Midnight in Everwood
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- Create Date：2021-10-21 07:50:56
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：M.A. Kuzniar
- ISBN：0008450668
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Summary
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。
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。
Reviews
Annie
，
This one took a little time for me to get into but once I got to about a third of the way in I was hooked。 A beautifully written book that is highly descriptive and so very magical。 It takes you into a stunningly described world of whimsical fantasy。 A magical retelling of the Nutcracker and set against a winter landscape in Nottingham in a time long ago。 I really enjoyed reading about Marietta’s love for ballet and the struggles she has getting her father to let her dance。 She is an empowering This one took a little time for me to get into but once I got to about a third of the way in I was hooked。 A beautifully written book that is highly descriptive and so very magical。 It takes you into a stunningly described world of whimsical fantasy。 A magical retelling of the Nutcracker and set against a winter landscape in Nottingham in a time long ago。 I really enjoyed reading about Marietta’s love for ballet and the struggles she has getting her father to let her dance。 She is an empowering girl and a strong character who works hard to find a way to achieve her dreams。 A particularly nasty villain brings a darker side to this story and I enjoyed the contrast his character brought。 Reading about the world of Everwood was fascinating。 Such beautiful imagery makes this a book that will stay in my memory for a long time。 A book for fans of Stephanie Gerber。 I expect we will see much more of this author in the future。 Thanks to the author， @netgalley and and @hqstories for my gifted ecopy and spot on the book tour。 。。。more
Emma
，
What a deliciously magical tale。 This is just the most perfect read for winter time， especially Christmas。 Maria Kuzniar created a beautiful world that I was instantly transported to， her words danced a gorgeous theatrical tale into my imagination。 Midnight in Everwood is a retelling of The Nutcracker and although I haven’t read that， it was still marvellous to see familiar elements reworked。 The writing in this book is outstanding， I felt like I was right there at Marietta’s side – I could hear What a deliciously magical tale。 This is just the most perfect read for winter time， especially Christmas。 Maria Kuzniar created a beautiful world that I was instantly transported to， her words danced a gorgeous theatrical tale into my imagination。 Midnight in Everwood is a retelling of The Nutcracker and although I haven’t read that， it was still marvellous to see familiar elements reworked。 The writing in this book is outstanding， I felt like I was right there at Marietta’s side – I could hear the crunch of snow， feel the wisps of tulle skirts spinning and taste the sumptuous food。 And my goodness， the food in this book sounded mouth-wateringly good， it made me hungry！I loved Marietta， all she wants is to dance， who wants to get married when you can be a prima ballerina？？ Her character grows a lot during the book and I loved that。 She enters the mysterious land of Everwood and is quite naive about becoming the King’s dancer。 It may not have been intentional， but I also loved the slight nod to The Red Shoes， which sees the lead ballerina forced to dance which is what happens to poor Marietta。 My feet ached for her。 There’s a lot of underlying darkness to this fairytale and I adored that。 Any books inspired and set around the ballet world fascinate me， it’s a beautiful form of dance。 Midnight in Everwood is a sumptuous， beautiful and exciting read， with incredible writing and wonderful characters。 It’s a glorious read and I can’t recommend it enough。 。。。more
Rebecca Rouillard
，
Marietta Stelle loves to dance but her father doesn’t believe it’s appropriate for a young lady of her station to perform in public and has set the date when she must give up ballet and take her place in Edwardian society。 When the mysterious toymaker Dr Drosselmeier moves in across the road， Mariette senses something strange and sinister about him—he too seems to have plans to imprison her in a role she doesn’t want。 At midnight on Christmas Eve， however， Marietta stumbles through a portal into Marietta Stelle loves to dance but her father doesn’t believe it’s appropriate for a young lady of her station to perform in public and has set the date when she must give up ballet and take her place in Edwardian society。 When the mysterious toymaker Dr Drosselmeier moves in across the road， Mariette senses something strange and sinister about him—he too seems to have plans to imprison her in a role she doesn’t want。 At midnight on Christmas Eve， however， Marietta stumbles through a portal into a magical land full of confectionary， wonder and terrible danger。 With the help of some new friends， she plans her escape from Everwood but also from the cage her father has planned for her。 I haven’t read the original story that ‘The Nutcracker’ was based on， but I’ve seen the ballet several times。 （Although I have to admit， the version of The Nutcracker I’m most familiar with is the Barbie movie！） What I particularly loved about this is that the author has taken the elements of ‘The Nutcracker’ and created something entirely new and wonderous。‘Midnight in Everwood’ is an enchanting story that captures in prose all the romance and wonder of the original ballet， with a new protagonist who springs to life on the page with passion， courage and determination。 I adored every delicious moment of this story。 。。。more
Dakota
，
Magical， enchanting， and sure to get you in the Christmas spirit， MIDNIGHT IN EVERWOOD will transport you to a world like none other。 The descriptions and imagery in this novel were fantastic， sending my imagination on a joyous winter wonderland of a ride。 Marietta's love for ballet was beautiful to witness and her determination to carve her own path truly inspiring。 Her growth throughout the novel was evident and I love that！ Kuzniar's supporting characters were also fun to witness and I found Magical， enchanting， and sure to get you in the Christmas spirit， MIDNIGHT IN EVERWOOD will transport you to a world like none other。 The descriptions and imagery in this novel were fantastic， sending my imagination on a joyous winter wonderland of a ride。 Marietta's love for ballet was beautiful to witness and her determination to carve her own path truly inspiring。 Her growth throughout the novel was evident and I love that！ Kuzniar's supporting characters were also fun to witness and I found the budding friendships and romances to be delightful。 While I enjoyed this book， I will say I found it to be rather long and I did get kind of bored towards the middle。 That's why it took me a couple of weeks to finally finish the book。 I was hooked at the start then felt myself waning halfway through。 Nonetheless， I am thankful for the joy this novel put into my heart for the upcoming holiday season。 I am so ready for Christmas and everything that comes with this most wonderful time of the year！ 。。。more
Laura
，
Thank you， NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review。 During my years at school， I chose to do music as part of my exams and I had to listen and write about the composition of The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky。 Due to this， I was drawn to the premise of this story。Marietta is a 20-year-old woman who longs to be a Ballerina in Nottingham which was a good start because there is more to the UK than London。Unfortunately， this didn't hit the mark for me and I struggled。 Eve Thank you， NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review。 During my years at school， I chose to do music as part of my exams and I had to listen and write about the composition of The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky。 Due to this， I was drawn to the premise of this story。Marietta is a 20-year-old woman who longs to be a Ballerina in Nottingham which was a good start because there is more to the UK than London。Unfortunately， this didn't hit the mark for me and I struggled。 Everything was over descriptive and all came back to food。 There was part of the book that doesribed what the corridor of the home was like。If you do like flowery books then this is for you 。。。more
kindleandkettle
，
Midnight in Everwood is an utterly enchanting tale。The book is set in Nottingham in 1906 and follows Marietta， who loves nothing more than ballet。 The problem is that Marietta is from a noble family and has been given a deadline for when she has to stop dancing and join society。 Marietta soon meets Dr Drosselmeier who is a mysterious man that wins over the rest of her family with his enchanting toys and invention。 Drosselmeier is tasked with constructing the set for Marietta's final ballet perfo Midnight in Everwood is an utterly enchanting tale。The book is set in Nottingham in 1906 and follows Marietta， who loves nothing more than ballet。 The problem is that Marietta is from a noble family and has been given a deadline for when she has to stop dancing and join society。 Marietta soon meets Dr Drosselmeier who is a mysterious man that wins over the rest of her family with his enchanting toys and invention。 Drosselmeier is tasked with constructing the set for Marietta's final ballet performance but Marietta soon discovers that the set is enchanted to transport her to the snowy forest of Everwood。 Marietta is enamoured with Everwood but in a short time she finds herself in service to the King as a dancer。 Marietta soon realises she is imprisoned in a gilded cage & things are not what they appear。There are so many magical delights within this story。 While it is set during the Christmas period， I feel that it can be read anytime and it will transport the reader on a wondrous journey。 It is a retelling of the Nutcracker and a lot of similarities can be drawn between the two but I feel M。A。 Kuzniar still crafted a unique story。 Some of my favourite aspects of the story were the descriptions of the irresistible outfits and the tantalising food （seriously， I found myself constantly getting hungry while reading this book）。Marietta is definitely ahead of her time。 She is fighting for her independence and the ability to do something she is passionate about。 We see Marietta grow as a character throughout the story and watch her influence other characters around her。 I loved the relationship between Marietta， Pirlipata and Dellara。 We initially see Pirlipata and Dellara are very stand-offish with Marietta but they soon form a very close bond and will do anything for each other。 I absolutely adored Marietta's relationship with Captain Legat as well。 It felt like it gracefully blossomed。 The book had a couple of villainous characters as well。 First we have Dr Drosselmeier， who isn't what he seems and Marietta is extremely distrustful of。 Then we have King Gelum who is tyrannical and sadistic。 I enjoyed seeing how Marietta used her experiences with one character to aid her interactions with the other。 Midnight in Everwood is marketed as an adult fantasy， however I do feel it is suitable for a YA audience。 Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for gifting me with a copy of this book。 。。。more
Yvonne
，
This is a retelling of the Nutcracker story， I am always a little dubious when it comes to retellings。 The story of the Nutcracker always reminds me of Christmas， especially Christmas Eve， it is a fantasy， magical fairy tale that I adore。 So， did Midnight in Everwood live up to my expectations？ It most definitely did！Straight from the outset， this book felt right， Marietta is a young girl who lives a life of privilege。 Her parents have allowed her to attend ballet classes， but it has been known This is a retelling of the Nutcracker story， I am always a little dubious when it comes to retellings。 The story of the Nutcracker always reminds me of Christmas， especially Christmas Eve， it is a fantasy， magical fairy tale that I adore。 So， did Midnight in Everwood live up to my expectations？ It most definitely did！Straight from the outset， this book felt right， Marietta is a young girl who lives a life of privilege。 Her parents have allowed her to attend ballet classes， but it has been known that this will not be something that they will support her in。 She is， after all， a young woman with responsibilities， who needs to marry into the right position that will allow her parents to live in the upper echelons of society。 There is a newcomer to the neighbourhood， a mysterious and enigmatic man， an inventor of toys and mechanical creations of wonder。 Mr Drosselmeier is enchanted by Marietta and he wants her to become his wife。 Through one of his creations， she is transported into another world， where she is trapped。 I absolutely adored everything about this story， it has a gorgeous magical feel to it with wonderful descriptions that gradually built a vivid image in my mind as I read the story。 Everwood is all glittery， sugary sweet with magic。 All this glamour and glitz is a front， there are whispers， rumours and hints that all is not as it should be within this wonderland。 The King is tyrannical， overbearing and greedy。The story of the Nutcracker is one I love， there are hints of the original story and I could see the inspiration in this version。 If you have not read the Nutcracker， well， it really doesn't matter as this is a retelling of the story。 The author uses Marietta so well in this version， a strong upright young woman who has dreams of a future。 She does not want to be wed to someone who will dictate to her or see her as a possession。 She does not want to become a pawn for her parents to rise up through the ranks of society。 This is a wonderfully magical story。 It is an adult fairy tale， a fantasy and I loved it。 It was everything I hoped it would be， and dare I say a bit more as well。 I would very definitely recommend this one。 。。。more
Tea Leaves and Reads
，
You will fall down the rabbit hole into a completely different world with this book。 It’s truly truly wonderful。 Characters and whole lands that will have you invested in them， sweet treats that will have you salivating， and an underlying story， morals and values， that will have you turning the pages until that gripping conclusion。 There is so much within this book – it’s almost impossible to do it justice in a review and you really do need to pick it up and see for yourselves！Everwood is a gorg You will fall down the rabbit hole into a completely different world with this book。 It’s truly truly wonderful。 Characters and whole lands that will have you invested in them， sweet treats that will have you salivating， and an underlying story， morals and values， that will have you turning the pages until that gripping conclusion。 There is so much within this book – it’s almost impossible to do it justice in a review and you really do need to pick it up and see for yourselves！Everwood is a gorgeous world with dark foundations and yet the beauty of this place shines through every page despite this。 There are truly show-stopping scenes – descriptions that really bring to life the magic of this book。 There is incredible attention to detail throughout – nothing is glossed over， everything is explored， described and painted so that it comes to life。 You will be in Everwood – you will feel the delight and the terror。 To create a book that reads like a film adaptation in its attention to the visuals is a true delight。If you haven’t read The Nutcracker， you don’t need to – but visit it afterwards like I did because you’ll see so many of the wonderful inspirations and how M A Kuzniar made them her own through this magical retelling。 Attention to detail continues in the cover design， artwork and special edition publications of this book too。 。。。more
Emily Pallett
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book was a sheer joy to read， a magnificent page turner。 If could give it more than 5 stars I would。It ticked all the boxes featuring drama， romance， terror， excitement， thrills and most importantly， spectacular magic。 The language was superb， especially the descriptive writing such as the ballet dances， the balls and the outfits！ I was incredibly impressed with the relationships between characters and how they all slotted into Marietta’s journey。King Gelum infuriated me， his cruelty develo This book was a sheer joy to read， a magnificent page turner。 If could give it more than 5 stars I would。It ticked all the boxes featuring drama， romance， terror， excitement， thrills and most importantly， spectacular magic。 The language was superb， especially the descriptive writing such as the ballet dances， the balls and the outfits！ I was incredibly impressed with the relationships between characters and how they all slotted into Marietta’s journey。King Gelum infuriated me， his cruelty developed hatred from me， but he was still written perfectly。I was particularly fond of Frederick， Pirlipata and Dellara and of course， Legat。 I am not one for romance， but I was so captivated by the beauty of their relationship。 I would’ve loved for them to end up together， but at the same time I’m so proud of the woman Marietta became。 I’m so proud of the way she followed her dreams despite all the odds against her。 Her adventures in Everwood reminded me somewhat of Narnia， and this book reminded me of why magic is important in books。 This book is an important adventure that I think many adults should read so they can remind themselves that there is always hope， their dreams are not lost， and to believe in magic， believe in the impossible。This was quite frankly， a very beautiful read。 。。。more
Helen
，
If you’re looking for a different kind of Christmas read this year， Midnight in Everwood could be it。 This retelling of The Nutcracker will whisk you away to a fantasy land of snow and sugar and will be best read in front of a fire with a hot drink on a cold day。 Sadly， I didn’t like it as much as I’d hoped to but I know other readers will enjoy it much more than I did （and judging by the early reviews， they already are）。The novel opens in Nottingham in 1906， where twenty-year-old ballet dancer If you’re looking for a different kind of Christmas read this year， Midnight in Everwood could be it。 This retelling of The Nutcracker will whisk you away to a fantasy land of snow and sugar and will be best read in front of a fire with a hot drink on a cold day。 Sadly， I didn’t like it as much as I’d hoped to but I know other readers will enjoy it much more than I did （and judging by the early reviews， they already are）。The novel opens in Nottingham in 1906， where twenty-year-old ballet dancer Marietta Stelle is hoping to audition for a prestigious ballet company。 Her parents， however， have other plans for Marietta; they want her to give up dancing and settle down into a conventional and respectable married life。 The husband they have in mind is their new neighbour， the inventor Dr Drosselmeier， who has been delighting everyone with his wonderful clockwork toys – everyone except Marietta， who senses something cold and cruel behind Drosselmeier’s charming exterior。 Trying to escape from Drosselmeier’s unwelcome attentions on Christmas Eve， Marietta hides inside a grandfather clock， but when the clock strikes midnight she finds herself trapped within the enchanted， snow-covered land of Everwood。This book is being marketed as children’s author MA Kuzniar’s debut adult novel – ‘The Nutcracker for adults’ – but I think this is misleading as it feels much more like a book for teenagers。 There’s nothing wrong with that， of course， but it’s not what I expected and the book lacked the depth I would have preferred。 I also found the writing style much too flowery; there are long descriptions of clothes， hairstyles， food and furnishings and every sentence is packed with adjectives and similes， most of them related to cakes and sweets – voices are ‘smooth and rich as buttercream’， eyes are the colour of ‘butterscotch’ and expressions ‘soften like melted chocolate’。 The sugary theme continues throughout the entire book and while I found it quite captivating at first， my senses began to feel overwhelmed with sights， tastes and smells！ I can see， though， that this is exactly what other people loved about the book， so it really does depend on the individual reader。On a more positive note， it was interesting to read a book set in Edwardian Nottingham， rather than the usual London。 I wished we had seen more of that setting， but the majority of the story takes place in the magical land of Everwood （which is reached in a way that reminded me of The Lion， the Witch and the Wardrobe）。 Although Everwood seems enchantingly wonderful at first and a safe haven in which Marietta can hide from the sinister Drosselmeier， it quickly becomes clear that it is more of a prison， making this a dark Christmas read rather than a happy， festive one。 The friends Marietta makes in Everwood – Dellara the fairy and Pirlipata， princess of Crackatuck – are imprisoned there too， and there is a feminist thread running through the story， exploring the various constraints on women’s lives， both in the fantasy world and in the real one。I have to confess， I’ve never actually read the original ETA Hoffmann Nutcracker story or the Alexandre Dumas one on which the famous ballet is based。 Maybe if I had， I would have appreciated this novel more。 。。。more
Lizz
，
Midnight in Everwood was such a whimsical and magical story made up of sugar， spice and almost everything nice。As a retelling of The Nutcracker， Midnight in Everwood takes on a real fantasy feel through wonderful world building and descriptive writing， transporting you back to 1906 in Nottingham and then eventually into the wonderful magical world of Everwood， where a subtle dark part of the story plays out。Marietta was a lovely， some what strong main characters who’s growth and strength I enjoy Midnight in Everwood was such a whimsical and magical story made up of sugar， spice and almost everything nice。As a retelling of The Nutcracker， Midnight in Everwood takes on a real fantasy feel through wonderful world building and descriptive writing， transporting you back to 1906 in Nottingham and then eventually into the wonderful magical world of Everwood， where a subtle dark part of the story plays out。Marietta was a lovely， some what strong main characters who’s growth and strength I enjoyed reading about。 Also add in some dark and villainous characters and you are set up for an amazing journey of a read。Fans of The Nutcracker would enjoy this one， especially those who enjoy a lovely and cold white Christmas。 。。。more
Catalina
，
Sometimes the easy path is harder than one might ever imagineFrom the title， to the cover， to the blurb， everything makes one think of an enchanted story， a fairytale if you like。 And it is。 In many way it is just that: a charming story， full of wonder and magic and sugar， and reminiscent of The Nutcracker。 Apparently it is a retelling of the The Nutcracker， something I was not aware of until I've read a couple of reviews upon starting reading it。 I have to admit， have I known that beforehand， Sometimes the easy path is harder than one might ever imagineFrom the title， to the cover， to the blurb， everything makes one think of an enchanted story， a fairytale if you like。 And it is。 In many way it is just that: a charming story， full of wonder and magic and sugar， and reminiscent of The Nutcracker。 Apparently it is a retelling of the The Nutcracker， something I was not aware of until I've read a couple of reviews upon starting reading it。 I have to admit， have I known that beforehand， I might not have requested it。 In fact the bulk of the story happening in the Everwood has been a chore to read（almost 2/3 of the novel， oops！）。 I found it soooooooooo boring and repetitive and annoying。 I couldn't warm up to the love story and the scene at the end of the Everwood journey was a bit of an unpleasant surprise。 Luckily not everything is doom and gloom。 I thoroughly enjoyed the use of language。 Much of the enchantment of the story is constructed with language。 So many gorgeous and unexpected words are being employed to sprinkle magic and rope us into believing in fairytales。 Ultimately， and what I loved best， this is a female empowerment story。 It has been done so well， so balanced， so believable。 I appreciated Marietta's development: from a privileged girl to a woman who has the courage to follow her path no matter the sacrifices， who appreciates the value of friendship and is open to new experiences even if they may end up in pain and misery。*Book from NetGalley with many thanks to the publisher。 。。。more
AtomicBooks
，
This is a really lovely magical book that will leave you feeling warm and cosy inside。 With a bit of history， fairytales， magic and romance it is a perfect winter read。 If you loved the Caraval series then you’ll love this too。
Sophie Snow
，
（view spoiler）[Sexism， kidnapping， homophobia， forced marriage， torture， violence， rebellion， execution， death。 （hide spoiler）]♥ This book promised gorgeous， lyrical， writing and oh boy did it deliver。 It truly felt like a fairytale and everything， from the setting to the tiny details， was super vivid。 The atmosphere was absolutely spot on。 It almost had a slight gothic horror vibe amongst the backdrop of a sugary winter。♥ This was a really fun and unique take on the story of The Nutcracker。 I c （view spoiler）[Sexism， kidnapping， homophobia， forced marriage， torture， violence， rebellion， execution， death。 （hide spoiler）]♥ This book promised gorgeous， lyrical， writing and oh boy did it deliver。 It truly felt like a fairytale and everything， from the setting to the tiny details， was super vivid。 The atmosphere was absolutely spot on。 It almost had a slight gothic horror vibe amongst the backdrop of a sugary winter。♥ This was a really fun and unique take on the story of The Nutcracker。 I can be a bit hit or miss with retellings， but the author told the familiar story in a fresh way that had me excited to turn the page。 ♥ I really enjoyed the characters。 Marietta had a lot of character growth in a short amount of time， and I loved seeing her connect with Delara and Pirlipata， and seeing how that friendship changed her over the course of the story。 ♥ Although the romance didn’t play a huge role， I did really enjoy it。 ♥ This book did a great job of discussing the roles women are often expected to fill without asking questions， and watching all of the incredible women in the story push back against this was wonderful。♡ I would have liked for the magic system to be a bit more in depth。 It was really interesting， I just wanted more。 This is a must-have， cozy， winter read， perfect for fans of Caraval and The Wayward Children series。 I can’t wait to pick up more of the author’s work in the future。Thank you to HQ for the ARC via NetGalley。 All reviews are 100% honest。["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]> 。。。more
Karen
，
A fantasy tale based on The Nutcracker introduces us to Marietta， an aristocratic young ballet dancer whose dreams of stardom are threatened by her parents' determination to marry her off to Dr Drosselmeier， their enigmatic but sinister toy-maker next door neighbour。 To escape his advances， she hides in a grandfather clock which takes her to the magical world of Everwood， where she is enslaved by evil King Gelum and forced to dance every day。 How will she ever escape？This story had an other-worl A fantasy tale based on The Nutcracker introduces us to Marietta， an aristocratic young ballet dancer whose dreams of stardom are threatened by her parents' determination to marry her off to Dr Drosselmeier， their enigmatic but sinister toy-maker next door neighbour。 To escape his advances， she hides in a grandfather clock which takes her to the magical world of Everwood， where she is enslaved by evil King Gelum and forced to dance every day。 How will she ever escape？This story had an other-worldly feel right from the start。 Though set in the UK in Edwardian times， it felt more like Austria or Germany in a bygone age， with snow and festive markets and constant references to sugarplums， so the reader is prepared for the magical twist it takes。 Though it referenced the Nutcracker， there were echoes of Narnia and even Alice in Wonderland as the narrative immersed us in the world of Everwood。Rich in description and atmospheric， it was easy to be carried along on Marietta's journey （though I did find the old-fashioned dialogue a bit tedious at times）。 Marietta is a strong heroine， and the other characters - her brother， Frederick， her new-found friends in Everwood， Delara and Pirlipata - sparkle around her。 And of course， as with every good fairytale， there's romance - but will Marietta find true happiness in Everwood or her own world？ Her destiny is in her own hands。 。。。more
Helen Hollick
，
To think that this is a sweet， sugary journey through scenes from The Nutcracker ballet with Sugar Plum fairies and sparkling kings and queens， would be wrong and may put you off reading what is a piece of dark fantasy， twisting the traditional view of sugar and candy canes and marzipan as being Good and that beauty is always a good thing。 The world Marietta comes from—Nottingham in 1906—is rigid and devoid of magic， where fairies are small and cute and fun and the name Drosselmaier conjures ima To think that this is a sweet， sugary journey through scenes from The Nutcracker ballet with Sugar Plum fairies and sparkling kings and queens， would be wrong and may put you off reading what is a piece of dark fantasy， twisting the traditional view of sugar and candy canes and marzipan as being Good and that beauty is always a good thing。 The world Marietta comes from—Nottingham in 1906—is rigid and devoid of magic， where fairies are small and cute and fun and the name Drosselmaier conjures images of a broad smile， a wide turquoise cloak， and a benign gentleman with a magic touch all moving to the sound of Tchaikovsky。 What she discovers when she hides in a grandfather clock， is， on the surface， the land of fairies and magic， of soldiers decked in smart uniforms and sweets and chocolate everywhere。 However， the sugary perfection of Everwood hides a dark secret—a despotic king who has harnessed magic for himself having murdered the previous king and queen， automatons who protect him without question; a king who is insecure， jealous and suspicious。 Marietta can only blame her misfortunes on herself， but she finds a strength to fight back， as she discovers love in its many forms， and someone she dislikes more than her parents。This could be read by anyone from around fourteen years old upwards， There is darkness and snippets of real threat， but most is hidden from view， but enough remains to render this still readable and enjoyable for a cynical adult。 Both can relate to the grumpy parents trying to persuade their offspring that they know best， though maybe Theodore loses some respect drinking sherry AND cognac with dinner！If you love ballet， if you love The Nutcracker—if you HATE The Nutcracker—this is still for you。 Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds 。。。more
Emmie Rose
，
Review to come soon as part of the book tour！
Becky
，
Set in a romanticised version of 1909 Nottingham， this was a beautiful （even empowering） story with brilliant world building qnd imagery throughout。 Perfect for fans of caraval or the night circus
Karen
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Review to follow nearer publication - 28 October
Emily Rainsford
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3。5/5It's Nottingham in 1906 and Marietta is a Lord's daughter who's expected to get married and be a society lady。 But she's a headstrong girl who dreams of nothing but dancing her life away as a professional ballet dancer， something her father deems wholly inappropriate。Enter Drosselmeier， the mysterious new neighbour， who enchants everyone with his magical toy creations。 But Marietta senses something darker about him， and soon she's drawn into a sinister fairytale。。。The bulk of this story， af 3。5/5It's Nottingham in 1906 and Marietta is a Lord's daughter who's expected to get married and be a society lady。 But she's a headstrong girl who dreams of nothing but dancing her life away as a professional ballet dancer， something her father deems wholly inappropriate。Enter Drosselmeier， the mysterious new neighbour， who enchants everyone with his magical toy creations。 But Marietta senses something darker about him， and soon she's drawn into a sinister fairytale。。。The bulk of this story， after the initial chapters， takes place in the magical alternate world of Everwood， where Marietta becomes trapped。 This fairytale land of ice and confectionery， initially entrancing， soon reveals itself to be a cloying， sugar dusted prison， full of darker shadows。 Marietta must find a way to escape and get back to her own world， and her own dreams for her life。Although billed as "the Nutcracker for adults"， I felt this read as a YA story。 I enjoyed the way the magical was laced with darkness， but I have to admit I craved a little more in that respect。 I enjoyed the atmospheric， heady， sumptuous world created， although at times it felt a little overwritten。 I read an advance review version， so I'm hopeful that another pass through editing will catch some of the words used erroneously in an attempt to sound prim。There are themes of feminism running heavily through the story， and I appreciated the attempt at acknowledging intersectionality。 Although being a woman stymies Marietta's control of her own life， she has a few moments throughout events where she is confronted with the other privileges she does have， being wealthy， white and straight。There was a couple of instances of out of character behaviour that bothered me - apparently supportive Frederick not taking Marietta to her ballet class， Marietta risking her friends and plans to see the captain。 I also felt the climax（es） were a little rushed and resolved too easily。 Were that girl's ballet shoes made of TITANIUM？？ And couldn't she just have used the shrinking powder on the King and solved literally everyone's problems right away？？I did decide to read a children's picture book version of The Nutcracker before writing this， which I'm glad I did， as I see now the nods to the story present in the novel。 I also understand better the shoe throwing event。 However， I still feel this could have been worked in a little more believably。Maybe it's because I've been reading such a high calibre of indie books lately。 But I am honestly a little surprised to read a printed ARC from a trad publisher that feels like it could do with a good going over by the substantive editor。 There's a lot to like about this darkly magical story， I just feel like it could have been refined a little more。I think if you're looking for an escapist fairytale of a story， and can suspend a little disbelief， then this will certainly scratch an itch。 It would be perfect for getting in the holiday spirit in the lead up to Christmas - the descriptions of the markets， the snow， and the magical world made of sweets definitely evoked a magical atmosphere。 If a few niggles had been smoothed out a bit more， I could recommend this one a little more unreservedly。 。。。more
Helen O'Brien
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I found this book quite intriguing。 It’s not my ‘usual’ type of read， I’d describe it as a grown up fairy tale so it’s one where you are never going to relate to the characters。 It took me quite a long time to read as it is full of very rich descriptions， sometimes even a little too much？ It is very loosely based on the story of the Nutcracker。 Marietta just wants to be a ballet dancer but is trapped in a life of privilege where she expected to marry a suitable fellow。 Drosselmieir is an eligibl I found this book quite intriguing。 It’s not my ‘usual’ type of read， I’d describe it as a grown up fairy tale so it’s one where you are never going to relate to the characters。 It took me quite a long time to read as it is full of very rich descriptions， sometimes even a little too much？ It is very loosely based on the story of the Nutcracker。 Marietta just wants to be a ballet dancer but is trapped in a life of privilege where she expected to marry a suitable fellow。 Drosselmieir is an eligible bachelor who sets his cap on her， and when she refuses， condemns her to another world made of ice and sugar， where she becomes a pet of the evil king， forced to dance for him every night。 There are elements of romance， good triumphing over evil and of course more than a little sprinkling of magic。 At times I felt it was childish and struggled a bit but I couldn’t help admire the author’s development of the story and this adaptation。 It’s a good 3。5 stars from me。 Maybe one for fans of The Night Circus。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Wendy Robey
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This is a story to get lost in。 Full of magical descriptions and imagery it is a masterpiece in storytelling。 I could almost taste and touch the sugar coated palace and village of Everwood - a confectionery delight which hid darker secrets。 I loved the relationship between Marietta， Pirlipata and Dellara - such different characters but so strong together。 The story of their empowerment was a huge part of the adventure and was wonderful to read。
Zoe M
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A beautiful， magical story that draws you in from the first page。 It is loosely based on The Nutcracker。 Pure fantasy escapism I was blown away。 Loved the plotline and loved the characters。 I just didn't want this to end。 A beautiful， magical story that draws you in from the first page。 It is loosely based on The Nutcracker。 Pure fantasy escapism I was blown away。 Loved the plotline and loved the characters。 I just didn't want this to end。 。。。more
Donna
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I really enjoyed this book as I love a good fantasy， fairytale and magical story and this really did foot the bill。 It had everything a good tale should have and so much more。 It literally was a very 'Sweet' tale。Marietta is a girl with hopes and dreams （of being a ballerina） but her family have other ideas of how her life should pan out。 Then in steps the evil Dr。 Drosselmeier who works his magic on her family and on Marietta herself （to a point）。 A tale of two worlds， of family， friendships an I really enjoyed this book as I love a good fantasy， fairytale and magical story and this really did foot the bill。 It had everything a good tale should have and so much more。 It literally was a very 'Sweet' tale。Marietta is a girl with hopes and dreams （of being a ballerina） but her family have other ideas of how her life should pan out。 Then in steps the evil Dr。 Drosselmeier who works his magic on her family and on Marietta herself （to a point）。 A tale of two worlds， of family， friendships and of making the hard decisions that need to be made in life and the strength you need to step out of what is expected of you and into what you really want and desire。But what made this all the more entertaining is the magical world into which Marietta found herself， The descriptions of the sweet aromas， flavours， sights and sounds of this new world are wonderful。 Yet there is an underlying meanness in this so called perfect world。 A well written， spell-binding， magical retelling of a story everyone knows but MA Kuzniar brings a whole new whimsical spin to it and I love it。 Although I did find it a bit over descriptive in parts which made it a longer read than I thought was necessary but I still love it。Thank youMidnight in EverwoodM。A。 KuzniarHarper CollinsPublishers 。。。more
Panna Fox
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Magical from the very first page even though the actual magic does not appear until later on。 I loved how slow-paced it was: allowing the reader to savour every single word， sentence， page。 The story follows a young girl who finds herself in rather difficult position: I believe one can call it difficult， you know: being sucked into another realm。 I am in love with the story， the sophisticated language and the character of Marietta。 A must read for the fans of The Nutcracker and early twentieth c Magical from the very first page even though the actual magic does not appear until later on。 I loved how slow-paced it was: allowing the reader to savour every single word， sentence， page。 The story follows a young girl who finds herself in rather difficult position: I believe one can call it difficult， you know: being sucked into another realm。 I am in love with the story， the sophisticated language and the character of Marietta。 A must read for the fans of The Nutcracker and early twentieth century vibes。 。。。more
Laura Trenham
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2。75-3 stars？ I will be updating this with a full written review soon。 For the moment， I am unsure what I just read。 This was overwritten， with so many people words I’d never heard of as an English teacher/English major。 Descriptions were excessive， yet the world building was poor as the characters didn’t venture anywhere。 The plot was all over the place and spread so thinly， I’m unsure what the focus was meant to be。 The author spent too much time attempting to be fancy with her writing， rather 2。75-3 stars？ I will be updating this with a full written review soon。 For the moment， I am unsure what I just read。 This was overwritten， with so many people words I’d never heard of as an English teacher/English major。 Descriptions were excessive， yet the world building was poor as the characters didn’t venture anywhere。 The plot was all over the place and spread so thinly， I’m unsure what the focus was meant to be。 The author spent too much time attempting to be fancy with her writing， rather than making the plot digestible。 This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year， but it was a major letdown。 。。。more
Mabel
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What an incredible， spell binding story that takes the reader to a magical fantastic world。 At first I thought it was not a book for me， but once I got a little further into the story it became special， fascinating and one I really enjoyed。
Mrs。 I。
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Fantasy at its best。 This is a genre I have not read before but I found myself enjoying this book。 I feel it is set for young adults but could easily be read across into slightly older ages too。 Well told story throughout。
Niamh
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest opinion。This book was a little lacking for me， unfortunately。 Don't get me wrong， the descriptions of Everwood and the confectionery were absolutely stunning， but I felt the plot and everything else was a little。。 meh。 I also felt a bit mislead by the reviews， a lot of them made the book out to be the perfect festive read， however， this book definitely has a dark undertone which totally caught me off guard - but Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest opinion。This book was a little lacking for me， unfortunately。 Don't get me wrong， the descriptions of Everwood and the confectionery were absolutely stunning， but I felt the plot and everything else was a little。。 meh。 I also felt a bit mislead by the reviews， a lot of them made the book out to be the perfect festive read， however， this book definitely has a dark undertone which totally caught me off guard - but that's my mistake！ This book unfortunately wasn't for me， but I can see and appreciate why others liked it so much。 。。。more
Em Ann ♡︎♡︎♡︎ - theglitterybookworm_
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NUTCRACKER RETELLING？ GIMME
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Midnight in Everwood
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Midnight in Everwood&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Midnight in Everwood&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0