Having eagerly followed Emily and Wendell's journey through the first two books, I was thrilled to dive into Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales. This third installment not only met but exceeded my expectations, delivering a satisfying and enchanting conclusion to the series.

In this adventure, Emily, now embracing her role as both a scholar and the fiancée of King Wendell, ventures into the heart of Faerie. Their mission to reclaim Wendell's throne is fraught with danger, especially with the looming threat of his malevolent stepmother's curse. Emily's unwavering dedication to her research and her evolving relationship with Wendell are beautifully portrayed, adding depth to her character and their bond.

Heather Fawcett's writing continues to captivate, blending academic intrigue with magical storytelling. The inclusion of scholarly footnotes and journal-style narration immerses readers in Emily's meticulous yet adventurous mind. The world-building is rich and vivid, making the realm of Faerie both enchanting and perilous.

What stood out to me was the balance between the overarching plot and the development of side characters. Reuniting with familiar faces and meeting new ones added layers to the narrative, creating a tapestry of interconnected stories that culminate in a heartfelt conclusion.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is a testament to the power of storytelling, love, and resilience. It's a journey I was reluctant to see end, but the conclusion is both fitting and satisfying. For those who cherish tales of magic intertwined with scholarly pursuits and heartfelt relationships, this series is an absolute gem.

as always a delightful time bringing much warmth to my heart in dark times. found the pace in this one very odd and at times not great, but pace was never the strongest quality of these books so it's fine. heather fawcett flexed her faerie muscles in this one with the kingdom's worldbuilding and i did enjoy the "flip" side of emily's usual human-looking-for-faerie narration as she is in faerie this time, even if i liked the construction of the narrative better in book 1 and 2. LOVED the side characters in this as always, i kind of need the homosexual spinoff... heather fawcett if you're reading this...... but yeah a fun time. not my favorite of the trilogy but a lovely conclusion and as always a beautiful love story. emily wilde you're an icon

Told in the same journalistic/diary style as the first two books, the third (and possibly last) Emily Wilde novel more lives up to its predecessors. With more footnotes, more research and devious Faerie lore, more tea, and more romance, it’s easy to see how this was one of my most anticipated releases for 2025.
As always, i was completely blown away by how Heather Fawcett simultaneously crafts a cozy story, and the unsettling darkness of the Faerie world. Her interpretation of the meaning of Faeries is one of my favourite, for as much as i love the more recent Fae, the weird, dangerous, and terrifying folklore-based Faeries win every time for me.
Anyway, i was so happy to be back with Emily and Wendell. They’re one of my comfort couples, truly because they themselves are comforting, and also because they have that sweetness and connection to their relationship i find in many of my favourites. However different they may be from one another, i adore just how much they put each other first, and the little sweet things they (particularly Wendell) do for each other. Every time Wendell called Emily his dragon, or even just Em, i couldn’t hold myself back from smiling at the pages.
He truly reached a new level of adoration for her this book, and the letters he wrote were beyond adorable!
Emily was just as fierce as ever (if not more so). I love how she found a balance between life in Wendell’s court and her research and scholarly pursuits, without needing to give either of them up. She also may not have been as loud as Wendell with her shows of affection, but through her words you truly see just how much she cares for him. I adore them.

This book was so much fun! I already loved the first two in the series so much, so I was so excited to get to read this one. I love how we follow Emily and Wendell into farie once more. The relationship between the two was so well deweloped and I loved to see more of them.

An adorable but satisfying conclusion to the series.

Emily and Wendell are in full on love this time around and Wendell is a man who uses Acts of Service as a love language. He takes on all those little jobs and tasks that just make Emily's life easier. Would it have been even better with a bit more adventure? Yes. But it was well paced and the romance pace was in keeping with the story.

The portal system, collecting all the legends & stories was a great way to weave in some suspense and tie all of their adventures together. There are some old friends popping up here and there and the humour is gentle, not over the top and raucous.

My favourite line is when Wendell just states "Mine". (swooooon)

3.5 stars. Charming as ever, Emily Wild returns in the third (and final?) installment of the Heaher Fawcett's series about the researcher of Faeries. This time we spend more time in Faerie than ever before, but also have the least romance and stakes compared to the previous books in the series. I appreciated the cameos of characters we got to know throughout the series. No surprises on the plot or the writing, but in this reality Emily Wilde is the exact book we need to excape reality (or the hell of academia).

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett is the perfect ending to this amazing cozy fantasy full of fae mythology and academic footnotes. We follow Emily and Wendell relationship in their wild adventures on the cusp of returning to Wendell’s kingdom to restore order after the murder of their former queen.

I absolutely loved the way the realm was described and Emily's scholarly knowledge of faerie tales used to save both her fiancé and the kingdom. However, i think Wendell & Emily’s relationship was lacking a bit of depth, but it was still well portrait throughout the book. The book was a bit darker than the previous ones which was quite good and the tone used by the author was great to setting the pace and the stage for the resolution of the story.

Overall, it was a great way to finish Emily's journey, it was sweet and cozy and while i wish a bit more depth to the story i really enjoyed this trilogy and this was a fantastic read and i'll forever be a fan of Emily's footnotes.

honestly, the perfect way to end the trilogy, and I couldn't fault it. Do I wish there was more backstory in places? Yes. But I don't think it detracted from the story or the ending. Such a whimsical trilogy from start to finish!

Ah, how lovely it is to return to Emily Wilde and her wild adventures with her fae fiancé, who also happens to be the monarch of his long-lost kingdom. After their previous trials & tribulations, Emily and Wendell are finally on the cusp of returning to Wendell’s kingdom to restore order following the murder of the former queen. But of course, things are not easy going as they discover that report of the queen’s death has been grossly exaggerated. And so Emily may need to wield (ha) her scholarly knowledge of faerie tales once more to save her fiancé and the kingdom.

Without spoiling the rest of the story, I have to say that this was the perfect ending to this cozy fantasy with fae mythology & scholarly footnotes (lots of them!). There are new Folk myths and misadventures where things come full circle towards the denouement of the trilogy. There is plenty of snarky humor & banter that made me fall in love with the series in the first place. There is (finally) enough time for Em & Wendell to be happy with one another!

This wasn’t perfect, of course. I wanted more backstory for the oíche sidhe Folk, especially since a side character introduced in this hinted at something more re: their mythology (alas, that is the Wilde curiosity in me speaking). And yes, there were convenient plot points which meant that ultimately this felt more low-stakes compared to the first book, but after everything Em & Wendell had to go through? I welcome the happy ending, frankly.

Heather Fawcett comes back with the most romantic and faerie world-centered book! At first, it felt like reading a totally different story. I was missing the research aspect and chaotic scholar Emily. However, it was done with a point. Emily had to find herself in this new situation and stop acting like someone else. I really enjoyed what came after – the faerie court problems, secrets and all the stories!
However, sometimes the information they acquired seemed too convenient for the characters to appear so suddenly.
I couldn’t help falling even more in love with Emily and Wendell. Find yourself a partner who is so in love with you, that he sends you dramatic love letters full of yearning when you leave for a research trip.
I just want to say that Shadow deserves all the best.

Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for sharing this book with me in exchange for an honest review.

A warm thank you to Little, Brown Book Group, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book for an honest review.

Our cozy series comes to an end with one final journey, complete with smatterings of whimsy and light academia. Emily and Wendell are as endearing as ever in their final quest on our pages! They work unravel the former faerie queen’s plots to save Wendell’s kingdom from a polluting sickness.

While the stakes are comparatively much higher in this novel’s plot, unfortunately it felt a little shallower and haltingly paced when compared with the previous two books. I do wish there had been greater time and depth lent to exploration of Emily and Wendell’s relationship which, but for the occasional kiss, seemed to have developed little beyond their collegial friendship in “Encyclopaedia of Faeries”. Tension in the plot was also low, with Emily’s unwavering brilliance meaning that a trip to the library is the only diversion required to unravel a complication.

All this said, I have loved these characters, the setting, and Heather Fawcett’s brilliant writing! It’s sad to see this series come to an end, but I can’t wait to see what Fawcett will feed us with next!

Thankyou to Netgalley and Heather Fawcett for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

I am sadly unable to give feedback as the file did not work so I was unable to read or download a copy.

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

Big thanks to the Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for granting me another ARC in this instalment.

Whenever I pick up this world, I know I will be wrapped in magical wholesome whimsy. :)

In this third part of Emily Wilde's adventures and stories, we are again greeted by a delightful cozy plot, where you just know everything is going to be just fine (yes, even in *those* parts). Wendell and Emily embark upon another adventure, this time in a different realm. Without giving away too much, you can expect the classical scholarly tendencies Emily has, as well as typical Wendell who is spoiled, chaotic, and very, very, very in love. :)

While this part was not as strong as the second book (for me!), I did find myself enjoying the little twists and turns and seeing how our characters would get out of certain troubles.

I really don't have a lot to say because this book was the perfect ending to an incredible trilogy. Emily Wilde is easily my favourite trilogy in recent years, it is such a comfort read, perfect for all seasons. I absolutely love Emily and Wendell as a couple in book 3, their relationship is so warm & gentle without dominating the story. As always the plot is full of hurdles to overcome and they do so with grace and thorough research.
I'm so sad this series is finished but very exited to see what Heather Fawcett brings us next!

I was so thrilled to receive an ARC of this book, I have loved following Emily and Wendell’s journey through the last couple of books so was so happy to get started on book 3!

It was great to spend more time in Faerie in this book, really getting to grips with Wendell’s realm and picking up immediately after the end of book 2. I love the way the realm is described, showing beauty but retaining the disconcerting elements.

I really enjoyed the way this book constantly links back to stories and folklore, it made for such an interesting theme throughout and it was so fun to see Emily in her element!

I wish this book had allowed a deeper look at Wendell & Emily’s relationship as it felt quite surface level (I still love Wendell though!). I don’t need anything explicit but some more intense descriptions of their romance would be great, otherwise it reads as a fairly platonic relationship to me!

I also think this one loses the dark edge that the previous books held, there is just a shallowness to those elements which make it less impactful… The Crimson Cloaked lady could have had a bigger/darker part to play!

I will definitely pick up any other books Heather Fawcett writes and continue to recommend this series to fantasy lovers

4 stars

Thank you so much to Orbit books for my e-ARC!

Really enjoyed it just like the previous two installments. No surprises. I do hope someone makes a full cast audio books of this series as I think it would be magical.

Emily is determined to assist Wendell in reclaiming his throne by overthrowing his stepmother and breaking the curse that grips the land. Yet, various fairy tales warn that such quests often lead to disastrous outcomes. Emily must devise a strategy to outwit not only the current queen but also the intrinsic mechanics of the fairy world, which seems designed to thwart mortals and their dreams of happy endings.
The tone of the narrative has become more serious, appropriately setting the stage for a perfect resolution to all open ends. We get some great new characters while also featuring brief appearances from beloved or feared characters from earlier in the series. What could have been mere fan service instead addresses every lingering plot line, bringing the trilogy to a satisfying conclusion while beautifully highlighting Emily's journey and growth since the very beginning.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is a lovely conclusion to the series, even though it didn’t quite capture the same magic as the earlier books for me. Emily’s growth is amazing; she’s still that smart, thoughtful person we love, but she’s definitely more open about her emotions in this one, which is a nice touch. Wendell and Emily’s relationship is still adorable and feels so real, with plenty of growth on both sides, which I really appreciated.

The book takes a darker turn compared to the previous ones, which is interesting, but the pacing can be slow at times. Emily spends a lot of time focused on these lost tales, treating them as the solution to everything, which eventually feels a bit repetitive and, in some ways, holds the story back. That said, the world of Faerie remains fascinating and atmospheric.

My main issue is that the plot feels too convenient: challenges are resolved too easily, and there’s not enough of the charming banter between Emily and Wendell that made the earlier books so enjoyable. The ending is particularly underwhelming, lacking the impact you’d expect from a series finale. The footnotes, while fitting for Emily's academic style, become excessive after a while (ironically, even Emily complains about footnotes in other books).

That said, I still enjoyed the book overall. If you’ve been following Emily’s journey, it’s a sweet and cozy read to finish off the trilogy. I'd give it 3 stars, it’s fine, but it could have been much more satisfying as a conclusion.

(Though I wouldn’t say no to another book, since this ending leaves some room for more stories *wink*...)

This series never ceases to amaze me, it's so cosy, romantic and mysterious. I really liked this third book! It's well-constructed, it doesn't lack adventure, mystery, cozy atmospheres and romance. The interactions between the two MC are fantastic and I love those two with all my heart. Wendell is so cute and hot, he's the perfect book boyfriend.
Thanks to NetGalley, OrbitBooks UK and the author for providing me with this e-ARC.

The third chapter in Emily Wilde’s mad hat yet still cosy adventures is a delight as always but doesn’t hit the highs of the previous instalments. The book starts immediately following the events of book two and to be honest I couldn’t quite remember all the specifics so I spent the first few chapters trying to remember who some of the characters were. Emily and her fae lover boy prince, Wendell, are back as their efforts to defeat his stepmother for the throne were in vain as the previous queen has left the Fae in a state of decay with inevitable destruction on the horizon. There are a few new characters but aren’t really given enough to do. In fact, I feel Emily isn’t really given enough to do. The stakes are very very low even for a cosy adventure. If you are a fan of the first two, I’d recommend it 100% to finish off Wendell and Emily’s story.