Marietta Stelle wants nothing more than to dance, but her parents have other ideas. She can study ballet until the new year, but she must marry as befitting her family’s social status. A newcomer to their home city, an unmarried doctor, independently wealthy, catches her mother’s attention, and soon, Marietta must spend most of her evenings in the company of Dr Drosselmeier and his enchanting windup toys. But while Dr Drosselmeier’s conversation and toys spellbind everyone else, Marietta suspects something darker behind his charming smile.
On Christmas Eve, just before Marietta’s last ballet performance, Marietta hears her father and Drosselmeier agree to their engagement. When Drosselmeier corners her in her studio later, Marietta hides in a grandfather clock to escape him only to find another world. The vindictive King Gelum treats Marietta as a dancing attraction to his parties in a world of magic and sugarplums, balls and feasts. Her only hope for escape is the handsome captain with butterscotch eyes, and the other females held prisoner with her. But is escaping King Gelum and returning home better than staying because how is marrying Dr Drosselmeier and giving up dancing a better choice?
Midnight in Everwood is a feminist retelling of the famous Nutcracker story. The protagonist, Marietta, is a privileged socialite who is being forced to marry. For Marietta, marriage is a leash because it means she will have to give up her true passion of ballet dancing. If she can’t dance, who is she? However, Kuzniar has also turned Marietta into the antagonist too. Marietta is strong-willed, and after escaping Drosselmeier, she ignores all the warnings about King Gelum because they come from a man. She agrees to stay with the king creating her own prison.
This story is as much about Marietta’s personal growth as it is about good versus evil. The inclusion of BAME characters allows Marietta to understand how privileged her position truly is. She has everything she could ever want, while Harriet, a black woman, has had to fight for her place in the ballet school and is only there at the sufferance of a white man. There are also references to the suffragettes who fought so Marietta could have all her freedoms, but she doesn’t understand those sacrifices. It is only when she is Gelum’s prisoner that Marietta truly grasps the charmed life she has lived.
Kuzniar’s world-building is lavish and gorgeous, befitting Marietta’s lifestyle in the real world and the magical land. Her descriptions of the food, clothes, and decorations are sumptuous, creating a beautiful landscape for the reader. When mixed with the romance element between Marietta and Captain Legat, she swept me away for hours. I didn’t want it to end.
I have always loved The Nutcracker, a fantastical story of good and evil told with toys and mice. Kuzniar has elevated the fairytale, showcased the feminist elements, and gave us a heroine in Marietta who is relatable, likeable, and determined. I would highly recommend Midnight in Everwood to anyone who loved Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale.

This book is not my usual genre but this is the beauty of Netgalley, I am widening my horizons!

I am so glad I did with this one, this book is so beautiful and so visual, the descriptions certainly painted a picture in my mind and I loved it. A magical story and made me feel very festive.

I adored the story and would love to read this again nearer Christmas whilst drinking a hot chocolate.

Definitely recommend 👌

We meet Marietta at the turn of the 20th Century. As an eligible young woman in her early 20s, her father wishes her to give up her passion for ballet and settle down into marriage. When their new neighbour, the inventor Dr Drosselmeier, makes his intentions known, everyone is delighted except for Marietta, who sees something darker behind his whimsical creations and easy manner.

While trying to escape his advances one night, Marietta squeezes into a grandfather clock only to find herself in a magical new land. One of sugar, beauty, and magic, but fraught with danger. After becoming a “guest” of the king, Marietta must seek a way to escape the palace and return home, before it is too late.

I enjoyed this title, which is based on “The Nutcracker” – the relationship between Marietta and the two women with whom she is effectively imprisoned is great. The imagery is also beautiful, with vividly descriptive scenes of the magical wintery palace and clothing and food. However, I was left wanting to know more about a lot of the characters and often didn’t understand why they made certain (unwise) decisions. All-in-all, though, it was pleasantly diverting.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

This was such a beautiful story I loved it and I loved being in Everwood with all its magic,strange beings and picturesque landscapes it was a joy of a book to read. As the overview says it’s a retelling of the Nutcracker a story I didn’t know so well and I think that made this book even better it took me to another word and painted beautiful scenes in my head over and over again.
The characters in this book were all perfect and wonderfully written I shall miss them and miss being in such a magical land. The descriptions of Marietta’s time in the palace with the ball’s she danced at the wondrous dresses and descriptions just took my breath away and oh my did I want some of those wonderful cakes and sweets !
This book is a fairytale for grownups and it’s actually much more than that there are mainly other issues brought up and I gave a big sigh when I finished it as I knew it was a book I was going to miss as I still have the words and pictures in my head, many thanks to MA Kuzniar for such an exquisite story.
My thanks also to NetGalley and HQ for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars
I loved this!! This story was just so magical and completely transported me into this snowy, fairytale world.
I was a bit unsure in the beginning but was very quickly swept off my feet. I seriously could not put this book down for the second half. I went from 60% in to 95% without even realising it. I read this on holiday in very hot weather but for me it was winter and snowy.

Pros:
- I really liked the writing style
- The characters.
- the Plot - the whole Nutcracker retelling

Cons:
- It is a bit cliche and tropey in places. I didn't mind though
- I believe this is being marketed as Adult but I feel this is better suited to the YA audience.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book

Christmas has come to September with this sweet retelling of Nutcracker.

Marietta Stelle eats, sleeps, and dreams ballet. However, it doesn't matter how skilled a performer she is nor how much she longs for the stage, her days at the dance studio are numbered. Her family desire her to settle down with a husband and you can't be the perfect, doting wife if you are spending hours sweating at the barre or limping around on blistered and bloody toes.

Dr Drosselmeier arrives to town and forms a temporary distraction from the family's squabbles. All are intrigued by his mysterious figure and enchanted by his miniature, woodwork creations. Marietta finds in him a sympathetic ear and an individual captivated by her performances. She is magic upon the stage but he might possess a far darker and more literal source that will alter her life forever.

This was as enchanting and whimsical a read as I had anticipated. I loved how Kuzniar kept the bones of the original tale and delivered the reader a slightly different variation of the magic it contained. This was, for all the beauty it featured, a subtly dark read and I loved how each decision made or mystery uncovered only ever ensured this was increased.

Marietta was at the centre of it all and I loved venturing with her into lands unknown and meeting with figures unlike any she had met before, in 20th century England. She grew in abilities and confidence as her purpose became revealed and sought continually to craft her own version of the future she desired for herself, regardless of the desires of others.

This was a darling little tale, which proved as inspirational as it was charming. The conclusion was a hopeful one and it ensured I closed the final page entirely delighted by all that had transpired.

Marietta loves ballet it's all she wants to do... Then Dr Drossilmear comes to live in the neighbourhood and is surrounded by mystery. He soon sets his sights on Maria and even wins over her family with his magical gifts, but Marietta is not filled she knows there is something sinister about him she just doesn't know what it is.

He makes an elaborate stage for her ballet performance and she ends up getting into a Grandfather clock in order to escape him.. What she doesn't know is its enchanted and she ends up in a place called Sherwood - full of candy canes, gingerbread houses etc. However it soon turns into a nightmare when she ends up at the palace having to dance for the king! Will she ever be able to break away from.the castle to get back home and just who is the Grand Confectioner/ king anyway?

Very reminisent of the Nutcracker but disturbingly darker. Loved this book many thanks to net galley for letting me read this a fantastic first novel, would love a sequel....maybe it's written in the stars!!!

Whilst Marietta Steele's parents want her to take her place in Edwardian society. All she dreams about is becoming a ballerina. Before Christmas, a mysterious stranger moves next door to Steele's townhouse. Soon he wins over the rest of Marietta's family with his amazing inventions. But she is suspicious of him.

On Christmas Eve, whilst trying to escape from her neighbour. Marietta hides in one of his inventions. Here she's transported to the magical land of Everwood. Complete with gingerbread cottages, marzipan pathways and a sugar-frosted castle.

I wanted to read this book because of its comparison to The Night Circus and The Nutcracker. Whilst I didn't see the comparison to the first book. It definitely has many similarities to the second book. Like The Nutcracker, you're transported into a magical sweet-filled world. But, this isn't until the second half of the book.

I found Midnight in Everwood to be a very slow burner. I felt it took almost half of the book for the adventure to the beginning. It's only, once Marietta enters the magical realm of Everwood does the story does become more interesting. The final part chapters are action-packed. It almost made me wish this adventure was more spread out in the rest of the book.

Many thanks to the author, publishers and Netgalley for a free ARC of this ebook.
I’m afraid this wasn’t the Bill for me at all. The retelling of the Nutcracker should be a joy, but this wasn’t. I felt that the language was overblown, and as a concept it fell short.
I wouldn’t recommend it.
I give it 2.5 stars.

Midnight In Everwood, a fantastical retelling of the classic story The Nutcracker, is the debut adult novel by M.A. Kuzniar. I’m a lover of all things festive so I was excited to read this one. I don’t usually read fantasy fiction but with themes such as Christmas, the arts and feminism, I couldn’t resist.

The author lives in Nottingham, where the novel is set, and is a huge lover of ballet. Her passion for dance clearly shines through in her writing. There are a lot of technical ballet terms that I wasn’t familiar with but I don’t think you needed to know the exact movements to appreciate Marietta’s love for ballet.

Marietta was a frustrating character at times but I did warm to her as the novel progressed. I appreciated her acknowledging her own privilege as she realised how other people less fortunate than her were having to live.

I loved the feminism featured throughout the novel, from the talk of suffragettes to the friendships between the female characters. I loved how each of the female characters were determined to take charge of their own destiny in a time when a woman’s future was usually decided for her.

I did find the story a little slow in places, and a little repetitive. The poetic descriptions became a bit much at times, and while I do enjoy lyrical prose and vivid descriptions, I did find myself keen to get to the action. The romance also left me a little cold. I feel it was a bit rushed and I would have preferred more development on the relationship, and less descriptions of confectionery.

The story had everything including villains, magic, romance and dance but it just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I liked it, I just didn’t love it. However it is a debut novel and if there was a sequel to this book, I would still read it.

I easily slipped into the enchanted Everwood with Marietta. So vividly written, I imagined I was watching scenes from a film, with strong reminiscent tones of the classic Nutcracker, blended to create this magical story.
I felt I was reading a book aimed at young readers, but was sometimes reminded by unsavoury darker elements that the story was aimed at an older audience. If you want to be captured by a spell, you’ll love Midnight in Everwood!

Whimsical and fantastical, this is a stunning retelling of The Nutcracker. It is dreamy and absolutely magical, and will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit!

This book has a great concept behind it, but sadly doesn't follow through. It's over-written, everything has multiple descriptors which just make it wordy, not the lush evocativeness the author is aiming for. There are some jarring inaccuracies in the historical setting as well, or just unlikely things. Ultimately, the lead character is annoying and self-absorbed - being trapped in the castle is entirely her own fault because of her selfish, look at me actions and she doesn't really have redeeming features. I gave up on it eventually because I just wasn't interested in reading any more.

I wanted to love this book but it just isn't for me. That's on me, not the author. While I appreciate this is fantasy, I found the highly descriptive sentences throughout jarring and they drew me away from the plot.

A magical and sinister retelling of the Nutcracker tale for adults. Set during the Victorian peiod Marietta is a gifted ballerina on the cusp of her 21st birthday when all childhood pursuits such as dancing most be forgone as she becomes a woman of marrying age. Her parents intend upon making an adventageous match for her no matter her feelings. When the mysterious Dr Dosselmeier moves across the street she is intrigued by the beautful trinkets he has invented for her but soon starts to feel he is not the man everyone believes him to be. He has charmed her family and neighbours and has decided he wants Marietta's hand in marriage no matter her feelings.
On Christmas Eve she decides to practice her ballet performance on the stage set that Dosselmeir has created but on the stroke of midnight as she flees from his advances she is transported to another land and danger of a very different kind.
I really enjoyed this magical winter coming of age story where Marietta learns the power of female friendship, the strength she has within and the taste of first love. All the elements of the Nutcracker are in this tale, the wicked King, the heroic handsome soldier, fairies and beautiful sweet treats. The descriptions of the sugar palace and town were so well written I could smell the mazipan, it was a real treat for the senses. The perfect read to snuggle up with though don't be fooled by all the sugar and spice as the magic has a dark bitte side too.

I received an e-arc of this book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

YOU GUYS NEED THIS BOOK IN YOUR LIVES.

I am pretty sure that I was transported to Everwood with our main character, Marietta. The world building was absolutely incredible, the author has a way with words that transports you into the story. I can not get over the imagination of the author and how vivid they portrayed this spell binding story.

The main character was a breath of fresh air to see her grow from girl to woman. Her story is beautifully infused with the retelling of the Nutcracker. Also, seeing as my only knowledge of the Nutcracker story was the Barbie movie in 2001, it was so fun to go on this adventure so dark and engrossing.

Highly recommend picking this up if you want to be entranced by beautiful writing, feminist friendship with a forbidden romance sub plot!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a really interesting book, I wasn't expecting to be blown away by this book but I was. I thought the writing was well done. I found myself so interested in the characters, I just could not put the book down. Strongly recommend this one.

Midnight in Everwood is a reimagining of the Nutcracker with dark supernatural undertones.

We follow Marietta, a promising young ballerina in Edwardian England, whose parents insist on her marrying immediately and putting a stop to her dream of becoming a professional dancer. When she is pursued by a mysterious new neighbour and flees his attentions by hiding in a grandfather clock, she soon finds herself transported to another world…magical and beautiful….but perhaps not everything is as it seems.

I found the story to be a little slow to get into at first, largely due to the author’s very descriptive writing style. Although I must admit that, once I was into it, the descriptions of the Everwood (clothing, food, etc) were so beautifully immersive.

The book has strong feminist undertones with discussions on the lack of power women had to control their own futures at the time, the importance of female friendships and references to suffragettes.

The reader can really feel the frustration and despair of Marietta and her friends as they fight against male corruption in both worlds.

Midnight in Everwood is also a romance and the traditional love story, mingled with the supernatural and fantasy elements makes for a very enjoyable read.

With the ending being left slightly open, I do wonder if we might get a return to Everwood (or perhaps another world) in future.

Marietta Stelle was born to dance, but she must put her dreams aside after Christmas as obligations must take precedence. Struggling to maintain a balance between her traditions and goals, the answer comes in the form of an eclectic toymaker who moved in next door. Dr Drosselmeier is charming and has her entire town wrapped around his finger. When Drosselmeier promises Marietta an elaborate set for her final performance, the last thing she ever expects is to be transported into a snowy forest and rescued by a guard who escorts her to a palace made from sugar and dreams. Marietta is enchanted, but the thrill doesn’t last long when she realises she is now held captive by King Gelum. And Marietta’s only choice is to dance or starve. Now confined to her sugar prison, Marietta must work with the King’s other captives if they want to escape alive. And in this sugar-coated world, Marietta can’t trust anyone.

Oh dear, I had such high hopes for this one. Midnight in Everwood is sweet and dream-like, but I was not a fan of the overall story. Reading this was a rollercoaster of emotions of being set up to witness a thrilling tale, only to reach the end and find out it really wasn’t all that memorable.

The story begins in Edwardian society, and it is evident how restricting the world is for Marietta. The Christmas performance is her last time before she must give up her pointe shoes. When she is transported to Everwood, the change is instant. The influence of the Nutcracker really shines through in worldbuilding. Whimsical barely scratches the surface of what Marietta witnesses in Everwood. I really loved the detail and information we see about Everwood and its surrounding areas. There is lore and knowledge that captivated me, and it’s such a shame that much of it isn’t particularly relevant to the story.

I can see what Kuzniar was trying to do when she was building Marietta. A girl who is desperate to keep her passion alive in a very restrictive world. I wanted to feel proud and empowered by her decisions, but the execution falls flat. Her attitude is very inconsistent, and her judgement is all over the place. The plot is just repetitive: Marietta gets in trouble, someone else taking the fall for her actions while she moans about her position. The growth of her character feels like it was just dumped towards the end. The supporting characters almost seem to be propped up like cardboard, with no voice or life of their own except to deal with Marietta’s moaning. The villain had so much potential to be much more terrifying if the story even focused on him. The best way I could describe Marietta’s journey is incomplete. She doesn’t feel completely present in the story, which is such a shame because the level of detail we receive about the world doesn’t feel fully utilised in the story that is told here.

Overall, Midnight in Everwood is a sweet reimagining, but I have to admit it was definitely not my style. But I can see this book finding a home in another reader, someone who is more passionate about winter fairytales and sugary whirlwind adventures.

This was absolutely magical! A nutcracker retelling that actually brings something new and interesting to the story, and definitely something I'll be returning to in the winter months, as it was completely enchanting and so festive!