The Nutcracker

The Kingdom of Sweets | Book Review

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About The Book
Twin sisters, cursed by their godfather, lead starkly different lives. One Christmas Eve, an enchanted Nutcracker transports them into the magical Kingdom of Sweets, where one makes a dangerous bargain with the mysterious and powerful Sugar Plum Fairy.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/4guBouk

My Rating

This is a standalone fantasy and a retelling of The Nutcracker. I really enjoyed the author’s original take on the story and how fast-paced it was. The plot follows twin sisters Clara and Natasha, whom I found to be very interesting. Clara is cursed to embody light, while Natasha is cursed as the dark twin. Both sisters bear heavy burdens because of their gifts, and the story explores how these curses shape their lives and choices.

The plot was quite dark, but I found it fascinating. It really delves into how envy can fuel a person’s actions and the lengths someone will go to when they feel wronged. Natasha, the protagonist, was such a complex character. Although she’s initially portrayed as understanding and deeply loving toward her sister despite her dark curse, her actions throughout the story reveal that she does have some real darkness within her.

The worldbuilding in this book was incredible. The magical realm Johansen created was vivid, immersive, and at times even creepy, which added to the darker tone of the story. I also appreciated how the theme of forgiveness was explored—though forgiveness is offered in some cases, one can never truly forgive someone who has wronged them. As for the ending, it was intense, shocking, and very well done. It kept me guessing right up until the last page.

“Who really knew, after all, how the old fairy tales died, or where the story might end?”

That said, my biggest issue with this book is that it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. While I enjoyed it while reading, and there were so many strong elements, I don’t think it’s a story I’ll remember a year from now. For a book with such compelling characters and themes, it’s a bit disappointing that it doesn’t stand out more in my memory.

Even so, I think this story will appeal to many readers, especially those who don’t usually gravitate toward Nutcracker retellings. One of my favorite aspects was how the author took inspiration from The Nutcracker but turned it into something completely original. The darker, more complex direction she chose to take really brought new life to the story.

Overall, I did enjoy the book while I was reading it. It really is a story that shows how we are made up of both light and dark parts, and that no one is truly all light or all dark. While it might not have made a lasting impact on me, I still think it was a wonderful retelling and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh twist on a classic holiday tale.

In the comments, let me know if you have ever seen the actual ballet production of The Nutcracker. Sadly, I have not, but I have read some great retellings of the story. Don’t forget to like this post and share it with other readers. And if you would be so kind as to hit the follow button, that would be amazing.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Midnight In Everwood | Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

About The Book
In the darkness of night, magic awaits and you will never forget what you find here. The Nutcracker for adults, perfect for fans of Robert Dinsdale’s The Toymakers, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus and Stephanie Garber’s Caraval.

My Rating

 

All I knew about this book was that it’s a ‘Nutcracker’ retelling with a stunning cover. Since, I read ‘The Toymakers Apprentice’, which is also a ‘Nutcracker’ retelling, and loved it, I decided to give this one a  try.

The story is set in the 1900’s and follows an aspiring ballerina, Marietta. Throughout the book, Marietta expresses her desire to dance professionally, but her parents are more concerned with their social status, and getting Marietta married, to lend her dreams any consideration. Her parents were cruel and unfeeling, which worked well with the story the author was trying tell.

As for Marietta, I found her to be stubborn, but strong. Smart, yet childish. She reminded me of Belle, from ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Her goal in life wasn’t to be a wife and mother. She wanted to choose her own path.

Marietta’s brother, Frederick, was a much needed addition to the story. He wasn’t afraid to remind his sister of her privilege, while still supporting her dreams. Although, he followed his parents’ plans for his future, and kept his relationship a secret, he wasn’t bitter about the life he had.

When a new charming man arrives in town, Marietta wasn’t impressed by him. She wasn’t fooled by his façade, and knew there was more to him than met the eye. It felt as though people shrugged off her concerns because she was a woman, which is all too true for that time period.

At first, I found the story a little confusing, and my mind kept wandering. But once the magical realism aspect was introduced, I fell in love with the story. The author created a world that transported the reader into an enchanted, but scary land. It was easy to see how Marietta was fooled by the king, and also by Everwood’s beauty.

“Never dull your sparkle for anyone else, flame fiercely into your own glittering future.”

While in Everwood, Marietta meets two other girls who are trapped within the kingdom as well. They forge a bond that is strong, and somewhat sisterly. And, they start to fight back. The girls in the book are seen as something to be owned, and will bend to a man’s will.

In the book, Marietta starts to connect with the captain of the King’s Arm. Let’s just say that he was swoon-worthy. His and Marietta’s relationship felt real, even though Marietta didn’t belong there. It shows that you can find love in the most unexpected places.

The ending was amazing, and had a strong message of following your dreams, no matter the cost. Still, the ending was quite sad, yet it plays off the famous quote “’It’s better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.”

Overall, the plot focuses on privilege, and if having money is worth sacrificing your dreams. As for the writing style, it was a slow paced story with poetic writing. Much like ‘The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein’ by Kiersten White, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

There are a lot of triggering topics in this book. To name a few, there’s sexism, violence, and stalking. Please do your research before reading it. You can visit the book’s StoryGraph page to see a full list of all the content warnings for the book.

Before you leave, give this review a like and share. And, hit that follow button!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Related Post: The Toymakers Apprentice // Book Review
Related Post: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein // Book Review

The Toymaker’s Apprentice | Book Review

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Title: The Toymaker’s Apprentice
Author: Sherri L. Smith
Published: 2015
Genre: Middle Grade/Fantasy/Retelling
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Synopsis
Based on the original inspiration for the Nutcracker ballet, Sherri L. Smith brings the Nutcracker Prince to life in this fascinating journey into a world of toymaking, magical curses, clockmaking guilds, talking mice and erudite squirrels.

A lot of the middle grade books I read usually fall some where around the 3-star range. However, this book exceeded my expectations. I learned about this book from BookTube, and the storyline piqued my interest. I had recently read ‘The Nutcracker’, so finding out that this was a retelling of that story made me even more interested.

When we meet the protagonist, Stefan, his mother has just passed away, and he is thinking about his next steps. He questions being a toy maker is his destiny, as it was for his father. Grief has left him confused about the future, and made him guarded. When his estranged cousin, Christian, shows up Stefan immediately finds him suspicious. However, they quickly form a connection and bond while reminiscing about Stefan’s deceased mother.

Stefan accept Christian’s offer to be his apprentice, and become a clock maker. More than anything, it seemed like he desired to forge a new path, due to his mother’s death. Stefan wasn’t necessarily a complex character, but he was clever. He easily combined his love of toy making with his fascination with clock making, which made him unique.

“True survivor swallows is his pride.”

The other characters, such as Christian, Stefan’s father, and Christian’s companion were well rounded characters. However, I found Stefan to be the most enjoyable character. Still, every characters had their own place in the story, even all the mice, and I don’t think the plot would have been complete without all of them. As I mentioned, there are mice characters, because it wouldn’t be a Nutcracker retelling without mice.

I liked how we got a look into the mice kingdom and the evil Mouse Queen. Her mice babies were all different in personality, but you could see how much their mother’s influence affected them. Their thoughts and emotions were very human like, which is an odd thing to say about mice.

The story is slow at first, but around the third chapter, it picked up. There wasn’t a point throughout the story that I was bored, or wanted to put it down in favor of something else. There was so much mystery and excitement within every chapter. Stefan goes on this adventure that changes his life forever, and you can see how it helped him come to terms with his mother’s passing.

There were so many twists and turns throughout the book, that you almost couldn’t tell where the story was going, or what to expect next. Right when you think the ending is near, and everything is wrapping up, the author throws you for a loop, and you are left needing to know how it all turns out.

I couldn’t put down the last few chapters, because the plot was so enticing. The ending was fantastic, while being somewhat sad. I wanted these characters’ journeys to continue. In my opinion, the author needs to write more books that include this cast of characters. Also, if you are new to the fantasy genre, this would be a good book to pick up. It is a gripping fantasy, but it isn’t intimidating. More of a lighter fantasy, in essence.

If you haven’t read this book yet, I really don’t know what you’re waiting for. I would also recommend it to any tween, 12+ years old. Please leave me a like, and share my reviews with others. Remember, something as little as liking my blog means a lot to me.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny