A review by rebelbelle13
Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by Laura Geringer, William Joyce

5.0

It's been a long time since I've read such a wonderful middle-grade novel. I've found that I love fairy-tale re-tellings, and this is truly a magical one. I discovered this author and these novels while browsing my local bookstore- I had no idea these stories were connected to one of my current favorite animated movies, Rise of the Guardians. This, perhaps, made me biased towards liking it, I'll admit, but I do think that this novel is solid enough to stand on its own. It feels like an Oz novel by L. Frank Baum (Rinkitink in Oz, etc.) but set in our world, with just enough lyrical wordplay and fantastical elements to make you envision a rosy, nostalgic, magical past that might have occurred on Earth. This book, of course, is the origin story of North, the equivalent of Santa Claus. Joyce weaves in Claus lore deftly and seamlessly- North is a Russian Cossack, used to the cold. He rides on reindeer and clouds to find the lost city of Santoff Claussen, and learns magic from the last Atlantean. There are also gorgeous illustrations of characters and settings that add another layer of whimsy to the story. I'd highly recommend this author and series if you enjoy Baum's works, Grimm's Fairy Tales, or any other modern retelling of a classic story.