Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands: the charming light academia Sunday Times bestseller

spoiler

"I watched him sleep, worried that he might slip away without meaning to, to Faerie or some in-between place where I would not be able to find him."

"I missed him as much as he missed me and vowed never to venture he cannot.

I wasn't sure whether I should give it a full five star or not 4.75. The reason is that i liked the first one more. I so also find it difficult to commit to five-star ratings, not gonna lie.

There were times when it didn't fully grab my attention, and I therefore missed some things. However I did come to the conclusion that it was not the book that lacked but my concentration that wasn't there. The more thoughts I put on the book, the more I love it. The only other I didn't love was the fact, that I didn't connect with the villagers in the same way I did in the first one. I didn't feel much for the villagers-I didn't feel sad for them or glad when they finally chose to help. They were just kind of there.

The writing and nature descriptions on the other hand, was stunning and wonderfully whimsical. I love how she write about the folk and their role in society. It's very well done and different for a lot of other book with faeries that I have read. She truly has a way with words, and I love how the story is told.

I was, again, fond of Emily and how she develops throughout the book. She is very...self-prioritizing and have the tendency to forget other people. She does intrigue me, though. She would never say she cares aloud, so the reader has to look at her actions and the way she worries about the people she loves. The fact that it took Wendell almost dying, before she could admit her feelings for him and accept his offer of marriage is just...so her.

She has a lot of character growth in this book, both in her relationship with Wendell and also toward her niece, whom she isn't very nice to at first. She begins to acknowledge her feelings more and form a deeper bond with her niece, Dr. Rose, and of course Wendell.

Wendell, on the other hand, is still his charming and lazy self. He do grow and develop in this book. We see more of his powers, and he becomes better at restraining his darker side when provoked. He shows more kindness and listens more to the common fae. We also see a more vulnerable side of him, because he gets poisoned. Since he has to rely on Emily, he begins to see her more as a partner and trust her opinions, instead of just wooing her.

Overall, I loved the writing and the characters. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and more from Heather Fewcett in general.