I am always going to be here for Emily Wilde figuring out the unsolvable through scholarship and observation.
Having poisoned Wendell’s step-mother, Queen Arna, deposed her, and found the door to Wendell’s kingdom, Emily and Wendell are ready to claim his throne. And that’s just the start of the adventure. On her way out of the Silvia Lupi, Queen Arna has laid a curse on the kingdom that’s triggered by Wendell claiming the throne. In addition to trying to make herself into a queen the Courtly fae will respect, Emily must figure out how to lift the curse.
Remember how badly Emily flubbed things with the residents of Ljosland in Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries? She’s come a long way. Now she has friends and allies, humans in the court, the small fae, other scholars, and the humans she has helped along the way.
“The politics of Faerie—indeed, everything about the place—revolves around stories. Stories shape the realms and the actions of those who dwell there. Some of those stories are known to mortals, but many others have been lost, both to us and the Folk.”
Things get more interesting for Emily when her grandfather’s journal becomes a part of her research into the stories that shape the Kingdom and the likely future of her marriage to Wendell.
It took me a minute to get into the rhythm of this third installment. I love the journal entry format, but it puts me at a remove when I start reading. Once I settled in, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I love Emily’s competence and her belief in herself.
Shadow remains the best dog. I found Emily’s anxiety over Shadow’s aging so relatable. There is a painting of my former dog across from where I do most of my reading. When Shadow did his feats of bravery, I would look at the painting of Spike and be assured that Spike would never have exerted himself in that manner. Shadow is an excellent companion for a human queen of faerie who insists on doing the research herself.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Random House/Del Ray and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
