I was initially given a free digital copy of 'The Enchanted Sonata' by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review (thank-you!), but after reading it I fell in love and bought a hard copy of my own to add to my book collection. 😊

'The Enchanted Sonata' by Heather Dixon Wallwork is a whimsical, hybrid tale of 'The Nutcracker' and 'The Pied Piper' that reads like a classic fairytale from the likes of The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson. That means that there’s a hint of darkness in all that sweet. And that darkness threatens to topple an entire empire.

TES follows Clara, a gifted ingenue pianist who is crushing hard on older superstar pianist, Johann Kahler. He’s like a Beatle or a Jonas brother. And Clara is convinced that if she masters her piece for the upcoming concerto, Johann will fall head over heels the minute he hears her play. So, it’s pretty inconvenient when Clara is sucked into a mysterious book - a book from an anonymous gifter, at that, along with a nutcracker doll - and sent to Imperia, a kingdom whose children have been turned into toys by a song no one but they can hear. A place where music is literal magic, where the forests glitter and the air smells of gingerbread and peppermint.

And where its future ruler, Prince Nikolai, has also fallen victim to this horrific curse.

Clara doesn’t have much time to wonder at this new land she’s been transported to - she just needs to figure out how to get back home so she doesn’t miss her concerto, and the chance to seize True Love for herself. But, then she meets Nikolai and the people of Imperia. Clara - and her life - will never be the same again.

Can Clara find the power inside to defeat the musical monster lurking in the dark, trying to take down Imperia? Will Prince Nikolai ever get the chance to show his people what kind of leader he really is? Or will all fall to ruin?

I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story. I loved Clara’s character development - we watch her grow up and really earn herself a steely spine from beginning to end. We watch Prince Nikolai grow confident in his ability to lead his country. And to say nothing of how beautiful and immersive the descriptions of Imperia are. A land with magic, mesmerizing scenery, faeries, and large rats that remind me of the R.O.U.S.’s from The Princess Bride? Yes, please!

The villain of the story - an evil magician - is human and layered, which makes the story even more compelling. Grey zone villains are life. When you can understand where the bad guy is coming from with his actions, can empathize with the glimmers of that aforementioned humanity, you know you have a good, multilayered story (with multidimensional characters) on your hands!

Wallwork’s love of music is sprinkled all throughout the pages of TES, and that passion is contagious, making the story come to life.

The only downside I’d say would be that there were some places with a dash of rushing, as well as moments of telling, not showing. But, it didn’t much take away from the story. I still thoroughly devoured it.

TES is a heartfelt love letter to music, a journey of self discovery, and a love story sweeter than Franz Liszt’s ‘Love Dream.’ I give it a solid 4 1/2 stars! Highly recommended!

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I requested a copy of this book because I love retelling of fairytales and forklore. I know the story of the Nutcracker well. I was excited to see what this tale would offer up to the class we all know and love. I enjoyed that that story stayed about Clara. Some of the retellings I have read tend to drift off a little bit from the story. I got the humor and the story that was being told. It was well done and it made me want to find out more about this author since the write was new to me.

What a marvelous retelling! I fell in love with the cover instantly, and I loved it even more once I read the book. The Nutcracker is a favorite of mine, and this retelling definitely did it justice. I want to read it again and give it to everyone I know because this book deserves to be read.

I’ll admit that I don’t know much about <i>The Nutcracker</i> other than it’s about, well, a nutcracker. However, <u>The Enchanted Sonata</u> sounded very interesting so I figured why not.

This wasn’t a bad book. It was actually really good, albeit very slow. I found myself skipping pages at a time and not missing a thing. There was <b>a lot</b> of world building, which isn’t always a bad thing. Just some of it could’ve been taken down a notch.

For example: the Nutcracker was described as wooden many, many times. His wooden hand. Wasn’t necessary!

If you’re really into music and the “magic” that music can bring, then I think this is perfect. It’s a cute magical story of believing and following your heart. Probably would’ve been even nicer to read during the winter season, too.

Okay. So it was good. BUT, there were a lot of grammatical issues, such as missing words, noun repetition. It was also VERY cheesy.
The characters were nice and semi-well-rounded, though Nikolai and Clara both had a few somewhat irritating qualities about them. However, the cast was good, although flawed.
And, something I loved, there were these little funny or sweet moments that really made the book worth reading. It also felt SO Christmassy.

Such a magical re-telling of the Nutcracker, with a sprinkling of the Pied Piper. Heater’s writing is so vivid, it easily transports you to the world along side Clara.

Really enjoyed traversing the world, the battles were intense, and music being magic was so beautiful.

The Enchanted Sonata was a stirringly vivid, whimsical retelling of The Nutcracker. The cover reminds me of Enchantee, but it's obvious that's the other way around, since this book is published in 2018.

"But I do know that in the face of bitterness and disappointment, when our souls cry out in despair and anger, that we might fight it. As we fight everything in this life-with nobility, courage, and grace. That is what makes a true prince."

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

A review of this title is avaliable through Goodreads - and later through my blog. The Goodreads link is available below!

I was so excited for this book because I adore The Nutcracker, but it’s safe to say I wasn’t very enchanted. I loved the world in which this was set, but that was probably the only magical thing about it. The characters were bland and I was bored throughout most of the book. It might be more appealing to a younger reader, but this one wasn’t for me.

The Enchanted Sonata was very lyrical and is a perfect book for wintertime. The nutcracker is one of my favorite ballets and Heather did a great job capturing it in a book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

I really enjoyed this Nutcracker retelling. Especially the musical elements that Wallwork incorporates into her writing. I enjoyed the world but found that certain parts of the story dragged a little for me.

Overall, I would recommend picking up this retelling!

Fans of the ballet and Hoffman’s original tale will love this enchanting retelling of the
Nutcracker. With its beautiful prose, gorgeous descriptions, endearing characters and just the
right dash of budding romance, the Enchanted Sonata is one of those books that stay with you
long after you’ve put it down. Clara and the Nutcracker are amazing characters and it’s a
delight to read about their adventures as they make their way through the magical realms of
the Nutcracker’s world to try to break the curse that has swept over it. A grand adventure, a
love story, a magical curse and lots and lots of beautiful descriptions of music and candy…
This book has everything a fan of the Nutcracker could dream of, plus a plot twist or two. I
can’t recommend this book enough.

The Enchanted Sonata is a beautiful book that blends The Nutcracker and the Pied Piper, perfect for the winter holiday time. The romance was very cute and realistic, and I love all of the characters. Clara was brave, funny, and relatable, and you really get to see her develop through the story from a lovesick little girl into a courageous, smart woman. The prince was very likable and always wanted to do the right thing. Even the antagonist is well developed with a clever backstory.

The world building was amazing! I loved how it whisked you away to the vivid world of Imperia- from the forests to Polichinelle's candy shop to the royal palace. I also really loved the way the author wrote about the music that was played in the book. A wonderful, lyrical book that I would recommend to any musician or lover of fairy tales.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This was posted to Goodreads and my blog on March 15.

Heather Dixon is one of those unique writers who can capture a scene so vividly, you find yourself on the edge of your seat, gripping the book as the only leverage to keep you in reality, while you stand with the characters in a moment of unnerving tension, waiting for the worst - then one of the characters drops a one liner and you’re rocking in your chair, roaring with laughter.

I devoured this book in one day. One of the best reimaginings I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I love that Dixon chooses unusual and lesser thought of stories to bring into a new light. This is no different. Fans of the original Hoffman story and Tchaikovsky’s ballet will be delighted with it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Heather Dixon Wallwork for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

This was such a cute retailing of the Nutcracker. I really enjoyed this. It was very fast read and the author did a great job setting the world. You fall in love with the writing . I highly suggest this book. Great magical elements.

The young pianist Clara is given a Nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve and soon finds herself whisked away to a world full of music, fairies and rats. She and the Nutcracker have to fight off giant rats and stop the evil musician who uses his magic to turn children and soldiers into toys, before it’s too late.

The Enchanted Sonata is a retelling of the classical stories of The Nutcracker and The Pied Piper. Told in a whimsical writing style and with the magical atmosphere of winter it makes for a cozy and wonderful read.

Clara was quite a flat character in the beginning, but eventually developed into a much more believable and enjoyable character. I loved Nutcracker throughout the whole book and his internal struggles (as well as struggles with being wooden) made me really feel for him.

As a musician myself, I adored the parts in which Wallwork told the story through musical language. Of course, this may confuse or intimidate “non-musical” people, but I promise you it’s magical.

After a slow start when I almost put the book down many times for the amount of music information that makes little sense, at least to me, The Enchanted Sonata pick up and I can say is one of the best books of the year. The author does not force the relationship from the characters and convince us they have a reason for falling in love, hate, and every other emotion in line, something lacking in so many new books. The images from the nutcracker realm are not only striking and whimsical but make you wish to know the place, and, maybe, even stay there. That was so much better than the movie with the same principle in the movies at the same time. I hope to read more of this author.

DNF at 40%. I kept trying to pick it up and keep reading but it was just so slow moving and the writing style, while there was nothing inherently wrong with it, it just didn't feel right me. Don't take this off of your TBR just because of my thoughts on it. This book is definitely going to appeal to a lot of people.

Great retelling of the Nutcracker! The characters and world was well developed, the story had a good pace and kept me wanting to come back for more. The Nutcracker isn't my favorite story, but this story was fantastic! I hope Heather Dixon Wallwork does more retellings