I just stepped out of the shadows of this dark Nutcracker retelling, and let me tell you, it’s a literary journey that’s both unsettling and intriguing.

It is a chilling blend of the Nutcracker, Hansel and Gretel, and a dash of Sleeping Beauty. The author, known for the Queen of the Tearling series, takes us on a haunting ride through a world draped in shadows, where every page oozes with a palpable sense of dread. The interplay between light and dark adds layers of complexity, making it a gloomily thought-provoking experience.

“Love might be real, but it was also utterly precarious, just waiting to turn to hate.”

Ultimately, I was not entranced like I wanted to be. While the Queen and Drosselmeyer add an intriguing touch, the rest of the cast is easy to despise, adding a layer of discomfort that fuels the story’s darkness.

Minimal dialogue creates an atmosphere thick with internal musings, sometimes to the point of losing interest. The author’s signature style, as seen in the Queen of the Tearling series, is less prominent here. It’s a departure from what I expected, and while the darkness is vividly painted, I missed the narrative depth that drew me into her previous works.

It is a journey into the darker corners of Christmas lore. It’s a story that makes you question the innocence of toys, parties, and people. While it didn’t captivate me as much as expected, I wonder if my limited knowledge of the Nutcracker impacted my experience. Definitely a read for those seeking a holiday tale that’s more shadow than sparkle.

Thank you to Dutton books and NetGalley for the copy!

The writing in this novel was so lush and descriptive! I truly felt like I was inside the sickly sweet Kingdom of Sweets. This story was certainly dark and definitely kept me hooked since I had no idea what to expect for this Nutcracker retelling. I enjoyed the first half of the book but then things went a little awry during the second half of the book and for the ending. I got a little lost with the different plot points and characters towards the end. I also don't think the inclusion of historical events during the last part of the book was necessary. But I do think that if you want a darker fantasy holiday read, this will be right up your alley!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I will confess I am in general not a huge fan of ballet so while I have seen the Nutcracker it is not a story I revisit every year. I was intrigued by this reimagining of it and honestly it was almost like a whole new story for me because most of the original was lost to my memory. I liked the focus on Natasha and the consequences of her actions. This story is full of magic and wonderful things but it is also full of greed and heartbreak and how the price we pay is often more than the value of what we receive. I’m not sure the lesson meant to be taken from the story, but it was an interesting story. It read like a young adult story, but I’m not totally sure that is the right audience for it, if so it is on the mature end of young adult. Most of the characters are a little flat, but we also only see most of them through Natasha’s eyes and we often only see part of a person. I do wonder what would have happened if we could have seen more of the story from other perspectives, at least from Clara. Natasha and her twin sister Clara were born on Christmas Day. Their mysterious (and creepy) godfather came and “blessed” them with gifts. Clara was named light and was beautiful and charming and attracted all the blessings of the world. Natasha was named dark and was left with eyes open to the truth, homely appearance and invisibility in society. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars which I rounded up because I did get caught up into the story.

Tantalizing, horrifying, and the fantastical orchestration of morality and greed.

Erika Johansen is a gifted storyteller, weaving life lesson and notions that linger long after you finish.

I love the full circle of this novel. The craft of building a false world in the “Kingdom of Sweet” when in reality it is more of a terror.
Natasha learns an important lesson even though it takes her years to realize the truth. Naivety of youth. Cynicism of age…. And that’s no human is perfect.

Johansen is very poignant in how she phrases thing. I have highlight lots of passages. So many fairytale woven in this story. I loved the ending. Definitely would recommend this story.

I was sold immediately after seeing this was a Nutcracker retelling, a christmas staple for me as a kid. solid opening, but I started getting bored quickly and was about to dnf at around the 40% mark, until something happened that grabbed my attention and I was finally hooked. I am not a big fantasy reader, this one skews more on the magical/fairy tale side of things, but I did find some of those elements a bit confusing or out of the blue, but the plot itself was quite compelling.

.A dark and twisted tale involving twins and sorcery in pre revolutionary Russia. The story is narrated by the darker and plainer sister who makes a bargain with the Sugar Plum Fairy to assuage the jealousy she has of her twins life. As we know all Magic comes at a cost and unsurprisingly the bargain is not without complications. Additionally this is not the Sugar Plum Fairy of your dreams
The story definitely held my interest even with mostly unlikeable characters.

Nutcracker retelling? I was so excited to dive in!

Short Synopsis:
Twin sisters, born on Christmas are cursed by their godfather/sorcerer. Clara is light. And Natasha is dark. When he brings Clara a nutcracker doll, it opens up a world that is deceptively beautiful and filled with bargains and death.

My Thoughts:
This book started off so strong. I loved the villainous and betrayal take on Clara. I was consumed in the first three acts as we got to know the sisters, and the Kingdom of Sweets. The book took a dark turn and then was entirely too long. It dragged. A lot.

Read if You Like:
🍬 The Nutcracker
🍬 Fairytale retellings
🍬 Gothic fantasy
🍬 Family drama
🍬 Unique stories

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton for the advance copy of this book.

While I do love both the Nutcracker and fantasy books, this one wasn't for me. I absolutely LOVE a dark take on a traditional topic, and also really like how this was organized into acts like a ballet. I don't think I'll be able to watch this ballet the same way again after reading this! Some of the ideas/topics were repeated too much (I think to drive the points home), none of the characters are likable, and overall I felt that it was too long. This one is for you if you're into sinister retellings and fantasy + mystery/thriller genres.

I received a gifted galley of THE KINGDOM OF SWEETS by Erika Johansen for an honest review. Thank you to Dutton, PRHAudio, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

THE KINGDOM OF SWEETS is a twist on The Nutcracker following a pair of young twins. Clara and Natasha were born on Christmas and receive a birthright from their wizard godfather Drosselmeyer, Clara is given “bright” and Nutcracker is given “dark”. Though twins, Clara grows up the favored, beautiful, and happy child. Nat is plain and largely forgotten, living in her sister’s shadow.

One year, at the family’s annual Christmas Eve party, Drosselmeyer arrives with magical gifts, most notably a Nutcracker full of magic. This leads the twins into an alternate world, the Kingdom of Sweets. There they enter a world of sugar ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy, though not everything is quite as sweet as it may first appear.

I didn’t know much about this book going into it apart from the tie to The Nutcracker, but it wound up being a perfect read heading into the holiday season. I wound up really loving this book. The author did a fantastic job of blending the darkness of the story into the fairytale feel of the book. The descriptions of the sugary kingdom were so well done both the initial beautiful perceptions and also the darkness that exists under the surface. I really enjoyed the magic in this book and the lore that the characters explore related to twins and the world in general.

Having read the original story behind The Nutcracker ““The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann, I enjoyed picking up elements of the story. That said, I don’t think you need familiarity with the musical or the story to appreciate this novel. It has elements of the story while not being a direct retelling to my mind.

This dark re-telling of The Nutcracker was beautifully written. It was simultaneously easy to read, but also intricate with how the sentences were strung together. It was clear that a lot of time was invested into this book. The only thing that I would have liked to see done differently would be less monologue in the middle of the book. It got to be a bit monotonous and I had to take several breaks while reading this book due to it, which rarely ever happens.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!

If you enjoy being in the head of someone who is hateful and bitter, then you likely won't have an issue with this one. The writing is great and I loved the atmosphere and how it mixed with the Russian lore that this story originated from. However, I hated each and every character. It didn't feel like they had any qualities that I could like. I don't mind reading from a villain's perspective, I don't mind reading from an unlikable person's perspective. But our MC was so engrained in a 'not like other girls' mentality. I simply was not fun and cut down on my enjoyment.

I’m a huge fan of the Nutcracker ballet. I have been since my mom took me to the theater to watch it as a little girl. So anytime I can get my hands on a retelling, it’s an automatic pick up for me.

So I’m really sad to say that I DNF’d this book.

In Johansen’s retelling Clara is a twin (at least for a little while?) and Drosslemeyer has marked her and her sister. Clara being light which means she is the beautiful lucky one and her sister Natasha is the dark one. Which leaves her looks plain and her mind sharp. Drosslemeyer is feared by all, so having marked Natasha as dark has turned everyone else away from her as well.

On the Christmas night the girls turn 17 they somehow enter into a gotchic version of the Nutcracker’s/Sugar Plum Fairy’s kingdom. It seemed to me they were just there. Upon meeting the fairy Natasha is given a chance to get back at her sister who had just taken the most important thing from her that night.

This is how far I got into the story before I DNF’d. I felt that it had a chance to be a great book, but it was just very repetitive. We get it there’s a difference between the sisters. The constant drilling of that point was driving me crazy. I also felt that if I wasn’t reading it on my kindle I would have needed a dictionary, because there were so many words I’d never even heard before. I get that this tale is set in a different time so of course the vocab is different from present day, but I felt the wording was obnoxious and took me out of the story even more when I had to pause every other paragraph to learn a new word.

All in all I just couldn’t get into the story. I felt the transitions were poor and the characters were lacking other than Anastasia the cook. She was a hoot.

I love the story of the Nutcracker, and I have always thought there's so much potential for a retelling. Through the years, I've read several different takes, but they've always been misses for me. So when I heard there was a new retelling I had to request for an ARC of it! (Thank you, NetGalley!)

For the most part, I did enjoy this! I think I enjoyed Midnight in Everwood more. Kingdom of Sweets is a dark retelling. It really leans into gothic, which I wasn't expecting.

The book is about twin sisters: Clara and Natasha. One was christened to be light and the other was christened to be dark. They have a "godfather" named Drosselmeier, who basically is the bankroller of their town. Everybody owes him money and he does favors for everyone. He has a crew of beautiful young men who he surrounds himself with. Drosselmeier is the one who christened the twins to be light and dark, and because of him Nat (the main character) is always cast in shadow while Clara can do no wrong.

In the beginning of the novel, we experience the familiar Nutcracker, but seen through Nat's eyes. I really loved this part of the book. We experience the other side of the Kingdom of Sweets while Nat's anger festers to a breaking point. But then we have the Sugar Plum Fairy, who just comes and mucks things up.

Honestly, I loved the gothic take of the Nutcracker. My biggest issue is that the plot gets lost halfway through. It's rare for me to say this, but I really do think the plot went above my head. Orlov is such an important character, who gets so little attention. Yet he's detrimental to the Russian Revolution, which becomes a big aspect of the end of the book. Is that why I got lost? How does the Nutcracker relate to this? It doesn't help that the book spans about 30-40 years. Couldn't this have been consolidated?

I really loved the Nutcracker portion. I wish the prophecy of the twins was isolated to the Nutcracker part. There was too much trying to be done with the plot, and I simply couldn't understand the importance of anything anymore. It even lost the wow-factor, so there was nothing to help amp up the stakes at the end. (This is really saying something, as there's killer toys...)

Sadly, I'm still on the hunt for an amazing Nutcracker retelling. I do have to say that I'm glad I read this. I've been reading a lot about that time in Russian history this year, so bring it on!

The helped to scratch the Nutcracker itch that I always have around this time of year. This is a darker adaptation of the story, but it's very well done.

This is a dark retelling of The Nutcracker that's really fun to read- especially if you've seen The Nutcracker a few times and are familiar with the plot. Overall, I thought the way the author set up the plot and included various characters was really clever.

Though this isn't necessarily a Christmas book, several of the main plot points take place at Christmas over the span of the main character's life.

A darkly magical reimagining of The Nutcracker filled with death and decay, revenge and forgiveness.

Natasha and Clara are twins, named "Dark" and "Light" by their godfather on Christmas, the day of their birth. Clara is the apple of everyone's eye, while Natasha builds her life in the shadow of her sister. On the eve of their 17th birthday, events plunge Natasha into despair but also set her on the track to obtain her vengeance as she and Clara are plunged into the Kingdom of Sweets. As Natasha follows her sister into the palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Natasha unwittingly makes a magical bargain, one that she won't be able to escape no matter how hard she tries.

Utterly descriptive and filled with magic, scary dolls, and vivid horrifying imagery, The Kingdom of Sweets takes you into a world parallel to our own. But, once you return, you'll find that everything you had hoped for isn't what it seems.

Thank you to NetGalley, Erika Johansen and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced e-copy of this book. Look for it on November 28th!

This gloriously transportive reimagining of The Nutcracker tells the tale of twin sisters, divided by envy and magic, set against each another one fateful Christmas Eve.

This is a tough book to review. On the one hand, it’s Erika Johansen to a T. The world is imaginative, the premise is interesting, and the magic works for the world.

On the other hand, this book fell flat for me in many places. The characters felt like caricatures of people, which could be attributed to their ages at the start of the book. When you’re a teen, everything is black and white, stark, and the worst possible thing / the best!

The story, too, felt like it moved too quick. There was far more telling than showing, to the point where what was shown seemed only to be there when the author was interested in talking more about it. So much of the book often felt like a slog because the author seemed uninterested in exploring the mundanities that surrounded the quiet parts of the story.

Which is fine, you don’t have to explore those. I think it would’ve worked better, in fact, if she didn’t. Give us the snapshots of the most important pieces and move on.

This is all juxtaposed by an interesting idea that greater forces are at work. If only we were told what the broader message was, that idea would’ve been clearer. Religion is touched on, but not enough to carry the story. Was the message about light vs dark? It would appear that way, but the values of each - as well as the negatives - got lost inside the characters’ inability to see beyond their own noses for most of the story.

This was a very different take on a classic, and I’m glad for it. I wish it had been executed more precisely.

Book Summary:

Natasha and Clara have lived charmed lives, thanks largely to their godfather, Drosselmeyer. With his love comes a destiny. Like many children born with a destiny, some learn to embrace it while others struggle. Clara is the former, while Natasha is the latter.

So, when Natasha is given a chance at power and revenge in one bundle, she knows what she needs to do. As it turns out, some children are willing to make dark bargains to get what they want.

My Review:

As a huge fan of The Nutcracker, I was curious to see this retelling. In truth, I feel like there are fewer Nutcracker retellings out there (at least in comparison to the countless other types of retellings). So I was excited about The Kingdom of Sweets.

Overall, I would say that The Kingdom of Sweets is a solid read. Maybe not the best, but certainly compelling and interesting. I enjoyed the dark and revenge-oriented focus, as it really leaned into the unexplored potential of the Nutcracker.

You know that sick feeling you get when you've eaten too much sugar? That's the vibe The Kingdom of Sweets is going for. And for the most part, Erika Johansen nailed it. That said, I wouldn't recommend reading this one if you don't want to see a beloved tale change and wither, as that is certainly the result of this gothic take.

Highlights:
YA Fantasy
Christmas
Nutcracker Retelling

Be careful what you wish for is the basis of Erika Johansen's retelling of The Nutcracker. Throughout the book she explores other bits of life wisdom from the viewpoint of Natasha, the dark twin who is overshadowed by Clara, The Light. The story is dark and gruesome, and the ending won't appeal to some readers. The last part of the book felt rushed as if the author was trying to button up the pieces at a lower page count.

This was a perfect dark fairytale. It start's off so vivid with the nutcracker story I know mixed in with our twins and everyone in their life. Then it becomes very dark which I l0ved. It was a very messy tale that gave a new life to a familiar tale and wove in actual historical events.