A review by hickorynut
Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

This was an interesting collection of 12 original dark fairy tales that were incorporated throughout the author's novel The Hazel Wood. The author has a knack for dropping dark, traumatic moments in just a few casual words which worked well for fairy tales. I would have preferred the two be merged into one book as the novel introduced many of the individual stories but wasn't able to go in depth into each entire tale. Reading the fairy tales separately after the novel helped fill in some blanks and add more immersion but it also was a bit boring as there was nothing connecting them all together. I'd have enjoyed seeing the individual tales instead merged completely within the novel as additional chapters or excerpts, keeping all of the specific character content together and helping everything become more memorable. Check trigger warnings as these are very dark and may be unsuitable for some readers.
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