Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Here is a summary with spoilers of Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands

Since completing her Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Cambridge Professor Emily Wilde has begun mapping the various faerie realms and their elusive doors. Her work takes on new urgency after discovering that her friend and colleague, Wendell Bambleby, is an Irish faerie monarch usurped by his stepmother. Emily agrees to help Wendell locate a backdoor to his realm so he can reclaim his throne. Yet, despite their deepening partnership, Emily has yet to give Wendell an answer to his marriage proposal.

Emily’s niece, Ariadne, now a student at Cambridge, has appointed herself as Emily’s assistant. Meanwhile, Dr. Farris Rose, the head of the Dryadology Department, grows increasingly suspicious of Wendell’s academic fraudulence—he often falsifies his discoveries—and by association, of Emily. Rose plans to fire them both once he gathers definitive proof. During one of Wendell’s lectures, faerie assassins sent by his stepmother attack. While Wendell’s magic protects the students and dispatches the attackers, it also reveals his fae identity to Rose, who now has leverage over both Wendell and Emily.

Emily’s research into potential nexus locations—revolving faerie doors—leads her to the 1860s disappearance of scholars Danielle "Dani" de Grey and Bran Eichorn near St. Leisl, a region tied to Irish faerie folklore. When Emily plans an expedition to St. Leisl, Rose insists on joining, offering his expertise on Alpine fae in exchange for reconsidering his decision to fire them. Before departing, Emily acquires the foot of a tree faun once studied by de Grey. This object draws the attention of a mysterious man draped in ribbons, who appears to Emily periodically, speaking in riddles. On the train to St. Leisl, Wendell’s magic becomes erratic, and Emily suspects he was poisoned by his stepmother during recent birthday festivities.

In St. Leisl, the Haas family offers Emily and her group a cottage, warning them to leave food for the nocturnal fae and to avoid wandering the forest at night. Despite these precautions, deep scratches appear on the cottage door, revealed to be de Grey attacking with the horn of her tree faun. De Grey and Eichorn are being drawn to Emily through her possession of the faun’s foot.

During their survey, Emily and Ariadne discover 14 faerie doors, none leading to Wendell’s realm. A reckless decision by Emily leaves Rose injured by fox faeries, but Wendell heals him, worsening his own condition. Emily feels guilt over her carelessness, further deepened when she learns the ribboned man is Bran Eichorn, trapped in the Otherlands for 50 years searching for de Grey.

While inspecting the Grünesauge mountain, elder huntsmen—mythical fae assassins—arrive to kill Wendell. He uses his waning magic to save Emily, Rose, and Ariadne, exacerbating his symptoms and revealing a death omen: fluttering bird shadows on his chest. Determined to save Wendell, Emily seeks help from the local fox faeries. A faerie she names Snowbell introduces her to Poe, a small faerie she befriended in a previous expedition. Poe provides scones to alleviate Wendell’s symptoms and reminds Emily of the magical silver key he once gifted her, a door to his tree.

The scones temporarily revive Wendell, but his condition worsens. Emily uses a ribbon left by Eichorn to track him, successfully pulling him from the Otherlands, though Wendell’s death omen grows more pronounced. When de Grey’s attacks on the cottage intensify, Emily allows her inside, enabling Wendell to pull her from the Otherlands. Near death, Wendell proposes again, and Emily finally accepts, realizing his cat, Orga, holds the key to curing the poison.

De Grey and Eichorn guide the group to a nexus concealed in a brownie’s home within the mountains. Before entering, Poe gifts Emily a compass from her friends in Hrafnsvik, which reveals who is trustworthy. Inside Wendell’s kingdom, Emily prepares a faun horn powder as a weapon while Snowbell leads them to the castle. Posing as an enchanted mortal, Emily infiltrates the queen’s chambers, poisons her wine, and escapes with Orga. Pursued by gargoyle guardians, the group reaches the nexus and returns to St. Leisl.

Back in St. Leisl, Orga’s magic heals Wendell, and his mercy toward the gargoyle leader earns their loyalty. Wendell also banishes the tree faun back to its realm. As the townspeople gather to bid farewell, Emily acknowledges Ariadne’s contributions and expresses gratitude for Poe’s aid.

Emily, Wendell, Shadow, and Orga set off for Greece, another nexus location, to rally an army of little Folk to reclaim Wendell’s kingdom. Though Wendell abandons academia, Emily plans to publish her map book and occasionally return to Cambridge. For now, her focus is on ruling the Silva Lupi realm alongside Wendell as his queen.

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