I believe this is just a duology and not a trilogy, and thank goodness because it is a WILDLY satisfying sequel to The Hazel Wood. I wouldn't be upset if we revisited some of these characters, but this a great example of a complete, thought-out two-parter. The book picks up quickly after the event of The Hazel Wood, which I read a year and a half before The Night Country, and I wasn't at all lost. Alice, Ellery, and the characters from the original mix well with new characters that are a natural fit, and the story made sense and a great extension from the first book's events. Albert's worldbuilding is descriptive and dark and everything you could want for a modern fairytale. The one complaint is that I wish we spent as much time with Ellery on his journey as we spent with Alice, but I could see the argument for why that is, and it doesn't take away from my overall joy for this book.

I loved this book! I adored the first in the series. I try to get every teen who likes fantasy to read it and I regularly use it for my displays. I'm excited that the second book lived up to the first and I will be able to advertise it as a series for teens (and adults) looking for more than just one book to read. This series will absolutely be one of my "go-to" series for years to come.

The Night Country is the second book in the The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert and is a young adult fantasy. Albert's writing is vivid and dark weaving our favorite fairy-tales into new life. The gorgeous cover does not do justice to the captivating story that is hidden between the pages. A story of worlds that collide and collapse as they undo themselves. Stories of good verse evil, new beginnings, sad endings, and hope. The Night Country takes you in an emotion roller coaster while keeping you on the edge of your seat. I was drawn in from the beginning and could not put this one down! I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

A great, dark adaptation of fairy tales. The imagination of Melissa Albert is truly incredible, and I liked this book better than the Hazel Wood.

I absolutely adored The Hazelwood, but I was kind of nervous about getting a sequel because it works so well as a standalone. And honestly, while there are things I like about The Night Country, I really don't think it felt necessary. The standout here is the new fairytales, and Melissa Albert is the queen of wonderfully dark fairytales. (I can't wait to get my hands on Tales from the Hinterlands!) As for the rest of the plot, it was really a mixed bag for me.

I can't say too much without spoiling the first book, but we do get more than one perspective in this installment, although the method and timing of introducing that perspective feels a little messy. We learn a lot more about how this magical universe works, which is interesting but, again, not really necessary and perhaps takes away a little bit of the magic. Included in this is a murder mystery subplot as there seems to be a serial killer targeting people from the Hinterlands. That was interesting and got rather dark, eventually weaving into the other timeline/perspective.

The power of love seems to be a key theme in this book, but the ending in that vein feels a tad trite, especially coming after the more ambiguous Hazelwood. We do get some of that great moral ambiguity in some of the side characters with messy backgrounds and complicated motives, but the way things were tied up felt a little too neat for my liking.

Overall takeaway, this has some interesting revelations and few really great dark fairytales, but I think some of this content might have been better as a novella or two rather than as a full-length novel. As it is, I don't think it's super necessary and lacks some of the punch that made me fall in love with the first book so much. That said, people who didn't like the Alice in Wonderland quality of the Hinterlands section of the first book might do better with this. New York City plays a much more consistently central role (and is wonderfully depicted) with other worlds being sprinkled in between. I'm left feeling conflicted, but very much excited for Tales of the Hinterlands and whatever else Melissa Albert brings us in the future. I received advance copies of this book for review via NetGalley and Libro FM. (I listened to the audiobook while reading the e-book, and the audio is well done!) All opinions are my own.

This was a stunning sequel to The Hazel Wood. It was dark, creepy, and mysterious. There were parts that were very dark indeed and almost turned my stomach. But it was a terrific sequel.

When I first read the night country I felt transported. All of my troubles melted away as I was transported to a new world. A world of make believe and family secrets. To be honest isn't that what a good book should do? I tell my children that a book when it is well written allows you to travel when you have to stay put. My gosh are these books well written. If you are a believer in true magic and love a good old fashioned adventure Melissa Albert is the writer for you. I want to shout the good things about this series from the rooftop. Something tells me we haven't heard the last from her.

I loved The Hazel Wood, and was really excited to see Melissa Albert putting out another book about Alice Three Times. I love that she explores the gritty side of fairy tales and the creepier characters such tales have produced, instead of just the princesses and knights. Alice feels so real and relatable in The Night Country, and her dilemmas and choices are painfully true. She's always at odds, trying to sort out what to do, but it never felt forced. I'm so glad to see my favorite teenage character back for another adventure!

A worthy successor, The Night Country brings back the tension that made the first part of The Hazel Wood so compelling and artfully expands its multiverse world-building. It gets off to a bit of a slow start and actually undoes one of the things I had enjoyed about the first book. However, this development felt very organic and was well done enough that I was more than happy to change my mind regarding that plot point. Albert's writing remains strong, and her voice perfectly captures the bent reality and gritty magic that characterizes her story. I did find myself wishing that I remembered the first book better than I did, but this sequel does a good enough job of recapping (though not so much as to be tedious) that I never felt unmoored for long. And while not every question was answered or every twist especially surprising, The Night Country managed to bring the story started in The Hazel Wood to an enjoyable and satisfying conclusion. Looking forward to reading more from Albert in the future.

(Also, I really enjoyed the duel storylines and will confess to enjoying Finch's part a bit more than Alice's.)

I don’t know why I got myself into this. Again. I barely liked the first book, The Hazel Wood , though the premise was intriguing (it is a more “adult” version of Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart trilogy).

I’m not even sure why this series is classified as YA fiction (it’s labeled as 12 to 18 for the age range), as it has a plethora of not-appropriate for a 12-year-old stuff in it, including drug and alcohol use, sexual assault, adult language (multiple uses of the f-bomb included), pornography, and more—all before readers even get into the first 15% of the book. The book is incredibly violent; I have a couple of ideas why it is YA and not adult, but I’ll keep them to myself so I don’t trigger trolls.

I will say, because book reviews should be fair and unbiased, that the story is great at the basic level. Worlds within worlds stories are some of my favorite, and this one ticks all the boxes for a good one. Albert also has a way with words that is lulling, like the Spinner in her stories—when the words are tied to things that have positive signifieds attached to them. These stories would make great fodder in a narratology course.

Because the content is inappropriate for the age range it is advertised, I can’t give it any higher. The language and content are like Game of Thrones, which makes it not for kids. And 12 and 13-year-olds are kids.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, for which I give my own opinion.

I received a complimentary copy of The Night Country from Flatiron Books through Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The Night Country will be released on January 7th!
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The Night Country is the sequel to Melissa Albert's The Hazel Wood. Alice has escaped the Hinterland, but the Hinterland isn't done with her. Alice's escape allowed others in the Hinterland to leave and now there are Hinterland refugees living in New York. When someone starts to murder Hinterlanders and take their body parts, Alice is pulled back into their lives. When the murderer attacks her, she knows she has to figure out what's happening before she or her mother Ella get hurt.
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The Night Country has the same creative, dark fairytale feel that The Hazel Wood had. If you loved the first book in Melissa Albert's series, you'll love this one too! I didn't want to say too much about the plot and ruin it for anyone, but I can say Ellery Finch is back! I had no idea what to expect from The Night Country, but it didn't disappoint. The ending was very fun and twisted.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I read The Hazel Wood last October and liked it. I thought it was a standalone so the sequel shocked me.

I will admit I stayed confused for over half of the book. It seemed disjointed so it was hard for me to have a clear grasp on what was happening. When the events finally came together it made a little more sense. At first, I could not figure out the point of the novel at all. Some events felt random and unnecessary. When Alice confronted the man from her story without provocation I thought it came without warning. I thought it might end up crucial later but it didn’t.

Now that I have gotten my negative thoughts out let’s discuss the positive parts. It was atmospheric so even though I was confused I still felt like part of the world. The fairy tale parts were so much fun. I felt like I was reading a Grimm’s Fairy Tale. Alice worked in a bookstore and there were some really humorous parts to that. The writing was lush and descriptive. I really enjoyed the characters even though Alice is a little self-centered. It is a decent read and I do plan to buy a physical copy because the cover is gorgeous.

This book is like a cup of dark roast coffee.

The Night Country was a memorizing book. I was unable to put it down and I was truly so involved with the plot that I was gasping almost every page. If you enjoyed The Hazel Wood, I truly believe you will like this companion/installment. It has such a dark fairy tale vibe to it that throws you into the world where nothing is truly what it seems.

I went in with some pretty low expectations, I had been seeing some mixed reviews around the place and that always makes me a tad cautious. This book blew those low expectations right out of the park. I was so shocked by the writing, the mystical style and the fact that this was actually an urban fantasy. I was expecting a high fantasy, but nope. I absolutely love urban fantasies too, so this made me happy beyond words.

Actually, my favorite thing was just the fairy tales. I absolutely loved the writing style of the few that were included. They left me itching for more and re-reading the pages to try and find hidden messages that would be added to the plot.

Overall, I loved The Night Country. It was such an interesting read that brought out the darkness involved in fairy tales and really highlighted it.

First I want to say a huge Thank You to NetGalley and Flatiron for this opportunity! I loved Hazel Wood and when I saw that I was approved for an ARC for this I was so excited! I couldn't wait to dive in. I really enjoy the darkness and depth this tale has. I think that is what draws me to these books. It's not like something you read every day and it just draws you in. I love Melissa Albert's creativity with these stories. I will keep picking up her books as they are really enjoyable!

The Night Country tackles this issue of ex-stories making their way in Alice's world. It's a process full of grief, confusion, and growing pains. It encompasses our feelings of not fitting in, with our sharp edges and ghosts of power. How can they figure out a way to press themselves into the world? To soften their edges? Because at these moments, we have to decide if we are going to transform into something new entirely, or change the world.

After the revelations of The Hazel Wood, who is Alice now? Not even Alice knows how she is supposed to fit back in to life in New York City, not to mention with all these other ex-stories. Is she a monster? A mouse? Or something in between? How can Alice reconcile who she used to be in New York City before the Hinterland and this new Alice? The Night Country starts with Alice's introspection, which made it more difficult to get back into because there was a sense of listlessness. But it seems to mirror Alice's own confusion and inner state, struggling with her relationship with her mother, Alice is lost.

I love this spellbinding sequel to The Hazel Wood! I enjoyed this follow up a bit more than the first book, mainly because there was more original dark fairytales in this one. I’m a big fan of the darker, bloodier fairytales so this one was a hit with me. The plot did lag a bit in places but overall it was a book I will enjoy reading again and again.

Delightfully ominous, the prose creeps up on you until you aren't sure whether to be proud of Alice or scared for her. There is no build-up in this book. It is gory and dark, and the action begins right away. You can imagine all of the violence without effort, and it is gorily realistic in tone.
After The Hinterland becomes unbound, the ex-Stories are now refugees in New York. They range from weird and creepy to sociopaths. They don't know what to do with themselves. The kids are more on the odd side, and I am all in for fairy tale weirdness. It isn't a good time to be Alice at all, she doesn't have any real friends in this world, and she's being held responsible for everything that is coming apart. I can't wait to see where the next book brings them all.
I'd put this book at 14 and up- and this story won't be for everyone.
You'll need to have read and enjoyed The Hazel Wood before you pick up this treasure. I began reading this book and had to put it down until I had a chance to breeze through The Hazel Wood for a refresher on where we left off. It's not a stand-alone in any way. If you like Grimm's fairy tales and want a modern take on a dark gothic world- I will encourage you to jump right in.

When I began the first installment of this series, I wasn’t sure it was for me. Within pages, I was hooked. I could not wait to devour this continuation of the incredibly complex, beautiful yet dark and deadly world created by Albert. Within her first two novels, this author has produced something much more epic than any mere fairy tale. Melissa Albert has made her mark, and I am anxious to read more of her enthralling work.

A good follow up to the original story. A few pacing issues, but otherwise a great story that kept me engaged. Be sure to read the first book before jumping into this one.

I loved The Hazel Wood and was excited to get my hands on The Night Country. While this novel had Albert's gorgeous prose and excellent atmosphere and interesting characters, I thought it had a very different feel from the first book.

Where the first was more about discovery (who she was, where she came from, etc etc) and had more of a fairy-tale feel, this book was more of a mystery (who was killing all the Hinterlanders and why were they taking body parts) and a gritty, urban feel. This book was definitely darker than the first (in a good way). It started off a little slow and felt more like a character piece than the adventure that the first book was.

I love her twist on the darker side of fairy tales. I DO wish we would have seen a little more of Finch in this book, and I wish that there was more interaction between him and Alice so that I could figure out WHAT they were to each other.

While The Hazel Wood remains my favorite of the two, The Night Country tied up some loose ends from The Hazel Wood and gave us a new (gory and dark) gothic tale. I look forward to seeing what the author has next.