This has a few clichés and some tried-and-true story lines (Sleeping Beauty meets every crossroads selling your soul type tragedy) but in a fresh enough voice and with unique characters and portrayal of folklore monsters that you don't think about that until you try to review the book. When I finished the last page, I was left a mortal who had tasted the fae's elderflower and honey wine only to wake back up on top of the hill. I fall for her characters almost immediately along with the world they live in.

For years I've loved Black's portrayal of faeries in modern American settings (namely her Tithe series, and short stories in various anthologies) and this was not disappointing. One of the first books in a long time that I just didn't want to put down. Things were happening and I just shrugged 'sure, let's go with that'. Weird things are happening in a weird town, but there was no main objective or goal. Up until 2/3rds I wasn't really sure what the plot was. My only complaint about the characters would be the romances, they felt too simple.Īs for the story, I was kind of confused. Both Ben and Hazel have their secrets and their issues, but they always came through for one another. They all lived in the same town and have known each other for ages. There are three main characters Hazel, Ben and Jack and I liked the emphasis on growing older with childhood bonds. Every main character has some form of connection to the fae world and their bachstories are written like fairytales. I also liked the way flashbacks are told as little tales of warning. The citizens are living their lives, but sometimes a tourist disappears. I really liked the setting and the genuinely haunted forest.

In the darkest part of the forest