I LOVE THIS SERIES. Emily is such a fantastic example of autistic/neurodivergent representation that really rings true. Fawcett's commitment to presenting the stories as scholarly texts is wonderful -- I will always love a fantasy book that knows how to use a footnote to good effect! (See also: Terry Pratchett's Discworld.) The dry academic tone makes the incredible, magical, fae events that unfold even more entertaining; in any other book, there would be over-the-top emotions and passion, but Emily faces it all with a cool head and steady hands (what a gal). And with the upsurge in "Romantasy" popularity, I can absolutely appreciate a fantasy series that says, "Yeah, sure, there's some romance here, and the Fae Prince the heroine is involved with is DEFINITELY dreamy, but that's not important -- what's important is compiling all of these notes into an accessible encyclopedia for scholastic review!" (Don't get me wrong: I can enjoy a spicy Romantasy. But *sometimes* you just want more substance over smut.) And I really love how Fawcett manages to make the Fae truly otherworldly and inscrutable, weaving some familiar folklore threads together in a way that constantly surprises and keeps readers on our toes. This feels both old and new in the best possible way. And while I'm sad to see Emily and Wendell go/the end of this series, I really can't wait to see what Fawcett gives us next!

This series has always had a special place in my heart and it is so bittersweet that this is the end?! (please let me stay in denial in hope there will be more!). Emily and Wendell will always be so special to me and seeing their love shine in this book was my favorite! Although it took me awhile to remember a good portion of the plot and details from the previous book, I appreciate that it wasn’t summarized in length in this book as it would have taken away from the narrative style and adventure. It was so sweet to finally see Emily and Wendell in this place as a couple and learning from each other. The writing in these novels are so atmospheric, so lovely, and truly sweep you away in the world of Faerie. I have always enjoyed being in Emily’s head (journal) and wrestling with the story as it is told. The plot unfolds through all her new discoveries and it felt like a true Emily led story. I went into reading this knowing it would not be a quick read — this is a series worth savoring and taking your time with — and was used to the “slower” pacing. But when the action happened, it was a total page turner!! Overall, I thought this was a lovely third installment to one of my favorite series and I can’t wait to re read it all through again!

I am SO thankful to NetGalley & Del Rey for this ARC from one of my favorite series of all times!

This series has my whole heart. I love Emily and Wendell so much! This may be my favorite of the three 💜💜

Emily Wilde is now Wendell Bambleby's fiancée, and the two are trying to reclaim his throne in a long-lost faerie kingdom. She doesn't feel like she fits in there, just as she hadn't fit in within the human world. There's no time to fret about that, however. Wendell’s murderous stepmother placed a curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic and Emily’s knowledge of stories to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is the third book in the Emily Wilde series, following Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands. Definitely read those first, some prior characters show up in this one. Emily is still unapologetically a scholar first, even with Wendell taking on the responsibilities of King and trying to help reduce the curse. Tracts of land are decaying and the faerie residents get corrupted, causing them to attack or behave strangely. Because Faerie tends to operate in the manner of stories, Emily travels back and forth to English libraries to research old fairy tales for similar circumstances. The problem is, old stories aren't well documented, there are different versions, and Wendell's stepmother is half-human. Humanity has a way of changing how fairy tales work in Faerie, so things don't quite go according to plan.

Emily has grown quite a bit from the first book. While she still thinks of journal entries, articles to write or books she can publish on Faerie, she isn't as solitary as before. She can be polite, and reaches out or accepts help. Wendell isn't as silly as he was before, having accepted the fact that there's danger in the kingdom and royalty has certain powers that tie them to the land itself. I love how Emily is committed to the stories she finds, and that she is able to reach out to others through them. While she doesn't see herself as brave, she takes incredible risks and faces frightening creatures without complaints. This is another fun installment in this alternative history series, and I'm sure there's potentially more to come for Emily and Wendell in Faerie.

A satisfying ending to a delightful and cozy fantasy series. I have truly enjoyed following these characters through three exciting and fun novels. Having an interesting and smart female character to interact with through her journals has been refreshing. All the characters are memorable and the plots are both cozy and exciting. Truly it has been a fun ride.

While this took me a bit of time to finish because of its very slow pace, I truly loved following along Emily’s adventures. My favorite part of these books will always be seeing Wendell and Emily’s relationship. They are just so cute, and the end only left me hoping for another book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Del Rey for the eARC of this book. I rated this one 4.5 stars but rounded it up to 5 for Goodreads. This final entry in the Emily Wilde series solidified why I love this series so much and that it is one of my favorite series of all time. Heather Fawcett stuck the landing on this trilogy! I adore the fae world Fawcett created in this series. Her fae are equally charming and dangerous. It was a joy to catch up with Emily and Wendell and all their friends. I'm going to miss them but most of all our fae dog and cat, Shadow and Orga! I look forward to rereading this series again and again.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is yet another great addition to the series! This time, Emily is on her way to being a faerie queen, not that she knows what exactly that entails. While Wendell works on his kingliness, our intrepid scholar has her work cut out for her with learning the ways of the faerie court, thwarting assassinations, and thinking up her next book topic. But when they discover that the former queen cursed the land and only Wendell's sacrifice can save it, Emily has to do everything in her power to save what she truly loves.

This series is the perfect blend of heartwarming, wittiness, and danger--with a curmudgeonly heroine you can't help but root for. I would read 100 books about Emily, Wendell, and their faerie adventures. Fans of T. Kingfisher and V. E. Schwab will eat this series up!

This is a series of completely average books that makes a 5 star series. I'm always at a loss for how to review average books. I truly enjoyed the read and will probably reread them in the future. There is simply nothing to absolutely rave about. I received an ARC from the publisher, but it took me this long to find the words that capture the simplistic beauty that is Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales.

The stakes are high but not heartpounding. There is romance but not flamboyance. There is some awesome redemption. I want more cozy fantasies that emulate Emily Wilde.

You can find the first book in this series on my list of Best Adult Fantasy Novels. It is a breath of fresh air, as is the second book in the series. Emily Wilde is embarking on her greatest challenge yet as a dryadologist. She will be studying the faerie realm from the inside as the new queen.

Wendell is now her fiancé and is taking his rightful place as king, but his stepmother placed a deadly curse on the realm before disappearing. Wendell and Emily must use their combined magic and knowledge to save everything they love before the kingdom falls to ruin.

Every book in the series gets better. I am not sure if there are plans for more, but I will read every book. Emily Wilde keeps developing as a character, and I love her relationship with Wendell. This book, like all the books in the series, reads more like historical fiction and sometimes like nonfiction! Emily writes in her journals, and her notes feel real!

A lovely finale to the Emily Wilde series! This is definitely the most romantic of the three and I think the most fairytale like. I loved the focus on stories being the answer to the mystery Emily and Wendell face. It just feels right as an ending. I think there's room for more definitely but I'm so incredibly pleased with how this has turned out. an all time favorite series for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the eARc in exchange for an honest review.

The third installment of the Emily Wilde series brings readers deeper into the faerie realm, shifting the tone slightly from its predecessors while still maintaining the charm and scholarly intrigue that define the series. With much of the story unfolding in the faerie world, the whimsical chaos of Fawcett’s signature tone remains ever-present, offering an immersive journey filled with exploration and discovery.

Emily and Wendell’s relationship continues to be one of the highlights of the series, their dynamic as endearing and sweet as ever. However, the found family element, which played a significant role in previous books, feels a bit thinner here. While familiar friends make appearances, their presence is more for comfort than active involvement in the story.

The stakes in this installment feel notably higher, as Emily and Wendell face a formidable villain and the dire consequences of failure. The academic aspect of the series remains intact, but with a fresh tone that leans slightly more into hands-on discovery than purely academic research.

While Compendium of Lost Tales may be my least favorite of the trilogy, it is still a fantastic read that effectively expands the world and magic of the series while staying true to its heart. Fawcett successfully balances the beloved elements of the first two books with new challenges and settings, making this a satisfying—if slightly different—conclusion.

An excellent finale to the trilogy. I love how strong Emily's voice is and how even during the darkest moments, she remained the Emily we know and love. I also liked seeing Wendell in his element. Overall, a great book!

I have very much enjoyed this series. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the first book, I loved the second book even more, and I think this was a nice conclusion to Emily's story. We revisit a lot of places, catch up with a lot of familiar characters, and settle into the future of Emily and Wendell's lives together. There were also some new characters that I loved meeting - particularly Wendell's overly dramatic sister and their perpetually bored uncle.

I wish we got a little more show of growth from Emily. While she has her own ways of showing she cares about people, a lot of her reactions to problems remains going off on her own and isolating herself with books. I wouldn't want her to change too drastically as I think she is a wonderful character, but I would have loved to see her reach out to the people in this network she has built and embrace collaboration a bit more.

The relationship between Wendell and Emily is so sweet with the lengths he goes to in ensuring she feels happy and safe in Faerie, and the lengths Emily goes to in ensuring he survives to the end of their story without devolving into madness. We learn new stories and information, visit new places, see more strange Fae magic and curses. Emily has quite the adventure in this installment, one that I enjoyed going on with her, and I thought it was a lovely conclusion to her story.

EMILY WILDE'S COMPENDIUM OF LOST TALES by Heather Fawcett (see others in this series) received starred reviews from Booklist and from Library Journal. Both continue to praise Fawcett's world-building as she once again crafts dangerous adventures for dryadologist (one who studies fairies) Emily and Wendell, a fairy King. They finally venture together into Wendell's realm, only to discover that his stepmother has cursed the kingdom, a curse that can be lifted with Wendell's death. Determined and pragmatic, yet often impulsive, Emily refuses to accept that result and tries to find a solution through her research and scholarship. Once again, she seeks to help Wendell where "everything about the place revolves around stories. Stories shape the realms and the actions of those who dwell there." Readers will enjoy Fawcett's latest (February 2025 LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection) and undoubtedly look forward to more adventures.

I love Emily Wilde. If she was a real person, we’d be besties- the scholarly researcher and the librarian.

I have loved this series from the beginning - it’s cozy fantasy with a dash of suspenseful action and danger.

This time we followed Emily and Wendell back to his home to see if he can save the land and take the throne- which means, yes, Emily may become a queen. Did you just shriek with happiness? I did when I read that synopsis.

This is a 5 star for me, but I realized there may be the curmudgeonly reader who doesn’t dig faerie land like I do. We won’t dwell on that.

Thank you @heather_fawcett @delreybooks for allowing me to once again live in the wonderful world of Emily Wilde. This is out on 2/11, so get your last minute preorder in now, cozy fantasy lovers!

QOTD: What is one of your favorite book series? It can be any genre!

This is one of my faves, but I have many romance, fantasy and mystery series I enjoy.

#fantasy #emilywildescompendiumoflosttales #emilywilde #newbooks #arcreading #bookreview #bookstagram #nicmedia

I have been in love with this series since the first page of book one. This third installment is by far my favorite. Wendell has had so much growth throughout the series and it was lovely to see how that came to fruition in Compendium. The relationship between Wendell and Emily is one of my favorites. It was fun to once again be back in Faerie and see some new and familiar characters. I enjoyed this story line and the adventure. There was a sub story line that was kinda hidden when it comes to Shadow and it had me all in my feels for most of the book. By the end there is a scene that addressees this and it had me sobbing. I am sad to see this series come to an end and can't help by try to hold on to Emily and this world and cast of characters for a bit longer.

This book was fantastic. I look forward to sharing it with library patrons looking for reading materials like this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

What a wonderful conclusion to an excellent trilogy. I think it's a trilogy? It feels final, and while I am sad that it has to end, I'm also glad it's not getting dragged out until it's a husk of its former self. The whole series has an interest in examining our stories to guide our future. This one especially takes you through not only the folklore of Ireland but through Emily's past adventures. The story is so well plotted, all the pieces coming together are so satisfying! The romance between Emily and Wendell is so sweet. They are willing to do so much for each other, and they're so happy with the other in all their flaws. And I love Shadow, he's one of the best dogs in fiction. No spoilers, but I did nearly cry at the ending because of the damn dog.

Thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for this eARC (though I didn't get to this one until after the pub date).

This was a great final entry into the Emily Wilde series! Fascinating world building and excellent characters. I like the ideas about how story impacts the Faerie realms. I'd be in for future installments, but I'm happy with how we've ended up here!