Spoiler-Free Review
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is book two in the Emily Wilde series. For my review of book one, click here.
Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC. All opinions are my own. This book is set to release January 16, 2024.
What’s Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands about?
The prickly professor Emily Wilde is working on a new project, and is swept onto a new academic adventure to uncover the secrets of Faerie Doors with her former rival, Wendell Bambleby.
This is a magical and cozy read.
The Emily Wilde series is set to be a trilogy, and I can confirm that book two not only stands up in quality compared to the first, but suffers no “sophomore slump.” Many trilogies lag during their second installment, but not this one. It was charming, magical, and full of fun banter.
Book two had many of the hallmarks that made book one so special. It follows a similar “journal” style, complete with footnotes, as Emily and crew set off on another academic excursion. This time their destination is to a cottage in St. Liesl where they can explore the Alps. We also get a few new characters, who each add unique elements.
The romantic subplot was fun. Note: this book is not spicy. It’s an endearing romance with wit and banter galore – the recurring back-and-forth between Emily and Wendell about the hanging marriage proposal added such an enjoyable and light element to the story. When they weren’t sword-fighting with malevolent faeries, they were badgering each other, and it provided a nice balance.
There were moments here and there that felt a little slower, but I think that’s naturally a feature of both diary-style books and cozy books, and this one is both of those things.
Should you read Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands?
If you liked Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, I definitely recommend the sequel. You will not need to reread book one to keep up with this one. It feels wholly like it’s own story, with a few reminders here and there of events from the first. Plus, there’s going to be a book 3! It will be the final installment in the Emily Wilde series.
Mark your calendars for January 16, 2024!
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2 responses to “Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (Book 2): A charming sequel”
Seems as if this the second book, of the triology, can stand on its own, makes it just as good or better than the first.
I agree!