We all know that I totally and completely adored The Hazel Wood. It goes without saying that its sequel, The Night Country, was one of my most anticipated upcoming reads. I. AM. IN. LOVE. (Also, my apologies if this is a bit awkward in terms of format. I read my eARC whilst listening to the audiobook and I'm still getting used to dual reviews and reviewing audiobooks in general.)




The highly anticipated sequel to Melissa Albert’s beloved, New York Times bestselling debut The Hazel Wood!

In The Night Country, Alice Proserpine dives back into a menacing, mesmerizing world of dark fairy tales and hidden doors. Follow her and Ellery Finch as they learn The Hazel Wood was just the beginning, and that worlds die not with a whimper, but a bang.

With Finch’s help, Alice escaped the Hinterland and her reclusive grandmother’s dark legacy. Now she and the rest of the dregs of the fairy tale world have washed up in New York City, where Alice is trying to make a new, unmagical life. But something is stalking the Hinterland’s survivors―and she suspects their deaths may have a darker purpose. Meanwhile, in the winking out world of the Hinterland, Finch seeks his own adventure, and―if he can find it―a way back home...


As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. LIBRO.FM provided  the audiobook for reviewing purposes. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

W-O-W. Wow. Just, wow. I'm obsessed.

You guys already know I'm a fan of this series! Melissa Albert's writing is so lush, darkly woven like our favourite fairy-tales. I want to live in it. Not the worlds, but the words. Much like The Hazel Wood, The Night Country gives readers very little time to jump into the thick of all the action. And everything about it was drenched in this beautiful and terrifying quality that cannot be explained in a review.

I'll try to keep my review as spoiler free, since we've still got about a month to go before it's out in the wild.

Not a lot of sequels can live up to their predecessor. Many never will. The Night Country is not one of those novels. Not only is it as gorgeously crafted and compelling as the first installment, it is actually better. Melissa Albert's prose was stunning before, but now? Now it is even better. It is the sort of writing that holds fantastical elements, but still ties us to the real world.

There's a reason as to why I've been quick to refer to Melissa Albert as one of my favourite writers, despite there being only two books under her belt, and all of those reasons can be found in The Night Country. If ever there were a series of books that feels as though they were written for me, this would be one of the top choices.

This is the story of worlds colliding, collapsing, and stories undoing themselves. Of good vs. evil. Of new beginnings. Of endings. Of betrayals. Of sacrifice. Of hope. Of fear. The Night Country is screaming with life. All of which is handled in a way that is nearly explosive.

My emotions were a wreck at certain points in the story. Other times, my emotions were of the rage fueled variety. (I'm really, really protective over Alice and Finch, okay? PROTECT THEM OR I'LL BE WEEPY.) Then, there were some times were I was a softie all bundled up in my own hope and joy.

We get a glimmer of light in the dark, stories within the story, and a brand new mysterious path. Old faces return, albeit sometimes slowly, and new faces reveal themselves in unexpected ways. Everything that was good about The Hazel Wood is present in this second installment. Stories that are rich with detail and full of atmospheric spookiness will always appeal to me, but this series is destined to be on my favourites list for the rest of my life.

As for the audiobook, Albert's writing translates into spoken word in the most magical of ways.
Paired with an excellent narrator, the dark whimsy and atmosphere of The Night Country makes for must-read material. Audiobooks are only as good as the narrators and source material, and combined? Phew. You are in for a treat. Much like with my experience with Erin Morgenstern's The Starless Sea, The Night Country comes to life in breathtaking ways and listening to the audiobooks is an excellent and immersive experience in and of itself.

If you are a fan of this series, and of Melissa Albert's writing, exploring the audiobook is like opening yourself up to a whole new exploration of her magical worlds. You won't regret it.