There's nothing really *wrong* with The Emilie Adventures; it's perfectly fine for what it is. But since the only other books I've read from Martha Wells are the MurderBot books, my expectations were probably off (even after considering that this duo is meant to be YA). I found Emilie's adventures to be interesting enough that I'd pick up the next book in the series, if there ever is one (but since it's been about 11 years since book 2 (Emilie and the Sky-World) was originally published, I'm not too optimistic there will be more).

With Murderbot hitting Apple+ this week, I don’t know how more people aren’t talking about this rerelease of The Emilie Adventures, being published in one novel. They are two novellas following Emilie who becomes a part of a ship’s crew after stowing away on the wrong ship, leading to her finding the family she’s always wanted while going on two separate adventures.

The world-building is nice and has a unique world system that was confusing at first, but became easier to follow as the story went on. There are some elements of magic that seems more nebulous, interesting ships and experimental engines, as well as people from other worlds and fantastic fight scenes.

4.5 stars

Thank you to @tordotcom and @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I did not finish this book. I read about 40% and I was disinterested in the story. I felt confused by the writing style - the tone in the beginning seemed middle grade but the inclusion of topics such as prostitution felt more young adult. I know the book is young adult but the tone was conflicting. I also felt the characters were underdeveloped and flat. I was overall disappointed with my experience and did not want to complete the book.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Historical Science Fiction, Fantasy, SFF, Pirates
Audience: Young Adult with crossover to adults
Language: Occasional mild cussing
Format: Two books in one. I love how I got more of Emilie without having to go get another book. Both "worlds" are thrilling!

Jump on for the wild ride of THE EMILIE ADVENTURES! Pirates, thieves, new worlds, and scientists!

This book has everything I love about Jules Verne with a more modern sensibility and inclusion of women. It's adventures, smart, funny, and includes alien-ish characters. Seriously, this is one of my favorite reads of the year. I highly recommend it.

Other things to enjoy beside the wonderful world:
- Family relationships
- Found family
- Unique characters
- Hints of romance
- Fighting amongst friends
- Feminism
- "Can-do" attitude!
- Deception
- Sense of wonder
- Exploration
- Hope for a brighter future

I hope you pick this up!

Happy (traveling adventures) reading!

This is one of those times I read the early work of one of my favorite writers, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were a good writer over a decade ago, too. It's also a pair of YA stories in which there is no romance plot, which honestly I loved. Getting bored with protagonists pausing in saving the world to swoon over potential love interests is a reason I don't read that much YA, and take long pauses between them. If there were more of these, I would have just kept reading them. It's a little more magical than most steam-punk, but I can see why it's described as that, it reminded me of Victorian adventure novels without the racism and sexism.

Both Emilie and the Hollow World and Emilie and the Sky World dazzle with world building, creativity, and charm. Emilie and the Hollow World shows massive character growth for Emilie as she learns to trust herself and others and learns how to navigate a world wholly different from her own. In Emilie and the Sky World, we see Efrain’s growth through Emilie’s eyes as his older sister. Both stories introduce at least a dozen characters unique to that story alone, with a few that become true companions to Emilie, and both stories introduce drastically different scenarios for Emilie to face.

These tales are internally consistent and the steampunk fantasy evokes Jules Verne in the most pleasant of nostalgia. Emilie is not extraordinarily lucky or unduly talented, and builds upon her skills in a reasonable fashion as the stories progress. It reads more Middle Grade to me than Young Adult in writing style, I think Emilie’s age could have been younger and the story would not have changed much.

I loved the wide variety of role models she has to learn from among the crew, and how the different styles of communication help her to think about things differently. Emilie being brown is also a nice touch but affects absolutely nothing in the plot (no cultural elements, for example) so PoC may find this representation lacking.

Overall, I enjoyed the spark in this character and the life in these tales. I would love to read more stories of Emilie.

This book was so entertaining. The world and character-building were exquisite, and the cover perfectly matched the story within. I enjoyed following Emilie as she sought to make a life for herself outside of the shadow of her mother's decisions and the sullied reputation her guardians falsely created. She began this book as a headstrong, wide-eyed girl with no real direction. However, she ended the book with a sense of self and living out the stories she would read about with her brothers.

This book gave me Enola Holmes and Dr. Who vibes, and I absolutely loved every single page. I am new to Martha Wells, this being my second book of hers that I have read, and I must say that she is now on my must-buy list. Her imagination is amazing, and her ability to give the characters that she writes so much personality that you forget that you are reading a work of fiction is mind-blowing.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Publishing Group | Tordotcom, and Martha Wells for the ARC of The Emilie Adventures.
I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion of this fantastic book.

In her efforts to escape a controlling uncle, Emilie accidentally stows away on a ship traveling through aetheric currents to the Hollow World. The discoveries made there will change everything. Then, while Emilie begins settling into her new life, a mysterious airship descends from the sky, changing everything again.

Two novels, and both were wonderful reads! Emilie is an engaging protagonist and realistically young. She doesn’t act perfectly, holds grudges, and loses her temper. But she’s also kind and curious and sympathetic, and I love her growth especially in book two. The side characters were all fun and interesting. And the world building was fantastic! I’ve finally found my answer to looking for a book with very similar vibes to the movie Treasure Planet.

Many thanks to both NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this arc!

The Emilie Adventures by Martha Wells offers two novel-length YA steampunk adventures that delivered adventures below the sea and above as young Emilie, a stowaway, embarks on an epic adventure. You won’t want to miss these daring adventures with our young hero!

I absolutely love Martha Wells Murderbot series and have since been reading her earlier published works as they are re-released. The Emilie Adventures offers two novel length YA steampunks perfect for everyone young and old who enjoys adventures on the high sea and in the air.

In the first story, Emilie and the Hollow World, our young heroine is frustrated with the way her uncle has been treating her and runs away from home. She is headed to her cousin’s school, hoping for a position there when she finds herself a stowaway on an experimental ship headed to a world below the sea. On board the ship she befriends Lady Marlende, who is traversing worlds to rescue her father, who made the trip before her. We’ve got villains, strange sea creatures and plenty of danger. The story is well paced and kept me engaged. I love steampunk and gadgets used. Emilie proves her worth when she rescues her new friends.

In the second story, Emilie and the Sky World, 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. Emilie, the professor, and Lady Marlende travel with the crew. On this adventure, they encounter a strange creature, find themselves in grave danger and go on a rescue mission to save a crew believed to be dead. There is even a confrontation with Emilie’s uncle. This was my favorite of the two tales, although both were winners. I loved meeting Flower and thought the villains in this tale scary. Once again, the technology and gadgets impressed me.

The Emilie Adventures were delightful and I highly recommend the novel for fans of steampunk, science fiction and fantasy who love an adventure. Watch out for pirates!

Simply marvelous. I'm heartbroken that there aren't 50+ more books in this series... 2 just doesn't seem like enough!

And yet! This omnibus is filled with so much perilous adventure, so much young-heroine-overcoming-all-odds, so much fantastical faraway places & "aliens", that it satisfies any reader's thirst for delicious plot development & captivating characters.

I enjoyed the science. I enjoyed the magic. I enjoyed the otherworldly invaders. I enjoyed the steampunk. I enjoyed the submarines & airships. I enjoyed the connections made between our FMC and her found-family. I loved Hyacinth. 🪻 I loved Rani & Kenar. 🖤 I loved every single aspect of these stories!

For fans of Castle in the Sky, The Mummy, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Around the World in 80 Days, and similar adventure-based tales mixed with a healthy dollop of quick wit, charming individuals & outlandish means of transportation.

Martha Wells is an insta-buy & always-support author for me, and these stories help further cement my love for her writing & my enjoyable reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor/Forge for giving me the opportunity to read to this book early and share my honest review. All reviews will be posted to my socials (Netgalley, Goodreads, Fable, IG).

The Emilie Adventures is an omnibus containing two previously published Emilie novels: Emilie and the Hollow World and Emilie and the Sky World. This is YA Steampunk fiction and I really enjoyed it. I think I love Martha Wells writing style. It is definitely YA, so please keep that in mind if you decide to pick it up. Emilie is our female main character and she is running away from home. She lives with her uncle and it is not a good situation for Emilie so she decides to stow away on a ship to go to her cousin who runs a school for girls, but she stows away on the wrong ship! The ship she is on is going to the interior of the planet and adventures ensue. In the second book, Emilie and the Sky World, they are going into the air because an airship has arrived that is from another aetheric plane. No telling if they are here for good or to cause harm as the story begins.

I completely enjoyed both stories. It does read young - almost more middle grade than YA. The first story gets bogged down in a couple of places, but overall it's enjoyable because I liked the characters. Emilie is a teenager, she is smart, resourceful and plucky. I enjoy steampunk and do not read enough of it. I think the second story is better because it handles the pacing better. Overall this is a 3.75 stars from me rounded up to 4 on Goodreads. Thank you to Tor Publishing and Net Galley for my e-arc.

My Rating: 4*

Emlie and her dual adventures were such cute, energetic stories. Though this is my first time reading Martha Wells, I do plan on picking up her Murderbot series. However, these books about Emilie and The Hollow World and Emilie and the Sky World, were great YA, middle grade reads with just the right amount of whimsy and excitement to keep me reading.

In the Hollow World, Emilie wants to stow away on a ship and start a life of adventure. She is tired of her aunt and uncle telling her what to do and how to behave. However, she steals away on the “wrong” ship and soon finds herself on a whirlwind journey through the center of the world, where there are races of beings she’s never encountered and other magical/ scientific elements which she’s not had exposure to. The crew seem to eagerly allow her to join, even if she is only about 16, and she soon finds the adventure she’s been looking for while trying to find the crew of a ship and a missing professor. There are definitely nods to Journey to the Center of the Earth as well as, perhaps, a bit of Treasure Island.

With the Sky World, Emilie takes off into the sky where a large flying/ floating ship seems to hold her next mystery. She still has to deal with some family issues and decide if she is going to fully embrace being an adult or fall back into a childish mindset. I did think this one was a bit less of an adventure and a bit more about growing up, in general. Still, I enjoyed the duology and if we go on any more explorations, then I hope I can tag along.

*I read this ARC back in February (I love Martha Wells, so I could not wait until closer to pub date😬).

The Emilie Adventures is a re-release of two exciting steampunk fantasy YA stories in-one.

The first story, “Emilie and the Hollow World,” introduces us to Emilie, a young girl who runs away and accidentally stows away on a ship with an engine designed to explore the inside of the planet. When the ship gets damaged upon arrival and they meet a strange new race, Emilie and her new friends must find a way to return to the surface.

In the second story, “Emilie and the Sky World,” Emilie and her crew hear about a mysterious and possibly dangerous disruption in the upper air currents. So they journey to the strange landscapes of the Sky World to discover a menacing force.

Both stories are is full of exciting moments and quirky characters that make Emilie’s journey’s very enjoyable.

Wells has yet again, created a world of fantasy that is fun to read and also features lovable and relatable characters like the spunky Emilie. I enjoyed my time in both the Hollow World and the Sky World.

The Emilie Adventures publishes on May 13. Thanks to tordotcom and NetGalley for providing this eArc.

I am a huge fan of Martha Well's books and her writing. I originally found her Murderbot Diaries and then Witch King, so when I saw this book on NetGalley I was excited to dive into a more YA voice. This duology was released years ago as separate books and are now, for the first time, together in one volume. I found the story compelling and quite enjoyable! I enjoyed Emilie as a character and the fantastic adventures that she has in both the hollow and sky worlds along with the Marlendes and the rest of the crew. It was a story about inner strength and a test of wills as they navigate unknown worlds and situations. The steampunk fantasy mashup was also a lot of fun and involved a lot of fun as well. It was neat seeing the combination of science and magic being used in the world. However, I will say that the books did have a lot of instances where things were being told to the reader instead of simply shown. Overall, it really didn't take much away from the story and I am quite sure that teens who enjoy adventure stories will like this duology.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing me an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

Disclaimer: Green Team received an ARC of The Emilie Adventures by Martha Wells courtesy of NetGalley and Tordotcom. We thank them for the early copy for review. All opinions are our own. The Emilie Adventures releases on May 13, 2025.

Here are the Green Team of the Legendarium Podcast, we are huge Murderbot fans. So we were very excited to check out some of Martha Wells's other works.

The Emilie Adventures is Martha Wells's YA steampunk fantasy adventure duology that Tor is re-releasing as a bindup. It consists of two YA steampunk fantasy adventure stories featuring…you guessed it a girl named Emilie. The first book is called Emilie and the Hollow World, originally published in 2013. The second book is called Emilie and the Sky World, originally published in 2014.

Review for Emilie and the Hollow World:
Overall we had fun reading this one, especially getting to discover the Hollow World and learn a bit about how aether worked. This was a pirate adventure story without explicitly being a pirate adventure story. There was a lot happening in this short book but unfortunately there were a few aspects that hindered our enjoyment. In this first book, we found the characters to be a bit clunky. Emilie is supposed to be around 16 years of age but her character read to us as a bit younger and her actions / thoughts felt disconnected from the age she's supposed to be. The plot also felt slow and dragged even though a lot did happen. The pacing of the book didn't quite align with how exciting the adventure was supposed to be. That being said, we still had some fun reading this first book.

Review of Emilie and the Sky World:
We enjoyed the second book quite a bit more than the first. Perhaps it was because we more familiar with the characters and the world. But we did notice the writing overall was better than the first book. The characters were more fleshed out. The plot was a bit tighter and more interesting. This one read like a first-contact story. We get to explore a whole new world and learn more about what's out there in the aether universe - not all of it good. The introduction of a new side character helped make the story more entertaining (even though they provided some obvious plot armor for our main characters.) While not quite on par with the character work we see Martha Wells do in The Murderbot Diaries, the character growth and depth here is more present than in Emilie and the Hollow World. The pacing of this book is also more aligned with the adventure being portrayed and read more quickly than the first book.

For more of our spoilery thoughts, check out our episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4MWuJN4FJgQM9FIvwII87b?si=abDzC8azS2im34BzaJ9voQ

This is collected edition of two YA steampunk novels from Martha Wells’s backlist, and as a certified Wells fan, I was looking forward to reading. Unfortunately I don’t think I was the target audience for these stories, which feel very young in tone and scope. While there is a lot of imagination and potential in these Jules-Verne-esque adventures (Aether currents! New worlds! Alien life forms! Airships!), I kept feeling frustrated by the over-explained problem-solving and the under-explained settings, so my overall experience was disappointing despite the exciting scenes. This felt like the wrong time for me, however I do think a younger audience would find much to enjoy with Emilie and her companions!

3.5 stars

Thanks to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for access to an advance reading copy.

This edition of the Emilie Adventures collects book 1 and book 2 of the series, which was originally published in 2013/14. The Steampunk story has Emilie as the main protagonist, who finds her way as a stowaway on a special ship. The ship can travel through the aether to other worlds within and outside our world. There, she has grand adventures and faces danger.

Emilie reads as much younger than she is meant to be. She's meant to be 16, but the way she acts and talks reads much closer to a precocious 11 or 12. This can be jarring when the adults in the adventure let her do dangerous things until you remember she's 16, which isn't that young.

The world Martha Wells builds is interesting and the travel to other worlds is interesting. I had some trouble picturing some of the creatures and people they meet. Illustrations would be a great addition to the book.

Overall, I found myself wanting to skip over some parts to get the story over with, and there were few surprises later in both stories. Murderbot Diary fans won't find much here to keep them reading, as the story and main character aren't as impactful.

DNF: I just didn't care about Emile, and her first adventure started to feel as though the author just threw things in because they sounded neat without thinking about coherence.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

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!