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A review by mpurdy
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was really excited to get to this because I love dark retellings and had never read one about the Nutcracker. Alas, I feel like it missed the mark and would have been happier with a different ending.
We are following a set of twins who don't see eye to eye after being cursed by their mysterious "godfather." The setup had promised, but overall, it was a letdown. For starters, the setting is creepy,cold, and atmospheric, but we don't even know it's set in Russia until the end. The other world with "The Sugar Plum Fairy" was interesting, but I felt like we weren't really given enough description. I feel like the description was lacking due to the fact that we just kept jumping around until we eventually ended up in the climax of the story. After we repeated dark and light more times than I can count and reminded the reader that her "light sister" Clara is better and more loved.
At about the 50%-60% mark, we really start picking up steam as she discovers the mirror and finds the toy maker. At this point, I was 100% on board with the story and was excited to see how it would end, but when she chooses not to become the next "Sugar Plum Fairy," I was utterly disappointed. It was a perfect setup for a villain story.
Finally, why didn't we learn why her "godfather" left with "The Sugar Plums Fairies" son. We needed more backstory to sympathize with him along with Natasha towards the end. I also could have done without the historical additions. I felt it was unnecessary and kinda pulled you out of the story and the folklore vibe it has.
The creepy descriptions made me want this to lean more horror. I grimaced at parts and loved it. Johansen's writing is fast-paced and easy to binge. This book is a great transtion between fall and winter. If you want a book that's easy to read,dark themes, and features a HEA, this is for you.
We are following a set of twins who don't see eye to eye after being cursed by their mysterious "godfather." The setup had promised, but overall, it was a letdown. For starters, the setting is creepy,cold, and atmospheric, but we don't even know it's set in Russia until the end. The other world with "The Sugar Plum Fairy" was interesting, but I felt like we weren't really given enough description. I feel like the description was lacking due to the fact that we just kept jumping around until we eventually ended up in the climax of the story. After we repeated dark and light more times than I can count and reminded the reader that her "light sister" Clara is better and more loved.
Finally, why didn't we learn why her "godfather" left with "The Sugar Plums Fairies" son. We needed more backstory to sympathize with him along with Natasha towards the end. I also could have done without the historical additions. I felt it was unnecessary and kinda pulled you out of the story and the folklore vibe it has.
The creepy descriptions made me want this to lean more horror. I grimaced at parts and loved it. Johansen's writing is fast-paced and easy to binge. This book is a great transtion between fall and winter. If you want a book that's easy to read,dark themes, and features a HEA, this is for you.