Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales

Author: Heather Fawcett

Series: Emily Wilde

Genre: Fiction, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction

Format: Digital ARC via NetGalley

Publish Date: February 2025

Read: December 2024

Favorite Quote: Perhaps being too powerful, too unopposed, is a curse in and of itself, leading to boredom and dissipation, and the invention of imaginary enemies whose powers to torment were less limited than those of flesh and blood.

Story Synopsis: Emily Wilde finds herself in Faerie with Wendell after recently deposing Wendell’s stepmother as monarch of his kingdom. Now, Wendell is attempting to rule, while Emily continues to study Faerie — and simultaneously acting as Queen. When a blight overtakes much of the realm very quickly, Emily returns to her books and scholarly work to unravel the mystery of the blight and its connection to the former ruler to save Wendell’s life and the realm.

Why does this book beguile? Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries was Fawcett’s debut novel and a surprise delight for me when I read the ARC in late 2022. I was utterly thrilled to get the ARC for Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands and now Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. Like all good series, the third book furthers Emily & Wendell’s story, and I love how much time they spend in Wendell’s realm. There are a few throwbacks to the first book, which delighted me. Is Emily done with adventures? I’m not sure - things could go either way.

Rating: 5/5

Link*: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

If you like this, read*: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna