Book Review: In the Forests of the Night by Kersten Hamilton

Title: In the Forests of the Night
Author: Kersten Hamilton
Genre: Teen Fiction, Fantasy
Publication Date: November 22, 2011
Publisher: Clarion Books
ISBN-13 Book: 9780547435602
Source: I received a copy from the author for review for Teen Book Scene Tours.  This is my honest review.

In the Forests of the Night by Kersten Hamilton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Teagan, Finn, Aiden, and Abby are all back along with an assortment of characters in this sequel to Hamilton’s Tyger, Tyger.  Teagan knows she loves Finn, but is afraid of what a relationship between them might mean now that she knows she is a highborn.  She knows what she wants, but fears her blood may get in the way.  The Dark Man, however, hasn’t forgotten about Teagan and still wants her at any cost, even the lives of her friends and family.

In the Forests of the Night picks up immediately after the events of Tyger, Tyger.  So much so, that you may want to go back and read the end of the previous book so you can remember where we left off.  Once again at Teagan’s home, they are still being threatened by goblins

Hamilton does a wonderful job writing dialogue and family dynamics.  There were moments when the family interactions had me laughing out loud.  These were people you would feel right at home living with—despite their oddities.  The greatest part of this novel was seeing the relationships grow and change as you read.

I love her characters, Abby and Aiden are my favorites.  I love how Aiden can simply charm you and I love how prickly Abby is and how she picks at Finn.  The relationships are endearing, and you love these characters.

My one concern for this novel is that it seems to have “middle book syndrome.”  You know that so much more is going to happen in this series, but this novel is merely a stepping stone to get there.  It is a bit slow going, but there is a lot of development occurring in those passages.  There isn’t a lot of action in the novel until the end, but the end definitely leaves you anticipating the next book. 

Overall, I love the originality of this series, which deals with goblins, the dark man, and angels.  It is incredibly interesting and I would love to spend more time investigating the mysteries of Mag Mell.  This series is definitely one to follow, but be prepared for a little slow going in this book.  If the ending is any indication though, I think we will all eagerly anticipate book three.

The reader must definitely read book one Tyger, Tyger before tackling this one, otherwise be prepared to be overwhelmed. 

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