Let me start by saying, I LOVE! This series. We still have one more book to come and I am so excited at the prospect of what we might find!

These books as such cosy, comfort fantasy reads and I am so here for it. I loved the second book even more than the first, it’s full of beautiful words and it throws you back into Emily’s world which we love so much.

The relationship between Wendell and Emily is developed a little more and I love seeing the dynamics between them grow as Emily admits her feelings.

The focus in the second book is still very much on the other elements within the story, we see more characters interacting with each other and it’s such an engaging story.

It’s an absolutely stunning book, you won’t regret reading!

Thank you to Orbit publishing, Net galley for an arc in exchange for honest review

A beautiful continuation second cozy book from Heather Fawcett - this book leans more to an easy historical fantasy with still an element of cozy mystery and I loved it!

We pick up around one year after the first book events, and we are pushed straight in to more character building which I much preferred this time - It was lovely to see Emily's emotions develop and her relationship with Wendell and their banter still is *chefs kiss*

There was a lull in the middle of the book, but it does pick up towards he end. If you loved the first book then this is a must read! If you have not read the first book and looking at this - reading the first book is a must!

Synopsis - 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 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.

It’s always a bit tricky reading the second book in a series when I’ve so thoroughly enjoyed the first one. When it’s by a favourite author, I can generally rely on the quality and know I’m going to enjoy it – but when it’s by someone whose writing I don’t know all that well, it can be a tad disappointing. Not bad, you understand – but just not as marvellous. I’m glad to say this wasn’t the dynamic with this offering.

I found Emily far more approachable in this slice of her adventures. Partly because I already know that she’s a thoroughly cagey character, who tends to hold people at arm’s length. And partly because this time around, we see her genuine affection for Brambley and increasing concern as the danger to him becomes steadily more lethal.

There is fascinating tension among the group exploring the Alps with a view to finding a back door into the realm ruled by Brambley’s mother. In addition to Emily and Brambley, there is also Emily’s niece and the head of her department of Faerie Studies. If you’ve read the first book, it won’t come as a surprise to discover that Emily’s relationship with her superior is a tad rocky – she finds him overly pompous and patronising. While her niece’s bouncy eagerness to enthuse volubly on every aspect of their journey has Emily gritting her teeth with annoyance. These annoyances could so easily have devolved into a rather toxic mix of back-biting and quarrelling that displayed the party at their worst. Instead, Fawcett portrays the differences within the group with a warmth and humour that provides some tension, without it ever becoming too nasty or unpleasant. Emily is rather shaken to realise that her niece is very good at befriending the local villagers – which becomes increasingly important in light of their discoveries.

This leads me onto another great strength of the writing. Fawcett is extremely good at depicting the otherness of the fae she encounters. The constant strangeness and the sense of danger leaps off the page – especially during Emily’s sojourn in a realm where she’s no business being. The tension of living under those conditions is extremely well depicted and makes for a riveting section of the book. All in all, this was a great page-turner and stands out among the plethora of books written about the fae as a classy, well written read. While it would be a huge shame not to read the first book before tucking into this offering – I think you could pick it up without any undue floundering if you haven’t read Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies. While I obtained an arc of Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10

“We are about to involve ourselves in a great deal of danger, much of it strange and unsettling.”

It’s time for Emily and Wendell to search for Wendell’s door and I, for one, am thrilled to have been invited to tag along for this quest. My enthusiasm may not be as contagious as that of Ariadne, Emily’s niece, but I have more field experience than her, having already accompanied Emily and Wendell to Ljosland, so my excitement is tempered by a tad of caution.

I also have some insider knowledge; Wendell’s stepmother is sending assassins to dispatch of him but my clothing is inside out so I’m confident I will be successful in evading any of the Folk’s attempts to enchant me.

“Oh, what a quest this is!”

The grumpy romance of the first book blindsided me in the best way possible. I wasn’t expecting it, thank goodness, or I probably wouldn’t have picked up the book in the first place. I actively avoid books that contain romance, which brings me to the second part of the blindsiding. I learned that I love grumpy romances, or at the very least, I love Emily and Wendell’s grumpy romance.

Their romance wasn’t quite as grumpy in this book, although they did have their moments. Their relationship has grown more comfortable since we first met them. That doesn’t mean we’re grumpless, though. Rose, who I absolutely adored, despite trying my hardest not to care a jot about him, does his very best to bring the grumpy with him wherever he goes.

I’m usually quite wary of sequels of my favourite books. They come with an almost impossibly high expectation of brilliance, having to compete with the joy of discovery you felt with the first book. This sequel didn’t disappoint.

In fact, I’m having trouble figuring out which book I loved more. There was the comfort in already knowing the main characters alongside the introduction of new characters, who managed to hold their own.

I love Emily. She’s lousy at small talk but is getting better at insults, her aim needs improvement and her journals contain footnotes. I adore the footnotes and need more of them!

Meanwhile, Wendell is a man after my own heart.

“There is nothing trivial about good coffee.”

If anything ever happens to Shadow, I will be bereft. I’d also like to put it out there that Poe can bake for me anytime.

I’d appreciate someone sharing Knight College’s postal address with me so I can submit my application to study dryadology.

If you have not already met Emily and Wendell, please make their acquaintance in preparation for this quest as there is prerequisite knowledge that will make this one more fulfilling.

Ensure you pack some carrots and maybe don’t look too closely at the faerie art. Be sure to bring enough pencils.

“Give me another pencil.”
“I only had the one on me!”
“One? Who are you?”

Handy hint: Do not allow Professor Eustacia Walters access to any of your books. If you ask me, she’s the true villain of this book.

If it is at all convenient, I would very much like to read the third book immediately.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit, an imprint of Little, Brown Book, for the opportunity to be delighted by this book.

A worthy sequel to Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries. Emily's research is motivated by personal desires rather than academic ambitions. We still get a diary format with footnotes, a reluctant romance with quick-witted banter, and spooky faerie magic, but we also delve deeper into Emily and Wendell's relationships—including Emily's niece Ariadne, who is truly such a lovely side character. My only grudge with this book is the pacing, which makes it difficult not to abandon the book because it does occasionally become boring.

Having published her Encyclopedia of Faeries, Emily Wilde is deep in research for her next project - a Map of the Otherlands - but the scholarly peace of Cambridge is disrupted when Emily's fellow scholar and would-be-lover (and incidentally an exiled faerie king), Wendell Bambleby, is attacked by faeries sent by his step mother - having claimed his throne as her own isn't enough; she needs to destroy him. To save himself, Bambleby needs to confront his step-mother, but he can't do this without rediscovering the lost door back to his faery realm.
For Emily this is an opportunity to pursue two, or perhaps, three things at once - to find the door, to add to her knowledge of the Otherworld (particularly with reference to her map project), and, maybe along the way, find a long lost scholar believed to have disappeared into the faery realm many years before.

So, with Bambleby still suffering from the latest assault, they head off to the Austrian Alps, to encounter more hostile faery folk and put themselves in not a little danger.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first in this series of faery adventures, and its successor didn't disappoint. It isn't a dark academia style of story, full of brooding passion and handsome untrustworthy men/angels/demons but something far more cosy; a grown up fairy tale, or maybe an adult Alice in Wonderland. It isn't all sweetness and light though - danger seems to be stalking at every turn. In search of a cure for Bambleby's continuing illness, Emily must enter the Faery realm, facing down his step-mother in the heart of her own kingdom.
As a little piece of escapism from real world problems and the current freezing weather I'd highly recommend it.

"Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherland" by Heather Fawcett is a perfect example of how a sequel can exceed its predecessor.
The first book, in what seems to become a trilogy, was a wonderful entrance book to the cozy fantasy genre, but its sequel exceeded all my expectations.
For a cozy fantasy, I loved how it stayed a bit macabre, which contributed to the sometimes eerie setting of the novel, which was a perfect addition to the novel.

My primary winning point was the romance between our beloved Emily and Wendell.
I was head over heels for their banter and blossoming relationship in the first book, and I loved how we got to dive deeper into their relationship with each other. It is refreshing to read a novel with a strong-minded, independent, and, at times, vulnerable protagonist who allows herself to be who she is while still changing and growing more emotionally comfortable with the people around her. Wendell sees Emily for who she is and vice-versa. Their friendship growing into a relationship was everything and more.

Besides having two beautifully complex and likable characters, the book is beautifully written and is a delight to read. It is incredibly descriptive and paints a stunning scenery in the reader's mind.
The writing provided an interesting experience for the reader, especially considering it is written through journal entries. This provides a limited view of everything outside of the words of Emily’s journal, which proved to be quite interesting, particularly when Emily lost track of time and place.
As the reader, this made me feel like I emerged in the story on a whole other level, and while the first novel has the same writing style, I had these thoughts more prominently in the sequel.

Overall, It was a beautiful novel that should be on your "to-be-read" list.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hi! Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group I had the chance to read “Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands” by Heather Fawcett.
Here is my honest review!

“Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands” is a cozy-academia fantasy with an incredible atmosphere, and it gifts the reader with a superb company. It's a real treat to enjoy with a nice cup of tea or hot chocolate.
In this regard, I advise you to read these books when you’re sure to have a lot of time to dedicate to reading, without distractions or commitments, because it is amazing to completely immerse in this story, and get lost in nature and magic together with Emily.
Believe me, having to return to reality is really sad.

I liked this second volume a little less than the first one.
I found Emily less focused, the desperation to save Wendell takes over rationality, and this can be perceived in her narration.
Between the attempted murders and the travels in the fairy world, everything is confusing.
Emily, however, warns us in advance: nothing is certain when dealing with fairies.

Moreover, Emily's vision of the diary changes, from a pastime to organize the day's discoveries to an obsession so as not to risk forgetting even a single detail due to magic. It was unexpected, but in hindsight it is an understandable evolution, and one I appreciated.
One thing I missed is the purely academic part of the story, less present than in the first volume. While the encyclopedia has always been Emily's first thought, the map is remotely in her mind.

These things aside, I loved the book! As I said before, the atmosphere is incredible, a cocoon of greenery, flowers and wonder.
I also loved the fact that Wendell is potentially a powerful and super dangerous fairy, capable of controlling time, etc., yet in Emily's eyes he will always remain the indolent colleague with soft hair who is nervous if he doesn't have breakfast, annoyed by the mess and tired of walking too much.
Moreover, the relationship between Emily and Wendell is very sweet, made up of respect, jokes and admiration, especially by Wendell, who is genuinely devoted to Emily.

The progression of the story is similar to the one in the first book, except for a greater presence of action and magic.
This time fairies and their worlds take over immediately, making the narrative more lively and adventurous.

When I finished the book I thought "I don't want to leave them, I want more adventures".
Emily and Wendell still have so much more to say and I was thrilled to find out that their story continues with a third book! Who knows if it will continue in the form of a diary or turn into something else.
I surely can’t wait!

Happy pub day to this wonderful book! 🎉

Such an enchanting story! I loved every second of it, and I enjoyed it even more than the first book. It's giving more cozy mystery than Encyclopaedia and I'm here for it! It's still written in the journal format with footnotes (and yes, there is an entry from someone who is not the owner of the journal 👀 oh, how excited I was for that one!) There is also one character from the first book who makes an unexpected appearance and that one really made me so so happy ❤️

I can barely contain my excitement, but I need to stop or else I might give the whole plot away.

Emily Wilde returns to her journalling in this lovely sequel, which I braved boxing day sales in a quest to retrieve from Waterstones (and am extremely grateful to Netgalley for a review copy of!).

Following a lead for a backdoor into Faerie, Emily and Wendell embark on a journey into the charming town of St. Liesl in The Alps. They are accompanied by the Department Head of Dryadology, who has blackmailed his way onto the trip, and Emily's neice (and blossoming assistant) Ariadne.

Fawcett certainly wastes no time getting into the midst of the mystery and action in this second instalment. We get more exploration of Emily and Wendell's relationship as well as their artfully crafted character voices brought to life through the journal format.

Although the villagers of St. Liesl were far less developed than those of Hrafnsvik in book 1, we do get Emily learning to navigate new friendships amongst her peers and family. Rose and Ariadne were nice additions and often brought challenges to Emily's way of thinking, although I would have liked more development between Emily and Ariadne particularly.

The faeries once more stole the show, however. I mean, a creepy little fox baby who almost killed your colleague, but desperately wants you to invite it on a quest? What more could you want? (Shadow and Poe remain bestest of bois, with addition of new best girl Orga)

The final 30% amped up the tension as well as including a lot more faerie lore. I could honestly read Emily's actual encyclopaedia if Fawcett were to ever publish it, as I adore the creepiness she brings to her faeries. I need to know more about those hag-headed deer, please!

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands was a sequel which maintained all the delight of the first book, and has me barely able to wait for the third!

4.5 ⭐️ Another wonderfully whimsical fantasy of manners, the perfect sequel that’s just as good as book one . This is a cozy, quirky low stakes fantasy set in the 20th century following Emily, Wendell and of course Shadow as they continue their academic adventure, this time Emily seeks to publish a map of the Otherlands, and help Wendell uncover more about his home, following the success of her encyclopaedia of faeries.

The journal style is once again a great way of creating an immersive fantasy setting and gives ‘authenticity’ to the academia of the novel. I love the world created, everything about it just feels like a warm fuzzy dream and there’s something about this book that just makes me smile. Emily continues to be a headstrong heroine that I would LOVE to meet and Wendell continues to be completely and utterly swoonworthy. They have great banter and I love the reverse grumpy sunshine vibes. (Wendell calling Emily ‘My dear Dragon’ is just perfection!!)

In a nutshell this is/has:
🍄Cozy, Low Stakes Fantasy of manners
🍄Light Academia
🍄Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
🍄Mystery & Magic
🍄Swoonworthy Romance
🍄Early 20th Century but Faeries are real

(This is quite a niche description but I realised that Emily and Wendell feel like they could be a Dramione AU pairing from the fanfiction of my dreams and I am here for it👏🏻)

Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for granting me this ARC!

Please beware, there may be spoilers of book one, so read this review at your own risk.

"Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands " is the second book in the Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett, a historical fantasy set in a different version of our real world where the existence of faeries has been established and continues to be studied by scholars. A sparkling sequel that follows the event of the first book. Emily and Wendell find themselves entangled in a poisonous affair in the middle of the Alps in an attempt to locate the door to Wendell's kingdom.

St. Liesl is a small village perched among the Alps and the Austrian setting-- with its verdant landscape, snowy mountains, green heather-covered hills, and cozy cottage core vibes-- gave extra gear to the story. But something else changed, new characters peeped out onstage: Farris Rose, the picky but kind-hearted professor who can't help but give unrequested advice to Emily about her unconventional methods; and Ariadne, Emily's niece and student who's always described as excited about her work, careless of her aunt's cold nature. They were well-investigated and conferred depth to the plot, something that filled an unnamed I found in the previous book.

The Fair Folk inhabiting St. Liesl's mold with other different kinds of faeries coming from Wendell's kingdom. They cross the nexus— a door that unleashes Emily’s interest and that connects several faeries kingdoms located in different parts of the world.
The author provides the reader with various theories and tales speculated by other scholars. They help comprehend the nature of certain events and that gives a strong semblance of reality to the story.

The lively atmosphere characterizing the author's writing style, the believable descriptions regarding the Folk and its many legends written down in Emily's journal contribute to creating a story able to keep the reader glued to the pages and get caught in the events of the characters. They are indeed unforgettable. As we dive into the story, their relationship built in book one grows and changes as the plot proceeds. The first book didn't quietly meet my expectations, I couldn't connect with the protagonists or the setting. But its sequel is a whole other story.

The author's growth is striking and so is the characters' development from two-dimensional protagonists into real-life people. Emily and Wendell's bond takes a slower turn and I loved reading about their interactions and witnessing the lonely scholar who lives for her work turn into a more human-like being as she feel for the doomed heir to the throne of one of the most fearsome faerie kingdoms. If their love story developed too fast in "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries", in this book we are spectators to the purest and healthiest of relationships I've read in ages.

Reading "Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands" felt like a warm blanket on a rainy day, a crackling fire during those soothing winter days. It accompanied me when I was sick and turned out to be the book I needed to deal with such a stressful period of my life.

The magical mood seeping through the pages, the sweet romance subplot, and the Fair Folk being the main protagonists of this tale converted this series in my eyes. All the previous flaws I encountered in book one have simply disappeared, I cannot find any negative point in its sequel and that's why I am so eager to read book three and know the fate of Emily and Wendell.

Honestly, this is shaping up to be my favourite series. I’m totally obsessed with Emily and Wendell and loved diving back into their fae filled world in this second book of the series. The dynamic between this pair is perfect, they’re both quirky and flawed but they completely understand and complement each other. It’s clear from Emily’s journals how familiar she is with Wendell’s personality and behaviour, and how easily she accepts him and his strange ways - and how it’s exactly the same for him. Their relationship progression was written really well in this story and though it’s not the most traditional or overt romance, it’s hard not to swoon a little at certain parts of the book.

As you’ll expect if you’ve read the Encyclopedia of Faeries, this book is full of action and adventure, danger, a little bit of gore, and the mysteries of the fae. It’s all told through Emily’s journal, in a very scholarly narrative but we’re definitely seeing some more emotion from Emily than we have previously which show how her friendships have changed her, and perhaps filled a space in her life she didn’t realise was there. Or maybe she’s just had a really long day and needs a nap!

I was thrilled to see Poe make an appearance in this story, with his skillful baking making my mouthwater (I can practically taste the breads!). We also find some new friends (and foes), both human and fae, within this story. Ariadne and Snowbell in particular, though I did enjoy Emily disproving Rose’s claims simply by being her usual, impressive self. All in all, this was another fantastic book and I’m desperate to see what’s next for Emily and Wendell.

Really loved Book 1 and this was way better, which is first it's rare I love Book 2 more than one.

the story is just as magical if not more than Book 1

This book was an amazing sequel to the first! I loved every second of this.

It dives straight into the end of the first book and the momentum doesn’t stop. It is a small but slow during the middle of the book but it picks up again towards the end.

I loved the growing relationship between Emily and Wendell and especially the intriguing romance between the two of them. I also appreciated how she doesn’t just fall head over heels for him and actually debates the repercussions of marrying a fae prince.

I also loved the introduction of Emily’s niece, Ariadne. She brought so much to the story especially with her being younger, she brought a new perspective.

My one concern is that the rest of the characters in the book didn’t feel as well developed as the three mentioned above but it also tends to happen a lot with supporting characters!

Let’s go on another adventure with Emily, Shadow and Wendell! The second installment is just as magical, cosy, funny, adventurous and enchanting as the first one. There are some new interesting characters and we finally get more personal insights and answers (I don’t want to spoiler anything from book one, but.. there’s one particular answer we’re all waiting for🤭).
And I’m so happy to tell you: the second book is still written in the journal format with footnotes!
Get ready to learn even more about faeries, laugh at Emily’s and Wendell’s hilarious banter and to simmer with excitement.
It’s safe to say that this series is my favorite form of escapism, the best companion and a warm hug.

Thank you so much @orbitbooks_uk for the gifted copy.💖

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
4.5 Stars!

Synopsis: Emily and Wendell have recovered from their previous adventure and published a sanitised paper of their endeavours. Emily has now set her sights on finding Wendell’s door, but it seems that this adventure may be more dangerous than the last.

CW/TW: Loss of Mind and Memory/Fae Kidnapping/Body Parts/ Others may be present.

Book 1 Review: Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia Of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett

MINOR SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1 AHEAD

Oh am I glad to have been back in this world with Emily and Wendell!

Fawcett has created a delightfully charming sequel struck with a dark streak that accompanies the Fae. This book continues on from the first, picking up after Emily and Wendell have returned and published their findings. However, now Emily must deal with an argumentative fellow academic named Rose, and her niece, Ariadne, who has become her self-proclaimed assistant – much to Emily’s chagrin.

Emily has set her sights on finding Wendell’s door, a feat she is determined to accomplish with Wendell by her side. However, this is easier said than done when Cambridge is attacked by assassin Fae who want Wendell out of the way.

The plot was as chaotic, adventurous and amusing as the first book and had me completely captured from page 1. Emily and Wendell, with Rose and Ariadne in tow, end up in the Alps this time during their search but much like book one, the common fae are there to cause mischief and trouble during their academic search, as if assassins weren’t enough!

Emily and co tackle the Alpine landscape while contending with the Fae’s trickery and magic. We get much more of Emily and Wendell, and their relationship – which is particularly delightful throughout this book! But we get the added dynamics of Rose and Ariadne which add something new and fresh to the groups chemistry.

I absolutely adored the way the relationships grew and progressed over the course of the book, including little side relationships that occur from book one and are maintained throughout the novel. I loved the actual plot itself too, similar yet different to the first book, it is a refreshing adventure that holds a familiar comfort within it.

Again we get the story told through Emily’s journaling, and I, again, love the academic perspective put on the story as a whole but we also get much more personal attachments throughout which I really liked. Emily continues to capture my heart, I do love her headstrong, academic behaviour, as does Wendell who is as flighty and chaotic as before.

The way this book ends has me absolutely HOOKED for book 3, I truly cannot wait to join Emily and Wendell again in the adventure promised to us!!!!

Overall, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett is another charming triumph that you will undoubtedly ADORE!

*Thank you to #Orbitbooks for the #Netgalley eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had picked this one up because it looked like fun, which it was, but I hadn't realised that it was the second in the series. I was able to follow on with this story easily, so it didn't matter too much, but clearly would have been better to read in order, as there was obviously lots of the back story that I had missed. I shall now have to get hold of the other onemissed

It was quite slow moving at times, but still kept me wanting to know more. The characters were entertaining, particularly some of the fvery 'folk', she comes across.

*theMany thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

In the captivating second installment of the Emily Wilde series, Heather Fawcett weaves a tale of mystery and enchantment. Emily Wilde, a brilliant scholar of faerie folklore, is confronted with the sudden appearance of mystical beings at her university. Faced with her charming yet exiled faerie rival, Wendell Bambleby, Emily grapples with love, danger, and the secrets that come with being entangled with the Fair Folk.

The book introduces two compelling characters, Emily's niece Adriene and a seasoned colleague Rose, enriching the narrative and enhancing the dynamics of Emily and Wendell's relationship. Fawcett takes readers on a journey to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where danger lurks in every corner and the quest for a faerie realm's door unfolds.

The author skillfully develops Emily's character, portraying her growth and resilience in the face of adversity. While praising the beautiful storytelling and new settings, the reader acknowledges an underwhelming ending but highlights the significance of the journey over the destination.

Fawcett's writing prowess shines through, captivating readers with engaging lore and intricate character dynamics. Despite a minor critique, the reviewer expresses eagerness for the next installment, cementing their status as a fan of both the series and the author. In summary, this enchanting sequel, with its well-crafted characters and rich storytelling, is recommended for those who relished the first book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the book, in exchange for my honest review.

I will admit, I didn't love this book as much as I did the first one (but that would be hard as I LOVED that one). I suspect that might be partly because I cannot stand the trope of taking two characters whose relationship was everything in the first book and then separating them somehow in the second, which unfortunately does show up here.

I still loved Emily and Wendell, the journalistic writing style, the expanded lore of the world, the new characters, and a large chunk of the story. From the other early reviews, it's clear that many other people loved it so it's probably just a "me" issue. I did still enjoy the book, it just hasn't made it onto my "I will reread this even when my TBR is full and overflowing" list.

4 stars