BOOKS | Review: Upon a Frosted Star by M.A. Kuzniar

Name: Upon a Frosted Star

Author: M.A. Kuzniar

Publisher: HQ (HarperCollins) 

Date published: September 2023

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, historical, fairy tales, retellings

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5

This review contains major spoilers.

When the snow falls, she will be free...
The invitations always arrive the same way - without warning, appearing around the city on the first snowfall of the year, simply inscribed with 'Tonight.'
When struggling artist, Forster, finds an invitation, he's bewitched by the magic of the evening, swept up in the glamour of this notorious annual party and intrigued as to who is behind them.
Determined to find out more about the mysterious host, Forster discovers an abandoned manor house silent with secrets and a cursed woman who is desparate to be free...

- From Goodreads.

Upon a Frosted Star had all the magical atmosphere, whimsical fairytale elements and beautiful descriptions that Midnight in Everwood had, but with a unique set of characters, different plot structure and new setting. I think you could enjoy this if, like me, you loved the previous book, and will find yourself swept away in a completely new story too. It will depend though on how you like sad endings as to whether you like the ending of this book. Personally they are not usually for me and I do not think this one was either, but I do not think it reflects badly on the book, it will just be a matter of personal preference. Obviously if you know the story of Swan Lake you might be able to see the way the story is going, I was just not sure after Midnight in Everwood had such a hopeful ending if this book might take a more romantic story approach rather than a tragic tale, but it did not in the end.

However, there was a brief mention of Marietta from Everwood and what happened to her after her book that made me very happy to see and I was glad we got to have that.

Other than being conflicted by the ending, I thought the rest of the book was very well written. The characters were full of life and loveable, the romance was beautiful and full of yearning and tenderness. I thought the mystery was very suspenseful and kept me intrigued to the end, so I mostly enjoyed reading the story apart from being so nervous for the characters and what was going to happen to them of course. I am just not sure I would read it again because of the ending. I still adore Midnight in Everwood though and would definitely give another book from the author a chance.

BOOKS | Review: Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar

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.