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.