Maria Kuzniar

Marietta Stelle has led a privileged life in Edwardian England. As the daughter of a Baron she has been given a good education, every convenience she can imagine and has been able to follow her dream of dancing. However, as Marietta's 20th birthday approaches, her parents expect her to take her place in society, give up her dancing and marry someone worthy of her social standing. An opportunity presents itself as the Stelle's receive a new neighbor, Dr Drosselmeier who is now an inventor. Dr show more Drosselmeier finds Marietta to be exactly what he wants, but not as an equal partner, he wants someone to control. When Marietta rebuffs his proposal she is sent into another world of Dr Drosselmeier's creation. The town of Everwood seems like a magical dream where candy fills the streets and magic is everywhere. Marietta has simply traded one gilded cage for the other as King Gelum takes Marietta as his own toy and forces her to perform at his will. With the help of her fellow captives, Pirlipata and Dellara, the women will change their fates and that of Everwood.

Midnight in Everwood is a fierce retelling of the Nutcracker with absolutely delicious writing and surprising characters. From the time Marietta entered the scene, I knew she would be a force. I loved her passion for dancing and how she never stopped fighting for the future she wanted. Marietta states "When she danced, she had a voice. And nothing was more fearsome than a silent future." Marietta's station in society has awarded her immense privilege, yet she was still trapped by her parents' wishes. It isn't until Dr Drosselmeier enters that she realizes her strength. Dr Drosselmeier is a perfectly sculpted villain, attractive and mysterious with a magical skill of creating worlds in his inventions. Everwood is crafted as a magical land of candy where I could envision the palace and multiple balls perfectly. As a dancer, I could also see Marietta's choreography play out in my head. King Gelum ruled tyrannically and the people of Everwood suffered. Many things in Everwood reminded me of pre-revolutionary France. Marietta soon learned what real imprisonment was, but she also learned of rebellion, sisterhood and fighting for the greater good, including herself. It was great to see Marietta impassioned and form relationships with Dellara and Pirlipata. Planning their escape was suspenseful and heart pounding. I was pleased to see that she used what she learned in Everwood and was able to turn it against Dr Drosselmeier in the end. I don't know if there will be another book, but I would love to see what happened to each of the three women after their escape and if Marietta was able to return.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

This Nutcracker retelling is rich with decadent prose as it tells a story that's very close to the original while remaining a unique story in itself.

The part I liked best about this retelling was finding the little nods to the ballet. The toy soldiers. The mice. The grandfather clock. The sugar spun castle and the references within to the original vignette dances of the ballet. Also, Kuzniar's prose is delectable, as sweet as sugar itself. However, as a Nutcracker retelling, I wanted to get show more to the fantasy part a lot sooner than we did. (The first 30% at least is set in historical England, and if this had been billed as a historical fantasy I would have loved it. But I was impatient for my retelling.) I guess I also had thought this was a YA book, when in truth it is an adult book, and so I had expected a little more innocence to the book's tone.

I think, however, that while there were things that bugged me, there was one thing that annoyed me to no end—and that is that in the productions of the ballet I have seen, Drosselmeyer is always a good guy. A bit weird, but ultimately good. I realize now that the E.T.F. Hoffman story which was the source material for the ballet may give him a different (or enhanced) role, but up until I read this book I wasn't aware there WAS any source material for Tchaikovsky's ballet. I certainly didn't know that in the Hoffman story Drosselmeyer was a bit of a creep. And so reading him as one in this story really threw me for a loop, and nearly caused me to DNF the book a few times. Don't get me wrong: this is on me, not the book. It's definitely a case of me expecting something different than the book was intended to be.

Long story short, this is a book that can be a fun read if you're looking for rich prose and a seasonal read. It is set very firmly at Christmas; the true fantasy part of the story happens at midnight on Christmas Eve, just as it does in the ballet (and, I assume, the Hoffman book). It starts off as a historical novel where female and gay characters are trying to find ways to live their true lives in their constrictive society and morphs into a fantasy retelling, but it is definitely on the darker side with some of the topics it discusses or implies. Do read it if it sounds appealing to you, but don't expect the lighthearted tone of the ballet.

Quick spoiler note with a possible CW: Our MC at one point is punished by the evil king for refusing to dance for him. He withholds her meals for a long time... longer than I expected, honestly. She gets help from other characters and survives the experience, but if food is a trigger for you be careful with that section. show less

Festive, whimsical and filled with lavish descriptions of delectable confectionery that made me crave sugary goodness like never before, Midnight in Everwood is a delight from start to finish.

This retelling of The Nutcracker has everything it needs to craft a captivating tale of adventure, love, self-discovery and independence. As a disclaimer, I should say: I haven't read the original (yet!), though I intend to remedy that ASAP, but I saw the ballet a few years ago right around show more Christmas-time and remember walking out absolutely enchanted by it. I was delighted to find the same feeling while reading Midnight in Everwood, which included some of the well-known elements of the tale while including some very original new developments and nuance.

Marietta, the protagonist, was definitely the star and I loved watching her grow through her experiences in Everwood, learning from those she meets there. She is passionate about her dance and willing to fight for what she believes in, and even though at times she appeared somewhat irrational and unnecessarily stubborn, I loved seeing her mature without losing her fire. I particularly appreciated how the romantic element developed and was weaved in delicately, without overpowering the main story and, most importantly, without Marietta changing herself and her dreams for it.

The rest of the cast is beautifully varied and colourful, making it easy to empathise with the more positive ones and fully hate the villains. I was especially fond of the female friendships that developed and how those characters evolved.

The setting deserves a special mention, as thanks to the vivid descriptions it almost takes life, between gorgeous dresses, sumptuous meals and frosty forests. It's also a world where not everything is as it seems, and I loved slowly unpeeling the layers to get to the truth with Marietta. My only issue with this was that at times the descriptions were slightly too rich and detailed, and this sometimes didn't really feel like it fit in with what was happening and slowed the pace. This is entirely personal preference though, and it absolutely didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book overall.

Midnight in Everwood is a gorgeous, masterfully crafted tale giving new life to a Christmas classic, and one that I'll look forward to revisiting in Christmases yet to come. Best enjoyed while sipping hot chocolate underneath a comfy blanket.


I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way. show less

I would note upfront that I have been a fan of these magical realism books that have taken classic fairy tales and retold them from different perspectives. In the case of Midnight in Everwood the story being turned inside out is that of The Nutcracker. Unlike with some of the other books, while I have had the good fortune to see the ballet performed (aaaaaaaaaah) and I instantly recognize Tchaikovsky’s music for The March of the Wooden Soldiers, I really did not know much of the actual show more story behind the ballet.

I am still not sure that I have any clue of the story behind the ballet but I do know that I had a reading experience that I enjoyed. It was creepy, full of surprises, and empowering. This is one of those books I will keep for a second read at another time as I know it will be different depending on my mood when I read it. I love books like that – they are few and far between.

The heroine, Marietta comes from a class of woman that does not appear on stage as a ballerina. She is expected to get married to the man of her parent’s choosing. But she doesn’t want that – she wants to dance. No matter the consequences she wants to push forward with her dream.

A man comes along who sends her to a place where her dream is made manifest but is it what she wants after all? Both the mysterious set builder and the evil King prove the Marietta that her dream is worth it as otherwise she will lose herself along the way.

A very thought provoking read on many levels – for those dreaming forward and those of us that have left dreams in the past. Is it ever too late to fulfill a dream? What happens when you do and it’s not what you might expect? Can you turn it into what you want it to be?

I guess I have become a philosopher…not one of my dreams but I am living a rather dream life and reading some really great books like Midnight in Everwood. show less