All good things must come to an end, and sadly, we have to say goodbye to Emily in the final book of this delightfully wonderful series. I've loved traveling with Emily and meeting so many diverse characters along the way. Fawcett's characters are unique and memorable, and I am going to miss them. I enjoyed meeting new characters in Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales as well as reconnecting with old friends and foes! Wendell and Emily are the perfect couple. I've been in love with Wendell from the moment he appeared in this series. He's just as charming, if not more so, in this final book as he's been in the others. He fiercely loves Emily, and that love comes out in the most unpredictable ways! Emily is still very Emily, and I wouldn't want her any other way. If you're just deciding to read this without having read the prior books, you'll be utterly lost...so don't do it. Begin at the beginning. It did take me a little longer to get into this book than it did the others, but once I was about a third of the way through, I was all in. I'm sad that my time with Emily has come to an end, but I'm excited to see how the author charms me with her next books.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Honestly this book was perfect. I have no comments or concerns. Emily’s journey through Faerie and learning her way and learning to trust herself and grow into her way of being queen is so wonderful. Emily and Wendell are so perfect. Emily understanding the faerie stories and understanding that they have to free the queen is so so beautiful and makes me so connected to her.

This series is just so smartly written, and the (presumable) finale provides a satisfying albeit circular ending with callbacks to previous books in the series.

I can’t say enough about the brilliant, rich writing that can invoke laughs or tears. What a treat Emily Wilde is, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t like cozy or academia books.

The latest installment seems to neatly wrap up Emily and Wendell’s arc, and it does a good job of tying off loose ends and pulling threads from the past. If anything, I wish in this book Emily didn’t spend as much time rescuing Wendell - repeatedly in this book, and in Map of the Otherlands too. I'm all for a reverse damsel-in-distress situation, but it would have been nice to have a scenario where Wendell had to fight for Em, versus vice versa.

The 'Emily Wilde' series truly stands apart from the other, many, fae books of our current time. Once again Fawcett focuses on the folklore of the Fae and it's absurdity to create a fun and enticing tale. I will say, the beginning of this book was rough going as it did continue directly on from the last chapter on the 2nd book. I had to play catch up amongst the world building of the realm of the Silva Lupi, which made the first third a little bit of a slog. However, once we got past that and back into the scholarship of it all it felt like coming home. I hope this series continues for as long as Heather Fawcett wants to write.

I love this series! I hope to read more about Emily and Wendell's adventures in the future. This is such a fun universe to learn more about.

"What an inconvenient time to meet my end, given all that I was in the middle of!"

This series continues to delight me to no end, with our pragmatic yet loveable dryadologist main character and her often over-the-top-with-the-theatrics-in-an-endearing-way fiance. With a new curse to overcome and all of the scholarly insight and witty banter we've come to expect, this most recent installment in the series was a delightful read.

Some things I loved:

✨ We finally get to do some exploring within the realm of Where The Trees Have Eyes, and we encounter a variety of common fae, courtly fae, and various other creatures. The world building continues to be wonderful in the series, and the details in this one (which ranged from vengeful snails to oath-upholding loopholes) brought so much life to the realm and to the story.

✨ Wendell and Emily's transition into their new roles is endearing and also enjoyable. Seeing where they each shine and falter and where they complement each other makes for some great character development. I love how much they clearly admire each other, but it never felt over the top for who the characters have established themselves to be.

✨ We learn a lot more about the lore of the Folk, and how important story is when it comes to history and the repetition of events. The ability to change the story, to learn from the past and make a different choice for the future, is an important theme.

✨ The animal characters play a larger role in this installment, and I always love when there are delightful animal characters in books! 

✨ There were some fabulous callbacks to characters from the previous books, which is always enjoyable even when some of those characters were despicable.

I'm not sure if this will be the last in the series, as the ending wrapped up in such a way that it could go be. If it's over, it was a solid conclusion. If it continues, I'll definitely be adding the next book to my collection!

4.5/5
What a delightful end to this trilogy! Even though I would happily read ten more of these, this wrapped things up nicely. This is an ideal cozy read for me because there still are stakes to keep it interesting, but they are generally quickly and easily resolved. The wintry atmosphere, many varieties of creepy fairies, intriguing footnotes, and delightful banter make this such an enjoyable narrative. Also, love interest Wendell has really grown on me and I now love him (the letters, omg!) and his fun dynamic with scholarly Emily. And, of course, Orga the cat and Shadow the dog continue to steal my heart. There's a particularly sweet scene with Shadow near the end that had me tearing up.

In this final book of the series, Emily and Wendell return to his realm to take up their new roles as king and queen. However, his stepmother the former queen is not going to make things easy, so Emily has one last academic mystery to solve before she gets her happily ever after. If you love this series as much as I do, this is not one to miss!

I love this series. Emily and Wendell are some of my favorite fictional characters and fictional couple. The series does feel a bit redundant at times but I don’t care cause I love it so much. Can’t wait for the narration!

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is such a delight! From the very first chapter, I was hooked on the mix of folklore, magic, and adventure. It’s the kind of book that feels like uncovering a hidden treasure—every page brings something unexpected and exciting.

The protagonist is smart, determined, and wonderfully human, which made it so easy to root for her. The way Fawcett weaves together ancient myths with her own imaginative twists is nothing short of brilliant. Some parts are whimsical and charming, while others are dark and eerie, but it all fits together perfectly.

I couldn’t put it down and found myself completely lost in the world she created. If you love books that transport you somewhere magical and leave you thinking about them long after, this one’s for you. Highly recommend giving it a read!

Exceptionally satisfying ending — though I’ll admit that upon finishing, I immediately went back to reread the first two books just to spend some more time with the characters before saying goodbye. Highly recommended!

I was smiling and giggling like a little girl while reading this. This was such a fun entry in the Emily Wilde series. In fact, I think this was the silliest entry in the series and while there was still a good amount of academic exploration, there was quite a bit of humor as well. There were quite a few fun new settings and characters that make this one feel fresh. I just adore this series! It’s a fun lighthearted fantasy with plenty of adventure written through a scholarly lens. I’m sad to say goodbye to Emily and Wendell, but I am glad it was done through this lovely book!

Thank you to Random House - Ballatine & NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this was an enjoyable end to this story but it was a little slow and some past characters kind of just tossed in. I still really enjoyed it but would have preferred a more decisive ending. Again, worth the read and happy I got a chance to receive a ARC of this one.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales follows Emily and Wendell as the pair reclaim Wendell’s throne. The story is largely about Emily both working to break a curse left on the kingdom by the previous ruler and coming to terms with the way Wendell, now fully residing in faerie, is changing, becoming far more fae and less like the man she has come to know. While I found this book to be a good end to the story of Emily and Wendell, I did feel that it was missing some of the charm that made me love the first book. Furthermore, this book had some meandering plot threads that ended up sidelined or brushed aside that detracted from the overall reading experience.

As expected for the series, the relationship between Emily and Wendell really is the driving force of the narrative. The pair are sweet to read about, as, even as Wendell is becoming more outlandish and losing some of the touchstones of humanity that we have seen in previous books, his devotion to Emily is apparent. Where these scenes are given the time to shine, the book is a wonderful read. Moreover, the book sets up really interesting dynamics as Wendell changes from being, well, Wendell, into being a fae king: he understands Emily less at times and expresses a lot of anxiety when not at her side. His use of magic—changing the world to suit his needs, or using it to tap down political enemies—begins to scare her. At the same time, other characters question Emily, forcing her to question whether or not Wendell is going to remain the man she loves. This is a SUPER interesting plot, and one I really liked as a way to introduce conflict into a relationship. Unfortunately, I did not feel that these ideas were fully explored in the novel. At some point, Emily simply accepts a level of violence from Wendell that she’s not fully comfortable with, and while she works to undo his actions, he seems to give in to appease her and not became he fully agrees with her position. As interesting as I thought this plot was, I just wish we could have seen a more satisfying ending to it. While I found this point an overall positive of the book, I do feel that it could have been far better if resolved in a more interesting way.

Furthermore, a charm of the series is its cast of really interesting side characters. While this book does feature a few fun side characters and brings back a few from the previous book, there is a fair amount of time devoted to fae side characters who, I felt, were much less interesting to read about.

This book also attempts to have the highest stakes of the series, but, as with earlier installments, tends to solve problems very soon after they are set up. I struggled to feel that there was tension in even what should be high-stakes moments as it feels quite clear that Emily will manage to find some book or put together a few stories the reader has not heard before and simply solve the problem. This is pretty expected after previous books so the reader probably knows what they’re getting into for this, but I would have loved to see just a bit more tension in the final book.

In the end, I’m giving this book 3.5 stars, rounded down as some of the charm between Wendell and Emily was missing in this installment. It is a solid conclusion to the series and, if you enjoyed the first two books, you are likely to enjoy this one as well.

What a lovely way to end Emily's story. This time, instead of ferreting out faerie realms through hidden doors in far-flung villages, Emily's walking into Wendell's kingdom as de facto queen, bringing her cozy brand of eccentric academia with her. Lost Tales is a bit of a slow starter, but by the time Emily has locked herself away in Trinity Library against the wishes of a curmudgeonly librarian to scour folklore and legends searching for a cure for a curse ailing the fae and forests of her new home, the pages started flying by.

Its satisfying watching Emily reason her way through obstacles, and even more satisfying watching Heather Fawcett make sure that we the readers grasp just how impressive that ability makes Emily. That is to say, Wendell is entirely devoted to Emily--virtues and idiosyncrasies, both--and so why shouldn't we be as well? Its a neat trick of Fawcett's that gives real warmth to a character who might otherwise read as inelegant and ill at ease with others.

4 stars, and if Emily ever decides to work her way through that entire room of journals Wendell so memorably gifted her Beauty-and-the-Beast-style, I would absolutely join her on those adventures too.


--Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own..--

As someone who's followed these books as they came out, I really wanted to love this book. Instead, it seemed to fall entirely flat for me. I don't know if it's the difference in format, as this book is entirely in journal entries, unlike its predecessors. But the first 50% of the book was an absolute struggle for me to get through. It picked up after this, but it felt bogged down in cameos from characters in earlier books that mostly did not add to the story (view spoiler). I think setting the majority of the story in Wendell's realm made it feel nonsensical overall, and I didn't quite find myself invested at any point because I knew that the majority of efforts could only have so much effect under the laws of the fae. Maybe this is my wake-up call that cozy fantasy isn't for me.

I'm glad to have seen it through, thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for giving me access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in the series that continues the story of Emily and Wendell. Emily is an academic who studies the different species of Folk. Wendell was also an academic until it was revealed he is the King of his long-lost Fairy realm. I have not read much fantasy before, but I am addicted to this series. Emily's sarcasm and intellect along with Wendell's easy natured personality make for an extremely likable mismatched pair. This book does not disappoint as Emily enters Wendells's kingdom as his soon to be queen. However, they soon discover a malignant curse has been placed upon the land and time is running out to save the kingdom.
I definitely recommend this third book in the series. I received a complimentary ebook from Netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Each and every Emily Wilde book is an absolute delight and this one was no exception. I love the academic approach these books take to faery stories and how we understand them. One of my favorite things about this latest installment was getting to spend more time in actual Faery and seeing how magic impacted that world and Emily’s reactions to it. I appreciated her general feeling of uneasiness throughout the book and how despite being a seasoned folklorist and field worker there were still plenty of things that made her uneasy or down right frightened.
I also love how Fawcett brought back characters and ties from the previous two books. What’s more these appearances felt natural and you could tell how their relationships with Emily and Wendell had grown and changed (for better or for worse) from earlier installments. We also got to meet some new characters, a particular favorite of mine was Lord Taran. I felt like Fawcett did an amazing job of capturing the indifferent and unnerving nature of the Fae with him. I also loved his relationship with Emily and their back and forth.
Overall, the book kept me engaged from the beginning wondering how exactly the characters would overcome each hurdle and what new research topics Emily would uncover.

Firstly, thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales picks up where book 2 left off, with Emily and Wendell finding the door to Wendell's kingdom. Emily is battling with her unease in the land of Faerie and its inhabitants, while Wendell is battling his own family to reclaim his throne. The path to claim Wendell's kingdom is further hindered by a curse on the land left by the previous Queen. Emily and Wendell, along with their friends, must work together to reunite the realm and to lift the curse.

The Emily Wilde series is one of my favorites and I was beyond thrilled to receive this ARC. I personally liked the first two books better than Compendium of Lost Tales, but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I think it gives a (mostly) satisfying end to the series. The pacing at times gave me whiplash (which I sometimes enjoyed somehow, yet not always?) The first 25 to 30% of the book is on the slow side and the plot felt a little aimless. The pace picks up once Wendell and Emily make it to the castle and learn about the curse left behind by Queen Arna.

The second half of the book is where the magic shines. There are meetings with old friends, research into fae history and lore, and adventures in and out of the mortal realm/Faerie. This book's main focus is on the stories (and their patterns) of the folk, which Emily believes will hold the key to undoing the curse. I've always enjoyed the folklore that is intertwined in the main plot of this series. It's what makes this series feel magical, so it was satisfying to research and discover more about Faerie alongside Emily. Indeed, Fawcett's descriptions of the fae realm is fantastical and enchanting; one can vividly experience the beauty (and horror) of the land and its inhabitants.

I think most fans of this series will fall in love number 3. Like mentioned before, many of the characters from books 1 and 2 make an appearance, and it's a nice change of pace to see Emily working well alongside them. One thing I always find myself wanting is more Wendell! He's such a wonderful character and I have a love/hate relationship whenever Emily goes off my herself to solve the final problem. That being said, there are more moments in Compendium of Lost Tales centered around Wendell. One in particular (no spoilers!) worked up my nerves enough that I had to take a small break.

This book definitely toyed with my emotions. I absolutely will be rereading this series in the future.

A career of studying Faerie and the Folk has provided Emily Wilde with the fundamentals to navigate the complexities of the realm, but embarking on the journey to take back Wendell Brambleby’s kingdom and throne proves to feature complications neither could have anticipated in Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales.
Having entered Wendell’s kingdom to take back his throne from his stepmother, despite his lack of political knowledge and Emily’s feeling as ill-suited to being a queen of Faerie as she does fitting in within the mortal world, the pair quickly encounter threats in the form of assassination attempts, thwarted by Wendell’s uncle, Lord Taran’s, assistance, and a curse poisoning the land cast by Wendell’s stepmother. While Wendell is more focused on showing off his kingdom’s splendor to Emily and providing her with gifts, Emily is firmly focused on researching a solution to the curse that doesn’t rely upon Wendell’s death. Making use of one of his gifts, a door to a cottage in the Irish countryside to offer a reprieve from Faerie, Emily begins researching tales that bear a resemblance to the situation they find themselves in so that they might locate where Wendell’s stepmother has hidden herself so they may stop her to rid themselves of her curse. With the stakes high and much to lose if they don’t unravel this mystery, the entirety of Wendell’s strengthened magic and Emily’s knowledge of stories, as well as assistance from friends, colleagues, and foes will be required to prevent unthinkable ruin and loss for both the kingdom and their lives.
Maintaining the journal-style documentation with chapter endnotes, this time entirely from Emily’s perspective, and following the events of the previous book, this installment follows the engaged couple as they embark on their journey into Wendell’s kingdom and become acquainted with the complex, and occasionally fearsome, political maneuverings of a faerie court that, in his youth, Wendell took for granted or simply ignored and that Emily is eager to take notes on for her next scholarly work. The narrative weaves together appearances from characters from the previous book, as well as the first, in ways that felt organic as their expertise and assistance were necessary for the progression of the tale or the further development, or revelation of development, of Emily and Wendell’s character. The story’s pacing is quite slow but at times feels almost too rushed to fit everything in, with a juddering quality to it that is perhaps meant to provide a sense of otherworldliness to mimic a disorientation that mortals are meant to feel while in Faerie, but as that wasn’t meant to happen to Emily in such exaggerated ways anymore it came across as more strange than intentional. Stories serving as the fundamental foundation of Faerie and a driving force of the Folk and their behavior was a fascinating concept at the heart of this tale, with the exploration of one such tale as the archetype for their investigation, which provides Emily with yet another interesting topic for scholarly examination – though perhaps better so when her emotions aren’t in a heightened state and the fate of the Faerie realm she’s to help rule over isn’t involved – and with the openness of possibilities awaiting with the conclusion, perhaps that endeavor might just happen.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75 stars

This is such a fantastic series— whimsical with an edge of darkness— and Emily is such a delightful main character. As an academic myself, I deeply relate to her instinct to solve problems by reading books.