The Darkest Part of the Forest

by Holly Black

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

Hazel lives in Fairfold, and people flock to Fairfold to see the faerie boy in the coffin. He's been there for generations, and they assume he'll always be there. But one day, the coffin is smashed, and the boy is gone. Who did it? It seems like the faerie will stop at nothing to capture their prince, and Hazel prepares herself to find him first.

I was a bit nervous going into this book, because I don't like most faerie novels. They're usually overwhelmed with romance, and that's not really my cup of tea. But this one is GOOD. The human world and the faerie world blend together so well. The magic is on the edges of things, but it doesn't feel strange. Faerie feels like a part of Fairfold, and Fairfold feels like a part of the rest of the world. It's excellent.

Holly Black's writing is sort of... perfect? The characters are super likable and layered, the world building is good without the writing being too flowery. The plot is sort of basic, but not unenjoyable. Honestly, I liked it. It felt like a contained story and I was satisfied at the ending. It's not something I'm going to obsess over and scream across the mountains about, but it restored my faith in faerie fantasy stories, and in Holly Black.