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chellesofbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC to review. All thoughts are my own.
As an avid fan of Emily and Wendell in book one, I anticipated this read so much that I was over the moon to receive early access, and am pleased to state that Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands not only is worth the wait, but it became my favourite read of 2023 - pushing book 1 off the pedestal.
I loved the return to the journal entry style of this world. Emily, now back in her scholarly domain, is fulfilling her promise to Wendell to find the fae door to his court. This leads the pair - along with an opinionated senior professor and Emily's niece - to the Swiss Alps. If you enjoyed the dangerously whimsy atmosphere of book 1, then you'll find Fawcett has taken it further this time. Whilst darker in some aspects, I absolutely loved the adventure Emily embarks on, and just how far her character grows and shines. She will never lose her prickly behaviour, which I adored in the first book, but I appreciated getting to see other sides to her, through her strained relationship with her niece Ariadne, her combative reactions with Professor Rose, how she interacted with the fae and her companion Shadow, and her deepening affections for Wendell. Emily is a force to reckon with and I love how bold she became when the situation required it of her, or how whiny and annoyed she easily was provoked in becoming by all of her travelling companions.
I adored the enchanting world in book one, yet this time both spent in and out of Faerie showcased the skill Fawcett possesses with world-building. I was immersed immediately into the locations - both at the university and the mountainous township. I felt as if the world had come to life within my mind and I was travelling alongside Emily into the dangers she uncovered. I also loved the return of the old through some familiar faces, and how that compared with the differences of the fae we meet in this book. I was smitten with Snowbell a great deal - nothing like how much I was obsessed with Poe in the first read - and the continuation of learning about new fae and how that adds to the world was so exciting for me.
The romance subplot comes further to the forefront in this read, and I relished both the continuation of Emily and Wendell's banter and how it evolves into something more the longer you read Map of the Otherlands. I could read Emily and Wendell all the time and never bore of them, they truly have become my favourite fictional characters. The romantic elements are tasteful and fulfilling, and I'm so impressed with how Fawcett balances the world around Emily and her heart. It's beautifully written and has me eager for the third installment of this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC to review. All thoughts are my own.
As an avid fan of Emily and Wendell in book one, I anticipated this read so much that I was over the moon to receive early access, and am pleased to state that Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands not only is worth the wait, but it became my favourite read of 2023 - pushing book 1 off the pedestal.
I loved the return to the journal entry style of this world. Emily, now back in her scholarly domain, is fulfilling her promise to Wendell to find the fae door to his court. This leads the pair - along with an opinionated senior professor and Emily's niece - to the Swiss Alps. If you enjoyed the dangerously whimsy atmosphere of book 1, then you'll find Fawcett has taken it further this time. Whilst darker in some aspects, I absolutely loved the adventure Emily embarks on, and just how far her character grows and shines. She will never lose her prickly behaviour, which I adored in the first book, but I appreciated getting to see other sides to her, through her strained relationship with her niece Ariadne, her combative reactions with Professor Rose, how she interacted with the fae and her companion Shadow, and her deepening affections for Wendell. Emily is a force to reckon with and I love how bold she became when the situation required it of her, or how whiny and annoyed she easily was provoked in becoming by all of her travelling companions.
I adored the enchanting world in book one, yet this time both spent in and out of Faerie showcased the skill Fawcett possesses with world-building. I was immersed immediately into the locations - both at the university and the mountainous township. I felt as if the world had come to life within my mind and I was travelling alongside Emily into the dangers she uncovered. I also loved the return of the old through some familiar faces, and how that compared with the differences of the fae we meet in this book. I was smitten with Snowbell a great deal - nothing like how much I was obsessed with Poe in the first read - and the continuation of learning about new fae and how that adds to the world was so exciting for me.
The romance subplot comes further to the forefront in this read, and I relished both the continuation of Emily and Wendell's banter and how it evolves into something more the longer you read Map of the Otherlands. I could read Emily and Wendell all the time and never bore of them, they truly have become my favourite fictional characters. The romantic elements are tasteful and fulfilling, and I'm so impressed with how Fawcett balances the world around Emily and her heart. It's beautifully written and has me eager for the third installment of this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death
Moderate: Blood and Death
littleflowerfairy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review!
After I finished the first book, I immediately joined NetGalley in order to request an advanced copy, because I just couldn't wait to find out what happened next!
Heather Fawcett once again does an incredible job of building an intricate and lush world of faeries, weaving well-known folklore and her own additions in such a seamless way. I daresay I loved this book even more than the first one! I think it was because I was already invested in the characters, and I just loved all the time we spent with them, introducing new ones and fleshing out existing relationships. I particularly can't get enough of Emily and Wendell's relationship! There were so many beautiful and heartwarming moments between them in this book - moments that left me gushing and giggling every time!
And let's not forget the mystery and the high-stakes action that kept me holding my breath every time a new twist or a new danger was revealed! Even though it's in journal format, that doesn't lessen the fast pace with which we're pulled along in the action, every detailed description from Emily fully immersing you into the world, her emotions tugging at your heart the whole time. Though even with the higher-stakes, they weren't constant, and the book still very much felt as cozy as the first.
Personally, I don't like how most popular fantasy books write the fae. I love the complicated nature of faeries, exploring how separated their morals and ideals are from humans, how utterly inhuman and perplexing they are, and yet at the same time how almost similar to humans they can sometimes become in their curiosity and fascination with our world. Absolutely no hate authors who write their fae otherwise, but I just personally don't vibe with it. I absolutely adore how Heather Fawcett expands upon all the things I love about fae in the Emily Wilde series, and it's one of the reasons this series is quickly climbing up to my favorites list.
Again, thank you to NetGalley, and Heather Fawcett of course, for the opportunity to read and review this book, and I cannot wait until book three!!
After I finished the first book, I immediately joined NetGalley in order to request an advanced copy, because I just couldn't wait to find out what happened next!
Heather Fawcett once again does an incredible job of building an intricate and lush world of faeries, weaving well-known folklore and her own additions in such a seamless way. I daresay I loved this book even more than the first one! I think it was because I was already invested in the characters, and I just loved all the time we spent with them, introducing new ones and fleshing out existing relationships. I particularly can't get enough of Emily and Wendell's relationship! There were so many beautiful and heartwarming moments between them in this book - moments that left me gushing and giggling every time!
And let's not forget the mystery and the high-stakes action that kept me holding my breath every time a new twist or a new danger was revealed! Even though it's in journal format, that doesn't lessen the fast pace with which we're pulled along in the action, every detailed description from Emily fully immersing you into the world, her emotions tugging at your heart the whole time. Though even with the higher-stakes, they weren't constant, and the book still very much felt as cozy as the first.
Personally, I don't like how most popular fantasy books write the fae. I love the complicated nature of faeries, exploring how separated their morals and ideals are from humans, how utterly inhuman and perplexing they are, and yet at the same time how almost similar to humans they can sometimes become in their curiosity and fascination with our world. Absolutely no hate authors who write their fae otherwise, but I just personally don't vibe with it. I absolutely adore how Heather Fawcett expands upon all the things I love about fae in the Emily Wilde series, and it's one of the reasons this series is quickly climbing up to my favorites list.
Again, thank you to NetGalley, and Heather Fawcett of course, for the opportunity to read and review this book, and I cannot wait until book three!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, and Chronic illness
Minor: Death of parent and Alcohol
meganpbell's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The dangerous and delightful adventures of curmudgeonly faery scholar Emily Wilde, her Grim dog Shadow, and her otherworldly colleague (and aspiring fiancé) Wendell Bambleby continue in the Austrian Alps and ~elsewhere~ in this sequel to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries! I just have such a good time following on the Oxford clad heels of this cozy yet prickly light academia fantasy series—alongside all the friends Emily always ends up finding (if slightly against her will).
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death of parent, Blood, and Violence
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
lastblossom's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
More faerie intrigue, mystery, and romance in what is quickly shaping up to be my favorite series. Read it!
Thoughts
Got my hands on this book the same day I had an assignment due, so naturally I read the book first. I have no regrets. The first book in the series is one of my top ten, and this one is equally matched, with all the faerie lore, twists, and Emily/Wendell interaction I loved from the first. The amount of fae politics and court intrigue is bumped up from the first, and it is SO juicy! Ugh, the drama of it all is just so good. A handful of teasers dropped in the first book get some satisfying reveals here, and Emily and Wendell's relationship beats are so sweet.
The book does a great job of bringing back all the things I loved about the first installment, while adding new developments to keep the story moving. Two new major characters are added who initially had the potential to be very annoying, but I wound up really caring about both of them, and it was nice to see Emily's relationship with them grow as well.
I loved the first book so much, and now I love the second book. The ending implies we might get even more(???), and I am SO ready.
I am also, once again, requesting a special edition with handwritten notes and illustrations.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy!
More faerie intrigue, mystery, and romance in what is quickly shaping up to be my favorite series. Read it!
Thoughts
Got my hands on this book the same day I had an assignment due, so naturally I read the book first. I have no regrets. The first book in the series is one of my top ten, and this one is equally matched, with all the faerie lore, twists, and Emily/Wendell interaction I loved from the first. The amount of fae politics and court intrigue is bumped up from the first, and it is SO juicy! Ugh, the drama of it all is just so good. A handful of teasers dropped in the first book get some satisfying reveals here, and Emily and Wendell's relationship beats are so sweet.
The book does a great job of bringing back all the things I loved about the first installment, while adding new developments to keep the story moving. Two new major characters are added who initially had the potential to be very annoying, but I wound up really caring about both of them, and it was nice to see Emily's relationship with them grow as well.
I loved the first book so much, and now I love the second book. The ending implies we might get even more(???), and I am SO ready.
I am also, once again, requesting a special edition with handwritten notes and illustrations.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Violence
Minor: Body horror, War, Animal death, and Alcohol
brontesauruses's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A big thank you to the publisher for letting me at this one early! I've been dying for the sequel since I finished the first book last fall. (one of the benefits of librarianship is that sometimes people let you read books early and for free).
I can't say too much yet (I'll come back later!), but I can definitely say that if you liked the first one, you'll like this one too. Everyone is as delightful and chaotic as ever, and the ending is satisfying enough for now while leaving lots of room for more. The Mummy vibes are so powerful, also. *chef's kiss*
EDIT: You know what though? There is an...omission, I guess we'll call it? So we don't spoil anything - that made me very grumpy. It's not too late to un-omit it, though! Please, Ms. Fawcett 🥺.
Now to wait for my friends to get their egalleys so I can talk to someone about it. I'm fine, this is FINE.
I can't say too much yet (I'll come back later!), but I can definitely say that if you liked the first one, you'll like this one too. Everyone is as delightful and chaotic as ever, and the ending is satisfying enough for now while leaving lots of room for more. The Mummy vibes are so powerful, also. *chef's kiss*
EDIT: You know what though? There is an...omission, I guess we'll call it? So we don't spoil anything - that made me very grumpy. It's not too late to un-omit it, though! Please, Ms. Fawcett 🥺.
Now to wait for my friends to get their egalleys so I can talk to someone about it. I'm fine, this is FINE.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Death, and Gore
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