on edge as well. How will that affect their long term future?

I also enjoyed seeing characters from previous books appear and to see who supported Wendell truly. It is of course a mix of alliance of convenience. Even his own uncle isn't sure if he truly supports Wendell or that he is just doing it because his human partner wishes it off him. The uncle is very violently wired, but oddly I liked him a lot.

The ending felt a little lackluster and perhaps a bit too ideal from Emily's point of view. I get that she was trying to break something but this isn't just a story on paper anymore. You are living it and you have to deal with the emotions that other people's actions have caused. I just couldn't quite get behind her reasoning on this.

‘Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales’ is a gorgeous academic fantasy novel which excels in how vividly it paints a picture of its magical world and weaves textured lore. I found Emily to be a very likeable character and appreciated her scholarly nature as well as her unique voice - the novel really did read like a friend’s journal. I enjoyed the romance between her and Wendell and the heart-racing moments of adventure!

I must admit, I had intended to read the whole series but wanted to get to this one ahead of its release date and lost track of time, so I picked this one up fresh… Unfortunately, but totally validly, I don’t think it works very well as a standalone and I’m sure I would have felt much more connected to Emily and Wendell and noted more character development if I’d finished books one and two first! Despite me needing to read some recaps of the earlier instalments to get immersed in this one, it was absolutely charming. I’ve ordered the whole series on Audible and plan to get lost in the exquisite faerie world Heather Fawcett has created.

In the meanwhile, this gets four stars as it got me hooked and took me through a range of emotions, ultimately being a cosy way to spend a few days. Just read ‘Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries’ and ‘Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands’ first if you haven’t already…

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Little Brown Book Group, UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

What a treat! This whole series feels like a cosy hug from your best friend and this book did not disappoint.

The world-building was just as enchanting as the previous books, and I loved that we (I say we as I fully want to be part of this world) delved deeper into the faerie realm and folklore. Seeing Emily and Wendell love develop was so wonderful!

Perfect cosy read!

Once again, I am so happy to return to my favourite scholar, Emily, and the ever-charming faerie lord, Wendell. This book picks up directly where the second one left off, continuing their unique story as they work to fix the chaos that followed the previous queen’s disappearance. At the same time, Emily is determined to unravel a terrible curse that is poisoning everything around her.

I love how Wendell remains so loving and devoted to Emily, while she, in turn, shows more of her affection for him—yet never loses her scholarly nature. As in the previous books, we meet new characters while also reuniting with familiar faces. The world-building is once again breathtaking, making me feel as though I’m travelling there every time I read.

The only slight drawback this time is the slower pace in the first half of the book. However, I still absolutely adored Heather Fawcett’s writing style and this beautifully crafted story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK/Orbit for this digital copy.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales, was once again a great read.
I love the world building and the characters, but I have to say that the pacing was a bit slow, especially during the first half of the book..

The way Heather Fawcett writes about the lore and the folklore and crafts such a beautiful story, is very unique. During the past decade there have so many stories about faeries, that it's hard to remember what is what.. This series though stays with you, probably because of the cosy feeling, the unique take and the well written characters..

I would love to read more stories with Emily or/and other parts of the lore..!


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this, it was super cosy & as always I loved the relationship between Wendell & Emily. Wendell is the definition of an acts of service guy and I love it

I love Wendell so much.
That’s my main take from this book.

Overall, I gotta say that this one is once again very much Cozy Fantasy. More so than Map of the Otherlands. Especially the first half was very gentle. I don’t want to say that it was boring, but it definitely took some time for the plot to pick up. Doesn’t mean that there are no stakes though - there definitely are, and they get pretty high. Surprisingly high for Cozy Fantasy. After the slow beginning, I would never have expected the book to go into the direction it went into. But even the very exciting parts were kind of calm. I was never worried about anything going seriously wrong for the characters. That might seem disappointing, because what good are high stakes if they don’t actually feel high, but it is Cozy Fantasy after all, so it was kind of nice and it did fulfil my expectations.

This book is very character focused, even more so than the others. As I already said, Wendell is just the sweetest and so very much in love with Emily. Emily was also, again, pretty great in this one - I especially enjoyed, how she basically solved all her problems by doing research and actually thinking about solutions. No whining and letting the handsome fairy king save her. She was actually pretty badass. Looking back at the Encyclopaedia of Fairies, you can also see how much she has changed. Her character development is still subtle, but I really like it. In a way, she’s still the same old Emily, that doesn’t enjoy crowds and simply wants to pursue her research. But she has made so many friends and she is getting more and more comfortable with the Fair Folk and her role in the Silva Lupi.
I’m not quite sure about the villain of the story - might have been a bit too easy, but if I think about it, it wasn’t, but only seemed like it, due to the coziness of everything. I can accept that. I’m also surprisingly fine with the ending. It really plays into the lore from the first two books, that are very much based on folklore and fairytales. It made sense.

The diary format of the book was once more very enjoyable. I am a bit sad that there is no entry written by Wendell, but we can’t have everything, I guess. It was descriptive enough to offer some world building, scientific enough to mirror Emily’s scholarly style, and under that still exciting enough, that it felt as if we were participating in the story, even though it was all just a diary. That’s something Heather Fawcett does very well.

This book is a very nice third book of the trilogy and really continues in the same manner as the first two. After a kind of slow start, I really enjoyed it and I’m actually sad, to see Emily and Wendell and all their friends go. But I’m not heartbroken over it, as the ending was very nice and well rounded. But if there should ever be a fourth instalment, I’ll gladly read it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third instalment in the unique, well written and well crafted Emily Wilde series, which I absolutely adore. The entire series is an original, engaging and entertaining breath of fresh air and I have loved every moment of reading about socially awkward scholar of folklore Emily and and her fae prince Wendell, as well as their companions / familiars Shadow and Orga.

Book 3 picks up immediately after book 2 as Emily and Wendell attempt to return to and rule his faery kingdom, and it is just as atmospheric and enchanting as the previous books. The rapport between the main characters is as excellent as ever and I just love all the little things Wendell does for Emily, constantly thinking of things she might like or that might improve her overall happiness - they understand each other so well! Various characters from the previous books also make welcome returns alongside some new characters too. Emily has take on the mantle of queen whilst working to lift a deadly curse and all its twists and turns. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's probably my least favourite of the trilogy in all honesty, but I am still giving it the full five stars, because uncompromising and knowledgeable Emily deserves them all!

I finally just got hardback editions of the first two books and I am definitely going to need a hardback of this one too and will, for certain, be rereading them all!

Ad/pr: Many thanks to Netgalley and Orbit Books UK / Little, Brown Book Group for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adore this series so much and I'm honestly so sad it might be over. I could honestly read more books set in this world with these amazing characters. The world-building was just as magical as it was in the first two books. I really enjoyed getting to see more of the faerie realm, lore and Irish folklore and seeing Emily and Wendell take on their new roles.

I loved that we got to see more romance between Emily and Wendell! Wendell is absolutely smitten and so protective of Emily and we got to see more of Emily's own feelings and the lengths she would go for Wendell.

I really do hope we get more books with these characters because I love them so much. With Heather's magical writing, captivating romance and the blend of folklore, this series is one of my all-time favourites and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Shall we retake our kingdom, Em?” 😌

At the end of the second book, Emily and Wendell finally managed to travel to Wendells realm. This last book of the Emily Wilde trilogy continues just right where we left off…

We get to witness our beloved duo making their way through the faerie realm, embark on new adventures, meet new and old friends and try to figure out how to reign over a faerie kingdom together, despite neither of them really knowing how to…but naturally it is not as easy and perfect as one would hope, because Wendells stepmother has not died after Emily had managed to poison her in the previous book. She is not only missing but also seems to have put some sort of curse upon the land, which is rapidly poisoning the realm.
Will our beloved scholar duo be able to stop her? Will they be able to defeat the queen with the power of stories?
Trying to save Wendells realm was not the only hardship Emily is facing in this book...just as Emily has expected, living in a faerie realm as a mortal is not a piece of cake…How will Em be able to deal with all the drastic changes in her life? And how will all of this affect her relationship with Wendell, now that he is back in his own realm and can embrace his true self again?

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is, just like the previous two books, a wonderfully cozy and fun read. It’s a nice escape from reality that isn’t too overwhelming or makes one feel too tense or stressed. There were so many moments in this book that made me laugh and giggle and one of Wendells presents for Emily actually made me cry (his last present with the special word for Shadow…the fact that he gave her the chance to spend a little more time with her most beloved companion was just too much to handle🥺😭). Emily and Wendells love and dynamic is what makes these books so special to me and this book did not disappoint when it came to all that.

I also appreciated how certain „loose ends“ from the precious books (namely the whole situation with the Ice King) were brought back and got tied together in this one.

There were also moments in the book where I wasn’t really sure if I liked the way things were handled, especially when it came to Emilys trip into the veil. It just felt a little too rushed and easy for her to get in there and leave without any harm or repercussions. And I wasn’t sure if I liked the way how things ended when it came to Queen Arna in general. I understood the necessity of getting the queen out of the veil but letting her live freely as if she didn’t murder Wendells entire family and brought so much pain and torment upon the folk in his realm does not feel quiet right…It would have made more sense to let her stay in a dungeon for the remainder of her life…but I also understand that this feeling of unease was intended. She is meant to be a possible threat even if she claims otherwise.

I am overall very grateful to have been introduced to the wonderful world of the Emily Wilde books and I’m going to miss all of the characters and their adventures very dearly. <3

4.25★
If I one day erupt into uncontrollable screams and go charging into the woods, tearing at my hair, who but Wendell will be to blame?

This was such an amazing ending to this series! I honestly wish that there would be more books in this series because I’m not ready to say goodbye!! The romance was even more better in this one, I could not get enough of Emily and Wendell. The things he done for her had me swooning. The protectiveness as well like where can I find a man like him?? No one warned me that Wendell letters would have me yearning for more. Like this man wrote her letters!! Please can someone write me a letter. This is one of the series that honestly brings me so much cosiness and happiness that I don’t want to say goodbye to any of the characters.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.