The Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett came to me right after I finished Kimberly Lemming’s Mead Mishaps series. I was looking for another low-stakes cozy romantasy. Stop laughing, I didn’t know Emily would willingly toss herself into danger repeatedly in the name of academia (and eventually for the love of Wendell). Her prickly, persnickety voice pulled me in. Shadow did too. Does anyone know where I might procure a companion like that big black faerie hound?
Now, here we are—two books later, after several harrowing adventures, and at the end of an epic trilogy. And because it’s hard to say goodbye, how about a recap of the last two books?
In Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, we meet Cambridge professor Emily Wilde, a gifted but single-minded scholar in the field of dryadology and ethnofolklore (or the Faerie realms). She’s off to the remote village of Hrafnsvik in Arctic Norway to complete her groundbreaking research on the elusive faeries known as the Hidden Ones. Hoping to pen the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. Armed with her meticulous field notes but lacking basic people skills, she quickly clashes with the locals. Soon her solitary quest turns to annoyance when her insufferable but charming academic rival, Wendell Bambleby—clearly a faerie prince from the moment we meet him—crashes her party. Thus, the pair sets a course where academia collides with magic and defies caution. Totally worth it.
In Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, fresh from the success of her encyclopaedia, Emily dives into another ambitious project: mapping the mysterious faerie realms she got yanked into in the first book. Joined by her sweet but arrogant exiled faerie king, Wendell, she sweeps into a perilous expedition in search of a hidden door to the Irish faerie realm of Silva Lupi. A place Wendell is well acquainted with. As they navigate faerie politics, dodge assassins, and deal with monsters beyond our kin, Emily confronts the dangers of the Otherlands, but also her feelings about Wendell’s marriage proposal (ooooh, girl), all while staying one step ahead of her suspicious department head and another King who isn’t done with her yet.
With that, we’re all caught up—and if you haven’t read the other books I’ve done for you what I could! I promise. Now for Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales, the third and final book in the series. The story picks up with our new Queen of the faerie realm of Silva Lupi, but this time it’s personal. Emily, of course, is working on a new academic project: documenting the inner workings of the faerie world she now rules. She’s also working to fully restore Wendell to his throne and reclaim the fealty of his court. Silly, silly, girl. There’s no court more dangerous than the realm of faerie and none are as vicious as the nobles. To achieve her goals, Emily must navigate the complexities of her crown while staying true to her scholarly instincts—which will come in handy. The stakes are high as the kingdom is slowly consumed by a poisonous curse, and Emily’s research becomes the key to fighting their foes and saving her love.
While Encyclopaedia of Faeries remains my favorite—perhaps because there’s such a huge sense of discovery in that book—what sets Compendium of Lost Tales apart is its exploration of Emily’s growth. Not just as a scholar, but as a lover, an aunt, a friend, and for herself. Her grumpy ways are tempered by moments of vulnerability, humor, and uncertainty, particularly in her interactions with Wendell and her place in his new life. Their relationship—still filled with frothy banter and hidden tenderness—becomes the heart of the matter. Wendell, a charmingly foppish foil to Emily’s prickliness, is a true partner in every sense. Without each other, the pair might not have a chance at traversing the treachery of the faerie court and coming out alive.
Here, Fawcett brings her lovely characters full circle, offering a conclusion that is both satisfying and bittersweet, like the last sip of a perfectly aged spiced wine. The faerie realm is vividly rendered, a place of both wonder and menace, where every detail—from the creatures to the pitfalls—feels meticulously envisioned. Emily’s academic notes interspersed throughout, continue to provide the foundation for the storytelling, adding a layer of relatability as an anchor within the fantastical setting. Yet, for all its whimsy, the story doesn’t shy away from darker themes. The faerie lands serve as a metaphor for the fragility of power and the sacrifices required to maintain it. Meanwhile, the pacing rises and falls, bursting with heart-pounding exploits and warmed by reflective beats, inviting us to savor both the danger and the intimacy of the quest.
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is more than a farewell to a beloved series; it’s an adventure through the power of stories, the mysteries of love, and the timeless magic that resides at the crossroads of myth and the heart.
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is out Feb 11 from Del Rey