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!

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ 5 stars

themes:
- nutcracker retelling
- endless food simile's and adjectives (read with snacks)
- captivity
- female empowerment
- soft enemies to lovers trope
"Why, you have discovered the delights of Everwood, of course. A land of ice and sugar, enchanted beyond measure.”

Goodreads Synopsis:
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.

Plot
Plot-wise this is a glittering arc of golden action and empowerment. There are no damsels, only angry girls trapped in sugared towers piped high, although not high enough to escape the icy clutches of the mouse king. The tension provoked coupled with the need to escape and the impossibility of that task draws the reader in until they are practically trapped in Everwood themselves. The obstacles overcome are notable to a worthy plot.
"Storytellers are often wise beyond their years. Perhaps all their delving into words and thoughts have gifted them additional lives.”

Characters & Dynamics
The dynamics between Marietta, Pirlipata and Dellara are my favourite aspect of this story. The blossoming friendship and ensuing female empowerment that beckons is a heart warming quality to the book that filled my stomach with fire and my mind with the anger of a thousand oppressed women. Dellara was my favourite, she was an enigmatic delight formed of revenge and compassion. Marietta was a contrast of powerless yet the most powerful of all as she arms rebellions with the most dangerous weapon - inspiration. Pirlipata was the underdog, the epitome of golden obstinate determination carrying a warrior sword and an unyielding kindness. I know when an author has written an amazing character(s) when those characters make me into a better version of myself. These female characters provoke that quality in me where I feel full-up of inner strength.

The romance between Marietta and Captain Legat was as satisfying as could be. The Captain was a soft, sensible presence to Marietta's wild recklessness. It was easy to believe the love forged between them.
"Be safe and strong. Never dull your sparkle for anyone else, flame fiercely into your own glittering future. We are not so unlike, you and I. We're angry girls with hearts made of glass.”

Writing
To put it simply, this is the most ethereal, enchanting book I have ever read. The writing is beautiful . The consistent references to food mean that I recommend reading this with snacks, though. Preferably butterscotch sweets and hot chocolates. The writing is most definitely worthy of being a Nutcracker retelling and I was reminded when reading this of The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork - another of my five star reads.

World Building
Another aspect of utter perfection. From the marzipan-cobbled streets to the enchanted dresses. From star names to three kingdoms. From mineral sickness to magic treasures. From magic worlds to worlds without magic. I cannot gush just how much I am in love with Everwood.

Likes
- Everything

Dislikes
- Nothing

Final Thoughts
Midnight in Everwood is my favourite read of 2021. As soon as I finished it I sighed loudly and announced to my partner sat next to me, 'that was amazing'. Then we ate chicken wings because the edible adjectives M.A. Kuzniar forced my hunger to spiral. Although my hunger didn't just spiral for real food, but for more and more of Kuzniar's writing.

If you are looking for a magical escape from reality then "Midnight in Everwood" is the perfect book. It is so magical, a fairy tale for grown-ups, and would make great Christmas reading. The story mirrors the Nutcracker but also with echoes of Narnia. Perfectly wonderful.

I absolutely adored this novel.

I’ve never read the nutcracker, but I don’t feel like I’ve missed out. From reading other reviews of the book, it seems as though there are Easter eggs almost hidden in the story, but as i have never read the original, I hadn’t picked up on this.

However that did not detract from the story at all. The author had a real way of writing magic in a way that was so convincing, as if it were entirely possible to walk through a door and end up in an enchanted forest.

I felt that there was a lot of setting the scene in Marietta’s “real world.” There was a lot of text and it took me a while to really get my teeth into the storyline because of this. I found myself putting down the book and coming back a few days later in the initial chapters, simply because there was a lot of information there. In contrast to this, the end of the novel is wrapped up so quickly, it almost gives the reader the feeling of “is that it?” I think I only felt this way because the rest of the novel had been woven so intricately and described in huge amounts of detail.

With that in mind, I would still say I enjoyed it. Once the initial few chapters were over, and Marietta had entered Everwood, I couldn’t put it down. I think once you get past the initial detail, you see how important it is for the plot and to Marietta’s character development.

I absolutely adored the storyline, the magic and the sisterhood. I even enjoyed the romance because I felt it was done in such a way that it was a side narrative and didn’t take over the whole tale as can happen in these types of novels. The main theme of the three women rising up, the strengths they had being different but bonding them together, really had me glued to the book.

The ending was bittersweet, I guess because as a reader you know that Marietta will probably go back and what that will mean. I loved how it was all tied up though. And how seemingly unimportant details, like receiving the shrinking powder, are actually vital to the plot.

On the whole I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend