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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

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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This trilogy and all who dwell within it just have my whole heart!

I love Emily, I relate to her so much, and he has come such a long way since she was introduced to us! I love Wendell, but despite my love for Wendell and how easily he could take centre stage, I love that this is firmly Emily's story, Emily's development, and Emily's research that drives everything. I have now read the third book, and listened to the full audiobook, which, if you haven't listened to it, I would highly recommend, Heather Fawcett reads Emily and Wendell exactly as I heard them in my head and I can't tell if that is down to the author's talent in writing her characters, or the narrator's talent in reading them, probably both.

I have already re-read the first two books in the series multiple times, the Compendium of Lost Tales made me laugh out loud, cry, (Wendell's gift to Emily was just so gorgeous, I can't even write about it without welling up), and give me chills. When I get my thoughts in order, I now need to go back and rewrite my review for book two because I definitely didn't praise it highly enough.

Also, I love Wendell's cloak! My husband has now listened to all of the audiobooks and he has also laughed and cried with me, he remembers different details to me, and we have both been soothed and taken away from our anxieties by this trilogy, I hope Heather allows us back in to Faery and the court of the Silva Lupi some day, I already miss the whimsical, unsettling world like it's home, maybe I strayed longer there than my mortal mind realises.

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a wonderful conclusion to emily and wendell's story! the pacing was a bit all over the place but overall still vwry enjoyable obviously. anyone who enjoyed the first two books is bound to have a great time with this book!

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Although I did enjoy this book, it was my least favourite book of the series. I still enjoyed the rich faerie lore and storytelling magic that Heather Fawcett weaves so beautifully, but felt that the plot was slower and more scattered than in previous books, especially in the beginning. The world remained as eerie and enchanting as ever, and Wendell’s growth was a highlight, but overall, I found that this story lacked the spark that made the other books so captivating. That said, I still recommend this to longtime fans who will likely appreciate the closure it brings to Emily and Wendell’s journey as well as new readers who are thinking about getting into the series (although you have to read all three). A solid ending, but not the strongest in the trilogy.

Summary: Scholar-turned-queen Emily Wilde must navigate Faerie’s deadly intrigues, break a powerful curse, and embrace her new role alongside Wendell.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

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4,5/5

“I would never have put you through—that—if I had seen a single alternative. But you are wrong in one thing: I was thinking of you, Em. You were my first thought, as well as my last.”

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group, Orbit, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh, how I love these books! The characters, the world, the stories. Heather Fawcett does such a great job of creating a whole world for these faeries. They are quite dark and grim, and I love how we see all of this through Emily’s academic, human eyes.

The relationship between Emily and Wendell is one of the highlights of this book. It is less action-packed, and there is a much bigger focus on the stories that shape the faerie realm and how they can influence and hold power. I really enjoyed meeting some characters from the previous books.

This was a lovely conclusion to the series. My only issue (and this is entirely my fault) is that, as a non-native English speaker, I sometimes have to make an effort to follow everything.

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I felt a bit deflated after reading the latest adventures of Emily Wilde. Couldn't put my finger on what was bothering me. It all just felt a bit flat. The plot was flat and illogical leaps in plot hole logic explained away as "faerie logic". The characters were flat with no real development or growth. The high stakes were a bit humdrum. And the constant foreshadowing about Shadow gettin' to be an old dog... eek!! I dunno. It was just missing the magic.

Not wanting to leave this world just yet, I burrowed down and retreated back into the magical world I knew from Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands and it quickly became obvious what the problem was. The problem was me.

I was only remembering a highlight reel from the earlier books - the main events and characters, not the nuanced world building and detailed fairy lore and conversations expertly breadcrumbed throughout these earlier stories. They payoff big time in Compendium. It was almost like Heather Fawcett had sprinkled faerie dust in my eyes and now I could properly see through the faery magic. There was definitely an "aha!" moment and my eyes were wide open when I started the re-read of Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales.

It wasn't flat at all. The plot was twisty turny and full of faeries tricksies. The characters were great - Wendall probably had the most growth from the snobby aristocrat we met in Encyclopaedia of Faeries to a kind, caring and competent ruler, thanks to Emily's grounding of his ego and whims. While Emily continues to dazzle readers with her cleverness and no nonsense attitude of solving faeries puzzles. And huge shout out to Shadow!! And who doesn't love a book when the doggo saves the day! Also already knowing Shadow's fate may have eased some of my anxiety on the re-read.

I'm glad this is only a trilogy (for now... maybe! who knows) as it was nice to have closure this part of Emily + Wendall's story, but I would also love to see more stories set in this world. Some novellas or short stores from the side characters, a diary of Orga's scratching's, an anthology of said Lost Tales, Emily's journal 50 years later. It would be a shame for this wonderful faerie land to fade away and be lost to readers. Guess I'll just have to keep re-reading them.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Publishing for the arc.

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