Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is the perfect cosy fantasy series—funny, sweet, and full of faerie mischief, academic snark, and slow-burn romance. It picks up not long after the last book and sees Emily and Wendell gallivanting across Europe on a quest for missing stories and answers (and maybe also for Wendell’s crown, but he’s very chill about it, obviously).

I just love spending time with these characters. Emily is her usual prickly, slightly oblivious self, and Wendell remains a silly but charming fae king. Their dynamic is so entertaining—full of banter and bickering, but also real warmth and affection. I love their relationship and could read about them forever. There’s such a lovely tenderness under the humour, and I really felt the emotional beats land in this one.

The folklore and world-building are also gorgeous. Fawcett has created a magical world that feels layered and lived in, with each new region steeped in its own strange traditions. The pacing dips a little in the middle, but honestly, I didn’t mind too much—I was just happy to be along for the ride.

A cosy read that feels like curling up with a hot drink and your favourite blanket. A wonderful conclusion to this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!

I love these books. I love the progression of Wendell and Emily!! They are slow paced books throughout but honestly I am ok with that and fit with the vibe of the book. I love the self narration in her diary style for her work! These books are just so cozy and whimsical I cannot wait to read more from Heather Fawcett!!

The footnotes, I will be honest got a little tedious for me. I read some and they were interesting but mostly found myself skipping these altogether as they either didn’t add a total lot or confused me.
Wendell could have also had a bit more banter like the earlier books! Yes their relationship has progressed however, that’s what I loved most about them! Wendell was the cocky, cheeky fae king and Emily was quite highly strung and focused! They complemented each other!

This is the third book in the series, one that I stumbled on without realising what I was starting. It is telling that the most bloodthirsty ( in its own way) of the books has such a light and delicate cover. This seemingly benign start doesn’t give an accurate introduction to what is to come. But then, if one is used to the series after the first two books ( as one should be because this is not the point to jump into the series), the irony is on point.

The footnotes in this series continue to be entertaining in just how seriously the subject of Dryadology and related fields is treated.

As I mentioned earlier this book will make almost no sense ( while continuing to be entertaining) without prior knowledge of the people and the complexities involved, especially since people from both the books make special appearances in significant times. Emily and Wendell are trying to settle as Monarchs but things are not easy. Everything from the approach to the appearance has to be carefully thought out. Once on the throne, keeping it is difficult. Here’s where the lost tales and Emily’s obsession with them comes into play. It is not a straightforward story. It may make more sense of the lot, but it was not necessarily my favourite. It does round off the books well ( if this series is meant to be a trilogy).

I would highly recommend this series to fans of the fantasy genre looking for something slightly different within it.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this and the previous two books

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands

Perfect conclusion to this witty, charming trilogy. Emily and Wendell completely won me over, their adventures, however dangerous, never fail to make me laugh. And it's nice to see Emily finally living her best fairy life. ✨💚

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This took me too long to read it, not because it was bad or boring but because I really didnt want to say goodbye to these characters. I guess I dont have much to say about this one that I didnt already said about the previous books. The tone, pacing and vibe is all the same. The characters are still so lovely and interesting. I will miss them so much. Also I love a good old fairy story that I acually like. Fairies are everywhere now, but very few of them are actually interesting to me, so this is something else I will miss from this story.

I will look foward for what the writer writes next!

Another excellent read. Cosy cottage core vibes from Heather Fawcett and such a lovely romance to sink into.
I adore the fact that Emily is actually not like other girls without the fuss and posturing that goes with it. She is unapologetically herself, goes for what she knows is right even if it upsets people and yet is kind hearted and loving.
Wendell is also just the biggest cinnamon roll with a strong streak of chilli throughout. The few insights we got into his daker inclinations was interesting, as well as seeing how his love for Emily essentially gives him a moral code.
Beautifully written-- although tbh I could do without all of the footnotes, illustrations would be nice, but the footnotes are a little irritating.
Some of the characters are pulled straight out of my nightmares and yet it really adds edge to a gentle faerie book. Also loved the appearance of old favourites.
Highly recommend..

"Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales" by Heather Fawcett has been one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 and it did not disappoint. Ever since I read it back in February I find myself thinking about it regularly. I love Emily's journey and growth, how her relationships with Wendell and her friends have changed. The final book in the trilogy is only a disappointment in so far as it is the last one in the series. I would not mind returning to see what new shenanigans Emily and Wendell are up to. Fingers crossed we meet them again someday...
Easily five stars!

Thank you to Orbit for the arc!

I absolutely adore this series and this book did not disappoint. It is a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy, and I enjoyed getting to see all of my favorite characters again while also getting to meet new ones and expand the world. It’s the perfect bow on the trilogy that will make it a classic in years to come.

just one of the best fantasy series I read in the last years.
Emily and Wendell can do no wrong and the writing is marvellous like always.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales is the final chapter of Emily's whimsical, fantasy adventures across the world in the pursuit of her academic career, with an unforgettable cast of companions tagging along. I love Heather Fawcett's brought-together threads from all the other books in this series to weave a fulfilling and satisfying ending to this gorgeous series, unraveling twist by twist with gentle pacing (slower than the previous books to heighten the drama) and some brilliant cameos from beloved characters from book one and two.

The dynamic plot intricately weaves together the deadly political situation in Faerie, dangerous magic afoot in a perilous family feud, and Emily battling her insecurities about becoming a queen, balancing her academic career and her fears for the aging Shadow. It's a roller coaster of emotions, whimsical charm, and immersive storytelling that creates an exciting, engaging read.

The romance between Emily and Wendell blossoms across the three books, showing how far they have grown together as characters on their journeys learning to co-exist, living together as a couple, and setting healthy boundaries for their relationship to balance the human and Fae sides of their natures and needs. You can see in their heartwarming and tender moments how deeply they love and care for each other - they would both give each other the world and destroy it for one another.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK and Orbit for granting me a copy of Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales. I'm sad this is the final book of this series. Hopefully, Heather will take us back to this wonderful world of whimsical academia in the near future.

I'm really in denial about this book series ending but this was an almost perfect ending to the series to me! The pacing lulled a bit towards the middle and there was less focus on plot and more on Emily's character this go around, but it tied up all the loose ends neatly. While I'm sad to say goodbye to Emily and Wendell, here's to hoping we'll get a novella!

Thank you, Netgalley and the Publisher, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales" is the last adventure undertaken by our beloved scholars, who embark on a perilous journey to claim Wendell's realm and his position as king. Life-threatening menaces stand in their way, and only Emily's analytic mind will be able to protect Wendell and his kingdom from his stepmother's plots.

I won't dwell on the general storyline in this trilogy, for I don't want this review to be spoilery. This last book revolves around Emily's new project: writing a paper about Faerie's tales since they shape the very fabric of their world. Still, she has to focus on this new branch of dryadology due to a dangerous curse tormenting Wendell's realm, and she must find a loophole to free the land and restore peace.
This novel isn't as adventure-packed as the previous two. Instead, the author focused on the changes in Emily's life as the new queen of the Silva Lupi since Wendell took the throne and all the doubts that plagued her regarding Wendell and the risky consequences of his actions. Emily is characterised by her shyness and brilliance, but also by her coolness that may be mistaken for carelessness. Despite that, her utter love for Wendell is unmistakable, and the author described her inner concerns perfectly well, making them reasonable, especially from the point of view of a judicious scholar who tends to face life from an academic perspective.
The plot, however, isn't as predictable as I thought it to be. The ending followed a series of uncanny choices that complement the real sense of the story.
As usual, Wendell and Emily's relationship is core to all the events, and I loved how different and even bizarre it is. Their love is so pure and sincere that it is almost impossible not to care for this couple.

The world-building is deeply suggestive and reflects the unromantic aspects of faeries, diverging from the far more common characterisation that is made today in numerous fantasy novels. I find this portrayal more intriguing and realistic, for it doesn't differ from the folkloristic description of these creatures. The author added a lot of scientific details that depict the scholarly world, and I particularly appreciated all the footnotes emphasising and explaining specific topics.

All in all, I highly recommend this series because, even though the first book is quite weak in my humble opinion, the series gets better and better, and you will surely cherish all of the characters featured in these novels. You should give it a chance if you like cosy fantasy settings and light academia books like A Letter from the Luminous Deep and Half a Soul.

Thank you to Heather Fawcett, NetGalley and Little Brown Books for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I have adored the Emily Wilde series of books and Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales was no exception. I found it a fitting end to the series, albeit there was a slow start and there was a little lack of wonder and magic in the book compared to the previous novels. I really enjoyed the second half and found the love story between Wendall and Emily beautiful and touching.

Overall I really enjoyed the final novel, I love how Emily has grown into herself and accepted herself fully as a Queen of Faerie, romantic bones and all. I hope someday there may be another foray into the faerie realm with another novel about these wholesome characters, and all of Emily's scientific footnotes.

I Will not be reviewing this title as the series became quite stale. The love interest was so far from romanctic it wasnt even funny and I struggled to read this without the audio. Its upsetting because the idea for this book really works and didnt need to have a love interest in it.

This is the last instalment of the fab Emily Wilde series and honestly I have loved every second. Emily is a little sassy, very smart, sharp, and sometimes a little scary ;) It's great getting to see her and Wendell go to reclaim his throne, and his story was great fun, and I thought it played out brilliantly. I don't really know how to say much else without spoiling it, but this is book three. If you're here you already know if this is something you're going to enjoy!

4.25 stars, definitely a series I will be returning to again. I also highly recommend the audiobooks!

Goodbye Emily Wilde. I loved travelling with you to Fairy. Hopefully there will be another book someday. Thank you for the joy of reading these books ❤️

This was a disappointing end. I adored the cosy vibes from the first two books and Wendell, Emily and Shadows adventures were great. This book felt a bit boring in comparison and almost a bit repetitive. I loved these characters so this was a shame but I’m glad I read it regardless.

This is the final book in the Emily Wilde series. This is a very sweet end to the book in terms of Emily and Wendell’s relationship, the romance was definitely my favourite part. I thought parts of the plot had some conveniences to solving conflicts. Overall, a decent end to the series.

A whimsical, atmospheric, and kinda cozy fantasy story with two main characters who are just to die for. They love each ther so sweetly, it was a pleasure to read! For me, a perfect ending to the trilogy! I'm sad that the time in this world has come to an end!

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Emily Wilde, book 3: Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Heather Fawcett
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁 + 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: Ebook, 368 pages by Orbit

★★

💌 First of all, I would like to thank @NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for a honest review. I requested this ebook because I had read the first two instalments in the Emily Wilde series and was curious about the ending of this trilogy.

📖 In Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales, we follow Emily, the renowned dryadologist, as she studies the inner working of a faerie realm as a queen and as she must unravel Wendell's curse before she loses him for good.

🍄 Well, well, well… The first book in this trilogy made me curious, the second one made me really like this series, and this third one… disappointed me.
I was ready for an epic journey across the lands to cure Wendell, but none of that really happened. The pacing was really slow with very few action scenes scattered here and there in the book. The plot was nonexistent, felt too easy and convenient, and was really centered around Emily. The characters were… bland, to say the least, but it is nice to see a 31 year-old character who acts like it. The writing style feels like a diary (which is not a bad idea at all), but the footnotes were too long and ruined it for me.
I am not usually one to complain or leave bad reviews, but I did not really have much choice with this one. Not a great conclusion to the Emily Wilde series.