A review by ristretto
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing tense 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

5.0

First I must say that I absolutely adored the first book, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is just as delightful with everything you would hope for in a follow up novel, all the cozy vibes, and some unexpected surprises along the way as well. 

This novel is a bit faster paced with more tension than the first while retaining some of the slower cozy moments that gave the first novel a lot of its charm. Characters from the last book are not forgotten and are incorporated into the story in interesting ways. (I mean Danielle de Gray who is mention in the footnotes from the first book comes into play!) We are introduced to new characters including Emily’s bright eyed niece Ariadne and the ornery Dr. Farris Rose as well as some other mysterious companions.

If you’ve read the first book I don’t need to tell you that Emily is a whole mood and quite frankly I’m here for it. I love the banter between her and Wendell and really enjoyed the call backs to the first book and the character growth they underwent in this story. We also see more of their world in this novel from the cozy offices at Cambridge to the territory of the Alpine folk and its inhabitants to the otherlands and the dangers lying in wait there.

For those that also enjoy audio books, Ell Potter and Michael Dodds are back and their narration is chefs kiss. It’s everything.

This was one of my most anticipated upcoming reads and it lived up to my expectations in every way, I can’t recommend it enough. Best enjoyed curled up beside a crackling fireplace with a hot cup of tea and apricot jam bun.

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Heather Fawcett, and the publisher! I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.