Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: January 16th, 2024
Pages: 352
Publisher: Del Rey
My Rating: ⭐⭐
This is the sequel to Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.
Read my full review of the first book in this series here!
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“An intrepid professor must uncover faerie secrets in the delightful and heart-warming second instalment of the Sunday Times bestselling Emily Wilde series.
Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore, and has catalogued many secrets of the Hidden Folk in her encyclopaedia with her infuriatingly charming fellow scholar, Wendell Bambleby, by her side.
But Bambleby is more than just a brilliant and unbearably handsome scholar. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, in search of a door back to his realm.
By lucky happenstance, Emily’s new project, a map of the realms of faerie, will take them on an adventure to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.
But with new friendships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.”
My Review:
I was kind of surprised when I realized that this was going to have a sequel, and now that I’ve read it, I kind of wish it didn’t. It really didn’t need one.
I think the first book could have very successfully been a standalone with a few tweaks and then I wouldn’t have to be so disappointed now.
The plot was nearly cut-and-paste from the first book. The pacing in this one, however, was terribly sluggish.
The world-building wasn’t really expanded upon, more so reiterated.
The secondary characters weren’t nearly as loveable or in-depth as in the first book.
I absolutely adored Emily and Wendell from the first book so much and I was excited to get more of their story. I like Emily and her quirkiness and the unique tone she brings to the voice of the story.
But their relationship dragged here as much as the plot did and it all just felt lackluster. There wasn’t a whole lot of development with each of them personally nor together, not in any way that I was expecting.
Almost like everything just stalled out, rather than a continuation of how things escalated in the first book.
Unfortunately, I think all the hyped up fans from the first book are going to be largely disappointed with this sequel.
I don’t think I’ll be continuing this series if there is more to come. This second book has lost all of my interest.
The first book was so magical, charming, captivating, and unique. And now it has all just flat-lined for me.
My advice, read the first one for all its worth and pretend that it ends there.
Disclaimers:
Huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an early copy of this amazing story! I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you read this book? Planning to add it to your TBR?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
I love a good book discussion. 🙂
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