Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales

*E-ARC provided by the publisher through Edelweiss Plus - thank you!*

Intrepid Faerie scholar Emily Wilde is back, and she and Wendell are in his realm where he is ready to take his place as king. But all is not right in the land. His stepmother Queen Arna is poisoned but still alive, and causing diseased areas in the land that are only eradicated by burning whole groves of trees. Can Emily find a Faerie story that will defeat her once and for all?

I have enjoyed this series immensely, from Emily's lovable awkwardness in social situations to the world-building. The journal format can be tricky, but Fawcett does a great job of allowing the story to unfold in a way that Emily would believably record for herself and also allowing the reader show more to get to know her well. The ending is a satisfying end to the story arc of the first three books, while also leaving the opportunity open for more adventures from Emily and Wendell. Highly recommended. show less

I adore everything about Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde books. Emily is just so damn perfect with her social awkwardness. Yet she is also so very brave when needs must. She is proof that being educated and prepared is always better than pure brawn. This is a lesson that becomes important in EMILY WILDE'S COMPENDIUM OF LOST TALES.

At the same time, Wendell is so cute with his enthusiastic love and devotion to Emily. While he is more than capable of over-the-top gestures of love, he proves how well he knows his fiancée with the thoughtful gifts he procures for her. His nonchalance over his stepmother's murderous ways makes for some highly amusing scenes as well. His natural sunniness is just so infectious, and, after three books, he is show more every bit as delightful as Emily.

I appreciate that Emily must find different levels of bravery and is always learning in each book. While we know that being and living in Faerie will be advantageous to her career, it is what she learns about herself that makes EMILY WILDE'S COMPENDIUM OF LOST TALES special. I wasn't prepared for this level of growth in a third book, which makes me appreciate Ms. Fawcett's storytelling even more.

Oh, and the "wedding scene?" Perfection. show less

This, which very much appears to be the final installment in the Emily Wilde's trilogy, truly is cozy fantasy perfection. That Heather Fawcett continues to nail her main character's distinctive voice and interiority is an absolute joy. The revisiting of old friends from earlier books, though some feel a little rushed, is still a pleasure. And, of course, the vibes are immaculate. I love the details of her worldbuilding and even the often hilarious footnotes. The whole series is a delight and I was particularly pleased that this third book finished strong, with genuine emotional beats (even though, as a cozy romantasy, it is quick to reassure us that all will come right in the end). If you haven't yet spent time with our favorite show more curmudgeonly scholar of faerie, do yourself a favor and start at the beginning! show less

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is the much anticipated third (and assumed to be final) instalment in Heather Fawcett’s delightful cozy historical fantasy series.

After her success in finding the elusive door to Faerie and rendering the Queen vulnerable, the ever resourceful dryadologist Emily Wilde is both nervous and smug as she and her fiancé, Wendell Bambleby (aka Prince Liath), along with a motley assortment of allies including Emily’s devoted canine companion Shadow, and Orga the troublesome cat, march into Faerie to reclaim his throne.

There’s plenty of action as Wendell faces a gauntlet of challengers, including his Uncle and sister, along with a plethora of would-be assassins, but the real threat comes from the show more last vestiges of the former Queen’s power and a lethal curse she has laid on the kingdom. Tension is high as Wendell and Emily scramble to find a solution to an impossible dilemma.

Once again it’s Emily’s keen mind and research skills that provide the answers to the trials the couple face. Recognising a pattern in the stories of Faerie, Emily sets out to write a new ending which sees her call upon friends and enemies alike. Readers will enjoy the appearance of characters from the first and second instalments of the series including Margret, Lilja, Ariadne, and the Hidden King.

Though the mantle of Queen weighs heavily upon her, Emily is as earnest and brave as ever. Faerie is an intimidating place for a human with its mix of wonders and monstrosities and, while Wendell is determined to make her feel like she belongs, Emily needs to make her own peace with her new life.

The dynamic between Emily and Wendell remains largely unchanged, though Emily is perhaps more demonstrative than she has been, and I enjoyed their banter. The strife in Faerie has the potential to divide them but the pair are committed to one another, even beyond the veil.

Though there is potential for Fawcett to continue the series, Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales provides an enchanting fairytale conclusion to Emily and Wendell’s story, told with heart, charm and wit. Long live Queen Emily! show less

The third Emily Wilde fantasy has Emily and Wendell returning to his fairie kingdom. He is happy to be home and she is intrigued by all the research she could do now that she lived in his kingdom.

However, the deposed queen has left a curse behind her.

Now, Emily and Wendell have to find the deposed queen and Emily has to decide which story is being played out in the here and now. Emily being a dryadologist has a vast knowledge of fairie stories. But the story that seems to be playing out could lead to Wendell's death.

This was another engaging historical fantasy complete with footnotes. I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the wide variety of fae creatures involved.

A solid end to the Emily Wilde trilogy! While it felt a little slow and low stakes at times (it’s like the other two books in that the plot is definitely not the primary focus), it had a ton of charm and humor going for it. You’ll need to have either read the second book recently, or to go back, flip through, and refresh your memory on what happened in the second book. This book definitely builds on the second one, and it will be a pretty confusing reading experience if it’s hard to recall the main details.

I really liked that Emily’s scholarly research abilities ultimately tie in to the conclusion of the story! That felt very fitting for her character’s arc. The supporting characters are what really make this series worth show more reading: Orga, Shadow, Poe, Snowbell, the vengeful snails, and all of the various brownies we encounter. Heather Fawcett’s imagination is a powerful force, bringing forth such cozy goodness for the masses! Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. show less

Emily Wilde is a really fascinating protagonist, and these books are really fun, ever-so-slightly twisty fairy stories. This one saw usually intrepid-to-the-point-of-foolhardiness Emily frequently suffering from crises of self confidence, which wasn't really in character with the sort of single-minded pursuit of academic excellence (plus some romance, as a treat) I'd come to expect from this character. I also found these little episodes of, for lack of a better description, whinging, boring after the first couple times. Otherwise, an exciting and intriguing fairy story as the previous entries were!