I loved this. I loved it even more than the first and that was one of my favorite books I have read this year. Wendell had a few moments that at first seemed out of character but then I realized that it was just him being very comfortable with Emily. Emily and Wendell have really come into their own in this book. It was clear that Fawcett was comfortable writing them and they were wonderful. I also liked the two new additions Ariadne and Farris Rose. Rose was a nice voice reason even though I started out disliking him. I ended up loving him. Ariadne serves as a nice opposite for crabby Emily.

This story relied much more on the adventure aspect and relationships between characters than the lore. That is a huge point in the first books favor too, as Fawcett created such a memorable world. If showing without telling is an art form than Fawcett is this genre's Michelangelo.

The sequel to Encyclopaedia of Faeries throws you straight back into the world of Emily and Wendell as if you’ve never been away. While a short time has passed in their world, it flows beautifully on and continues their search for a door back to Wendell’s faerie realm so he can attempt to reclaim the throne which is rightfully his. Emily is still undecided following the proposal she received at the end of book 1, but you can see their relationship develop through the book. A new location for research and two new side characters keep the dynamic similar but evolved from the previous instalment, with new Folk (and old!) popping up to hinder and assist their investigation. I just felt this was an excellent follow on from book one, if you enjoyed the cosy vibes with moments of dark faerie magic mixed in you’ll love book two in this series.

Fantastic sequel. I just adore this series. One of the best series I have discovered this year. Highly recommend as I cannot wait for more. Super enchanting and cosy read.

A delight! I have had a blast reading this series out loud to my husband. Fawcett's imagination and sense of humor are exactly my cup of tea. Emily is a fantastic heroine and narrator. I love how well she knows her own mind and doesn't let people make her doubt herself. Wendell is wonderful too, and the two of them together in this book made me smile so much.
Fawcett's world building makes it easy to believe in this world of scholars ("dryadologists") who study fairies and go on research expeditions, writing and presenting papers and teaching college classes. It reminds me of how real dragons felt when I was reading Naomi Novik's Temeraire books.
A new favorite for sure, and destined for the re-read pile.

This was one of the best books I have read this year! I have absolutely fallen in love with this series and I hope there will be many more books to come. This is the second book in the series and I would recommend reading the first book, "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries," before reading this novel.

This books is extremely unique in that it has a blend of so many different elements. It takes place in the early 1900s yet the world is not quite like ours because people know that the fae exist. Women also have more equality and rights in this world. Emily is a professor and scholar of faerie and has dedicated her life to studying them. Not only does she study them but one of them is her friend, partner, and love interest, Wendell. In this novel, Wendell, a faerie royal who has been hiding in the mortal world for ten years after his step mother took his rightful throne is trying to find his door back to his kingdom. His step mother is currently trying to kill him so Emily, Wendell, her assistant/niece, and the head of Cambridge's faerie department all head to Austria to find where there might be a possible door. What awaits is an adventure filled with magic, mystery, action, and even a touch of romance.

This novel is written as though Emily is writing in her journal as she reflects on the adventures of that day. What I love about this story is all of the characters including the animal ones come alive off the page. I feel like I am actually in the story with them and I have a vested interest in what is going to happen. Emily is a strong, intellectual character who fascinates me and I love her quick logic. She also is not great in many social situations which I can completely relate to. Wendell is an interesting character not just because he is a faerie but he has this innate likability which draws the reading in. Plus all of the side characters just add so much depth to this story.

I cannot say enough good about this book and Heather Fawcett has become a must read author for me. There was so much to enjoy and I devoured this book in a day. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys reading an excellent story!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for this ARC.

Hello the only word I can think of is Delightful. Wait let me try again: Splendid. A Hoot. So Fun. Eminently Charming.

The sequel to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, MAP OF THE OTHERLANDS deepens the story in the same style. Emily and Wendell are back at Cambridge after their first adventure, but not for long—fairy assassins are hot on Wendell’s trail. Emily sets out on a quest for the door into his realm—and also to work on her new map—with two new companions in two: her eager niece and their curmudgeonly colleague, both of whom insisted on being included in the adventure. Their trip takes them to the German/Austrian Alps this time, and run into more thorny species and uniquely fae problems.

The author has made a fan for life. I am living for these characters and the mix of cozy and exciting that they manage to imbue the tales with. If there is not a book 3 I shall cry. I will 100% be running to the bookstore the instant this is released. Five enthusiastic stars.

Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC. This is my honest review. EWMOTO releases Jan 16, 2024.

What a fun read! I was so grateful to be able to experience it right after reading the first book. It is just as charming and compelling as the Encyclopedia, and I am really hoping this series will continue.

Just as charming as the last one. I love Emily and Wendell so much! Fingers crossed this will have a third book because I need more!

Heather does it again bringing us on another adventure with Emily and Wendell. Excellent story telling and world building. Every page feels like you are right there with Emily. It’s also refreshing to see a book written by a neurodivergent. Slightly frustrating but I think that’s the point. It’s a wonderful reminder that not everyone is wired to think the same way.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the wonderful opportunity of reading this book early. I already can't wait to have the physical copy of this book once it officially releases.

I read the first book, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries in January of this year and I knew a little more than halfway through if this was a series I wanted the next one. I love everything from the characters to the writing style. Emily was my favorite protagonist from January 2023 (and let's just say I read a lot that month). I was more than willing to bide my time until the official release but the bookish overlords were on my side this month.

I'm always anxious for sequels, some don't live up to the story of the first. I can confidently say that this is one that does stand up as a worthy successor of the first. I was happy to be welcomed back into the world of Emily and Wendell's scholarly bickering and Shadow's protective presence. The addition of Adriadne and Professor Rose was a welcomed surprise, I expected a new cast of villagers but not the grounding addition to both Emily and Wendell's dynamic, I was also so happy to see Poe! I nearly cried in many of the chapters he was in. And the cat! It was what this series was missing. I hope to see more of her.

As for the plot, it was terrific! The quest to find Professor de Gray, the doors that are more than your average doors, and the cunningness of mortals when pitted against faery plots. Where this book leaves off, I can't wait for the next one! And I can't wait to reread it again.

I loved Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Fairies, and I was so excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Del Ray. Well, Book #2 did not disappoint! I've found it very difficult to describe these books to friends--they're a mix of fantasy and dark academia, all written in a sort of epistolary style. Emily is a strong heroine and protagonist with more than a few quirks, and I truly love this character.

Emily and Wendell return to Europe to search for the Nexus to find Wendell's kingdom, accompanied again by Shadow and also by an (uninvited) colleague as well as her niece (and grad student), Ariadne. They all get involved in a search for two missing researchers, befriend the local villagers, and tangle with a host of magical creatures intent on foiling their success. Everything is again noted in Emily's meticulous field notes, which I love reading.

Just like the first book, Map of the Otherlands danced between the 'real' world and Faerie, creating vividly wonderful and frightening new worlds to fall into. I can easily visualize all the places Emily and Wendell go, which adds so much to the story. Emily is slowly growing as a character, opening her heart to Wendell (and her niece) and that's fun to watch too. Not surprisingly, I can't wait for book three!

We begin this story with Emily back at university having just been granted tenure…and her new office is three doors down from a certain professor. (Yes, it is Wendell.) While walking with Shadow on her way to meet Wendell for breakfast, she runs into a man with many ribbons and he is spouting nonsense … or is he? What is up with the ribbons? And what about Wendell? His stepmother is still out to get him … and Emily still hasn’t answered his marriage proposal. And, lastly, they still haven’t found his door.

It was lovely to be back in Emily’s world. I had just as good a time reading this book as the last. Emily’s niece Ariadne was a lovely addition to the cast. Also, Rose was a quite the foil to our intrepid heroes. Shadow stole the show again…until a particular guest star from the last book arrived.

Their expedition in this book kept my interest peaked. I enjoyed learning more about de Grey and her research into nexuses. Most of the book I spent wondering what happened to her, wondering if they will they find a nexus, and if Wendell will get home to claim his kingdom.

The writing style is so unique. I feel like I need to adjust each time I read books in this series, but once I do, then I don’t want to stop reading. I can’t wait for another adventure with Emily, Wendell, Shadow, and their friends in the future. (Or at least I hope there will be more!)

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for an arc of this book.

Once again an Emily Wilde book is in the running to be my favorite read of the year.

Fawcett effortlessly slips back into world of Emily and Wendell. The story picks up loose threads from the first novel and ties them up satisfyingly. The new additions to the story are excellently incorporated. I was worried that the new side characters would become annoying or would over take the plot, but Fawcett writes them with the correct amount of restraint. The new fairies and lands are the perfect mix of wacky and horrifying.

The writing itself retains the charm and humor of the first book. The pacing is quick, but still allows for the characters to grow and bond.

I did notice a few inconsistencies in the writing, but those are things that could be edited before the book goes to printing. I did receive this arc more than 6 months before the publication date. Besides I did genuinely enjoy this read, so I'm willing to be more forgiving.

If you enjoyed the first book, you'll more than likely get a similar experience with this sequel.

This was amazing! Heather Fawcett's storylines, storytelling, and writing style is immaculate. I was so happy to come back to the world of Emily Wilde and her fairies, the world building was absolutely dreamy.

The second book in the Emily Wilde series is a thoroughly good read. This one continues the story of Emily and Wendell. After Wendell being pursued by assassins sent by his stepmother, Wendell and Emily seek the way back to his kingdom to try to defeat her. Along the way, they must contend with rival scholars, Emily's young and naive niece, who insists upon tagging along, an assortment of both good and evil Folk, and the ongoing question of whether Emily will accept Wendell's marriage proposal. The book is full of wit, humor and high adventure.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is a charming book two in the series, and matches the worldbuilding and magic of book one. From the description of the creatures and the lands to the quest to find a door to the kingdom, it is entirely enchanting.

Picking up where book one left off, the book follows human scholar Emily and her faerie colleague Wendell as they search for a door to the kingdom his stepmother stole from him. The book has both the charm of our world’s academia and the delight of second world fantasy that all well written faerie stories have as the characters travel between our world and what is beyond. This time, Emily considers Wendell’s proposal, mulling the wisdom of marrying a faerie, all the while searching for a cure to a mysterious ailment that plagues him and eventually sends her toward the most dangerous place she can go: his kingdom.

This book was an absolute delight to read, and matched the tone and whimsy of the first one precisely. I can’t wait until it comes out so I can buy the print copy and set it next to its gorgeously designed first book. These covers are so pretty.

Thank you Random House Publishing and Bantam Dell Ray for the eARC!

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.

A big thank you to Heather Fawcett and Daly Rey Publishing for this arc.

I have been waiting for months to read this book and wow, it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved it! I read the whole thing in five hours. Having read the first book in the series (Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries), I was excited to see more of Emily and Wendell's adventures. I loved how Heather Fawcett called back to the first book several times because those moments are definitely important to Emily's story. There was so much action and love and friendship in this book, and the very real weirdness that can be family dynamics. Emily is such a well-rounded character and is so relatable. Wendell is the perfect foil for her in every way. The edition of Orga is also amazing. Of course Wendell would be a cat person.

It was also funny that Wendell wrote in Emily's journal again. I cackled in the first book when he wrote in it and it was just as funny in the second book.

I'm hopefully for a book three because I need to know what happens now that things are the way they are. I will definitely be preordering a copy of this book as soon as possible.

I love Emily and Wendell and was so excited to go on this adventure with them!

Emily and Wendell are following in the footsteps of a scholar who is presumably trapped in faerie...or dead as they continue their quest to find Wendell's door home.
This book was a little faster paced than the last. We got to meet up with some old friends, like Poe, as well as meet some new ones, like Emily's niece. I really enjoyed seeing Emily's relationships with the other characters evolve.

If you enjoyed book 1, this is a must read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Randomhouse for an early copy for review.

Emily Wilde is now easily a go to suggestion for me whenever someone asks for a cozy read with a rich world, and a romance that one can’t help but love. There’s so much to these stories that all very much boil down to loving one another, offering kindness, and being curious. No matter where this series goes next, I know it will not fail in the endeavor to put a smile on my face. This is the kind of story that makes any day that much better, and proves that we all live in the in between worlds when we pick up a book.