Nox Winters and the Midnight Wolf

by Rochelle Hassan

Overview

The first book in a rich, eerie middle grade fantasy duology full of magic, monsters, and miles and miles of untamed forest, from the author of The Prince of Nowhere. Motivated by desperation and brotherhood, a boy must venture deep into the Nightwood to find a cure for his mysteriously sick brother. Perfect for fans of Over the Garden Wall and Serafina and the Black Cloak.

For twelve-year-old Nox Winters, the town of Evergreen isn’t home—it’s a tourist trap in middle-of-nowhere Maine for amateur cryptozoologists hoping to spot its infamous legend, a batlike creature known as the Evergreen Devil. But his twin brother, Noah, has been wasting away from an illness that has left medical professionals stumped, and the doctors here in Evergreen are his last hope. And Nox goes where Noah goes.     

But as Noah’s condition worsens, Nox begins to suspect that Evergreen is doing more harm than good—and that there might be some truth to its tales of fearsome cryptids and mysterious disappearances. When Noah falls into a deep sleep that Nox can’t wake him from, Nox’s only chance at saving him lies in the surrounding forest; there, he discovers a hidden world where it’s always nighttime, full of powerful magic, supernatural creatures, and capricious minor gods. Nox must venture deeper into an endless night and successfully bargain with the terrifying Keepers of the forest for a cure to Noah’s ailment or else neither twin will leave Evergreen alive. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063314597
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/03/2024
Series:	Nox Winters Chronicles , #1
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	368
Age Range:	8 Years

About the Author

Rochelle Hassan grew up reading about dragons, quests, and unlikely heroes; now she writes about them, too. The Prince of Nowhere was her first novel. She lives in New York. You can find her online at rochellehassan.com.

Editorial Reviews

07/08/2024

Twelve-year-old identical twin brothers Nox and Noah Winters had never been apart, until Noah was sent to live with their mother’s oncologist friends Weston and Aster Day to treat his mysterious worsening condition, the symptoms of which includes spreading rashes and sores. Soon, however, Nox joins Noah at his dwellings in “middle-of-nowhere” Evergreen, Maine, where Nox chafes at his new environment, worries about his brother, and distrusts the Days, especially their daughter Thea. But when he catches a glowing, six-eyed, wolf-like creature stalking Noah at night and stealing something “golden and bright” from his chest—and Noah falls into a coma thereafter—Nox reluctantly enlists Thea as his companion in investigating. Together, they enter the otherworldly, eternally dark Nightwood, hoping it contains the secret to saving Noah. As they brave Nightwood’s many dangers, the duo unravels family secrets and realizes not all is as it seems. In this creepy duology opener, Hassan (The Summer Queen) unspools a spine-tingling tale packed with riddles, magic, and mystery in which the brothers’ fierce bond grounds the more fantastical elements of the Nightwood’s original and evocative mythology. Main characters read as white. Ages 8–up. Agent: Erica Bauman, Aevitas Creative. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Hassan’s duology opener is a classic quest story that lies on the border between horror and the fantastic... An enjoyably strange and wildly inventive journey into the unknown."—Kirkus (starred review) — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Deliciously dark and atmospheric, Nox Winter and the Midnight Wolf is an adventure into the stuff of dreams and nightmares. Nox is an improbable hero who risks everything to save his brother from being claimed by the magic of the Nightwoods. Fans of The Spiderwick Chronicles will enjoy this tale of sibling bonds, family secrets, and bravery in the face of impossible odds. Nox is a spine-tingling journey that kids won’t want to put down! —Lisa Stringfellow, Bram Stoker-nominated author of A Comb of Wishes — Lisa Stringfellow, Bram Stoker-nominated author of A Comb of Wishes

"Calling all lovers of the creepy, mysterious, wondrous, and weird—the Night Forest is everything you could ever want, and Nox Winters is here to be your guide. He might try to fight you first, but don't let that stop you. No one does spooky magical forests quite like Rochelle Hassan! Nox Winters and the Midnight Wolf is the perfect next step for Riordan fans, brimming with magic, mythology, and fierce characters. Don't miss it!" — M. K. England, author of the Player vs. Player trilogy

“An immersive monster-filled middle grade fantasy sure to enchant readers of all ages.” — Katie Zhao, author of THE DRAGON WARRIOR and WINNIE ZENG series 

In Nox Winters and the Midnight Wolf, Rochelle Hassan has given readers both a fast-paced, action-filled adventure and an elegantly drawn fantasy world full of authentic relationships and emotion. Nox is angry, scared, brave, determined, and loyal—he is wonderfully imperfect and so, so relatable. I couldn’t put this one down and hope we get more tales out of the Nightwood in the future. Watch for Nox Winters and the Midnight Wolf on awards lists but in the meantime make sure it finds its way to your bookshelf. — Lora Senf, Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Clackity

"In this creepy duology opener, Hassan (The Summer Queen) unspools a spine-tingling tale packed with riddles, magic, and mystery in which the brothers’ fierce bond grounds the more fantastical elements of the Nightwood’s original and evocative mythology." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher