Summary: Bestselling author of the Queen of the Tearling series, Erika Johansen, journeys to a new kingdom in this brilliant stand-alone novel—a darkly magical take on The Nutcracker where two sisters, cursed from birth, are forever changed one memorable Christmas. . . .
Light and dark—this is the destiny placed upon Natasha and Clara, the birthright bestowed by their godfather, the mysterious sorcerer Drosselmeyer. Clara, the favorite, grows into beauty and ease, while Natasha is cursed to live in her sister’s shadow. But one fateful Christmas Eve, Natasha gets her chance at revenge. For Drosselmeyer has brought the Nutcracker, an enchanted present that offers entry into a deceptively beautiful world: the Kingdom of Sweets.
In this land of snow and sugar, Natasha is presented with a power far greater than Drosselmeyer: the Sugar Plum Fairy, who is also full of gifts . . . and dreadful bargains. As Natasha uncovers the dark destiny laid before her birth, she must reckon with powers both earthly and magical, and decide to which world she truly belongs. (Summary and pic from goodreads.com)
My Review: I’ve been holding on to this review for quite some time because I wanted to kick off the holiday season with a retelling of “The Nutcracker.” I don’t know about you, but I love a good fairytale retelling, and I’ve really enjoyed this genre that’s been so fun the past couple years. Even if the retelling isn’t the best book ever written, I’ve really enjoyed the creativity and the revisiting of stories I loved as a kid and looking at them with fresh eyes.
When I think of “The Nutcracker,” I think of iconic music and beautiful dancing, and of course the man himself, the actual Nutcracker. I can imagine all the different characters and the beautiful costumes. Well, folks, it’s time to buckle up because this nutcracker story takes a very dark turn. I have three sisters myself and I am not unaware of the complications and rivalries that can exist, and the jealousies that can creep up when comparing. It can be complicated. This story takes those complications to the ultimate degree, and there are some pretty dark situations that happen because of it. Add to that a creepy old sorcerer with ulterior motives and a dark and mysterious past and I’m telling you, things are not going to be happy in the Kingdom of Sweets.
The longer I read this book the less I realized I knew the actual story of “The Nutcracker.” With that, I could definitely see the parts of the original story that I remembered intertwined throughout. However, if you’re looking for a very clear and obvious retelling that just is basically the old made new, that’s not what you’re going to get. This story, in the ways that it resembles the original, is a really deep cut. But that’s what you want when you read a retelling, right? You want something shocking and creative and something that gives you that satisfying feeling when you read it. I think this retelling gives you that. It takes everything you know about “The Nutcracker” and it turns it on its head. It deepens the characters, and it takes the story (which is kind of weird in its OG form) and makes it so much more.
So the question is…did I like this book? I did in some ways, but in other ways I didn’t love it. Anytime there is magic and lots of characters and new ways of telling the story being introduced it gets complicated. I thought a lot of this story was complicated, and there is a backstory to Drosselmeyer that I found to be really complicated and possibly needlessly so. Also, it’s pretty dark. Like murder your sister and stealing her life kind of dark, which is why I think it stays firmly in the adult fiction realm. There really is a lot of adult content.
If you’re into retellings, you should definitely check this out. Since it’s the holiday season, I suggest watching “The Nutcracker” and then taking it to the dark side by reading Kingdom of Sweets.
My Rating: 3 Stars
For the sensitive reader: There is language, violence, and abusive family relationships.
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