A spell-binding retelling of The Nutcracker, filled with enchanted toys, decadent balls, fierce feminine friendships and a forbidden romance. For fans of The Toymakers, Caraval and The Bear and the Nightingale.
There’s nothing Marietta Stelle loves more than ballet, but after Christmas, her dreams will be over as she is obligated to take her place in Edwardian society. While she is chafing against such suffocating traditions, a mysterious man purchases the neighbouring townhouse. Dr Drosselmeier is a charming but calculating figure who wins over the rest of the Stelle family with his enchanting toys and wondrous mechanisms.
When Drosselmeier constructs an elaborate set for Marietta’s final ballet performance, she discovers it carries a magic all of its own. On the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, she is transported to a snowy forest, where she encounters danger at every turn: ice giants, shadow goblins and the shrieking mist all lurk amidst the firs and frozen waterfalls and ice cliffs. After being rescued by the butterscotch-eyed captain of the king’s guard, she is escorted to the frozen sugar palace. At once, Marietta is enchanted by this glittering world of glamorous gowns, gingerbread houses, miniature reindeer and the most delicious confectionary.
But all is not as it seems and Marietta is soon trapped in the sumptuous palace by the sadistic King Gelum, who claims her as his own. She is confined to a gilded prison with his other pets; Dellara, whose words are as sharp as her teeth, and Pirlipata, a princess from another land. Marietta must forge an alliance with the two women to carve a way free from this sugar-coated but treacherous world and back home to follow her dreams. Yet in a hedonistic world brimming with rebellion and a forbidden romance that risks everything, such a path will never be easy.
Retelling a story as well loved as The Nutcracker is no small task. Even I, who have never seen the ballet or read the original version, know the story; it shows up in every Christmas themed anthology, after all. So while I'm undoubtedly missing Easter Eggs and little references, I know the basics of what I'm looking for.
First of all, look at that amazing cover. The golden highlights, the dancer, the trees...it all evokes the feeling of the book in the best way possible. It's absolutely fabulous and will glow on any shelf.
The story is great too. Marietta is, occasionally, a little annoying - mostly in her short sightedness, which is understandable - but she's a great character, strong and determined and really brave. I liked Pirlipat and Dellara as well - my understanding is that Pirlipat is based on a character from the story, but Dellara seems to be new.
I did think that the writing was quite flowery for a lot of the story. It didn't bother me, but I can see how some people might think it wasn't worth battling through. I think it adds a nice tone to the story, making it seem more oldfashioned. I loved the descriptions of the magical land; this would make an amazing miniseries or movie, if anyone could capture it as written. All the dresses, the layout of the palace, the amazing food - it would be absolutely beautiful.
A great read, absolutely beautiful for Christmas. Fantastic.
(PS I would have loved a glossary of ballet terms - I mentally inserted 'very impresive ballet move' every time one was mentioned, but knowing what she was doing would have made this even better!)
Midnight in Everwood publishes on the 28th of October, 2021. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment