Clara and Natasha are twins, born on Christmas Day and they've always been known as light and dark, two halves of the whole. Their mysterious godfather Drosselmeyer takes a keen interest in their lives, Clara always being the family favourite - the prettiest and seen as perfect. Natasha however is the clever one, more inquisitive and also hopelessly in love with their friend Conrad.

Drosselmeyer sets up a marriage that will pit the sisters against each other and when he bestows gifts to the girls that have dark, magical qualities, it takes them on a dangerous journey that leads to a pact that cannot be broken...

I've never seen The Nutcracker, so this was a new story to me (aside from knowing there is a Nutcracker and the Sugar Plum Fairy of course!) I really enjoyed this dark tale wick is definitely not for children, but perfect for Christmas.

As I write this, we are approaching Christmas, a time for some of traditions – presents, pantomimes and ballet performances, for example. The latest novel by Erika Johansen reminds us of such things, but is a much darker take on many of those traditional tales.

To start with though, the story begins with many of the key ideas and themes of those traditional stories. We have two twins, Natasha and Clara, born on Christmas Eve. On the girls birth they are given a birthright by creepy godfather character Drosselmeyer, who is reputed to be a sorcerer, that they will be ‘like light and dark’ to each other.

And so this is true. As they get older, the girls are polar opposites of each other. Blonde Clara becomes the girl who has everything – looks, charm, suitors – whilst the plainer (in an older time we might have said uglier) Natasha is the forgotten one, the dark-haired, bookish, quieter one who sits in the corner at social gatherings and tries not to be noticed whilst all the while jealous of the attention her sister receives.

As they reach the age of sixteen, we find that the parents have been pretty ineffectual. Their father is a social climber, with a near failing business. Their mother spends much of her time drinking or talking to a medium in seances. Despite all of this, the girls seem to have coped with it all. At their birthday party Drosselmeyer returns. He brings with him gifts, a strange Nutcracker like an old soldier amongst them.

The nutcracker has unexpected powers. It allows Natasha and Clara to travel to a land made of sugar and snow, of sweets and other sweet delights. Following Clara, Natasha meets The Sugar Plum Fairy and begins to make her plans for jealous revenge on Clara come true. But we must remember that such gifts are really given for free and usually have a price to pay in return…

As the above description suggests, the story is based on traditional fairy-tale trappings. Erika taps into these various elements of magic, morality and horror to create a new version of the famous story by ETA Hoffmann, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816) – or rather Tchaikovsky’s traditional ballet based on Hoffman’s story, The Nutcracker Suite, which is a now-often-performed ballet set at Christmas.

Using those fine storytelling traditions, we have the good sister and her darker twin dealing with jealousy and sibling rivalry, social climbing, the need for revenge and identity crisis, even ‘malice aforethought’, to borrow from crime fiction – but Johansen modernises them into something more palatable for the 21st century reader. Where what were relatively simple characters and situations now become more complex, where the lines between good and evil, right and wrong are blurred. Villains become more sympathetic, heroes are suspiciously good. What was quaintly traditional has now become a gothic soap opera writ large.

At times, the story is nightmarish in its depiction of things seen and unseen. Although set in Eastern Europe around the turn of the 19th century (there is a reference to Natasha reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) and candles abound!) much of the setting feels like a Dickensian England with its depictions of vast machines and grim factories.

In fact, much of the story questions what seems real and what is not, both in terms of place but also in terms of character. There are people and places hidden from plain sight, things to be loved and feared. The hidden, dreamlike land is also at times either beautiful or nightmarish, ranging from pristine sugar-coated landscapes to sickly dreamlike sequences that would feel quite at home in a Dali or a Borges painting.

To be fair, traditional fairy stories have always had an element of the unpleasant to them – a nastiness, some horror, something ‘lurking in the woodshed’ to create suspense and to set a moral against. Who remembers another traditional ballet, The Red Shoes, for example – a story by Hans Christian Andersen, where a young peasant girl is forced to keep dancing by a pair of possessed shoes and has her feet amputated in order to stop the dancing? The original Grimm’s Fairy Tales are very different to the children’s versions remembered more today, and are another case in point.

The horror therefore I had little issue with, but the main obstacle I had was where Johansen combines this 19th century setting with contemporary social values. For example, the (not-too-graphic) bedhopping of various suitors in and out of the twin’s boudoirs feels like a contemporary element that seems to fit uneasily with the 19th century setting. Although I am sure such things happened in the 1800s, the way which they are depicted here feels a little forced and more akin to something like Fourth Wing than The Nutcracker. Some of the internal monologue given by Natasha – for the story is mainly from her perspective – also feels a little jarringly modern at times too, which dissipates the mood otherwise carefully created in the otherwise baroque setting.

In summary then, for those with fond memories of seeing The Nutcracker Ballet at Christmas, this story may seem familiar, but it will not be the story you remember – The Kingdom of Sweets is not as sugary a confection as the title might suggest. Nevertheless, those in the 21st century looking for a deeper, darker version of an old fairy tale may enjoy this one. It’s a bit of a slowburner to start, but I think that it is worth persevering with until the end.

📚 r e v i e w 📚
the kingdom of sweets - erika johansen

as you might expect from the person who brought us the tearling series this is not a happy, fun fantasy - it’s dark and gothic and perfect for those that love creepy old fairy tales.

kingdom of sweets is a retelling of the nutcracker which i didn’t realise was quite as homicidal when its presented in ballet form. here though, there’s no holding back though i would agree that everything can be improved with some interpretive dance.

overall i enjoyed this, i’m still not sure how i feel about some of the themes around beauty and nat’s “not like other girls” mentality but i guess it is fitting with the source material and the time period. i found the unreliable narrator and generally unlikable characters interesting and the world in which the girls found themselves was sickly sweet in the best way.

thank you @netgalley for the early copy.
kingdom of sweets is out next week!

Dark does not always equate to evil just as light does not always bring good. Clara, the favourite, grows into beauty and grace with ease. Natasha is cursed to live in her sister’s shadow. But one fateful night, Natasha gets her chance at revenge. A chance to enter a magical world and stroke a bargain with a fairy, the giver of gifts and dread-filled bargains.

A beautifully compelling novel about the relationship between sisters, the power of love and what we will do to be seen. One sister will uncover the dark destiny laid before her at birth, while the other continues to exist in her beautifully curated world of grace and ease. Natasha must reckon with powers both earthly and magical, and decide which world she truly belongs.

Enter a magical world from the enchanted story of The Sugar Plum Fairy and The Nutcracker. A magical read that brings this story to life with grace and beauty. Filled with memorable characters, and incredible storyline and the truth of what we will do to find our place in the world.

Thank you to Random House for an advanced reader copy via NetGalley of The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen

The Kingdom of Sweets manages to be both atmospheric, unsettling and christmassy in equal measure. An intriguing story intersperced with festivity and the heartbreak of complex family dynamics and the pain of being let down by the ones you love. The exploration into themes of pretty privilidge are both upsetting and relatable - we have all had at least one expereince where someone who should be your equal is treated in a far superior manner than you simply because they are percieved as more attractive or more popular. I enjoyed getting to see different aspecs of the men in or protagonists life through (literally) different eyes. The nutcracker inspiration for the story feels minimal although what has been done with it is fun.

3 stars, this was well written and I enjoyed the unique storyline. Personally I found there to be several moments throughout the novel where I struggled to understand exactly what was happening or why or how it was happening. Unfortunately not all of these felt solved by the end of the story. In terms of pacing, it felt mostly well done until the very last 10(ish) percent, where things suddenly seemed a little rushed. I do wish we had a little more exploration into the characters at the end and the effect that the events of the book had on them - especially for Clara.

Overall, this was a fun read, balaned well between the horror and the festive vibes - perfect for bridging the gap between halloween and christmas!

This dark retelling of the Nutcracker really captured my interest. I was engaged throughout even though sometimes the plot got a little confusing for me.
The characters of Natasha and Clara were wonderfully written and I loved the way they complimented each other even when they clashed. Natasha was a great character to follow throughout, and although I don't typically like to read a book written in first person, I found Natasha very engaging. I would have perhaps liked a bit more of what was going on in Clara's mind, as she was clearly a very complex character but seemed to be constantly underestimated.
My favourite moments were when the characters were in The Kingdom of Sweets. The description was more detailed, the imagery was richer, and it seemed like an intricate place. The Faerie and Drosselmeyer were the perfect characters to lead the conflict and I very much enjoyed the conflict they had between themselves.
However, I still feel as though I don’t understand Drosselmeyer's overall plan for the girls, but nevertheless, this did not take away from the ending. Orlov was my favourite character and I felt it a shame to see so little of him. He seemed to have such a well described goal in the context of the Russian Revolution, yet we only saw him perhaps three times. I expected him to have more of a central role in the book but I see the focus was on Natasha and Clara and the way the world around them had impacted their relationship.
Overall, and enjoyable read, not ending in the way one might expect.

As a big fan or the original book by ETA Hoffmann and the ballet I was very excited to read this. And I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a very dark Gothic retelling, so definitely not one for the children. Twins Natasha and Clara are born on Christmas Day and their godfather sorcerer Drosselmeyer give Clara the gift of light and Natasha dark. As they grow Clara is beautiful, feted and somewhat spoiled whereas Natasha is considered unattractive, seems caring of those with less than her and is quite introverted. Beautifully written and conceived, and narrated by Natasha, this was the perfect example of a book with dark and light merging as we enter the Kingdom of Sweets, ruled over by the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Briefly, when the girls are approaching 17 years of age Drosselmeyer arrives at their Christmas Eve party with gifts for the girls, gifts that help send them on a self destructive journey. Natasha has been having an affair with a Prince and imagines herself in love. However, she is shocked when an announcement is made of Clara’s engagement to the Prince.

To be honest a fairytale this is not, although many fairytales do have a dark side, this goes way beyond dark. Even the descriptions of the beautiful Kingdom of Sweets, all sweet and colourful, had dark undercurrents running through it. The old adage ‘the grass isn’t always greener on the other side’ fits perfectly to the terrible choice Natasha has to make. I did find the story quite complex in parts, and a little slow in places, but the story was good enough to carry that. An enjoyable read, a magical dark fairytale that I finished in a day, although I’m still thinking about it two days later.

Always really enjoy Johansen's writing, there is both enough style and pace to keep my attention, even if this was a slower build and more unsettling than the Tearling trilogy. I don't know the Nutcracker story well, so the plot was unexpected throughout, with a dark fairytale feel, a somewhat likeable protagonist in Natasha and a terrible Faustian deal with the some limited repercussions. A gothic festive story, the switches between reality and the Kingdom of Sweets was unsettling but the level of description of the nightmare world really was what made my skin crawl. Not sure if I enjoyed this or got much out of it but the level of world building set this apart for me and I would love to know more about how such a dark tale came from the traditionally festive ballet.

The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen is a mesmerizing and twisted retelling of the classic tale of The Nutcracker, weaving a captivating narrative of light and dark, destiny, and the power of choice.

Johansen's prose is beautifully crafted, immersing readers in a world where snow and sugar conceal a deeper, darker truth. The story follows Natasha and Clara, both gifted with unique destinies by their godfather, the enigmatic sorcerer Drosselmeyer. Natasha, overshadowed by her sister Clara, seizes an opportunity for revenge on a fateful Christmas Eve when Drosselmeyer returns with the enchanted Nutcracker, granting access to the Kingdom of Sweets.

The characters in this tale are richly developed, each with their distinct personalities and complexities. Nat, the so-called cursed sister, stands out as a compelling narrator, adding depth and emotion to the story. Drosselmeyer, while wicked, evokes unexpected sympathy, making him a multifaceted antagonist. The Sugar Plum Fairy, a giver of gifts and maker of dread-filled bargains, adds an intriguing layer of complexity to the narrative.

Johansen skillfully combines elements of classic tales, lessons of morality, Russian folklore, and history, creating a dark yet beautiful atmosphere. The fantasy world described in the book is gorgeously detailed, allowing readers to taste the sweets and feel the eerie silence, with a palpable sense of danger lurking beneath the surface.

While the plot is intricate and at times complicated, Johansen's storytelling prowess keeps readers engaged, urging them to explore the layers of this enchanting world. The book manages to capture the essence of the original Nutcracker story while offering a fresh perspective, making it a compelling read for those seeking a darker and more nuanced fairy tale experience.

The Kingdom of Sweets is not your typical kid-friendly tale; it embraces the frightening elements of classic stories, adding a harsher edge that heightens the sense of adventure and magic. Johansen's novel is a perfect read for the cold, dark winter months, drawing readers into a captivating world that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned

I enjoyed The Kingdom of Sweets.
It's a retelling of The Nutcracker and if I'm being honest it's also probably the first one I've read.
I'm not actually very familiar with the story of The Nutcracker but I still really enjoyed this book.

It was beautifully written and the description were so good!
It also had some great characters that I really liked.
It was a fast read that could be a bit complicated at times with the many characters and it had a lot going on but I didn't really struggle and it was still a great read.

I highly recommend it and it's perfect for the upcoming Christmas season.
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

A twisted & enchanting retelling of The Nutcracker, the battle between Light & Dark and a tale as old as time!

This was my first Erika Johansen novel and I was blown away by how lovely her prose is. You are pulled into her writing, the beauty of the layers upon layers of detail. So much so that you feel the crunch of snow beneath your toes or the drag of sugar syrup from your finger .

I really enjoyed The Kingdom of Sweets and could see what Johansen was trying (and mostly did) achieve, with her weaving of classic tales, lessons of morality, Russian folklore and history. It was dark yet beautiful.

But sadly, for me, often the violence and conversation felt jarring and out of the blue. As a reader who enjoys a darker tone in books, I'm not opposed to this but it needs to feel justified rather than there for violence or pure shock factor. I think for that reason I couldn't quite love it the way I wanted to, along with how sometimes places/names/details were dropped in as if they had been mentioned prior but were in fact new information.

A great book for the run up to Christmas to get you into a dark and cold mood but wouldn't recommend if you're looking for a YA read.

Thank you to netgalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Bantam for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

Wasn’t a huge fan of this retelling of the nutcracker. I pushed through to read to the end. However the writing style and story just wasn’t for me.

But if you’re a fan of gothic dark retelling then I would check this book out.

Thank you!

thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

firstly some lore, i'm an ex ballet girl and have been in many performances of the nutcracker (shout out to the corps de ballet days of snow like it was the trenches!) so i'm very very familiar with the story that's being retold here.

the writing is pretty and the description is decent but there is one big problem and it's natasha (who honestly i think should have been called marie for that nutcracker tie in haha). she's utterly unlikable and not even in a fun way and i don't even get why clara is apparently so horrible aside from being blonde and pretty. this came across very 2012 ya where the protagonist isn't like other girls (clara has premarital sex! the horror!) and i don't have the energy for that in 2023.

Generally speaking, I am not a huge fan of adaptations, especially of classic stories. I'm on the fence as to whether they're necessary. Having said that, I absolutely adore The Nutcracker and believe it has such scope for modern adaptations - any excuse to lose myself in that world.

There is a whole lot of plot going on, let me tell you. But there's equally a lot of character creation and development. Drosselmeyer was perfectly wicked. Enough of the classic character to make him recognisable but with something a little extra to make him shine. And bizarre as it sounds, as he is obviously a bit of an evil character I felt a lot of sympathy towards him as the book went on, which I wasn't expecting. The town sisters were also fabulous creations. You have Clara, the pretty one, the one who succeeds without really trying, the one who gets everything she wants, the one everyone loves. But my absolute favourite was Nat, the so-called cursed sister, the dark one, the scary one, our main narrator. There are a lot of other characters that you would expect from this tale, such as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and whilst well written, for me, this show is stolen by Nat and she holds every page.

I loved the description of the fantasy world. It's absolutely gorgeous and you can practically taste the sweets and hear the eery silence. There is definitely an edge to it. A danger. It's beautiful on the surface, but there's darker elements beneath, which is perfect for this fantasy story.

In my opinion, The Nutcracker isn't completely kid friendly, and I can definitely say that this book isn't. But there was something about it that put me in a childish frame of mind, this sense of nostalgia and childish fun. But it is scary. Quite scary. And I think there's always a frightening element to fairy tales and classic stories like this, that give it an added extra. A harsher edge.

It is a really interesting angle on the classic story. It's taken some elements of the original, plus elements from other previous adaptations, but then looked at it from another viewpoint and offered us something completely new (to me at least) to this 1816 classic.

I admit it is at times quite complicated to follow. It didn't ruin the reading or anything, it is still well written and executed. But there is a lot of description, and a lot of characters, and a lot going on that you do have to take a minute and focus. But very good none the less.

Whilst I do like the original story, it has been a long time since I last read it, so it's difficult to say how much of this is true to the original book, but it had this feeling of authenticity to it which I liked, like a continuation of that story, or a different viewpoint of the story. The darkness beneath the story.

I read this in less than 24 hours. It is so enticing and capturing and magical. Frightening, perfect for the cold dark winter months. And I was still thinking about it the morning after. And it has reignited my desire to see The Nutcracker ballet!

An honest review coming. I have to say that this book wasn’t for me. It is extremely well written but I couldn’t get into the characters and story. Would I recommend it yes, I am glad I have read it but not one I would pick up again and again

I initially requested this because I loved EJ's tearling series (we just don't talk about the last book) and wanted to see what she would do in a brand new world with new characters. The concept of the book actually gave me some hesitation - I don't know the Nutcracker story very well - But I was wrong to hesitate. I actually really loved the vibe of this.

This is a book that would be perfect for if you want something a little different over the winter/christmas period. It's certainly a sinister take on the classic story - half historical, half fantasy. It's not a light heated story. But it sucked me in from the beginning. I really actually liked the main character, Natasha, despite the fact that no one in this book is particularly likable. But EJ is very good at exploring the nuances of unlikable characters, much like in the tearling series. I think that if you were interested in the red queen/tearling queen dynamic in the tearling series, this would appeal to you as it has a similar interesting dynamic.

Overall this was a story where I wanted to know the ending and what was going to happen. I'll definitely continue to read EJ because if there's one thing she can do, it's build a fully realized fantasy world.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but while I found the quality of the writing superb, I really disliked the characters and found the plot too convoluted. I felt the author was trying to cram too much into the story at times and didn't have the pages to fully explain or resolve certain things.

I adored this! I have read retellings of The Nutcracker before but this seemed very fresh and new. A thrilling, heart racing story that kept me hooked right till the last page.

I was so excited for this retelling of the nutcracker however it did t work very well for me. It started out well and I was quite interested then it became boring and repetitive while I didn’t feel anything for any of the horrible characters. This is a character based story and I didn’t find them well fleshed out plus there is a lack of strong plot. By the halfway point I was beginning to struggle. I do think there’s a lot of religious references also which is something I don’t like
Frustrating as this could have been great

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc

The Kingdom of Sweets is a new standalone young adult fantasy novel by Erika Johansen. This book is a retelling of The Nutcracker following two twins called Natasha and Clara. The novel is told in first person POV from Natasha's POV. The two sisters are cursed from birth by their godfather Drosselmeyer who is a wizard. Clara is the beautiful twin and everything seems to work out for her whilst Natasha is cursed to be the dark twin and forever be in Clara's Shadow. This all changes though when Natasha gets her revenge by travelling to the Kingdom of Sweets through a Nutcracker. The sugar plum fairy offers Natasha a dark bargain and she accepts. This was my first novel by Erika Johansen and I enjoyed this. The setting of the novel was done well because I felt transported to Christmas time and the vibes of The Nutcracker were strong in this novel. However, I was a little confused on the time period. I realise this novel is fantasy so it doesn't have the same time conventions as contemporary society but some parts of the novel felt like they took place in the 1800s but other times felt like modern day so that took my out of the story. Otherwise this was an enjoyable book and I do recommend it if you are looking for a story like this. 3.5 stars rounded up to a 4.