another literary female academic whom i love. i live through their confidence in their own minds and opinions. and their journeys of self-discovery when they feel unsure about the complexities of social interactions. and their journeys and quests in which their logical minds help them to be the hero of their own story. 

so needless to say i went into reading this book predisposed to enjoy it to some degree, which i did. it was a solid sequel to the first in the series and i am really looking forward to the next book. 

however, i do have one criticism (she types knowing that it will probably turn into multiple): this story felt less intentional than i was expecting after the precedence set by the first book. Encyclopaedia of Faeries read as a hero's journey; the quest and Emily's journey to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds were not just a story but also an exploration of her character. unfortunately Map Of The Otherlands felt a lot like a story that just happened to have Emily in it. it was fun, it was an adventure, there was romantic relational development. but where did it leave her as a character? idk, in a romantic relationship? that's just not enough for me, unfortunately. 

and i think i say all that as less a criticism and more of a disappointment. i love Emily a lot, if you didn't already notice 😆