my fave cozy fantasy foreva

I'm pretty sure this is the third and final book in this series I adore so so much, but too much of a good thing can very quickly become a bad thing. This book ends in a place that seems like a quiet sort of goodbye to me. Nothing big or extravagant, but rather soft and full of promise for what Emily and Wendell's life will look like after the many series of unfortunate events they had to endure in this book.
I really really liked this conclusion, which came as no surprise to me! I sincerely don't think there's another cozy fantasy series out there right now doing it quite like this one, though I'm not super well versed in the variety of cozy fantasies on the market right now. That being said, I continue to marvel at the ingenuity of these novels' being told in the form of Emily's journal entries. The overarching story and mythical intrigue of Faerie as viewed through Emily's scholarly eyes feels at once charming, academic, and raw, since time and time again Emily reminds readers that she's just a curious human who's been swept up within the supernatural through her connection to and love for Wendell. I consider myself to be a journaler, but I am nowhere near Emily's caliber.
​I really liked how this third installment satisfied the momentum of the two to come before it: first with Emily's slow realization of who Wendell truly is (and has become to her), secondly paired with their eventual search for his lost realm and throne. In this book, the realm has been found! But---oh no! Wendell's evil stepmother refuses to allow him to regain his rightful throne without a fight, and curses the entire realm with a clever set of tricks. The stakes felt truly high in this book despite the sometimes slower pace of certain journal entries, since Emily's ability to track the patterns of a certain Fae story builds plenty of suspense concerning how her and Wendell's story may end, or if there are any loopholes to be found. I continue to adore Emily and Wendell's romance as well, expressed as it is mainly through sometimes cheeky, sometimes incredibly moving and swoony dialogue. If a Fae king wanted to whisk me away to his kingdom after falling in love with my socially awkward, book-inclined self, how could I refuse? :) I'm hoping Fawcett may write some fun novellas or spin off tales with these delightful characters someday, but I'm grateful for the lovely gift these three books are.



Some of my favorite quotes from Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales:

"... as always, writing helps. Sometimes I feel it is the only thing that prevents me from coming apart."

"I know your heart by now, Em; it is not all stone and pencil shavings, as you are wont to pretend."

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