The Darkest Part of the Forest

Faeries. Knights. Princes. True love. Think you know how the story goes? Think again…

From #1 New York Times and global bestselling author of The Cruel Prince series and The Spiderwick Chronicles comes a dark, dangerous, and utterly beautiful faerie tale, guaranteed to steal your heart.

Welcome to Fairfold, a town where humans and fae exist side by side in a tenuous truce. Here, magic seeps into everyday life and draws tourists eager for a glimpse of the supernatural. However, beneath its enchanted allure lies an undercurrent of danger known all too well by its residents.

Hazel and her brother Ben have grown up in this strange, bewitching town. As children, they spent restless days and daring nights exploring the forest and dreaming of adventure. At the heart of Fairfold's forest, encased in unbreakable glass, sleeps a faerie prince who has slumbered for generations. Mysterious and ethereal, he is the centre of the siblings' fantasies and the source of many whispered legends.

While the faerie’s presence has always been awe-inspiring, the truth of Fairfold's enchantments is far grimmer than the stories suggest. Hazel once knew how to stop the dangers lurking within the forest’s shadows. Now, she can feel the weight of her forgotten abilities calling her back to a life she tried to leave behind.

When the unthinkable happens and the faerie prince awakens, all the rules change. Hazel and Ben find themselves thrust into a perilous quest through the and deepest hearts of the forest. Secrets long buried come to light, and the boundary between dreams and reality blurs. As nightmares come to life, Hazel must confront her past and summon her bravery to save her town — and herself.

The Darkest Part of the Forest is Holly Black’s triumphant return to the opulent, enchanting faerie tales that launched her YA career. With evocative prose, spellbinding world-building, and complex characters, Black weaves a tale of love, sacrifice, and the courage to face one's darkest fears. This is a must-read for anyone captivated by the beauty and perils of the faerie world.