Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is an enchanting, clever, and emotional finale to what I think, is a truly special series.
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- Category : Fantasy Fiction
- Publisher : Orbit; 1st edition (11 Feb. 2025)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0356519198
- ISBN-13 : 978-0356519197
Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project yet: studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen.
Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.
Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic-and Emily’s knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales Review
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett is a magical and satisfying conclusion to a series that has hooked me in from the start. This is such a rich and intricate world, and through Emily’s wonderfully academic and often wry perspective, we are transported straight into the heart of Faerie.
The story picks up with Emily and Wendell on the brink of an entirely new adventure. Standing before the faerie door to Wendell’s lost realm, I felt the trepidation, not knowing what turmoil was going to be on the other side. The first test on the way to the castle with his uncle was not only clever but also revealed the importance of Emily’s cloak. It makes sense of the book cover 🙂
Emily remains a fantastic narrator. Her descriptions of Faerie are vivid, while her observations of Wendell’s behaviour continue to be both affectionate and exasperated in equal measure. Her honest, matter-of-fact tone makes even the most fantastical elements feel grounded and believable. Despite Wendell’s often carefree and playful nature, his attitude to life holds quiet wisdom, something I feel we can all learn from …
The heart of this story is the quest: to find the missing Queen and break the curse threatening Wendell’s kingdom. Here, Emily’s knowledge of faerie tales and her resourcefulness shine. I loved how her academic expertise wasn’t just background colour but an integral part of solving the mystery. There’s one reveal in particular that genuinely took me by surprise.
I’ll admit, I was so invested that I was sorely tempted to skip ahead and read the ending before finishing — and that’s not something that happens often for me! The stakes are high, and at times I was reminded that not all faerie tales have happy endings. Sacrifice, rebirth, banishment, and forgiveness for the better good are all explored.
What I loved most is how the story stays true to both Emily and Wendell. I had no preconceived notions of where the plot might go — with these two, anything is possible — and I was more than happy to be swept along.
Even after the final page, I like to imagine Emily continuing to collect stories and keeping Wendell grounded in their ever-extraordinary world.
Emily Wilde Series
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands
About the Author
Heather Fawcett is the author of the middle grade novels Ember and the Ice Dragons and The Language of Ghosts, as well as the young adult series Even the Darkest Stars. She has a master’s degree in English literature and has worked as an archaeologist, photographer, technical writer, and backstage assistant for a Shakespearean theater festival. She lives on Vancouver Island, Canada.
