The Emily Wilde Book Series by Heather Fawcett

If you’re looking for cottagecore in a book, I think this must be it. I wasn’t really sure what to expect of this one, but the cover caught my eye.

In all, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett turned out to be a thoughtful contemporary fantasy novel, with curious characters set against an otherwise-normal backdrop. I enjoyed the folk history threaded throughout, along with the footnotes “Emily Wilde” provides in the journal-style writing.

Plus, there’s something super relatable about a protagonist who brings books to bars and reads in the corner.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is available from Amazon.

The second installment of the Emily Wilde book series from Heather Fawcett, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands picks up roughly where book one leaves off. Starting out back at the university, Emily Wilde and her fellow scholar and possible love interest Wendell Bambleby have to figure out who is sending dangerous faeries to hunt Bambleby down and how to stop them.

Like with the first book, the pair has to travel for their efforts. This book brings them to a town in the picturesque Austrian Alps, with a growing research team to add to the plot.

If you like faerie folklore, this is a must-read. Some of the will-they-won’t-they between Emily and Bambleby was tiresome, but the book as a whole was delightful.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (Emily Wild Book 2) is available from Amazon.

I really wanted to love this book, since I enjoyed books one and two so much, but Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales fell really flat for me.

There were some good scenes throughout as Emily and Wendell return to his kingdom so he can reclaim his throne. Overall, though, the book felt like it was trying to pack too many dramatic events into one.

In the first two books, I enjoyed Emily and Wendells’ dynamic, but their relationship felt forced here. I spent a not insignificant amount of time wondering if Emily even liked her fiancé, and whether he knew her (or cared to know her) at all.

In all, others online seemed to love it, but this one just wasn’t for me.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett (Emily Wilde Book 3) is available from Amazon.