Hello, everyone! For my last review of 2023, I am sharing my thoughts on one of my most anticipated books of 2024, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett. I loved the first book in this series and was so excited to finally see what Emily and Wendell got up to next.

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 Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.
 
And she also has a new project to focus 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.

***Thank you to Del Rey for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

I loved Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands even more than its predecessor. Everything I enjoyed from the first book was in this one, too, and the story did a good job of providing ample opportunity for character growth and fascinating world-building. Most importantly, the plot of this sequel was much tighter than its predecessor, which improved the reading experience. There was a set goal that everything was driving toward, and the pacing felt more purposeful because of it. The writing style was still academic, yet whimsical, and I just adored the continued use of the journal format. It felt like I was reading actual field notes, which was delightful.

The depiction of faeries is one of the things I like most about this series. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands added to the mystique of the faeries and their realms and continued to portray them as equal parts whimsical and terrifying. They were all so quirky and a bit mercurial, and it kept things interesting because I never knew what they’d do next. I was so happy that one of my favorite faeries from the first book made an appearance in this one, too. It was nice to see him and know he was doing well. I just really, really love how Fawcett writes faeries, and this book was a perfect example of why I adore her writing.

There was quite a bit of character growth in Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, as well. Emily has always struggled with emotional interactions and tends to be abrupt and a bit too forward. I liked how the relationship with her niece pushed her out of her comfort zone and helped her learn how to show some affection. Emily’s relationship with Wendell also helped her develop these skills, and the two of them worked so well together despite being so different. She helped to ground Wendell’s flights of fancy, and he pushed her to open up more and care deeply about something outside of her scholarship.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands also introduced a new professor who was even more of a curmudgeon than Emily. lol. The two of them were butting heads constantly, but they also had important things to teach one another. He taught Emily the importance of slowing down and thinking through the potential dangers of her actions. Emily was always a bit rash when it came to doing whatever was required to make the discovery, and she learned that the consequences may not always be worth it. The other professor also learned that new methods and taking some risks were important to move the field of study forward. So, they each had a pretty profound impact on each other’s scholarship.

Most importantly, all of the growth in Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands didn’t change the heart of the characters. Emily was still very neurodivergent after all was said and done. She’d just learned some new lessons and acquired a few new skills to make navigating the world easier. The other characters loved her for her differences rather than despite them, which I think is such an important distinction. It was ultimately her differences that made her so successful in both her career and her current quest.

Overall, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands was an outstanding sequel. My only complaint was that I wanted a bit more Wendell, but I think that is coming in book three. The ending set up some huge things, and I’m excited to see how it all pays off. I cannot recommend this book, and series, enough. Go pick it up if you like faeries, or even if you don’t. I rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Have you read Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands? What were your thoughts? Let me know down in the comments!