Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar – Review

Published: January 25, 2022 (US Hardcover)

Publisher: HQ

Series: Standalone

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
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.

Upon reflection, I don’t think I’ve ever read a retelling of the Nutcracker before so this is quite new to me. I’m also only somewhat familiar with the actual thanks to a quick read through the Wikipedia article, but it seems the barest bones of the original story are there. Many of the names have been recycled and the only nutcracker that appears is given as a not so subtle threat. It does embody the feeling of the source material through the setting – a world made of sugar, a cold winter pine forest, and magical toy wonders.

Marietta Stelle wants nothing more than to become a professional ballerina, but her father has forbidden it and bids her to marry a suitable match. The year is coming to a close and her final performance is rapidly approaching and a mysterious and wealthy man named Drosselmeier has moved in nearby. He makes the most magical toys and bobbles and has volunteered to make Marietta’s ballet set, meaning it will be a grand marvel, but he’s also approached her father about courting Marietta and she sees something dark in him. When he makes a threatening advance on her, Marietta flees from him and when she emerges on the other side of a grandfather clock, she finds herself in a magical world of winter clad forests and a castle made of frozen sugar.

While Everwood, as the town is called, seems to be a magical place it hides a rotting core. The king is a monster, and though Marietta is warned away by the handsome Captain Legat she sneaks into the castle where a ball is being held. When King Gelum sees her dance, he imprisons Marietta alongside his two other “pets” – Dellara, who claims to be a demon and Pirlipata, who is a warrior princess. It soon becomes a story of new found friends, small rebellions, a smidge of romance, strength and bravery.

I enjoyed this quite a bit and didn’t even mind when the ballet terminology went over my head. I wasn’t quite invested enough to google all those terms, but I managed to chug along through sheer strength of imagination. The book was somewhat strangely paced with a good 30% of it spent with Marietta prior to her flight to Everwood and mere pages doing away with the villain. This did provide an excellent opportunity to really build up Marietta’s character, but I find that too often endings happen in too short a span of time, which for me ultimately leads to less of an emotional impact. There was also extra focus on the lovely clothing in the book and while I can see how that may not work for some folks, I personally enjoyed it. I found this to have a fine balance of whimsical and serious elements and it’s a lovely take on the Nutcracker story – you have to love a trio of strong women, especially when they were so well written!