3.5 stars

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is unfortunately not my favorite in this series. I really love Emily and Wendell as characters; though Emily definitely had more growth and in this book and Wendell’s character arc kind of stayed the same which was slightly disappointing. The faerie lore was also expanded upon and super interesting! My biggest complaint about this one is that the plot felt so underwhelming and when I reached 78% I felt like the book could have already ended. This one is hard for me to review because there were parts of it that I really liked, but also some parts of it that I struggled with.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Charming, fantastical, and amusing, the third installment in the world of Folk scholar (and INFJ queen) Dr. Emily Wilde sees her navigating a very foreign situation: not only studying, but living among the Folk as a ruler. And of course solving a few crises as she goes.

Picking up right where the second book left off, Emily and Wendell continue on their journey to take back his throne, but quickly realize that not all is right in his fae homeland. So Emily, of course, sets out to find solutions through academic research, the collection of Irish folktales, and interviews with creatures she's never sure if she an trust. Like the other books in this series, we follow this journey via Emily's personal yet still scholarly journal as she recounts her adventures, challenges, thoughts, and emotions as she tries to help Wendell save both his land and himself.

Though I wish there had been a few points in this story where we'd had bigger, more exciting emotional moments, that just isn't true to who Emily is as a character or a narrator, so I understand why some of those beats were not given more space. Still, I found the resolution of the story here a bit more anticlimactic than I expected, and kept wondering if perhaps another shoe was going to drop—but I suppose keeping a door open and never allowing for a true happy ending is also very in keeping with the tradition of folk tales and folklore, so I can't be too mad about that.

Ultimately, I had a great time reading this, enjoyed just how messy the plot got only for it to tidily come back around (how very Wendell), and have a feeling that I'll find myself returning to the world of Emily Wilde in the future.

I have loved all the Emily Wilde books, and this one is no exception! I adore the way that Heather Fawcett combines academia with adventure, and I was so happy to see the continuation of the Emily and Wendell relationship (it is the ultimate grumpy raincloud/cottoncandy airhead mix). I both hope there are more and hope that we can leave this on such a happy note. Maybe a spin-off series is in order?

The third book in the Emily Wilde trilogy is fully immersed in the Fae world, embracing all of it's mysteries and dangers. Having just completed books one and two, I was poised and ready for the conclusion of Emily and Wendell's quest. Emily's intelligence and scholarship is tested as she works to unravel the curse in Wendall's realm, her mind one foot in the faerie world and one in the mortal. Wendall is less whimsical in this one, the banter has changed to a more serious tone, but his romantic wistfulness has increased exponentially, he is past "smitten" and is completely, hopelessly in love with Emily. There are visits with familiar side characters and I couldn't imagine how the curse would be fully broken. Be ready for heaps of sadness, amazement, and relief.
This was a lovely end to a delightful, cozy fantasy series.
I think this series would be a lovely rec. for patrons who love the Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Rayborn. Fawcett's Emily has similar vibes to Veronica (though less snarky) while her love interest Wendall reminds me of a more heroic version of Gilderoy Lockhart.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

So much happened in this book! I do think it might be my least favourite of the trilogy, but nevertheless I am so glad I read all three of these books and I'm looking forward to Heather Fawcett's next book!

This is the third book in the series and it delivers the same delightful energy that the first two do. In this installment we continue to follow Emily and Wendell as they navigate the challenges of taking back the realm! I love the journal entry style of these books and the juxtaposition of an academic mind facing the absurdity of Faerie.

Cosy and wonderful. Just a whole lot of fun and so enchanting. I cannot wait to see what Heather Fawcett does next. Highly highly recommend this whole series. A wonderful end to my favorite series.

I already miss the world and everyone in it (but I'll be honest, mostly our boy Shadow). It does so good capturing the Howl-Sophie dynamic from Howl's Moving Castle that I love. Other than wishing we got more time with Emily exploring and learning things about the fae, I'm satisfied with the conclusion! I know there was a lot of plot to get through, and it's definitely more action packed than the others. There's also a lot of potential for Fawcett to write more in this world and I really really hope she does one day!

The third in one of my absolute favorite series! I love the storytelling, and book three takes you right back into cozy scholarly faerie nonsense from page one. We’re in a new setting heading into Wendell’s land, still following Emily through her journal entries.

The beloved Shadow, and now Orga, often accompany our main characters, so curling up with my cats to read the Compendium of Lost Tales was absolute perfection.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review and eARC.

This was more or less exactly what I'd hoped for from book 3 in this series! Emily continues to try and tackle problems using her scholarship and study, Wendell continues to be both fearsome and endearing by turns, and the majority of this book actually takes place in Faerie.

My only real complaint is that while I really appreciate how much our two have grown to trust each other to be competent in their own strengths, and it is very sweet to see them so in love, I did miss some of the bickering and banter that we saw in the first two books. I would have liked to have more of that, perhaps with a more playful or teasing tone as their relationship matured.

I really enjoyed the nature of the problem that they were trying to solve, the stakes felt a little higher, and the application of storytelling and fairy tales applied to searching for a solution was excellent. And I especially liked spending more time getting to know Wendell's realm. I would definitely recommend this book for those who'd like to continue following Emily & Wendell. It's a solid installment in their journeys. For new readers however, I would probably recommend starting with the first book so you get to know these characters and their quirks before seeing them in this particular setting. The series is excellent for readers who like cozy academia, faery tales, and a grumpy x sunshine duo with some fun banter.

When the world feels like it's falling apart, we should all be grateful for this third installment in the Emily Wilde series.

Heather Fawcett has carefully created the fae universe that Emily lives in. Giving us the perfect amount of character development, magic, and love.

Emily is navigating the faerie world yet again in Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales. This time she is investigating a poison that is spreading among the faerie land. Emily uncovers all sorts of faerie history and happenings in this story and I loved the way it balanced her scholarly efforts with her story with Wendell.

Comforting, interesting, and perfect for these long winter days.

Emily Wilde remains an all-time cozy favorite of mine, and this third installment was just the perfect cap on the series.

Book 3 finds Emily having to navigate the court intrigue of Faerie, this time including solving a mysterious poison that is infecting the land itself. Naturally, our scholarly heroine endeavors to uncover all answers via our titular lost tales of Faerie. We get some heartwarming interactions between Emily and Wendell obviously, as their relationship continues to bloom under new circumstances, but we also get delicious little tastes of some past favorite characters along the way.

I continue to love everything about this story, but the thing that makes this such a delight to me is the hilariously wry humor of Emily. I was constantly giggling and highlighting little one-liners throughout the book that would be impossible to explain with no context but which still bring me great joy. The characters all have such heart to them, but Fawcett’s writing of Emily’s unique voice is still the component that makes me recommend this to everyone I know.

I am truly elated that I have received advanced copies of all three books in this trilogy. I was that kid that wrote evidence of fairies in my notebook. This series was a warm hug and transported me back there. It's my favorite series since reading HP in my childhood. I was so nervous to read this final installment because I wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters. This time, the story revolves around the realm being poisoned. As usual, I'm obsessed with Heather's writing. It is flowery in the best way, a true delight for all of the senses. I highlighted so many sentences because there were so many beautiful descriptions of forests, meadows, water, delicious food, flowers, clothes, sounds, mountains, etc.

The political intrigue in this one was my favorite of the series. It was very interesting to get a deeper peak into councils, events in the castle, common fae, courtly fae, and Wendell's family. I also loved being exposed again to the different animals, such as Orga the cat, Shadow the dog, and Snowbell the fox faerie. I wish had a team of vengeful snails. ALSO! I didn't even realize part of the story was around New Years, and it was fun to read the dated entries for new years on new years.

Wendell and Emily are so cute together in this one. So many wholesome moments, thoughtful gifts, cute letters, teamwork, and character growth. Their love story was wrapped up beautifully, but there's a clear opening for further exploration should the series ever continue. I also liked that the story reflected on important themes, such as learning from history, making choices for the greater good, and forgiveness. I got teary eyed when I finished this book. I absolutely can't wait to add a physical copy to my shelf.

Thank you so so much to the publishers and Netgalley for letting me read this. I have never been so excited for an e-ARC in my life hahaha. Reviews will be posted within two weeks of publishing; I will update my review with links! I will post to Goodreads, Tiktok, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Books A Million.

I want to start this review by thanking Netgalley, Heather Fawcett, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Del-Rey for an ARC of this book. The third installment of The Emily Wilde Series was one of my biggest anticipated reads of 2025, so to say I was beyond excited to read this book is an understatement. It is best to read these books in order as they build on one another, but that just means you get to be in this wonderful world for that much longer, and what a wonderful world it is to be a part of. Now, with that being said, let me jump into my thoughts.

I think that Heather Fawcett did a great job of bringing this story full circle. I really enjoyed hanging out with some of the characters from the previous stories and getting to know the new ones introduced in this book. I enjoyed that she introduced some new fairies as well, and I loved seeing how they fit right into everything. I would say that the coziness from the previous two books is still present in this one; however, this book does take some twists and turns that I was not expecting. These twists and turns may have even brought tears to my eyes. The world-building, however, I am happy to say, was just as incredible in this book as in the past two, and the way she described it all made me want to jump right into the story. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to hang out with Emily, Wendell, and especially Shadow? Speaking of Wendell, I enjoyed seeing another side of him in this story, along with his beloved cat. He still may be one of my favorite characters in the series.

This book was everything I hoped it would be and more. It is safe to say that I enjoyed my read of this as much as the previous books in the series. I would highly recommend this book and really the whole series to anyone who is looking for a cozy fantasy with some fantastic characters and excellent world-building. If you enjoy fairies, magical creatures, academia, and adventures, then I think you will be happy with this book and this series.

Trigger Warnings
- Violence
- Suicide
- Mentions of Death
- Poisoning

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars)

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales absolutely stole my heart. This sequel had everything I hoped for: magic, mystery, romance, and plenty of folklore goodness. Heather Fawcett has once again proven she’s a master at creating enchanting worlds and unforgettable characters.

The book kicks off with Emily discovering the faerie door to Wendell’s kingdom—a door he’s been searching for years to find, only for her to beat him to it (much to her smug delight). However, Emily is faced with solving a mysterious sickness that's been sweeping through Wendell’s realm. And on top of that, she's also trying to figure out her place among the courtly fae amidst feelings of homesickness and imposter syndrome. Her struggles felt very real and relatable, and it was beautiful to see her try and grow into this new role while also staying true to herself.

If you loved the first two books, you’ll be thrilled to see some familiar faces return. <spoiler>Ariadne, Farris Rose, Poe, Lilja, and Margret</spoiler> all make appearances, and it honestly felt like reuniting with old friends. Their relationships with Emily bring warmth and humor to the story, balancing out the higher stakes and more intense moments.

Emily and Wendell are as charming as ever. Their relationship continues to be one of the most endearing parts of the series (and I'm not usually a romance person), and their moments together are even better in this book.

This book hit all the right notes for me, especially in the second half. It’s magical, emotional, and filled with the richly imagined folklore that makes the world feel alive. Heather Fawcett has taken everything that made the first two books special and cranked it up a notch. If you’re a fan of fantasy with heart, humor, and a dash of romance, you need this book in your life.

The third installment of Emily Wilde follows Emily and Wendell into his faerie kingdom, where they left off in the second book.

This book absolutely does not fit in the Cosy genre. Whilst still containing found family, tea, romance, baked goods and other familiarities, Compendium is much higher stakes than the previous tales.

This book is nerve wracking by comparison to its predecessors, it contains much more death and addresses mortality in general too often to be considered cozy. Emily puts herself in danger much more often and with much less hope of rescue this time. She is finally proved the feminist hero she always was, rather than the rash damsel in distress she sometimes ended up as.

This book will make you cry.

Although all is well in the end and I think this does fit the requirements for a romance as well, this one is much more adventurous and edge of your seat. Especially as if you're reading the third book, you're already invested in the characters.

I absolutely adored Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales but you should know that my preferred genre is horror and so creepy descriptions of brownies and trees with eyes and death and purgatory like realms don't bother so much, but this is probably not a cup of tea, wrapped in a blanket on your sofa while it rains, book as the other two are so often billed. 5 stars, amazing world building and a very satisfying conclusion. Bravo Heather Fawcett.

4.5 stars rounded up! The third book in the Emily Wilde series did not disappoint. If you enjoyed the other two books, you will love this one.
This book was cozy, academic, and, at times, heartbreakingly tense.
Emily & Wendell’s relationship is truly one of my favorites. Such a great dynamic.
A perfect read for late winter-early spring!

Thank you NetGalley & Random House- Del Rey for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

Fun conclusion to a lovely series! I loved that faerie was so about stories, making Emily perfectly suited to work through all the troubles there.

This was enjoyable and on the mark for what I expected. The writing was on par with the previous books and it was nice to be back in this world again.

I love Wendell and Emily and seeing how their relationship has grown. However, I do miss their banter. There was some humor and it was fun to see (mostly) old and new characters. I enjoyed the use of lost tales to guide Emily through various adventures, I thought it was a fun touch.

I do feel like the plot was pretty flat. Every “problem” was solved quickly and easily, so the endgame kept changing. I kind of wish this was more emotionally driven to make up for Emily’s very dry POV, and to add some reader connection. The writing is good and the characters are interesting, but it was hard to feel the momentum sometimes.

Overall, the second one in this series remains my favorite, but this was still a good addition that I think is worth reading.

Thank you to Ballantine Del-Rey for an ARC of this book!

This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I have loved every book in this series so far, and this one is no exception. In this third book we are in Wendell’s world, and he is trying to retake his kingdom and save it from a curse.

I ADORE Emily so much – she is such an amazing character and her relationships with the people around her. Plus, her and Wendell’s romance is honestly just perfect. I love every moment they are together in this book. The moments between them, the sweetness, the – I don’t even know what to call it, the chemistry? Well, it was all lovely.

There are some moments in this book that had me outright chuckling. It’s still written in an epistolary style as Emily journals her adventures. Heather Fawcett is an amazing writer, and Emily has such personality in her journal entries. You really feel as if you are there with her. Also the descriptions? Love. I love all the different types of Folk mentioned. I could go on and on about world building, but I think you all would tire of that very quickly.

This book is much less cozy fantasy than the previous, it definitely leans more into a typical fantasy book. Historical alternate fantasy? Whatever the case may be, it absolutely works for me.

This one brought the series around in a full circle kind of way, and I don’t want to say too much on that. But we do have some returning characters from previous books!

100% recommend and while it does have a solid ending, it does feel as if it was left open for more to be written…