Challenge Corner discussion

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage. Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.

And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships 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.

To 11%: Someone should tell the Department Head that jealousy doesn't suit him...

Also, (view spoiler)[I think we found our door!!! (hide spoiler)]

To 14%: Okay, this isn't meant as shade, it's just an observation, but (view spoiler)[I don't feel like this is half as Cozy as the first book, at least to start. A large part of the Coziness of Book 1 was Emily getting to her little cottage, alone with just her dog and like settling in, the cold outside, the warm fireplace inside. Her thoughts and musings, because she was on her own. This one is like being shot out of a cannon in comparision (hide spoiler)]. LOL

Chapter 1: (view spoiler)[I am so happy to be starting this! I had forgotten the peculiar narrative voice, though, it might take me a bit to get into it. Also... Didn't she accept Wendell in the last book? I want them to be together! They are cute! :P (hide spoiler)]

Andy wrote: "Chapter 1: [spoilers removed]"I couldn't remember specifically either, but I was thinking it was a (view spoiler)[she'd think about it, but I could be totally wrong. (hide spoiler)]
Perhaps I should have reread the first book! LOL

To 32%: I am loving the dynamic amongst (view spoiler)[the traveling group now. I feel like having Department Head Rose there and Ariadne provides a nice mix-up for Emily and Wendall's relationship. Also, can I just say how much I love her dog. He sounds like my dog. (hide spoiler)]

To 50%: okay, honestly, this is sort of scary 😨 I am so worried about (view spoiler)[Wendall (hide spoiler)]!!!

To 70%:(view spoiler)[ My answer is, yessss... (hide spoiler)]
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

To 97%:(view spoiler)[The scene at the end between Emily and Ariadne, when Emily refers to her as her 'assistant' and Ariadne is so happy and Emily, even though still grumpy, you can tell it filled her heart. It's like a little bit of the frost around her heart just melted. I get that bc it's exactly how I feel about my niece 😭😭😭 (hide spoiler)]

Finished!!! The ending definitely hit me in the feels and I am thinking we'll be getting another book same time next year! Squeeeeeee 💜💙🤍❤️🖤🩵🩷

megs_bookrack wrote: "To 32%: I am loving the dynamic amongst [spoilers removed]"

Chapter 22nd of September: (view spoiler)[I like how the department head is not as stubborn and pompous as he first appeared! I hope he is not right about Wendell! I like that Emily defends him, but I worry she'll start having doubts... :( (hide spoiler)]

megs_bookrack wrote: "Finished!!! The ending definitely hit me in the feels and I am thinking we'll be getting another book same time next year! Squeeeeeee 💜💙🤍❤️🖤🩵🩷"

Yeeh! :) I really love these books! :) They're like "fantasy light academia" :P

Andy wrote: "megs_bookrack wrote: "To 32%: I am loving the dynamic amongst [spoilers removed]"

Chapter 22nd of September: [spoilers removed]"I really ended up enjoying him too. (view spoiler)[I feel like throughout their travels, he and Emily really grew and their respect for one another. He actually showed some great promise as a great friend :) (hide spoiler)]

Andy wrote: "megs_bookrack wrote: "Finished!!! The ending definitely hit me in the feels and I am thinking we'll be getting another book same time next year! Squeeeeeee 💜💙🤍❤️🖤🩵🩷"

Yeeh! :) I really love these b..."Yesssss, totally! Do you know what the author's plans are for this series? Like do we know how many installments? I really haven't heard any news...

megs_bookrack wrote: "Andy wrote: "megs_bookrack wrote: "Finished!!! The ending definitely hit me in the feels and I am thinking we'll be getting another book same time next year! Squeeeeeee 💜💙🤍❤️🖤🩵🩷"

Yeeh! :) I really..."

No, I haven't researched - it seems like the kind of story that can be continued for some time quite episodically... Not sure!

megs_bookrack wrote: "To 50%: okay, honestly, this is sort of scary 😨 I am so worried about [spoilers removed]!!!"

4th of October: (view spoiler)[So worried about Wendell! :( (hide spoiler)]

Andy wrote: "megs_bookrack wrote: "Andy wrote: "megs_bookrack wrote: "Finished!!! The ending definitely hit me in the feels and I am thinking we'll be getting another book same time next year! Squeeeeeee 💜💙🤍❤️🖤..."Fingers crossed!

Andy wrote: "megs_bookrack wrote: "To 50%: okay, honestly, this is sort of scary 😨 I am so worried about [spoilers removed]!!!"

4th of October: [spoilers removed]"RIGHT!? I was like sweating. LOL

megs_bookrack wrote: "To 97%:[spoilers removed]"

Yes, that scene was very sweet!

Finished! (view spoiler)[Mind you, the resolution to several of these things was a bit nonsensical - how did Emily know the queen would go to the room and drink the wine? How did the cat kill the vrids without the birds killing Wendell? How, how, why??? Ahahah! But I loved it so much deslite some of the nonsense! :) And I lived the ending so much! I love Emily and Wendell together! (hide spoiler)]

We are definitely getting book 3! My physical copy says so at the end! :) I think I will reread the first before I'll read book 3! :)

Andy wrote: "megs_bookrack wrote: "To 97%:[spoilers removed]"

Yes, that scene was very sweet!

Finished! [spoilers removed]."
Hahaha, yeah, it is a bit nonsensical isn't it. Very like Wonderland in that regard. LOL -- I'm excited to hear there will def be a Book 3! I can't wait!!!!

megs_bookrack wrote: "Andy wrote: "megs_bookrack wrote: "To 97%:[spoilers removed]"

Yes, that scene was very sweet!

Finished! [spoilers removed]."
Hahaha, yeah, it is a bit nonsensical isn't it. Very like Wonderland i..."

:)

I'm going to hop in here because I absolutely loved the first one and I'm excited to read the second! I started it yesterday, I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and will post comments later today.

Mucia wrote: "I'm going to hop in here because I absolutely loved the first one and I'm excited to read the second! I started it yesterday, I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and will post comments later today."

Yay! :)

Mucia wrote: "I'm going to hop in here because I absolutely loved the first one and I'm excited to read the second! I started it yesterday, I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and will post comments later today."

Enjoy!!!

Andy wrote: "Chapter 1: [spoilers removed]"

About 70 pages I was so tempted to re-read the first book, but was determined to keep going.

(view spoiler)[
I did forget how much I loved the voice in this story. It's so academic while being fun and fantastical. The department head was so annoying in this beginning section though. (hide spoiler)]

Mucia wrote: "Andy wrote: "Chapter 1: [spoilers removed]"

About 70 pages I was so tempted to re-read the first book, but was determined to keep going.


I did forget how much I loved the voice in this story. I..."

Ahah! I so agree on the narrative voice! :) The other character improves I feel! :)

Up to p. 73

(view spoiler)[

This is going to expose me but we're all nerdy here anyways lol

I loved the random parallel to Occam's razor and how there would be a similar dryadology principle called Watkin's first. This book just feeds a certain part of my reading soul and I really haven't found many that give me this type of POV (hide spoiler)]

Up to p.165

(view spoiler)[
I would be so sad if Wendell somehow turned out to be untrustworthy as Rose wants us to feel like he is. Wendell seems so utterly innocent in respect to how he feels about Emily.

It's going to be hard to pick up another book after this (hide spoiler)]

Up to p. 253
(view spoiler)[

OMG POE!!! I was smiling like an idiot every time he appeared. I'm so happy he managed to make a reappearance because I grew very attached to him in the first book.

"Was it right to bring it to you?" my heart 😭

The childlike nature is so heartwarming to read. The fairies in this book while nightmarish are also oddly nostalgic. It's like having both the Grimm's version and the fairytale storytime versions all in one. (hide spoiler)]

Finished!

(view spoiler)[

I loved this book! I loved the first one a bit more but still. Idk how she does it, but I fall in love with the characters and the world she's made.

Also ahhhh they're officially engaged! (hide spoiler)]

I'm behind but planning to read this in the next week since it's due back at the library

Elizabeth wrote: "I'm behind but planning to read this in the next week since it's due back at the library" It's cute! I hope you enjoy it, Elizabeth!!

Mucia wrote: "Finished!"

Yayeee! Glad you loved it! I didn't quite love it as much as the first one, but that's very slight. I adore these characters so much!! I'm definitely looking forward to the third book!

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RESTARTING DECEMBER 16TH, 2024


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19%
(view spoiler)[I hate that we don't have the chapters numbered. It makes sense, since they are journal entries but still, it made this buddy read a tad more complicated!
That said, I love how Emily and Wendell are the perfect counterpoint to each other, and the fight at the university was fun!
I don't like Rose and I am not really so happy about him joining them, even if, at least, he can't plot behind their backs while they are gone, if he is with them. But still, I don't like him! (hide spoiler)]

53%
(view spoiler)[I am still not a fan of Rose, even if now he seems more nice than before. I am not sure I trust his change of heart completely, but seeing some of his gruffiness and unpleasantness come from a place of care, sort of, helps a bit.
I love how Emily stands for herself, and how she is always so strong, even if she could try a little bit more with Ariadne.
Poe is a sweety and it was nice to see him again, even if briefly.
And I am always happy to see Emily and Wendell together because they are a great couple! (hide spoiler)]

Beginning - p. 67:

(view spoiler)[This one certainly starts off more quickly than book 1 (as far as I can recall, anyway) with the assassination attempts and what-not. I worry about Ariadne going as she is sweet and seems to be a perfect candidate for stumbling into something she isn't prepared to handle, causing problems for all. I also worry about Rose going as he is an ass. I could absolutely see him thinking he knows all and doing stupid things as a result. (hide spoiler)]

pp. 68-170: (view spoiler)[The bird tattoos!! Oh dear...I wondered if they were a bad omen or if they were just a sign that Wendell's magic was on the fritz due to the poisoning. I am not sure what to think of Rose...he seemed to be coming around and then had that horrible attack. I keep waiting for Ariadne to somehow make things worse - will she bumble into something accidentally like I first thought, or will she more willfully bring about harm for some reason. It is hard to really figure out how I feel about her as her character is so colored by Emily's POV... (hide spoiler)]

p. 170-End

(view spoiler)[I meant to post more but I ended up racing through the story instead. I really enjoyed this book - which surprises me as I did not particularly enjoy book 1. The problem for me in that one was the fact that Emily writing in her journal took away any tension - you knew she was fine. And yet the same thing happened in this book and it worked really well for me.

I did find a few things surprising in this one - how easily the queen was defeated (or was she? guess we'll find out in book 3)...the fact that it was de Grey trying to break into their cottage...how much I like Poe. I hope he continues to be a supporting character.

Overall, I don't know how memorable this book will be for me, but I am looking forward to reading book 3 when it releases. (hide spoiler)]

Sorry, I have not disappeared! It's just that I am way busier than what I planned and my reading time is suffering from it!

80%
(view spoiler)[I am glad that they finally found and rescued the two scholars but the two could have been a tad more gracious about it! I am happy that Emily visits Wendell's realm but I am sorry that she is alone. Or better, she is with Ariadne, and I am not so happy about it. I don't know if I like Ariadne. On one hand I think that Emily is too harsh with her but on the other hand, Ariadne seems blind to any clues and I am not sure I like her! (hide spoiler)]

Sibil wrote: "Sorry, I have not disappeared! It's just that I am way busier than what I planned and my reading time is suffering from it!

80%
[spoilers removed]"

No worries! That happened to me when we were supposed to begin the book…this time of year can be especially tricky to schedule.
Take the time you need.

And I agree with your comment on all counts!

Elaine wrote: "Beginning - p. 67:

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yes, the first book was more slowgoing, especially at the beginning, here things are happening from the start! I won't call this one cozy, really! (hide spoiler)]

Elaine wrote: "pp. 68-170: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[And I am sorry that the bird tattoos were such a bad thing because they are pretty cool! (Poisoning aside! )And Rose is a hard character to read!
But even if it doesn't make things easy, I love that we see everything and everyone through Emily's point of view, and it is such a personal POV, it has nuances and personality! But it made for a biased narrator! (hide spoiler)]

Elaine wrote: "Sibil wrote: "Sorry, I have not disappeared! It's just that I am way busier than what I planned and my reading time is suffering from it!

80%
[spoilers removed]"

No worries! That happened to me w..."

Thank you!!

Finished
(view spoiler)[I am happy that things between the villager and the team of scholars are on the mend, and that Shadow didn't kill the man. I am also happy to see Emily open up a bit toward Ariadne, but it all felt kind of rushed, especially the part about the Queen.
It was sort of... anticlimatic.
That said, I enjoyed the book as a whole, and I loved that we got a chapter written by Wendell! (hide spoiler)]

Elaine wrote: "p. 170-End
..."

(view spoiler)[The fact that it was De Grey who was trying to break in the cottage was a big surprise! I didn't see that one coming!

And yes, it is not a memorable book to me either, but I enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed the first one. I like the fact that we read the story through the entries in Emily's diary, even if it takes away a bit of the tension of the story! (hide spoiler)]

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RESTARTING AUGUST 8TH, 2025


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