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A review by eyeowna
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Reading the sequel right after the first book made me enjoy this less than I might have if I’d waited, I think? Still had a fun time, just not as much as I did with book 1.
Things I liked:
- The beginning chaos at Cambridge was delightful.
- LOVED the new weird and creepy fairies. Snowbell the little fox demon who loves to brag <3 spooky mangy owl grotesques (they’re not gargoyles unless they have a water spout, Emily 🙄) with six legs my beloved <3
-the Faerie kingdom Emily went into this time had David Bowie Labyrinth vibes (to me at least).
- having Rose as another dusty academic character was fun but I thought more could’ve been done with him.
Things I found frustrating:
-Once we got further in the plot, there was just… a lot of wandering around Faerie… and then there was … more wandering around Faerie. After the trips to Faerie in the first book, the plot in the sequel felt same-y to me.
- I wanted more nerdy long winded footnotes!! Don’t skimp on the nerdy long winded footnotes, that’s what I signed up for!!
- You’re telling me Emily published her encyclopedia/academic book in the year or less-than gap between these two novels? Idk I find that quick academic publishing turn around the most unbelievable thing in this fairy book. I’m sorry!! This feels like a stupid nitpick from me about the cozy cottagecore light academia book series. But nonetheless I am bothered.
- My main gripe is that everything felt pretty easy. Solving the mystery (even the mystery itself) didn’t feel as earned as in the first book. Love having some magical items and helpers in a fairy tale, but idk, Emily’s successes MOSTLY felt pretty convenient for me(except when she poisoned the queen. That was cool).
I might’ve just been in a cranky mood while reading this, tbh. I’ll read the third book and see! Thankfully, I’m forced to wait for it to be published so maybe I won’t feel as nitpicky.
Things I liked:
- The beginning chaos at Cambridge was delightful.
- LOVED the new weird and creepy fairies. Snowbell the little fox demon who loves to brag <3 spooky mangy owl grotesques (they’re not gargoyles unless they have a water spout, Emily 🙄) with six legs my beloved <3
-
- having Rose as another dusty academic character was fun but I thought more could’ve been done with him.
Things I found frustrating:
-
- I wanted more nerdy long winded footnotes!! Don’t skimp on the nerdy long winded footnotes, that’s what I signed up for!!
- You’re telling me Emily published her encyclopedia/academic book in the year or less-than gap between these two novels? Idk I find that quick academic publishing turn around the most unbelievable thing in this fairy book. I’m sorry!! This feels like a stupid nitpick from me about the cozy cottagecore light academia book series. But nonetheless I am bothered.
- My main gripe is that everything felt pretty easy. Solving the mystery (even the mystery itself) didn’t feel as earned as in the first book. Love having some magical items and helpers in a fairy tale, but idk, Emily’s successes MOSTLY felt pretty convenient for me
I might’ve just been in a cranky mood while reading this, tbh. I’ll read the third book and see! Thankfully, I’m forced to wait for it to be published so maybe I won’t feel as nitpicky.