Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Narrator: Ell Potter, Michael Dodds
Series: Emily Wilde #2
Published by Del Ray, Penguin Audio on January 18, 2024
Genres: Fantasy Romance
Pages: 352
Length: 12 hours, 4 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple






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.
After reading the first book in the Emily Wilde series, I knew I wanted more. Emily is a great character with strong ideas and skills. She and Wendell have decided to go on a search for the door to his homeland. But his step-mother is trying to assassinate him so that slows them down. Wendell is ill for much of the story.
Another distraction is Rose, the department head, who disbelieves Emily’s research and is determined to discredit her and Wendell. Her niece, Ariadne, who has just decided to study dryadology, is thrilled with trying to assist her aunt, Emily. Emily prefers to be independent and would not work with her except Ariadne is so competent. Rose and Ari coax and push themselves into joining the search for the door, the nexus and solving what happened to another researcher who searched for it, De Grey.
Emily is trying to decide about Wendell’s marriage proposal, feeling she can’t marry him but she wants to marry him. She has a lot of personal growth with developing her relationships with Wendell, Ariadne and Rose. It’s charmingly honest how she thinks of them and her idiosyncrasies.
It’s a wild and dangerous adventure. Without Emily’s knowledge, courage and ability to work with all different types of fae, things would have ended quickly.  I loved Emily’s quick and measured guesses as to what would work and how to survive.
Narration:
I am well settled into the current narrators and their voices for the characters. Their performances enhanced my enjoyment of the story. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Rating Breakdown | |
---|---|
Plot | |
Writing | |
Characters | |
Narration (Audio) | |
Overall: | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
- Sunday Post – 16 February 2025 @caffeinatedreviewer.com @kimbacaffeinate @readingreality - February 16, 2025
- 🎧 Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social #AmandaLeighCobb@torbooks @torbooks.bsky.social @BrambleRomance @MacmillanAudio @macmillanaudio.bsky.social #LoveAudiobooks - February 15, 2025
- 🎧 Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett #HeatherFawcett @Pottell @DoddsAndEnds @DelReyBooks @penguinaudio.bsky.social @PRHAudio #LOVEAudiobooks - February 13, 2025
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 24-COYER
This was a dangerous adventure, and I loved it too. Awesome review, Anne! I’m curious to see in the next book will wrap everything up.
Thank you. oh no, is there only one more?
Oh! I didn’t read your whole review because I didn’t realize this was a second book in the series. I love the blurb for this one though, and it sounds right up my alley. Looking at your ratings gives me high hopes 😀
I hope you would like them. They are charming and a bit whimsical except for Emily is solid and smart and not whimsical It’s a delightful contrast really.
Somehow the start of this series slid past me, but I’m glad you saw growth and really enjoyed book two.
They have danger which is just the way things are with the fae. But Emily is so pragmatic and skilled it’s just fun to watch her.
OooOoooo this sounds pretty good.
I really liked it.
I have heard great things about the first book. I do want to pick up this series at some point.
It has a light and charming feel, even though the fae can be dark and violent.
I still need to read the first one!
I hope you get a chance.
I don’t remember hearing anything about this series. I will need to check it out as it sounds like a story I’d enjoy. Love that cover, too!
It’s fantasy. You should start with the first book and it is charming too. The UK covers are prettier.
I don’t recall your review of the first one, but this series sounds wonderful! I’m adding it to my wish list. Thanks!
It’s charming. I don’t know how you wouldn’t like it as you enjoy fantasy. I read the first as a library book so I didn’t do a review on the blog.
I hope too read this one soon. I loved the first book so much.
I loved both of them.
I’m so looking forward to reading the first Emily Wilde book this year and I’m so glad to see that the audio was a good one. A great narrator can make a book even more of an enjoyable experience. I can’t wait to read it!
I thought the narrations was great. Both books are so fun and charming and yet some of the fae are dark.
I keep seeing wonderful reviews for this series lately. It wasn’t on my radar before, but now I really want to read it!
I think you’d really like it. It isn’t heavy or too dark. It’s charming. If I was into hardcovers, I would kill for the UK covers on these.
Love the cover and this sounds really good! Great review.
The UK covers are amazing. The books are totally charming with some romance.