Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands - The Library of the Uncommons

No cover — Heather Fawcett: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (2024, Ballantine)

English language

Published Jan. 16, 2024 by Ballantine.

ISBN:: 978-0-593-50019-4

(1 review)

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.

And she also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of …

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.

And she also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

1 edition

screamsbeneath reviewed Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (Emily Wilde, #2)

Delightful, Dark, Cozy

5 stars

If you liked the first, this is basically more of all that made Encyclopedia wonderful. The pacing is a bit more balanced, the characters are just as lovable, and the new setting is a delight. I almost wish there was more exploration of the Alps like there was in the first, but the trade off was a more focused plot while maintaining the cozy charm of a stuffily academic pursuit of nightmare creatures. It’s probably obvious by now I adored it.

The romance elements remain very mild and sweet, more akin to Austen than Maas. This is much more to my liking, but may be a disappointment for others.