This is probably about a 3.5 and I'm marking it as a 3 because I was a bit disappointed in it. Why is that? Probably because it suffered by comparison with The Hazel Wood.

Alice has changed a lot from the first book. Instead of being cold and bitter, she's ineffectively panicked for most of the story. She's worried about her new friends from the Hinterlands who are now living in Brooklyn. Alice feels very human in this book, and I didn't like it- her alien nature was part of what was so interesting about her. She fails to understand her Hinterland friends or their motivations, and that's what drives the story.

Ellery Finch has his own POV chapters in this book, and I just didn't like him. He felt more like a plot device than a real character. Part of the purpose of his chapters was to explain the current Hinterlands situation (things are starting to disappear because Stories are falling apart now that characters have figured out how to leave their Stories thanks to Alice) and part was to explain the reasoning for the magic that drives the plot. However, Ellery himself behaved in a way that didn't make sense for someone who had his throat slit in the last book by trusting too easily. First, he occupies himself breaking into houses that have been abandoned because they will disappear soon and the reason for this seems to be so that he can procure magic items that will become important to the plot later (although he seems to think he's doing in in order to challenge himself- it's like leveling up in a game). Next, he decides to blindly follow yet another intriguing girl because she has yet more magic worlds that he can explore if he stays close to her- oh, Ellery, you really haven't learned, have you? I just couldn't believe that Ellery was doing the things he was doing - he frankly was kind of an idiot.

Finally, I didn't have enough knowledge to know what was really going on for most of the book. Fairy tale magic items usually have a logic behind them, and in this book it felt random. I don't need a magic system spelled out with schools, levels and caster types, but because there was absolutely no system there was no way to try to solve the book's puzzle. I couldn't guess what any item was going to do. Also, there are often consequences to playing with things that you don't understand in a fairy tale and I didn't think that played out satisfactorily.

There were new Stories told by ex-Story characters which gave background for different things going on behind the scenes and the Stories eventually gave Alice enough information to work with. However, I found the Stories unsatisfactory. I thought about it, and here's why: fairy tales originally were morality tales and warnings. They cautioned about politeness to strangers, warned about being out on nights that the Wild Hunt was out, told you not to grab that golden goose. These Stories don't have any kind of lesson or moral in them. Basically, Story characters are mostly bad people who do selfish things and and it's totally random whether they are rewarded or punished. This might be the way that the world actually works, but I don't like being reminded of it in my fairy tale book. Fairy tales should be about very rough justice or vengeance, not "shit happens, what can you do?" And I don't want villains to be the heroes of my fairy tales.

Are either Alice or Ellery actually heroes? I don't think so, and I didn't want to root for them. Their naivete ended up causing a lot of damage and that was the darkest part of the whole story and that went unacknowledged. Instead the book focused on more dramatic "darkness" with bloodthirsty monsters who only took out characters we didn't know much about and orgies which seemed pretty sadly tame. The author pulled her punches several times when trying to show how "dark" Hinterlanders were- this was something that pulled me out of the book and got me thinking about how if the book had not been marketed as YA it would have been a whole lot darker. So, sort of emo instead of hardcore goth, which woobified the original premise of the book slightly. And I get pretty impatient with emo.

I wanted to like this book. I was not a fan of Alice for the first two thirds of book one I couldn’t stand her, until we started to get a reason behind her rage. So, I decided to give book two a shot to see if Alice’s arc came full circle. For me, the answer is still no. Alice is still a difficult character to like, and it detracts significantly from the story. This story will be well loved by many readers, just not this one. Two and a half stars. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 — This dark and foreboding tale was, like its predecessor, incredibly creative and fascinating. It had big shoes to fill, however, after the brilliance of The Hazel Wood and fell just a tad bit short. That’s not to say the writing isn’t just as engaging and suspenseful as before - because it is. There was just some kind of magic in Book 1 that I didn’t find in this one... but then maybe that was meant to be. The Night Country is still a solid follow-up full of compelling characters - new and old - and a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. ⁣

Much thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an advance copy for review.
⁣

As I sit here, just minutes after finishing this book, I'm having a hard time pinning down what I want to say about it, how I feel about the story.
While The Night Country is still about stories and a little bit about fairytales, this novel was more about consequences and mystery. It was also an origin story- offering readers a the darkest details about how the Spinner and the Hinterland came to be.

It was an unsettling and gruesome story, slightly more so than The Hazel Wood, though that was plenty dark too. But the writing was so beautiful, capturing the complicated feelings of being alive and wanting, no matter how you were made, and beautiful in all the incredible items that Albert dreamed up to populate her worlds. I was reminded of Every Heart a Doorway and wondered if Albert was inspired by that work, or if there are some concepts in fairytales that run so deep as to be universal.

I wonder if I'll have more to say, more to explain in the days to come, when my brain isn't still swirling with the wild stories and darkness. But for now, I'll say it was a fascinating journey.

*please be advised that this review contains spoilers for the first book in this series, The Hazel Wood.

The Night Country by Melissa Albert was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. The Hazel Wood was so interesting and unique that I knew its follow up would offer more of the same. In my review of The Hazel Wood, I expressed how the entire book felt like a prologue building up to something much bigger, and that statement felt even more accurate while I was reading The Night Country. This book was darker and twistier that its predecessor, and it has me excited for what’s to come - and I am desperately hoping there is more to come.

This book focuses a lot on ‘stories’ from the Hinterland, how they’re coping in the earthly realm, and who is out to get them. There was a lot I enjoyed here. I especially liked Alice’s new friend Sophia (to quote Alice: As a wingman,she was a mixed bag,) and the way Ellery Finch made his presence known was pure brilliance - not to mention that we actually get his point of view! Iolanthe was also an interesting character, and I like that we got to see Ellery interact with someone other than Alice. There is still an aura of mystery surrounding everyone in Alice’s life; you don’t know who you can trust and even Alice herself is spiraling into a deep darkness. I will say that as far as this story goes, there were times it felt a bit disjointed or meandering, but I was OK with that. It felt indicative of the world I was reading about, and for me, it only enhanced the story.

The standout character in this book for me was Ella. Even though she plays a large part in Alice’s life, I feel like Ella’s always been sort of a backseat character. But with one scene in this book, she catapulted to one of my favorites, and I want to know more about her:

“...I grew up in the Hazel Wood, remember. I grew up in that cracked-up, fucked-up, broken place. Between two worlds. Not of one, not of the other.

“You can’t imagine what it was like, living there with her getting sicker and sicker. And those creatures crawling in from the woods, and me sneaking out, half convinced I was one of them. But that’s—” She took another swallow. “That’s a story for another day.”

It wasn’t. We both knew she’d never tell me the entirety of that tale

“It wasn’t easy being Althea’s kid, even before we moved to the Hazel Wood. But one thing I’ll say for her, she could spin a hell of a bedtime story. Stick with you for months. Give you nightmares for years.

You can see why I want her story now more than ever!

On a side note, I’m sure I’m overthinking here, but I love the juxtaposition of the two covers - how the one is so clear and sharp, taking place mostly in a world we know - the human world, and then you have the haziness of The Night Country, where a lot less is known. I think it was a great move creatively, and I’d love to know if it was intentional.

I don’t feel like I know where this story is going, and I don’t want to. I want to continue to be surprised. I want things to stay unpredictable. That’s what I love so much, and I just know that I want there to be more! Ultimately, The Night Country is a book I’ll be reading again and again. And as those reads will be via audio, I imagine that will only amplify my love for the story because fan favorite Rebecca Soler is narrating. If you read and enjoyed The Hazel Wood, you’re going to love The Night Country. If The Hazel Wood was a lukewarm read for you and you’re on the fence, I urge you to pick this one up and give it a go. You won’t be disappointed!

It’s been over a year since I first read The Hazel Wood, the book previous to The Night Country. I wasn’t sure how much I would remember given the time stretch, however, I found it easy to dive back in with the Hinterlanders! I would highly recommend reading The Hazel Wood first if you have no done so already prior to reading the Night Country.

Comparatively, The Night Country is a darker novel and flows with a better pace than what I had expected. I really appreciate that Melissa decided to explore the darkness of fairy tales hence a more murder-y plot. It has a lot of fantasy, a touch of mystery and a pinch of whodunit. All of these elements were enticing enough for me to continue through the story line as a reader.

If I had any critiques, it would be that I felt like I had a better grasp on who Finch and some of the other characters were as individuals than I did the main lead, Alice. I still can’t say I really get Alice other than she seems to be lost, a complete mess. And the relationship with Ella? It’s so complicated. There is so much depth just asking to be uncovered there.

Overall, I’m giving The Night Country four stars. It’s my favorite between it and The Hazel Wood. Check it out of you’re looking for a dark interpretation of fairy tales!

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read this book. I have voluntarily read the book and written this review and the review expresses my own opinions.

Solid sequel to a truly unique tale. The plot in this one was I think a little easier to follow, now that we kind of know how the Hinterland and Stories work. Plus, is was very intriguing. It took a hot minute for me to really be immersed in it, but that happened with the first, too, so I think that’s just how Albert writes.

It was a little strange, given the first person POV in The Hazel Wood and the first part of this one, to get Finch’s perspective, but I ended up enjoying his side of the story, too. Everything else wouldn’t have made as much sense without it.

I really liked the murder mystery element of this one and would have liked to see even more focus on it, especially since this one does not take place in the Hinterland.

Alice is still a very unique heroine. One that is flawed and makes questionable decisions. It’s the perfect type for this non-traditional fairytale story.

Overall a fun, dark, twisty story. Look forward to more from the author.

The way this book is written is a bit odd: it seems like nothing and everything is happening at the same time. I didn't feel any strong connection to the story or the characters but I still liked the book. I wish there had been a bit more substance to the book but the overall fairytale feeling of it was cool. This is a tough one to review but overall I think it was a good ending to the story of the Hinterland.

I loved Melissa Albert's "The Hazel Wood" so much, I was a bit worried that this second book wouldn't live up to the first. While I wasn't thrilled with it at first, once the plot really got going, I was hooked and ended up finishing it in one sitting. All in all, "The Night Country" was a satisfying reunion with the blood-thirsty denizens of The Hinterland. My only regret is that the character of Iolanthe wasn't a little more fleshed out; she came off feeling like more of a plot device than an actual character at the end of her story arc. I'm hoping that we get a 3rd book or a spin-off so I can get to know her better.

Wow Melissa Albert has done it again! I loved Hazel wood so much and The night country was even better! I love how well Melissa blends reality and fantasy together. She achieves the flow so easily between both worlds that you can keep up with no problem! I am a big fan of fairy tales and Melissa's writing was fairy tale ish with a dark twist too! Absolutely amazing writing!!! I loved Alice's character. She was confident and cautious throughout the story. I think that's what made her such a strong character. Her Mother Ella was nothing short of inspiring. She loved her daughter unconditionally. I loved her friend Finch too. He was interesting and so adventurous. He also really loved Alice and vice versa. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a third book in the series! I'm also buying this book when it hits the shelves too for two reasons.....#1 reason is because the cover is gorgeous and #2 I will re-read both books back to back! I can't wait! Thank you so much Melissa Albert, Flatiron and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this advanced copy! It was such a great book and I will definitely recommend it to everyone!

Melissa's writing is good, but sometimes a lot of meaningless words make a paragraphs be confused and boring. Till the 50%, I was enjoying the book, the characters, the plots and sub-plots, but (I like to use "but" a lot, sorry) after the percentage, it was so slow. If wasn't a e-arc, I would throw away the book, because it was tedious.
Alice is a character without ambition and Finch is a dumb-rich-nerd boy. I don't know a worst couple of characters (I'm lying, I know).
And what was that - if you read, you know of what I'm talking about - Finch did? Oh, my god, it was so, so much… I don't know, I'm wordless. Congrats to the hero, who took the place of the main character with an outstanding performance of heroism.

P.S.: if you found any mistake in this review, please, ignore it and move on.

I really really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed The Hazel Wood but I had a hard time getting into this follow up. I felt like the storyline was all over the place and often found myself confused at what was happening. I finalized it because I’m not a quitter but overall this wasn’t the book for me.

Alice is trying to live a normal life with her mom, but she's haunted by the fact that there are other people from the hinterland living in her world. Then the murders start happening and she has to get involved because she's the only one who could have possibly killed them. Meanwhile, someone is writing her letters while he's traveling through the worlds, learning about a fascinating place called The Night Country.

It is dark, it's delightful. There is mystery and travel and fantastic characters. I was sitting on the edge of my seat while reading it, uncertain about what was going to happen next in this fantastical book. In case you can't tell, I really did enjoy this book. it dragged just a little bit in the middle, but not enough to make me dislike it even a little bit. The only problem is that you have to read The Hazel Wood first before getting to The Night Country, but honestly, it's not really that bad. If you like dark fairytales and enjoy urban fantasy, this is definitely the book for you!

Another darkly awesome fairy tale by Melissa Albert! I was a little bit afraid to read a sequel to The Hazel Wood. So often, when I really love a book, I am disappointed in a sequel. Most of the time, they just don't have the same feel as the first book. But, I am glad to report that, for me, this book is just as good as The Hazel Wood! In places, maybe even better! It took me a few days after downloading my review copy to work up the courage to start reading -- I'm so glad I did! It ended up being a total binge read, just like the first book!

This series is definitely one that needs to be read in order. A reader who hasn't read The Hazel Wood first would most likely be very confused by this second book. I read the first book several months ago, and I had to skim parts of it again to remind me of events, characters, etc while I was reading this new book. The world-building and story telling is awesome, but a bit complicated or confusing in spots. I learned to slow down, to enjoy these books slowly to get the full effect of the story.

I love the dark fairy tale feel of this series. I'm definitely looking forward to Tales from the Hinterland!

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

I liked The Hazel Wood enough. Probably wouldn't read it again, but I did like it. The Night Country, though, was...bizarre. I was lost for most of the book and felt like there wasn't really a plot. And then halfway through we started getting a second character's perspective, but the shift between the two wasn't clear enough, so every time there was a shift it took me a bit to realize a different character was in charge. And then there were a couple of chapters that were randomly told from still other perspectives - like they were telling stories - but again, it took a while to realize the shift in narrator.

Apart from that, none of the characters really drew me in. I didn't care much for any of them. The only part of the book at all that I enjoyed was about the last 7-10 percent when things finally actually started happening and making sense.

I loved Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood and I loved The Night Country just as much. Alice and Finch are two of my favorite characters, each for different reasons. Alice, awkward and unsure of herself in any situation, always rises to the occasion, sometimes in a really round-about way but her intent is always true. She has deep questions about who she is and her depth of actual goodness:

“To be honest, I don’t know if I’ve even got a soul. If a soul is what makes you human, then I probably don’t. Unless a soul is something you can grow, like, after the fact. And I don’t think it is. So. No Soul.”

Finch is complex yet so freaking decent and good. Whatever the worlds throw at him, he always does the right thing - no matter the cost to himself; he’s a hero in The Night Country but won’t realize it. He is adventurous, trustworthy, and just so authentically Finch! The addition of new characters is something I really liked in The Night Country, Sophia, who we meet in the end of The Hazel Wood plays a prominent secondary role and I loved reading about her. She is quirky and odd and wonderful. I loved hearing about all of them! The ex-stories are scattered about and are as interesting and dark in our world as they were in the Hinterland.

The story-line is complex and compelling, dark and bloody but there are periods of happiness and light. When the ex-stories and Hinterlanders start to settle in to New York City, they think they are the ones to fear until the strange murders begin. Because of their unique deaths, all start to look suspiciously upon Alice.

“We were predators set loose in a world not made to withstand us. Until the summer we became prey.”

The worlds that Ms. Albert creates are astonishing and fascinating! Finch is a traveler and I didn’t get to explore as much as I would’ve liked. There were bits and pieces of his travels through the Hinterland and his travels with Iolanthe but I would’ve loved more! Ms. Albert is such a skilled world builder and I hope that there is a third book in this series. I feel like there will be because there’s still so much to explore! And, I want more! More of Alice and Finch, more ex-stories and Hinterlanders, more of the many worlds that lay just beyond! As Finch says:

“Jesus, Are all these books doors? To which Io responds, “A book is always a door.”

This is one of my favorite series, obviously, and I listened to The Hazel Wood on audio before I started The Night Country and it was just as fascinating as it was the first time I read it. This is a series that I would recommend to any reader who enjoys a good dark fairy tale, a bit of fantasy, or just a really compelling series. I feel like I need to say again that I am HOPEFUL (wishful) for a third book in this series!

A big thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Melissa Albert for providing me with a copy of The Night Country in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Country is a fantasy book following Alice as she tries to discover who is killing ex-stories in modern day New York. The story also follows Finch as he fights his way from the Hinterland to return to Alice. I wanted so bad to like this book. I tried to have an open mind and I fought to finish it but I have to say this book is a let down for me. Honestly, the only part I enjoyed was Finch's views and how he navigated his way back to Alice. I felt the book could have been cut down to the last 78% because that is the point the plot moved forward. The majority of the story followed Alice but I felt her roles in the story never pushed the plot forward. I spent more time asking what was the point of the scene rather than drawing conclusions. Also, Alice spent more time reacting to the plot than she did being proactive in the book. I felt the descriptive writing that made the first book a success only showed itself in Finch's point of view. Overall, I gave this book two stars because I do not see myself rereading this book nor recommending this to others.

An amazing follow up to the already impressive first novel by Melissa Albert. Such a unique universe, I was so impressed with the storytelling.

Just read both of these books and I’m not sure exactly what happened. I feel trapped In a sea of repetitive descriptive sentences and hazy, mysterious feelings with no real development until probably half of the book, if that. Lots of angry characters with vague explanations and hushed whisperings of Stories (the characters from the fairy tales) to come but that aren’t really developed or resolved. There’s returning characters but nothing is really fleshed out, they're all just barely surviving over in nyc which would have made it interesting if it could have been better developed. In a nutshell, it’s an interesting take on fairy tales. I liked the main mystery of this one better, there was a twist that was predictable but entertaining.

3.5 Stars

The Night Country is a better novel than The Hazel Wood in part because we are already familiar with the Hinterland and some of its characters. And we get a few more Hinterland character stories as we see the Hinterland, for want of a better word, collapsing. Alice, the story that escaped, set a precedent. Living in New York City, we see other stories who are now hiding in plain sight but still needing the occasional support group meeting. But when stories start dying, Alice (and Ella) are terrified that Alice could be next. Some of her fellow stories are worried it's actually Alice who is doing the killing. Because some of the victims are frost-damaged and... missing things. But are these murders or willing sacrifices? And what is this rumor circulating on the down-low about a place called the Night Country? If the Hinterland disappears, what will happen to Ellery Finch? And to the Spinner?

Melissa Albert continues to have a superb imagination. The pacing in this novel is improved over the first novel and the characters feel richer, in part because we know them better now, but also because I think they are more tightly written. The Night Country is a gritty, dark fairy tale place, and its origins are even darker than the Hinterland's. But I still want a bit depth more from these books. I want more about people being able to author their world. Because that's a message of hope in dark, Night Country-ish times.

I received a Digital Review Copy and a paper review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.