It was a very cozy read i loved it as well as an mc who was growing so well every chapters, it was satisfying to see her standing up for herself when the times didn't call for it. I adored the arc with Hyacinth it was refreshing and loved how they learned to trust each other

I am a huge fan of Martha Wells' Murderbot series. This is my first time reading The Emilie Adventures, and I really enjoyed this young adult duology, and I always look forward to any science fiction novel that utilizes steam punk technology (Treasure Planet vibes). The pacing is great, I never found myself bored. The main character, Emilie, is a determined and (as the title suggests) adventurous teenager - an easy to root for character.

The first book in this duology, Emily and the Hollow World, finds our heroine as a stowaway aboard a ship she didn't attend to be on, with an antagonist that would prefer she never come back. The second book, Emilie and the Sky World, follows her investigation into a mystery in the sky, giving Emilie the chance to take flight on another adventure once again. Emilie is resilient in the face of challenging situations, and you can see how in the first novel she is more reserved (attempting to observe everything and everyone around her) and in the second novel more impowered (doesn't shy away from battles or leaping into dangerous situations), and I appreciated the character growth she develops through both novels. I did wish we spent more time with some of the other characters introduced as I enjoyed Emilie's time interacting with others outside of her scheming and action. This was an easy read and I can easily picture it being adapted into an animated television show. I recommend it to any fans of young adult books, fans of Wells, or looking for a steam punk story that isn't grim dark.

Thank you to TOR Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this duology, I love any chance to read Martha Wells!

The Emilie Adventures are a steampunk-with-magic duology of young adult novels. Our Protagonist is Emilie, a young girl running away from an extremely toxic home situation. (Her uncle is convince that since her mother became an actress, that Emilie will be no better than she should be. He is kind of horrible.) Her plans to become an assistant at a girl's school run by a cousin are rear-ended by The Call To Adventure.
In Emilie and the Hollow World, Emilie's attempt to stowaway on a ship (due to not having enough money for passage) leads to her accidentally ending up on an exploratory vessel. This particular ship is leaving to explore the "Hollow World" discovered by a sorcerer-philosopher. A sorcerer whose ship broke down, and has gone missing.
In Emilie and the Sky World, Emilie briefly goes to visit her cousin, to visit and explain that she's taken on a job as a secretary to Miss Marlende, the daughter of the sorcerer-philosopher who went missing in the previous book. (Miss Marlende is extremely involved with her father's work, so Emilie is going to be going on More Adventures.) The visit is cut short by the appearance of a strange vessel appearing in the sky.
(From here, we learn that this setting doesn't just have a hollow world. It's actually a series of layers more or less tied together by magic streams called "Aetheric Currents." The ship is empty except for one plant-like alien.)
So, what I like the most aside from the adventures themselves is what seems to be the underlying message of the series: sometimes family is great. Sometimes it is toxic and unpleasant. Sometimes it's simply estranged.
Another thing I liked is that Emilie isn't expected to forgive her uncle because "he means well." She is allowed to be angry when he rudely turns up and tries to drag her away from her new job. (And then goes to get a constable because he thinks that's going to help.) She is allowed to be angry with her younger brother for siding with her uncle. This is a thing that tends not to happen in young adult or even adult novels where family is concerned.
A few aspects of "you are allowed to be angry with a parent-figure," also shows up in the relationship between Miss Marlende and her mother. Professor Abindon is a member of the Philosophical Society, but when she had been a student, she had only been allowed to audit classes, and hadn't been allowed to earn a degree. She divorced Dr. Marlende for unstated reasons (that are most likely because he takes absolutely insane risks). The Professor has a strained relationship with many other characters, and seems to be extremely abrupt with no patience for the mistakes/stupidity/general obtuseness of others.
I liked this book for the "found family" and adventure aspects! Well's worldbuilding is always fascinating, and I am intrigued by the cultures she comes up with. I also liked the "bio-family is why found family exists" themes. This review was based on a copy received from NetGalley.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC available to me for my review.

These two short novels are really geared to a YA audience. The world is a kind of steampunk/magic mish-mash, and Emilie is a young woman trying to get out from under her uncle's thumb, but ends up as a stowaway on a sailing ship that takes her off on an adventure. The author does a decent job with the material, but these short novels really should not be compared to the MurderBot novels.

The Emilie Adventures
by Martha Wells
Emilie #1 & #2
YA Fantasy Steampunk
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: May 13, 2025
Tor
Ages: 14+

~Emilie and the Hollow World #1~

Because of her uncle, Emilie runs away, sneaking onto a ship that will take her to the town where her cousin runs a school, but she ends up on the wrong ship, one that is heading in to the planet on a rescue mission. But Lord Ivers wants all the credit, so he will do anything to strand them all.

~Emilie and the Sky World~

There is something strange in the sky, and it seems to be getting bigger. To make sure it isn't a threat, Emilie and the Marlendes must ride the dangerous air currents into the aetheric plane.


I couldn't help but compare these stories to 'Journey to the Center of the Earth', '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea', & 'The Mysterious Island'.

They are both cute and adventurous stories, with a touch of cozy, about a young girl who becomes a stronger version of herself as the first story progresses, and even though this is set in a time when it's extremely frowned upon, she stands up for herself.

The first book moved at a great pace but did have a few places get bogged down by telling instead of showing... 'They did this, then they did that.' A little more descriptions, feelings, etc., would have done more for the story. The second book didn't have as much telling, so it flowed at a much faster pace.

While there is violence, it's not too descriptive or graphic, and sure, there's a hint of romantic interest, but it does not take over the story. There is some language/verbal abuse, and younger readers may not understand the true meaning of the situation, but I think it's suitable for readers fourteen and older.

Because these books were originally released back in 2013 and 2014, I'm hoping that with the release of this omnibus, that there are a few more in the works.

Both get...

3 Stars

This is a really fun fantasy adventure. I loved the world-building and would love to read more books set in this world. If this winds up being a series, I could see it being a great candidate for some very pretty special edition books.

3 stars

Summary I
Sixteen year old Emilie has run away from an uncle and aunt with low expectations of her. Her adventure becomes much more exciting than expected when she is mistaken for a thief and ends up on a sorcerous aethership headed deep into the ocean and beyond.
Review I
Emilie I is clearly written as a Young Adult novel, with a naive but plucky young heroine encountering the cruel world for the first time, and with many opportunities for her innate goodness to shine through. That’s all well and good. What’s disappointing is that Wells seems to be so consciously adhering to a formula. Every moment feels carefully scripted and targeted. The result is a book that’s pleasant, but not especially interesting.
Despite the care, Wells seems to miss her target. We don’t learn Emilie’s age for a couple of chapters, and when we do, it’s surprising. I had the feeling of a 10-12 year old, not an adolescent. Even when we learn Emilie is nearer being a young woman than a child, she doesn’t feel like one. The introduction of a love interest is thus a bit offputting. Perhaps, in a world where most fictional teens face harsh dystopias at every turn, there’s room for a return to starry-eyed childhood innocence, but it didn’t work for me here.
Wells’ world is a similar return to days of yore, with Emilie and crew visiting the hollow center of the Earth on aetheric currents. I assume this is in conscious homage to Verne and Burroughs, and took no issue with the sheer scientific improbability of the setting, though there’s little attempt to explain it, and some of the background details are improbable even within the context.
Wells does better with characterization. She winks at historical stereotypes by quietly inverting some gender roles, but sets the story in an Elizabethan-era steampunk setting in which woman are meant to play a submissive role. This gives Emilie something to rebel against and overcome, but it feels a bit tired. Emilie herself is an active, intelligent protagonist. She worries and wonders, but takes action – not always in very credible ways. She faces and overcomes fairly predictable challenges.
Altogether, this is a quick, modest adventure for kids who haven’t read too widely (and thus encountered most of the ideas already). There’s nothing wrong with it, but also not anything particularly compelling. I don’t feel any need to go on to the next book.
Summary II
Emilie, having run away from home and been caught up in otherworldly adventures, has secured a spot as secretary to an adventuress. But before she can do more than catch up with the cousin she initially ran to, another adventure presents itself - this time even more dangerous.
Review II
I feel as if Martha Wells lost her willingness to take chances for a while, after the strong start of her first several books. But it may be more accurate to say that she pursued what sold well, since I think the later Murderbot series qualifies as chancy. The Emilie books, unfortunately, fall into that in-between period and do not.
A decade ago, I read the first Emilie book and wasn’t impressed enough to continue with the second, having also been disappointed by the Raksura books. When I saw they’d been reissued, though, I thought it would be a good chance to try again to see whether I’d been unfairly critical. Sadly, my reaction is pretty much the same.
This second book – and it’s probably good that they’ve been issued as an omnibus – picks up right where the first left off, literally the next day, I think. It’s very much of a piece with the first, aiming for the same YA audience, and I have some of the same critiques – among them that Emilie, while described as 16, acts as if she were 12 or younger.
The action is exciting, but not highly credible. As in the first book, there’s magically a universal translator devised by another people. Why is it that humans never think to develop one of their own? It smooths the narrative path, but perhaps a bit too much. In fact, the plot of this one it many ways mirrors the first, at least in the emotional tones.
I think the books are fine. They have the benefit that the women in them are strong and independent but not perfect. Beyond that, though, they’re on the bland side. Most suitable for young readers new to SFF and adventure stories.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

(3.75 stars) I got an eARC of The Emilie Adventures from Tor and NetGalley, and as a big fan of The Murderbot Diaries, I was curious to see what Martha Wells had cooked up in her earlier work. It turns out, it is a charming mashup of steampunk, fantasy, and science with a heroine who accidentally stows away on a ship to literally another world. Whoops.

Emilie’s running from a toxic home and aiming for a fresh start with her cousin. Instead, she ends up on a magical deep-sea ship, facing strange portals, glittery scaled non-humans, and skybound escapades. Think Journey to the Center of the Earth, but with a teenage girl and fewer mustaches.

The vibe is like a nostalgic adventure story that can be consumed by adults or Middle Grade despite this being billed as YA. There is little angst or romance, but lots of exploration and wonder. Emilie herself is smart and resourceful, though the side characters often feel like background players in her solo show.

If you want a fast-paced, whimsical adventure with vintage flair and magical science, this is a fun ride. Just maybe keep a closer eye on your travel plans than Emilie did.

The Emilie Adventures fits into the Golden Compass vein of young adult novels where I could very easily see giving it to a younger child with a high reading level and a love of fantasy. It reads like a classic but with Martha Well's keen, sometimes quiet humor. Emilie, like all of her protagonists, is easy to love.

Enjoying the resurgence of Martha Wells' non-scifi work, this time with "The Emilie Adventures." A collection of 2 previously published works. Out 13 May 2025.

Emilie was in the middle of running away from home and stumbled into a job. Which is about as good as you can hope when you start as stowaway. Thankfully the folks she ends up with are decent folks in the middle of heading to the world below theirs. Normal stuff.

Reasons to read:
-A wild amount of life experience in a short amount of time, on the job learning
-Steampunk vehicles with magic
-Shattering worldviews of scientists
-Beings different than you'd expect
-Competency being rewarded

Cons:
-Wish I had found it when I was younger, but I can suggest it for a lot of my cousins kids now

"Two novel-length steampunk adventures from the author of the wildly successful Murderbot Diaries.

Together in one volume for the first time:

Emilie and the Hollow World
Running away from home and stowing away on the wrong ship, Emilie embarks on a fantastic adventure.

Emilie learns that the crew hopes to use an experimental engine to journey to the interior of the planet, but when the ship becomes damaged on arrival and evidence points to sabotage, they encounter the treacherous Lord Ivers, along with a strange new race.

Can Emilie and her new-found friends possibly reach the surface world again?

Emilie and the Sky-World
When Emilie arrives in Silk Harbor, Professor Abindon, an old colleague of her friend Lady Marlende, warns them of something strange and potentially deadly in the sky, a disruption in an upper air aether current. On further investigation they realize it’s a ship from another aetheric plane.

How to determine if it’s a friendly explorer, or something far more sinister? Nothing less than a journey into the dangerous air currents will do.

Join Emilie and she navigates the strange landscapes of the upper air, and the deadly menace that inhabits the Sky World."

If anyone can bring back Steampunk literature it's Martha Wells!

Martha Wells has been consistently writing fantasy and science fiction since the mid-90’s with many series under her belt and even novels written for both Star Wars and Stargate: Atlantis. But, for many, Wells only recently became a household name thanks to The Murderbot DIaries, a cult classic turned mainstream hit with five novellas, two novels and an Apple TV show on the horizon.

And with the success of Murderbot, some of Wells’ previously published backlist is being repackaged for a new crowd -- namely The Emilie Adventures. This new edition is actually two previous short young adult fantasy novels, Emilie and the Hollow World and Emilie and the Sky World, originally released in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

These are very much written in a young adult style, so if you’re looking for Murderbot, this ain’t it. Some of what makes Murderbot great -- good character work with understandable motivations -- is definitely present, so don’t immediately shy away just because it has the initials YA next to the genre. The writing style isn’t just YA, however. There is almost a timeless quality to it in some ways. If there was a copyright date of 1965 or even 1925 on the inside cover, I’d almost believe it. Spunky steampunk tales via Jules Verne’s sensibilities -- these books would find a home almost no matter what decade they were released in.

I will say, if I was going to rank the two books against each other, the first book was a little easier to get into for me. I’ve always been fascinated by a Hollow Earth concept, and Wells really had fun with getting our characters “inside” the Earth for their first adventure. The second is a little more nebulous, but thanks to some of the infrastructure work in the first book, this one gets going a lot quicker. Both, however, had good, fun action with relatable characters.

Last year I devoured the Murderbot series within just a couple of weeks. After months away from Wells’ scifi stories I was ready to get into her writing again, so when the opportunity to read and review The Emilie Adventures, I jumped at the chance. I had a great time with the Jules Verne-inspired steampunk tales and kinda hope Wells delves back into Emilie’s world at some point down the road.

Thank you Tordotcom for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Ohmygosh!!! This was everything. Such a fun story. Martha does it again. From the story, to the characters everything was delightful.

Martha Wells is one of my favorite authors, and I love that her older works are getting republished for a new chance at life. The Emilie Adventures combines two books: Emilie & the Hollow World and Emilie & the Sky World. They star 16 year old runaway Emilie, whose attempt to stowaway aboard a steamship to escape her overbearing aunt and uncle goes disastrously wrong when she ends up on a ship not bound for another port, but bound for another world through the magical aether current.

The two adventures Emilie and the crew she winds up with are a lot of fun, though probably more as a reader than for Emilie herself! Martha Wells has a great ability to develop non human people and societies, one of my favorite parts of her other series, The Books of the Raksura, and the ones she creates here do not disappoint. The Sky World was my favorite of the two, a pretty much non stop action adventure with flower people and invisible aether ghosts and an airborne mountain range that is both fascinating and kind of terrifying.

Emilie is a fun and engaging protagonist, who perhaps reads a little younger than sixteen but with her sheltered upbringing it works. I’m only sorry we don’t get to go on any further adventures with her. Perhaps with these books being in print again, Wells will return to this world.

I have been a fan of Martha Wells for a long time. Emilie's stories have been enjoyed by many of our readers, I'm so happy the stories are getting a rebrand that will allow more readers to enjoy Martha Wells work! Emilie's adventures are books that engage a spark in reading in younger readers. Thank you for the eARC.

I like the writer’s writing but this book just wasn’t for me. Maybe I would have liked it if I was younger but the story was just meh and young for my taste .

I can’t recommend.

Omgosh, where to start. This was such an epic adventure! The detail of the story made it play like a move in my head. What an amazing world the author created. It flowed effortlessly and I couldn’t stop reading to see what happens next.
If your a fan of the authors murderbot series and journey to the center of the earth, but high octaine levels, this story is for you. Perfect for younger teen and adults of all ages.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!
This was such a beautiful return to what I think is true YA fantasy. This collection gave me the nostalgia of reading a story when I was 12-16. It’s not overly dramatic, or too old. There are some adult themes but nothing overly sexual or inappropriate.
The YA/new adult craze has really stolen this kind of story away from young readers so this was a breath of fresh air!

Martha Wells is such a talented writer and I’ve loved her murder bot series. Her Emilie Adventures are a very steam punk adventure series about a young girl running away from her family who has misunderstood her. She ends up falling in with a crew of scientists and adventurers traveling through magic currents to other pocket worlds.
Four stars!

Emilie and the Hollow World

Emilie and the Hollow World is a fast-paced, journey to the center of the earth, where you won’t find dinosaurs, but you will find an action-packed, dangerous expedition on the sea.

Our story begins with Emilie seeking to escape the clutches of an unusually controlling uncle, who thinks any life course, besides marriage and child bearing, will automatically lead to prostitution. Emilie runs away, obviously, but accidentally boards a ship bound for middle earth. 👀 Will she make it out alive, or will she become a prostitute? You’ll have to read the book to find out. Regardless of the outcome, you will find no spice here, and minimal profanity. Good luck to you! I made it out alive and did not become a prostitute. In fact I thoroughly enjoyed this … highly chaperoned and respectable adventure.

Emilie and the Sky World

Emilie is back! She's still in danger though, because her unusually controlling uncle is on the prowl. Will he howl if she takes off again, instead of coming home? Probably. The telescope reveals a concerning anomaly in the sky. Are foreign entities stopping by? Emilie and friends must investigate straight away. Will her uncle denounce her as a prostitute when she returns, or will he just be glad she made it home at all? Put a pin in those questions.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was my favorite of the two. I absolutely adored the colorful characters. One of them was blooming adorable. I lived in suspense. The action level was great. I never got bored. A great young adult steampunk fantasy adventure. No spice, mild profanity, mild violence/death. I highly recommend for the appropriate audiences. Bring a chaperone and don't become a prostitute, or uncle will not be happy with you.

This is the first YA I've ever read from Martha Wells, and it is as charming and inventive as I expected. I love that her older work is being brought out again now that she's become such a rock star. Looking forward to seeing more folks enjoy her fantasy along Murderbot.