Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales - Heather Fawcett

Overall 5/5 stars

The third book in the series follows the ongoing adventures of Emily and Wendell as they work to save Wendell’s realm from the consequences of his stepmother's departure. Emily grapples with her desire to become the queen of the Silva Lupi, while also helping Wendell manage his responsibilities as the kingdom's ruler and a scholar. Although I cherish the characters in these stories, I found Emily to be somewhat frustrating at times, as it often seemed she was reluctant to embrace her role or struggled to grasp the complexities of ruling a realm.

Wendell is a powerful and occasionally dangerous character, yet he never made Emily feel unsafe or exploited her for his own gain. His love for her is genuine, and he has consistently treated her kindly. He even created spaces where she could feel at ease among the fae, bringing a sense of normalcy to her life, though it seemed she didn’t fully appreciate his efforts. She also faced challenges with the concept of marriage, which led me to feel that she wasn’t entirely engaged with anything concerning Wendell or his world. However, this may simply be my interpretation. While it did slightly irritate me, it didn’t overshadow the story or diminish my fondness for Emily. Throughout the book, I was completely captivated by the realm and the characters, keeping me thoroughly engaged in the narrative.

One character I particularly enjoyed was Lord Taran, with his smarmy demeanour that always seemed to irritate Emily. While he might initially appear to be a typical faerie—pretentious and condescending—I sensed that he isn’t quite as bad as he pretends to be, and his personality added a touch of humour to the narrative.

Once again, this book is filled with numerous twists, suspenseful moments, and exciting, unpredictable new characters. I continue to admire Heather's writing style and the way she crafts a world where fae could seamlessly exist among us, making you feel an urge to explore a garden, forest, or backyard in search of characters reminiscent of those in her tales. While the second book posed some challenges in terms of engagement, the third book was a delightful and swift read. I highly recommend this series to anyone who has a passion for fae and faeries. It certainly rekindled a wave of nostalgia for me, as I have always been a huge fan of faeries. I truly love these books.