The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
amyjno's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this follow up to Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries! If you loved the banter between Emily and Wendell in the first book you will not be disappointed. This was perfect to read now that it's starting to feel like winter where I live. The only bummer is that now I have to wait for book 3!
** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
julietbridges's review against another edition
5.0
*I received an advanced copy of this book for review. This is my own opinion.*
This book is presented as the diary of a dryadologist Emily Wilde who, in the previous book, was compiling research for an encyclopedia of faeries. In EWMOTO, Emily has decided to test her theories that the faerie lands are connected and endeavors to create a mapbook of them all. I love the diary format and Emily's voice throughout, and honestly I think reading this series has improved my vocabulary, using tons of SAT words without bashing us over the head with the language. (By that I mean it's easy to read while still using ten-dollar words.)
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands picks up several months after EWEOF, with Emily and Wendell searching for a door to get Wendell home. When they're attacked by faerie assassins, their plans are upended and they have to take a grumpy professor and an overeager assistant along for the ride.
I think I might have enjoyed Map more than Encyclopedia. We see more of Emily's appreciation of Wendell, and we meet her niece, Ariadne, whose become her assistant. Something I think is really important in Map vs. Encylopedia is how much Emily grows away from her entirely self-reliant nature to realizing that she actually enjoys having Ariadne, who is essentially a golden retriever in the form of a nineteen year old girl, as her assistant, and that she might have a few things left to learn from her department head as well. She also learns that maybe her first impressions aren't what they seem.
I really love this series and I can't wait to see how it progresses. Huge thanks to Netgalley, Random House, and Heather Fawcett for the ARC.
This book is presented as the diary of a dryadologist Emily Wilde who, in the previous book, was compiling research for an encyclopedia of faeries. In EWMOTO, Emily has decided to test her theories that the faerie lands are connected and endeavors to create a mapbook of them all. I love the diary format and Emily's voice throughout, and honestly I think reading this series has improved my vocabulary, using tons of SAT words without bashing us over the head with the language. (By that I mean it's easy to read while still using ten-dollar words.)
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands picks up several months after EWEOF, with Emily and Wendell searching for a door to get Wendell home. When they're attacked by faerie assassins, their plans are upended and they have to take a grumpy professor and an overeager assistant along for the ride.
I think I might have enjoyed Map more than Encyclopedia. We see more of Emily's appreciation of Wendell, and we meet her niece, Ariadne, whose become her assistant. Something I think is really important in Map vs. Encylopedia is how much Emily grows away from her entirely self-reliant nature to realizing that she actually enjoys having Ariadne, who is essentially a golden retriever in the form of a nineteen year old girl, as her assistant, and that she might have a few things left to learn from her department head as well. She also learns that maybe her first impressions aren't what they seem.
I really love this series and I can't wait to see how it progresses. Huge thanks to Netgalley, Random House, and Heather Fawcett for the ARC.
brjennings93's review against another edition
5.0
Despite the recent surge of New Adult books about hot men with wings and toxic personalities, I would like to remind everyone that faeries are not a new thing. They have existed in myths and legends for a long, long time, and many of the tropes and characteristics that we read about today are ripped right from said stories. And that’s okay. That’s the beauty of fantasy – being able to take a known concept and twist and mold it into something new, and knowing that someone out there is going to be 100% here for it. Personally, I’m a little tired of the oversexed faeries (excuse me, fae) finding love with beautiful, perfectly imperfect heroines. It’s just not my thing.
Enter Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series. I read the first book back in January and found myself absolutely delighted. Yes, it’s about faeries. But these are the faeries of my childhood. Maybe some of you also had Brian Froud’s Faeries on your bookshelf, and while its grotesque illustrations may have given you nightmares, you were fascinated. From Fawcett’s descriptions, I like to think that she too perused Froud’s book and found herself inspired. Her faeries are creatures of forest and shadow, of ice and snow, and while some maintain that standard of impossible beauty, many of them are hardly humanoid at all.
I was thrilled to return to the world of Emily Wilde in Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands. It is everything a sequel should be. Now that Wendell has revealed to Emily his true identity as an exiled faerie king, our headstrong scholar is determined to see him back on his throne. The only problem is, he can’t find the door to return to his realm. Using Emily’s latest project, a map of the faerie realms, as an excuse, the duo head to the Austrian Alps to begin their search. This time, however, they are joined by Emily’s niece, Ariadne, and Farris Rose, a fellow scholar of dryadology at Cambridge.
The new cast of characters helped keep the story fresh, and the clashing personalities of Emily and Farris made for excellent banter that had me giggling more than once. And while many of the faeries we meet are entirely different from those of the first book, I was so happy to see one or two familiar faces (Poe, I’m looking at you). The plot is fast-paced, which I’m very grateful for as the diary-style narrative can be hit or miss for me. But Fawcett knows how to give just enough to keep her readers engaged without dragging things out. There’s romance, adventure, mystery, friendship…everything that makes for a wonderful tale wrapped up in one pretty package, and without the eye-rolling smut that seems so popular these days.
I’m so appreciative to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC, and I’m eager for the third installment!
Enter Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series. I read the first book back in January and found myself absolutely delighted. Yes, it’s about faeries. But these are the faeries of my childhood. Maybe some of you also had Brian Froud’s Faeries on your bookshelf, and while its grotesque illustrations may have given you nightmares, you were fascinated. From Fawcett’s descriptions, I like to think that she too perused Froud’s book and found herself inspired. Her faeries are creatures of forest and shadow, of ice and snow, and while some maintain that standard of impossible beauty, many of them are hardly humanoid at all.
I was thrilled to return to the world of Emily Wilde in Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands. It is everything a sequel should be. Now that Wendell has revealed to Emily his true identity as an exiled faerie king, our headstrong scholar is determined to see him back on his throne. The only problem is, he can’t find the door to return to his realm. Using Emily’s latest project, a map of the faerie realms, as an excuse, the duo head to the Austrian Alps to begin their search. This time, however, they are joined by Emily’s niece, Ariadne, and Farris Rose, a fellow scholar of dryadology at Cambridge.
The new cast of characters helped keep the story fresh, and the clashing personalities of Emily and Farris made for excellent banter that had me giggling more than once. And while many of the faeries we meet are entirely different from those of the first book, I was so happy to see one or two familiar faces (Poe, I’m looking at you). The plot is fast-paced, which I’m very grateful for as the diary-style narrative can be hit or miss for me. But Fawcett knows how to give just enough to keep her readers engaged without dragging things out. There’s romance, adventure, mystery, friendship…everything that makes for a wonderful tale wrapped up in one pretty package, and without the eye-rolling smut that seems so popular these days.
I’m so appreciative to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC, and I’m eager for the third installment!
eyereadwhatiread126's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely adored this continuation of the first book! Ate this book up in 3 days! The writing is superb, the adventure is lovely and the banter is fatastic! Loved being back in the thick of it with Emily and Wendell! Will be purchasing when it comes out, as I am in love. Hoping that there is another book, as I don't want this to end!
Thank you Heather, Del Ray and Netgalley for the e-carc of this book, it was so worth the read :)
Thank you Heather, Del Ray and Netgalley for the e-carc of this book, it was so worth the read :)
jennifer_fatula's review against another edition
4.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: January 16, 2024
4.5 stars
I liked this one so much more than the first! The action starts right away and doesn't let up. We get to meet new characters, learn more about existing characters, and see some character growth and development. I also think it helped that I read this right after I finished the first one. I had struggled a bit getting into the writing style with the first so it helped me to keep that flow going once I got into it.
I'm excited for the next adventure!Â
Pub Date: January 16, 2024
4.5 stars
I liked this one so much more than the first! The action starts right away and doesn't let up. We get to meet new characters, learn more about existing characters, and see some character growth and development. I also think it helped that I read this right after I finished the first one. I had struggled a bit getting into the writing style with the first so it helped me to keep that flow going once I got into it.
I'm excited for the next adventure!Â
anndudzinski's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
cheesehead_reader's review against another edition
4.0
While I'm not typically a reader of Fantasy the Emily Wilde books have completed entranced me. I think because its more of a "cozy" fantasy. I love the characters, Emily and Wendell Bambleby (oh Wendell!), and the faeries and other magical folk, the storyline and world building. In the hunt for a Professor who disappeared from the Austrian Alps 50 years, Emily and Bambleby, along with her niece, get into more trouble.
4.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.
4.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.
tinybluepixel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!Â
This book, y'all. I enjoyed every second of it. I wish it didn't end. I need Book Three NOW.Â
I didn't even realize how tired I was of snarky-but-"charming" book boyfriends and perfect adorable Mary Sues until I read something that didn't feature either of those things. Emily being a truly antisocial (and not just in a I'm-not-like-other-girls-way) and curious lead, writing a journal that features footnotes and literature sources, and Wendell being a clean-freak fairy king with a murderous stepmother who also loves him (but also very much wants to kill him)? I don't think I've had protagonists quite like this. And I love them SO MUCH. Just for comparison, I'll put a paragraph here from my review of the first book, because it also applies here:Â
"First of all, Emily is a perfect main character. I generally don't enjoy those clumsy type of characters (oh no my hair is in such an awfully embarassing yet perfect messy bun and I never wear make-up and my sweaters are always oversized because I'm so skinny - you know the ones) and I originally feared Emily would fall into this category, but no. While she is a bit clumsy and her hair is always messy, she's just really ino academia. She just really likes writing papers and doing research. She's passionate as hell about her field of studies. She's so afraid to offend people that she does end up offending them with her politeness and desire to make herself seem likeable. She's real, she's well rounded, and I loved her so much."Â
Once again, something happens to Emily, and her first thought is always about the papers she's gonna write. And everytime I'm there, cheering her on - "Go write those papers, queen!"Â
While the first book puts Emily and Wendell into an isolated town where they are the only scholars, this one adds an ensemble cast of more or less four other academics (with varying degrees of sanity), which leads to an amazing array of academic debates and discussions (and fights!). I really wish we would've gotten more of Eichorn and de Grey, who were absolutely fascinating characters.Â
The only complaint I kind-of have is in regards to the pacing. We spend a good long while running around the Austrian countryside with nothing to show for it, with the actual exciting part (Emily and Ariadne's foray into Fairie) is done with in a couple of chapters. This is explained away with their memories and conception of time being skewed and muddled simply by being humans in a fairy realm, but I really wish we could've gotten more of this, because this is where Heather Fawcett's imagination really shines. We've all seen the alps. What we've not seen is a fairy realm where the trees have eyes, where owls with spider legs hang of castle walls like gargoyles, where women have hair made entirely out of roses. Those few chapters were amazing, and they went by in the blink of an eye. My only hope is that we get more of that, but considering where we left of, I truly believe we will get that in Book 3. Fingers crossed. I, for one, cannot wait. Like, literally, cannot.Â
This book, y'all. I enjoyed every second of it. I wish it didn't end. I need Book Three NOW.Â
I didn't even realize how tired I was of snarky-but-"charming" book boyfriends and perfect adorable Mary Sues until I read something that didn't feature either of those things. Emily being a truly antisocial (and not just in a I'm-not-like-other-girls-way) and curious lead, writing a journal that features footnotes and literature sources, and Wendell being a clean-freak fairy king with a murderous stepmother who also loves him (but also very much wants to kill him)? I don't think I've had protagonists quite like this. And I love them SO MUCH. Just for comparison, I'll put a paragraph here from my review of the first book, because it also applies here:Â
"First of all, Emily is a perfect main character. I generally don't enjoy those clumsy type of characters (oh no my hair is in such an awfully embarassing yet perfect messy bun and I never wear make-up and my sweaters are always oversized because I'm so skinny - you know the ones) and I originally feared Emily would fall into this category, but no. While she is a bit clumsy and her hair is always messy, she's just really ino academia. She just really likes writing papers and doing research. She's passionate as hell about her field of studies. She's so afraid to offend people that she does end up offending them with her politeness and desire to make herself seem likeable. She's real, she's well rounded, and I loved her so much."Â
Once again, something happens to Emily, and her first thought is always about the papers she's gonna write. And everytime I'm there, cheering her on - "Go write those papers, queen!"Â
While the first book puts Emily and Wendell into an isolated town where they are the only scholars, this one adds an ensemble cast of more or less four other academics (with varying degrees of sanity), which leads to an amazing array of academic debates and discussions (and fights!). I really wish we would've gotten more of Eichorn and de Grey, who were absolutely fascinating characters.Â
The only complaint I kind-of have is in regards to the pacing. We spend a good long while running around the Austrian countryside with nothing to show for it, with the actual exciting part (Emily and Ariadne's foray into Fairie) is done with in a couple of chapters. This is explained away with their memories and conception of time being skewed and muddled simply by being humans in a fairy realm, but I really wish we could've gotten more of this, because this is where Heather Fawcett's imagination really shines. We've all seen the alps. What we've not seen is a fairy realm where the trees have eyes, where owls with spider legs hang of castle walls like gargoyles, where women have hair made entirely out of roses. Those few chapters were amazing, and they went by in the blink of an eye. My only hope is that we get more of that, but considering where we left of, I truly believe we will get that in Book 3. Fingers crossed. I, for one, cannot wait. Like, literally, cannot.Â
inesacrow's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75