Name: Midnight in Everwood
Author: M.A. Kuzniar
Publisher: HQ
Date published: October 2021
Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, historical, romance, retellings
Pages: 348
Rating: 5/5
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.
- From Goodreads.
Midnight in Everwood was a perfect winter fairy tale, and an incredibly inventive retelling of The Nutcracker. I enjoyed every moment of reading it and wanted more, not wanting it to end.
The descriptions were so magical and whimsical, so detailed in such a lovely imaginative way. All the settings, the clothes, the characters, it was all so delightful to read. The parts in the magical world, in Everwood, were my favourite, but even the set up in the real world and the descriptions of the society, how difficult it was to navigate, was interesting to read and well written.
Marietta was an enchanting main character, I loved how she was full of imagination and spirit and found ways to be brave even in the most terrifying circumstances. I liked that she tried to be aware of when she had privilege and when she made a mistake or spoke badly she tried to make things right. Her passion for dancing was wonderful to read and I admired how she was determined to prioritise her love for dance and make it a part of her life.
I also loved the friendships Marietta developed with other women in the book. Dellara and Pirlipata were such fascinating characters and the bond she had with them by the end of the book was so heartwarming and had me quite emotional.
There was also a romance in the story that I absolutely adored. Everything about the way Marietta and her love interest interacted was written so perfectly and it was so clear how much they came to love and care for each other. The way they spoke to each other and the way Marietta thought about their relationship was written so nicely it just made me so happy to read.
This was just such a magical adventure, I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a heartwarming fairy tale to read over winter, it just has the perfect atmosphere.
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