Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands

                                             

Title: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands

Series: Emily Wilde #2

Author: Heather Fawcett

Published: Del Rey, January 16, 2024

Pages: 342

Genre: Romantic Fantasy / Folklore

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore who just wrote the world’s first comprehensive encyclopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Ones 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. And 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 dangers.

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 his 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 Bambleby’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.

Emily Wilde is still a super grump. And this time she's got the added irritation of Wendell being chased by various and sundry assassins from his, one of the most violent and dangerous, realm. Wendell's spirits are as high as ever. When he's not being nearly killed that is. 

Emily is also still living a dream. They travel to the Austrian Alps in search of a door to Wendell's realm. Of course, Emily is embarking on a fairy quest to save her, maybe soon to be betrothed. But she's not going to let this opportunity pass her by. She's going to take this opportunity to research for her map of the realms of faerie. Because of this, she needs assistance in her research in the form of her niece, Ariadne, and her fellow scholar, Dr. Farris Rose. Shadow also travels with them. How could she leave him behind?

We see some old friends, and some new in this adventure. Poe is as helpful as ever, and Emily finds a friend in Snowbell. Wendell gets an answer to the proposal that we saw at the end of Book 1. There are beautiful faerie doors and terrifying faerie forests. We learn a bit more about the Borderlands that seem just as dangerous as any other part of Faerie, even if they're not fully in Faerie. 

Emily is just as popular with the townspeople of St. Liesl as she was in Hrafnsvik. Luckily, Ariadne is actually popular with them. And of course, Wendell is delightful in their eyes. Emily's true genius lies in her ability to surround herself with people who actually can help her with the crazy things she wants to do. I don't know that she would even admit that it's her real talent, but it sure is!

I did receive this ARC from NetGalley. Thank you so so much! I loved every second of it. 

Ratings

Stars: 5/5