I really enjoyed the storyline in world building in the novel. I also really liked the characters. I thought this was a solid read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

We find ourselves back with the Tales from the Hinterland in NYC. Alice has sworn off the Tales and is trying to be a good, decent, normal girl. But Tales are being murdered and it appears as though Alice is being framed as the killer.

While I did enjoy this story, there was just something about The Hazel Wood that set it apart. This was a great follow up novel but the first book still holds the #1 spot in my heart.

My favorite quote from this novel was “When a jogger zipped past, I whipped around without thinking to see who was chasing them.” because same lol I legit backed up my audiobook version to listen again and make sure I heard it right, then wrote it down to share here.

This writing style is so beautiful. I can mark up the entire book because of perfect quotes. The imagery is like nothing you will see before

I really enjoyed the first book in this series but I had a hard time getting into this one. I started and stopped it about 3 separate times and finally gave up. It just wasn’t for me. Thanks netgalley for my free review copy.

DNF

The first book was unique and clever and I was very curious where this book was going to head. Unfortunately, it felt very unnecessary and I didn't find myself interested in the experiences of the characters. I found them obnoxious and unredeemable. This sequel was not for me.

I absolutely love the Hazel Wood universe! This was such an atmospheric story and I was sucked in immediately. I think I will read anything Melissa publishes!

After barely escaping from the Hinterland, Alice Proserpine has had enough of Fairy Tales. Inexplicably though, she has found herself drawn to other expatriate Tales. That is, until Tales start turning up murdered. Ellery Finch thought living in the Hinterland would be like living in his own dream world. The shine starts to wear off though after one too many near death experiences. He finds himself searching for a way home when the Hinterland starts crumbling around him. Will he make it out in time?
Melissa Albert has created an enjoyable sequel that continues the story of what happens after The Hazel Wood. It fulfills the curiosity of readers of the first, but fails to stand on its own. The narrative was harder to follow, so I imagine those that did not read The Hazel Wood would be lost. The Night Country is a good book that fails to shine independently.

I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the previous installment in the series. It still had a lot of great elements, and I thought both Alice's and Finch's stories were very interesting, but I didn't find the mystery quite mysterious enough.

The Night Country is the second book in The Hazel Woods series. I am not going to tell much about the plot as this is a second book and I don't want to spoil anything. But we pick up with Alice settling into her life when things from the Hinterland start showing up in New York and things go from there.

I gave the first book three stars and I’m giving this one three stars as well. They are fine reads, I read the second book because I wanted to see where the story would go and because I enjoyed the writing style but the story felt weak; like something was missing. I will for sure be looking into others books by Melissa Albert because I liked the writing style and would like to read something that's not part of this world. The author has strong skills in writing dark and twisted magic and that's what made me want to read this book to see what more the author had to offer.

With that said, if you like magic, unique writing then you may enjoy this story.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles.
I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

The Night Country is a sequel to The Hazel Wood. If you haven't read The Hazel Wood recently, I would recommend you at least read a synopsis to familiarize yourself with that world again, as this picks up again pretty much where that one left off.

Alice is back in NYC and trying to live a "normal" life, but the Hinterland isn't ready to let go. This book delves into how the Hinterland was created and what happens when it begins to unravel. It's very compelling reading, and I hope the author continues to write more stories set in this universe.

I enjoyed this book but had trouble following it at some points. It was sometimes hard to figure out which character there were talking about and who was who between the current and past stories. Overall I liked it but the first one was better.

I completely adored this book. It was dark and delicious. Each tale was beautifully written and I would love to see full books written for some of them.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this one because the first one felt like a complete story but I was excited to revisit the Hinterland. Unfortunately, there's not as many stories in this one but I still felt the same dark vibes of the first. Overall, it was a good sequel to the first and I'm really looking forward to "Tales from the Hinterland!"

The Night Country is the second book in the Hazel Wood series. I think this is one of the rare instances when I actually enjoyed the second book more than the first. I found the ending to The Hazel Wood a bit scattered and confusing. The plot of The Night Country is interesting, with mystery and suspense elements that kept me engaged to the last page.

The book still has the dark fairy tale vibes that intrigued me in the start of the series. I loved the introduction of new worlds and traveling between them. It is no less disturbing than the first book, maybe even more so, but I could see that the action was leading to some bigger picture. I liked the sinister new “story” characters struggling to live outside of the Hinterland. The premise reminded me of a darker version of Every Heart a Doorway, in the adjustment from fantasy world to reality aspect.

Overall, I think the series is just a little too dark and disturbing for me, with not enough payoff from the fantasy world and the characters. But if you are looking for dark fairytales mixed with the real-world mystery, you might really enjoy this YA series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free review copy!

I didn't love The Night Country as mush as The Hazel Wood but it was still really good. I love how it was full of such dark and twisted tales. Albert did such a great job with this story. I think the hardest thing with this book is keeping all the characters straight.

I read The Hazel Wood and although overall I enjoyed it, there seems to be a lot going on and so many characters and happening that it starts to run together. Then we have a sequel with even more characters and motivators and I'm glad I read them back to back or else I would be utterly confused.

The creative and creepy fairytale portal/universe she has created is amazing, and I did find it enjoyable. It's dark and twisty and contemporary but at times, confusing with so much happening. Perhaps a family tree or Hinterland organizational chart would be helpful! And I would like to actually read the HInterland tales so we know the main characters and may can remember who is story and ex-story etc.

If you love dark and disturbing fairytales, you will love this YA series by Melissa Albert. I read the first book, The Hazel Wood when it came out and was completely sucked into the twisty tale full of magic, darkness, and danger.

Alice Proserpine thought she was mostly back to “normal” life after breaking from her story in the Hinterland, but when Hinterland survivors start dying, it’s clear something is desperately wrong. Someone is stalking them and ready to strike. Someone with powers that look a lot like Alice’s used to. As tensions rise, Alice must uncover the truth before all is lost.

What I love most about THE NIGHT COUNTRY is the expansion of world building. THE HAZEL WOOD was beautifully crafted, but there were so many unexplored avenues that THE NIGHT COUNTRY fills in, even though most of the story is set on Earth. With Ellery Finch trying to find a way back to Alice, we also get to see what happened in the Hinterland when Alice left. There’s a good mix of new and returning characters as well.

After Finch and Alice parted at the end of the previous book, I wasn’t expecting such a strong romance between them in the sequel. Through a magic pen, we get some of the sweetest love letters I’ve ever read. I thought I was fine to put my ship for them aside after the events of book 1, but it came sailing right back in after the first letter. I also appreciate that there’s a definite acknowledgment that, even though they’ve gone through Epic Adventures together and apart, they don’t actually know each other very well in the general sense because so much has always been happening around them. One of the things they most yearn for is the chance to explore what could be between them.

I can’t say much about the plot without giving away spoilers, but I enjoyed the pace and build up. Some of the plot lines were a bit confusing at times, but the big picture was explained well.

The final resolution matches the tones of the series expertly: bittersweet, a little messy, and above all, hopeful.

Melissa Albert has done it again! She is such a whiz with words and does an incredible job of crafting such a detailed world. I felt like I could see, feel, and touch everything she described. I loved this book!