Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands

EMILY WILDE'S MAP OF THE OTHERLANDS by Heather Fawcett (Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries) is a much acclaimed addition to this series about a young women, Emily Wilde, who studies fairies (dryadology) and falls in love with a Fairy King, Wendell Bambleby. This time they leave Cambridge for the Austrian Alps along with faithful Shadow (a grim disguised as a dog), Ariadne (Emily’s niece, an earnest, but inexperienced dryadologist), and Farris Rose (their department head). Numerous adventures, fateful poisonings, and often scary encounters with various fairies and beasts ensue. Fawcett does an excellent job of world building – some other minor characters from her first book reappear here as well as new scholars who lead Emily to the nexus, a door to Wendell’s kingdom, called Silva Lupi. Once again, Emily’s single-minded focus on the Fairie realm proves both dangerous and beneficial; she is a strong protagonist yet has opportunity to exhibit growth and change. The LibraryReads Top Pick selection for January, EMILY WILDE'S MAP OF THE OTHERLANDS also received a starred review from Booklist (“utterly enchanting”). Definitely recommended.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES by Heather Fawcett is an absolutely charming tale selected for the January LibraryReads list. The start of a new series, this novel features a young, ambitious researcher named Emily Wilde who heads to Hrafnsvik, Ljosland, a place of snow and winter, in her quest to learn more about fairies and both common and courtly fae. Wilde believes “one doesn’t need magic if one knows enough stories” and she is hard at work (very singularly focused) on completing her encyclopedia. The villagers have a mixed reaction to Emily until she is joined by a colleague named Wendell Bambleby. They make a formidable team although, much like the duo of Miss Scarlet and the Duke on PBS, the two often exasperate each other in an amusing fashion. Emily’s vast knowledge and Wendell’s unique skills combine to rescue some local people who have been captured by the fairies and that leads to even more adventures with the villagers. Events and observations are recorded in Emily’s research journal and Fawcett does an excellent job of world-building and sharing various myths and legends. The best part, however, is observing Emily’s fits and starts at “fitting in” and caring about those in the real world. Her future escapades promise to be very entertaining. EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES received a starred review for Library Journal and is recommended for “readers of cozy fantasies” by Kirkus. 

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Fawcett

EMILY WILDE'S COMPENDIUM OF LOST TALES by Heather Fawcett (see others in this series) received starred reviews from Booklist and from Library Journal. Both continue to praise Fawcett’s world-building as she once again crafts dangerous adventures for dryadologist (one who studies fairies) Emily and Wendell, a fairy King. They finally venture together into Wendell’s realm, only to discover that his stepmother has cursed the kingdom, a curse that can be lifted with Wendell’s death. Determined and pragmatic, yet often impulsive, Emily refuses to accept that result and tries to find a solution through her research and scholarship. Once again, she seeks to help Wendell where “everything about the place revolves around stories. Stories shape the realms and the actions of those who dwell there.” Readers will enjoy Fawcett’s latest (February 2025 LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection) and undoubtedly look forward to more adventures.

The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar

THE MAGICIAN OF TIGER CASTLE by Louis Sachar was a Library Reads Selection for August 2025 and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (“melancholy, heartfelt, and utterly immersive Renaissance-esque fantasy”). Yes, there is a sense of sadness and foreboding as a magician, Anatole, attempts to prevent unhappiness for two star-crossed lovers, a young apprentice scribe named Pito and a charming princess, Tullia. But the experimentation with various potions takes a long time and story dragged for me so it did not feel all that magical. Anatole was attempting to have the lovers lose the memory of each other and therefore their personalities seemed somewhat fragile, too, making it difficult to develop concern about their fate. This is Sachar’s first attempt at a novel intended for adults; some read-alikes that came up on the library catalog which I would heartily recommend include The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater and The Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett. Plus, of course, there are numerous fabulous books by similar authors (like Carl Hiaasen, Jack Gantos, and Richard Peck) that adults will enjoy even if they are primarily intended for younger readers.