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I had been anticipating the release of The Night Country for months before I had it in hand. Essentially within the first moments, I had closed the cover of of the Hazel Wood. I remember immediately looking for the next one. I realize I had happened on the book too early and could not find another from the same author. The Hazel Wood had left me completely inspired. Loved the characters, the concept, the way it was written.
Acquiring The Night Country was a bit of a series of unfortunate events, I ordered a physical copy from Amazon and it just did not arrive. There were mail delays. It was lockdown. One night, I was just completely tired of waiting and hit purchase on my Kobo and bought a second Ebook copy. Back to the Hinterland I went, I thought in anticipation.
I started reading it and had such a tough time getting into it. The protagonist Alice was as feisty and engaging as I had left her. Plenty of intrigue, mysterious murders, descriptions of a world reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, unique characters…
I think my difficulty lies in the romance with Finch who has disappeared into the Hinterland while Alice remains in New York. The two divergent storylines didn’t connect with me. I loved Alice’s storyline in New York but forced myself through the passages with Finch. I was a little bit disappointed as it didn’t enrapture me as much as my initial impression. Some sections felt as if the plot line was stretched out and as if the novel itself was written in a rush.
Regardless I absolutely loved the first novel. Enough for it to be certain that I will buy the next despite having struggled a little to finish sections of this one. I am a diehard fan of Melissa Albert and her writing style.
Melissa Albert subsequently published Tales from the Hinterland. A collection of the fairy tales written by Althea Proserpine. I couldn’t help buying it in hardcover. It is an absolutely gorgeous book. It still have high hopes for the next book in this series.
If you have read this book, I hope you enjoyed it more than I did and if you haven’t read any books by this author, you must absolutely buy The Hazel Wood. You won’t ever want to leave it.
Melle Del Valle 