Alice is a seventeen-year-old girl who spends her childhood moving across the country with her mother to escape a streak of supernatural bad luck. She harbors a dormant fascination with her estranged grandmother's cult-classic fairy tale book, *Tales from the Hinterland*. Alice struggles to control sudden flares of intense anger, relying on breathing techniques to calm down. She directs her fierce loyalty toward her mother and risks everything to track her down after a sudden disappearance.

Ella is Alice's devoted, eccentric mother who grew up in the isolated Hazel Wood estate. She goes to great lengths to shield Alice from her past and actively discourages any connection to her own mother's dark fairy tales. Seeking financial stability and college opportunities for Alice, she marries a wealthy New Yorker. Her sudden, violent abduction sets the story's main quest in motion.

Althea is the reclusive and enigmatic author of *Tales from the Hinterland*, a dark, cult-classic collection of fairy tales. After publishing her only book, she locked herself and her young daughter away on an upstate New York estate called the Hazel Wood. The sudden news of her death triggers a chain of supernatural events that upend her family's lives.

Ellery Finch is a wealthy student at Alice's elite private school who describes himself as a "deep fan" of Althea Proserpine's rare book. Dealing with his own family trauma and the loss of his mother, he uses the dark fairy tales as an emotional escape. He eagerly volunteers his money and knowledge to help Alice conduct her dangerous search for the Hazel Wood.

The Story Spinner is a powerful, enigmatic figure within the Hinterland who oversees the dark fairy tales that shape the land. She claims to simply keep the threads of the stories from tangling, yet she holds significant influence over the characters trapped within her narratives.

Harold is a wealthy New Yorker who marries Ella after a whirlwind courtship, moving her and Alice into his luxury apartment. He is emotionally distant and entirely unprepared for the supernatural dangers that his new wife brings into his comfortable life. Following a traumatic encounter, he turns hostile and washes his hands of both Ella and Alice.

Audrey is Harold's teenage daughter. Popular at school and accustomed to a life of luxury, she initially views Alice and Ella with a mix of amusement and suspicion. She frequently jokes about Ella's intentions but displays unexpected resilience when supernatural entities invade her home.

Janet is a knowledgeable resident of the Hinterland who operates as a guide and helper for refugees arriving from the human world. Pragmatic and experienced, she understands the strict rules of the fairy-tale world and aids those trying to survive its dangers.

The Redhaired Man is a mysterious, youthful-looking figure who has tracked Alice since her childhood. His sudden reappearance in a New York City coffee shop, carrying a copy of Althea's rare book and leaving behind strange tokens, signals the violent return of Alice's dangerous luck.

Twice-Killed Katherine is a pale, scarred character from the Hinterland tales who aggressively pursues Alice. She is a dangerous, supernatural threat who wields lethal magic and shows deep contempt for anyone standing in her way.

Ness is a traumatized former fan of *Tales from the Hinterland* who runs a blog detailing her disastrous attempt to locate the Hazel Wood. She appears much older than her actual age and refuses to directly help Alice, speaking instead in cryptic nursery rhymes.

William is a rare book dealer in New York who recently acquired a highly coveted copy of Althea's book from an estate sale. He becomes immediately suspicious and combative when unexplained supernatural events occur in his shop.

Ingrid is Janet's companion in the Hinterland. She is highly suspicious of newcomers and fiercely protective of her household, particularly when she spots marks or tattoos that resemble the realm's dangerous natives.

Hansa is a little girl from the Hinterland who resides in the Halfway Wood. She previously formed a friendship with Ella and provides Alice with a brief, painful encounter during her journey toward the Hazel Wood.

David is a wealthy, drug-using classmate of Finch's whose parents are out of the country dealing with a family issue. He unwittingly provides Alice and Finch a temporary safe haven while they formulate their travel plans.