What a fun, creepy, fantastic, magical standalone novel and a wonderful addition to my growing collection of fae books. Jack, a black changeling boy, was another unexpected joy, and he and Hazel are so good. I do wish that the Alderking had been developed a little more because he sounds like the kind of fae antagonist I’d be all about, but I loved the other characters, politics, and plot of the book too much to fret about it. The mystery surrounding Severin and how he got trapped in the glass coffin was gripping alongside the mystery of what was going on with Hazel and her seven years of service to Faerie. He’s so fae, and he and Ben are so cute yet dark at the same time. I did not expect to be given a bisexual, horned faerie boy, and I’m in love. Likewise, I loved how Black subverted certain tropes with them, making Hazel the knight/hero character and Ben the hopeless romantic/love interest for faerie prince Severin.

Hazel and Ben, my ginger darlings, were wonderful characters and siblings–the things they sacrificed and did for each other were so bittersweet, and the drama surrounding them showcased how in your head you can get, blaming yourself when the other person never actually blamed you at all. I wouldn’t say that this book is as good as The Cruel Prince, but I had a great time just the same. Holly Black just keeps delivering for me. Recommended Readers: Fans of the author, fantasy, and fae stories Notable Notables: POC love interest and LGBTQ characters Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers That gave me an idea: let’s try some short reviews for a change! But as she's swept up in new love, with shifting loyalties and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough? The Darkest Part of the Forest, is the bestselling author Holly Black's triumphant return to the opulent, enchanting faerie tales that launched her YA career.I’ve finished a lot of books in the past few months, some I’ve wanted to give full-blown reviews for and others I’ve wanted to mention, or at least explain my ratings for them. As the world turns upside down, Hazel has to become the knight she once pretended to be. Hazel knows the horned boy will never wake. But as Hazel grows up, she puts aside those stories.

Since they were children, Hazel and Ben have been telling each other stories about the boy in the glass coffin, that he is a prince and they are valiant knights, pretending their prince would be different from the other faeries, the ones who made cruel bargains, lurked in the shadows of trees, and doomed tourists.

Tourists drive in to see the lush wonders of Faerie and, most wonderful of all, the horned boy. Hazel and her brother, Ben, live in Fairfold, where humans and the Folk exist side by side.

It rests on the ground, and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives.

Hazel the darkest part of the forest