TALES FROM THE HINTERLAND is an enchanting, haunting, and deliciously creepy collection of fairytales. Completely new and unlike anything I have read before, this book is full of enchanting and macabre stories of loss, obsession, selfishness, and death. Each story stands on its own and is as twisted and compelling as the others. With some added illustrations that bring the magic to life, this dark collection is one that will stay with the reader after the last page is turned.

What I loved: I was completely pulled into this collection from the first story to the last. It is hard to identify which was my favorite of the twelve as they were all enchanting, haunting, and carried their own magic. There were so many sympathetic and spiteful characters, and each tale is artfully composed to immediately enthrall the reader. They are all unique as well, and I loved each in its own dark and haunting way. From the clockwork daughter promised to the toymaker before her birth, but who has her own desires and goals that don't fit into what he had desired for her to the girl who saw Death and allowed her warped vision to alter the lives around her to the sister who was devoted to learning what happened to her sister bride wed to the strange house to pay their father's debt, each story is fantastic and beautifully evocative and horrifically sinister.

Final verdict: TALES FROM THE HINTERLAND is enthralling, fantastic, and darkly haunting. Highly recommend for fans of powerful short stories, fairytales, and enchantment.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This collection of 12 creepy fairy tales reminded me of my first reading of the original stories by the Brothers Grimm. I remember being shocked when I read the actual fairy tale stories where the evil stepsisters cut off part of their feet to make the glass slipper fit, people were executed inside barrels studded with nails, and witches ate children. Disney definitely cleaned things up a bit before making cute movies based on the old stories! Melissa Albert takes the feel of those old cautionary fairy tales and brings them into her Hinterland world. Perfect! I loved every single story!

Don't look for fairy tale endings in these stories. Every one of them is dark and creepy, but incredibly entertaining!!

As a fan of The Hazel Wood and The Night Country, I love the fact that the collection of tales mentioned in the books have been published. I'm going to go back and re-read from the beginning now!

Although these stories are set in the Hinterland and are part of the series, the collection can be read as stand-alone stories as well. Someone who hasn't read the books but who loves dark fairy tales would still enjoy these 12 stories!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flatiron Books. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Reading this book, I felt almost that Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert was a collection of Grimm’s fairytales and not collection of unique stories written and compiled by the author herself as it was that good. Albert’s prose throughout the entire book was breathtaking. She put words together in a way that I could taste and feel. It seems as if I were inside the story, holding hands with each girl as she navigated her dangerous world of foolish hopes and dreams, or wicked toymakers and sorcerers and well-meaning lovers.

Cracking open the pages, there are many different tales to explore. A story of a girl who wants everything. A story of a mother who steals children to fill the empty place in her arms. A girl who became like Death. Each tale moves with a slow, careful plot that twists and turns with sinister precision. With many of the tales, it was hard to tell if one could call the ending happy or not. They had more of a cautionary ending for the children of Hinterland, much like Grimm’s original fairytales.

While reading each tale, there were certain threads that seemed to almost connect them to other fairytales, such as the Twelve Dancing Princesses and Snow White. However, these similarities are just that—similarities. I wouldn’t be able to call any of the stories retellings, as they conclude in surprising and most times gruesome ways. The tales are each stained with blood and magic, as well as clever girls who fight to break their way out of curses, traps, and unloving families.

It was somewhat surprising that none of the tales featured boys as the protagonist. I can’t say hero or heroine, as some of the characters do questionable things. Each tale featured a girl as the main character. While this doesn’t matter too terribly much to me, I just thought it would be interesting to see a how a male character would navigate this world from the perspective of a main character. Still, almost all fairytales have a female lead, so it makes sense that Albert went with this angle.

One thing I did appreciate was that not all the tales were a romance. I wouldn’t call them romances myself, but the stories weren’t focused so much on love and marriage as most fairytales are, which I appreciated. Instead, the stories focus more on the consequences of actions and the power that a single person can have over the events of time.

Of them all, I’d have to say that Twice-Killed Katherine and Death and the Woodwife were my favourites. Both stories could have been expanded and written as full-length novels, had Albert chosen to do so. Instead, Twice-Killed Katherine ends on a sad note, while Death and the Woodwife ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that had me wanting more. But even though I loved those two the best, I loved almost all of the stories and the surprising way they ended. There were a couple that I was less keen to read, because they almost bordered on horror, a genre I don’t read, but Albert’s writing and obvious expertise held me captive with each page.

Tales from the Hinterland is amazing and interesting and beautiful and sinister at the same time, and for Albert’s amazing writing skills. This book is surely a masterpiece. I haven’t read any of Melissa Albert’s other words but reading Tales from the Hinterland makes me want to read everything she’s ever written. This is an amazing book full of beautiful and brutal tales perfect for fairytale lovers and fans of Albert’s The Hazel Wood series.

Special thanks to Flat iron books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Twisted, sinister carry tales. I am a great lover of fairy tales, especially these Hinterland strange ones. I love Garry tales and I love strange. What a combination!

This is a much needed companion the the Hazel Wood series. The book contains the backstory of all of the characters that are found in the other two books of the series. These are certainly not your typical fairy tale bedtime stories. Dark and deadly, they mirror the sinister vibes of the series perfectly. Some of the stories didn't quite flow and it was hard to relate some of the stories to the characters. Overall though readers of The Hazel Wood series need to read this for clarity and context to fully understand the world that Albert created.

I loved Albert's duology about the Hinterland. I'm so excited to now read the stories behind the story. These are just as dark and creepy as I would expect and I loved every page.

Tales from the Hinterland is the perfect companion to Melissa Albert's Hazelwood duology. If you enjoyed the series, you will love this book. Albert's prose is what I've come to expect from her: gorgeous, imaginative, and vivid. I could not stop reading these creepy, engrossing tales. They are as atmospheric and well-paced as the other two Hazelwood books.

Several of the tales stood out for me: Ilsa Waits was probably my favorite, but I also loved The Door That Wasn't There, Jenny and the Night Women, The Sea Cellar, The House Under the Stairwell. They're all excellent. I love that you don't have to read the collection straight through (though I did). Read a tale and come back to it, pick and choose which titles sound most interesting to you.

I highly recommend to any fan of fairytales and folktales. Even readers who haven't yet entered the Hinterland are sure to enjoy this collection. They are all worthwhile and wonderful.

I can't wait to see what Melissa Albert does next. I know, whatever it is, I will happily read it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tales from the Hinterland is a haunting collection of twisted fairy tales with gorgeous prose that leaves you wanting for more. Filled with twelve dark short stories, this book works well as a standalone and you could definitely read it without reading The Hazel Wood first. The beautiful prose is captivating without making my reading experience less enjoyable. The stories are familiar and yet they still feel fresh. I highly recommend this to those who like Grimm-esque fairy tales.

Major thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

As someone who loved The Hazel Wood and The Night Country, I jumped at the opportunity to go back into Melissa Albert's brilliantly crafted world. After reading The Hazel Wood a couple years ago, I remember asking my friend if Tales from the Hinterland was a real book, and feeling incredibly disappointed when there wasn't one. Tales from the Hinterland is lush with descriptions, and gave me goosebumps multiple times.

I feel like this is something you could read even without reading The Hazel Wood, and it works well as a standalone! I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of retellings, or looking for a dark twist on the fairy tales we know so well.

To be more precise; 3.5 stars.
I said when I didn’t like The Hazel Wood, “If she writes a book of the tales from the hinterland, I’d read it” and I’m glad I did!! I enjoyed this so much more than the Hazel Wood, and although I haven’t given it a particularly high rating, I’d recommend it!

First off, I think I'd recommend this book only to fans of "The Hazel Wood" duology. Although this collection of fairy tales is deliciously dark, I think what made it so much fun is knowing some of the characters already from the series. I'd also recommend reading it as a finished e-book or in hard copy as I wasn't able to see any of the major illustrations.

Overall, Melissa Albert has a wonderful way of incorporating the truly creepy into her fairy tales. I love that this is a throwback to original Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen, which were insanely dark stories. I also think this is more likely to be a hit with YA readers since there isn't a lot of depth to the stories. By the time I got to the end of the collection, I did feel like some of the stories felt repetitive. But it's a great companion piece to the duology that already exists - so, it's definitely worth it if you've already fallen in love with Albert's creative world. I'm definitely curious to see where her writing takes her next, now that this series is complete.

A superb collection by Melissa Albert, with fantastic prose and gorgeous illustrations! Each tale is hauntingly beautiful and leaves readers breathless with anticipation for the next one. A door created with a dying maiden's blood. Where will it lead you? A young star girl in search of her mother. The author of The Hazel Wood series has written these and other stories both delightful and chilling, the perfect winter read!

This was a cool book of tales that tied in to the duology. These were the stories from her grandmother's book. I liked the dark themes, and the cover is pretty.

Tales from the Hinterland // by Melissa Albert

I have to be honest and admit that this is the first book in this series that I have read. I meant to read the other two first but after a talk with a co-worker, we decided it would be interesting to see how I liked and understood the other two if I was familiar with these fairytales first. If you also plan on reading this first or as a standalone, which is definitely possible, know that these aren't the stories we are used to from Disney. These are dark and twisted fairy tales, and while I did like how the bad guys sometimes lost in the end, more often than now, you won't find everybody married off with a happily ever after here. As someone that hardly ever reads dark and scary stories, I did actually enjoy this more than I first expected after reading this one and I am glad to have The Hazelwood at home to read soon as well. The writing isn't overly flowery but it is still descriptive in an enchanting way that I personally haven't seen much this year in my YA reads. The tales are creative and unpredictable, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

I do have a feeling that if I had a print copy with all the promised extras, such as the illustrations and printed end-papers, that I probably would've been dazzled into four stars as I am a big fan of those, as many of us readers often are.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Following my underwhelming experience of reading The Hazel Wood, I thought to myself ‘wow, I didn’t love this, but I’d totally read a collection of those creepy Hinterland fairy tales.’ Melissa Albert must have heard this plea, along with many other readers’ and granted our wish with the eerily beautiful Tales from the Hinterland. ⠀
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I thoroughly enjoyed and was enthralled by each of the tales (with the exception of Hansa the Traveler, which I couldn’t get into). Similar to The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, this collection was strung together by strong feminist themes. Young women are seduced and trapped by death gods, sinful royalty, and diabolical craftsmen alike in tales like “The Clockwork Bride, The Skinned Maiden, and, Death and the Woodwife.” ⠀
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Much like the strong female protagonists in Carter’s tales, the young women of the Hinterland triumph over these villainous men (as well as embrace their own monstrous selves) despite initially loving them and feeling beholden to them. Even the tales that don’t necessarily have a happy ending like “The Door That Wasn’t There” (which Hazel Wood readers might remember from the novel), captures the loneliness and trauma that accompanies abuse of helpless young women so well. ⠀
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Another aspect I loved about Tales from the Hinterland are the little echoes from other fairy tales such as Bluebeard and The Juniper Tree. I appreciate when fiction takes inspiration from and makes slight nods to other works without it seeming too obvious or as if the author is copying from it. Albert blends her nods to other fairy tales so subtly and seamlessly into her own tales beautifully. ⠀
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Obviously fans of the Hazel Wood will love this collection, but even readers who’ve never read that book will find delight in these stories. The finished copy will also be illustrated, so following the January 12th release, I’ll probably be needing to get my hands on that. This collection definitely receives a four stars from me. ⠀
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Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. ⠀

"There was once a rich merchant who lived at the edge of the woods . . . " So begins the first of twelve creepy fairytales, none of them with a traditional "happily ever after" and all of them a little dark and a little disturbing. What really happens in the house where all the girls enter to marry and never come out? What will the sisters do when their stepmother locks them in a house to starve to death? What about the toymaker who takes children?

To be completely fair to the book, it's well written and the illustrations work well with the text. But to be completely honest, this one was not my cup of tea. I realized pretty quickly that I am not the kind of person that would love this one. I'm a sucker for happy endings, justice, and rationality, none of which is championed in this kind of book. Innocent bystanders meet horrible ends, heroes and heroines become trapped forever, and confusion abounds. And after the first few, the stories start to blend together and get a little bit repetitive. This may be a better book to read slowly and over the course of a few weeks than one to stay up all night reading.

If you like to read dark fairytales slowly, I think you'll enjoy these beautifully illustrated stories. If you're like me, you will find no joy in Tales from the Hinterland. And that's okay. Melissa Albert writes very well in her genre, but her genre isn't for everybody.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

In my glowing review of The Hazel Wood, I mentioned that I hoped for more tales of the Hinterland in the second installment of this series, The Night Country. I was sorely disappointed when this did not happen, but Albert has more than made up for this disappointment by releasing this anthology of dark and fascinating fairy tales. If you were a fan of the first two Hinterland books then this is a must-read. If you have not read the books, but are interested in short stories reminiscent of the Brothers Grimm, then this is a must-read for you as well. If you like stories with happy endings, do not, and I repeat, do NOT pick up this book

In The Hazel Wood, Melissa Albert introduces a book of dark and eerie fairytales titled Tales From the Hinterland, written by Alice’s grandmother, Althea Proserpine, and filled to the brim with stories of doors made from blood, a girl who ages years over the course of a single night, and a young woman who courts death. Like Alice herself, we know little about these gruesome tales and the brutal and beautiful Hinterland in which these stories reside… until now. Tales From the Hinterland is Althea Proserpine’s book come to life and is filled with twelve short stories that will sink their teeth into you and will not let go.

The Hazel Wood and its sequel, The Night Country, are two of my favorite books and one of my favorite parts of these books were the fairytales that filled the pages of the story and the grisly world which they showcased so I was ecstatic when I learned that Melissa Albert was going to write a third book—a book of fairytales that are the backbone of her two previous works and the world of the Hinterland as a whole. This is the type of book to read curled up under a pile of blankets with the lights on and leaves shivers down your spine. It is eerie, creepy, and dark and I absolutely loved it!

“The Door That Wasn’t There”
Anya and Lisbet’s mother vanishes from her room without a trance, leaving behind nothing but a puddle of blood and a bone dagger. After their father re-marries, their stepmother locks the sisters in this very room and the pair discovers how exactly their mother escaped and the cost of their freedom.

“Hansa the Traveler”
Hansa has grown up being sheltered by her father and grandmother from the night, particularly the Moon who she has been told will kill her on sight. However, when her curiosity gets the best of her, Hansa climbs onto her roof to speak to the Moon… and the Moon speaks back and Hansa discovers the reasons for the lies and her secluded life.

“The Clockwork Bride”
Eleanor and her brother, Thomas, have always been fascinated by the toymaker’s clockworks that they cannot afford and the enchanting stories that follow in his wake. However, after given the chance to finally experience the toymaker’s wonders, Eleanor discovers that the clockworks and the toymaker himself are darker than they appear and being able to leave with her brother may cost more than she originally anticipated.

“Jenny and the Night Women”
Jenny, a pretty girl with a rotten core, is raised pampered and spoiled by her parents until they realize that their doting might come with a price in the future. Angered by having her wishes denied, Jenny strikes out and flees to the woods where she comes upon a girl who provides her with a means of teaching her parents a lesson—the Night Women.

“The Skinned Maiden”
A cruel prince falls in love with a golden-haired maiden with a bearskin and, despite her rebuffs, is willing to do anything, including following the dark advice of his stepmother, a witch, to make her his own, even if it means stripping the maiden of her skin—both bear and human.

“Alice-Three-Times”
Born with eyes black from end to end, scorned and feared by her mother, the queen, and viewed as a source of bad luck, Alice ages years over a single night… then again… and again… The queen wishes for Alice’s death or exile, but getting rid of her daughter is not as easy as it seems, especially when it comes time for Alice’s revenge.

“The House Under the Stairwell”
Isobel and her two younger sisters, in their eagerness to learn of who they will marry in the future, prick their fingers on the briar that covers the body of the Wicked Wife who died on her wedding night. Isobel, however, discovers that her future husband is a being much darker and more in-human than she anticipated.

“Ilsa Waits”
Ilsa has the ability to see Death and watches as he takes members of her family away one by one. In a desperate act to protect those she cares about and to defeat Death, Ilsa becomes something much worse than she or Death originally anticipated.

“The Sea Cellar”
When Alba’s father sells her older sister away to be wed to the house at the edge of the woods and to disappear forever, Alba is willing to do whatever it takes to discover what has happened to her, even if it means becoming the house’s bride herself.

“The Mother and the Dagger”
A queen from a magical kingdom marries a king from the neighboring kingdom who despises magic. Desperate for a child, the queen turns to the magic of a witch for aid, but when the witch’s cost is too high, the queen attempts to deceive the witch only to produce a child that is far from human.

“Twice-Killed Katherine”
An enchanter who has coaxed death from his body produces a daughter with her own power and means of escaping death. When her father attempts to use her powers for his own means, however, Katherine finds a way to make him pay for the power he has given her.

“Death and the Woodwife”
A queen, grieved at the loss of her children, is drawn to her garden where she produces a green-skinned princess born of flesh and thorns. The princess catches the eye of Death’s son, but she finds her own means of escaping his clutches.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait to hold it in my hands because I know that it is going to be gorgeous ! I cannot wait to see all of the beautiful illustrations which are just going to add so much more to the book. All of the tales were so dark and creepy, especially “Jenny and the Night Women” and “The Skinned Maiden,” both of which literally left shivers down my spine. I am normally not a huge fan of eerie or horror-like books, but Albert’s tales left me wanting more. I feel as though Albert is paving the way for more darker (original) fairytales to be written in the future and I am here for it! I adore Albert’s writing style and use of language, which really produces a dark atmosphere and makes me feel like I am in the Hinterland with the characters. I enjoyed hearing more on the tales of characters like Alice (whose story we know for the most part from The Hazel Wood) and Katherine (who we meet in The Hazel Wood, but whose story we do not know in full) and being able to read the rest of the tales as well. My favorite story would probably be “Hansa the Traveler,” “The Clockwork Bride,” “Alice-Three-Times,” or “Ilsa Waits,” but I really enjoyed them all. I really hope that Albert returns to the world and story of the Hinterland in the future because I simply love it and would not mind experiencing more of the dark and twisted tales from this world as well as potentially seeing the characters from The Hazel Wood and The Night Country again (especially Alice and Finch).

This book is definitely a lovely addition to Albert’s other two Hazel Wood books and can be enjoyed by fans of that series as well as people who love dark and gruesome fairytales in general.

Thank you so much, Flatiron Books and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book!

I fell in love with the world created by the author and when I heard she would write a collection of stories, the Althea Proserpine's Tales from the Hinterland I was over the moon! I'm so happy I got the chance to read this amazing book and I can't wait to have the physical copy in my hands to gush over the illustrations!

Tales from the Hinterland is a collection of sinister fairy tales set in this world and the stories are creepy and intense, heartwrenching and brilliant, scary and intriguing, each one of them. Through them the reader finds doors that led into another world, stubborn traveler looking for the truth and their justice, clockwork animals and people, murders and murdererers, spells and enchanters, blood and death, sacrifice and lies, deceits and punishments.
It's full of intriguing and interesting characters, wonderfully relatable in their search for the truth or for vengeance, love, family and home.
The female characters are incredibly brilliant, well written and well rounded. They fight against abandonment and neglect, against men's entitlements, society's expectations, against Death itself. Brave, stubborn, ready to do anything to get what they want and look for, they are the true main characters of Tales from the Hinterland, with their complexity and will. A feminist read, with female characters refusing to follow orders, above all men's orders, but looking for their own choices and fates.
Their tales are tales of blood, death, vengeance, revenge and justice. I loved every single page of it.

I recommend this book to those who loves fairy tales, above all the sinister ones, with intense and brilliant characters, that refuse to bend or break, who take their destiny and lives and deaths in their own hands.

I love it when a fantasy series comes out with their own tales. It’s honestly like a modernized collection of Grimm’s or Anderson’s tales. Tales from the Hinterland gives the backstory to many famous stories from the Hazelwood series. Hansa, Twice Dead Katherine, etc. The stories are lovely, dark, twisted and enchanting. Albert utilizes imagery to help create the engrossing world of each tale.