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A review by apparatinglibrarian
The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Nutcracker has always been a beloved story of mine, and I eat up any retelling I find. The Kingdom of Sweets, is such retelling, and is one that is on the top of my list of favorite Nutcracker retellings.
I loved the mystery, the darkness, the moodiness, the uprising of Russian revolution in the background, the traditional story intertwined with a new version, how Clara is a twin.... it was beautifully delicious. I would love to see Drosselmeyer as a mysterious, and even mischievous, man but not one with malicious intent. Drosselmeyer in this is a character that you feel pity for, but are not to like. I always liked Uncle Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker, because of how mysterious and imaginative he is. It seems in retellings, this is a trend, and I'd love to see one where he is more of a guardian of the magic he spins.
Also, on the Drosselmeyer topic... I'd love to see a book that is about Drosselmeyer's backstory, and how he becomes this magical toy maker. Love interests, family, apprenticeship, intrigue, mystery, magic, etc. I think if it's done well, it would be amazing. Drosselmeyer is one of my favorite characters, and he is one that I believe to get a hard take. He's the Snape character, and I'd love to know more about his back story.
Overall, this was beautiful. So well crafted and written. I didn't want it to end, honestly, but it ended just the way I had hoped.
I loved the mystery, the darkness, the moodiness, the uprising of Russian revolution in the background, the traditional story intertwined with a new version, how Clara is a twin.... it was beautifully delicious. I would love to see Drosselmeyer as a mysterious, and even mischievous, man but not one with malicious intent. Drosselmeyer in this is a character that you feel pity for, but are not to like. I always liked Uncle Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker, because of how mysterious and imaginative he is. It seems in retellings, this is a trend, and I'd love to see one where he is more of a guardian of the magic he spins.
Also, on the Drosselmeyer topic... I'd love to see a book that is about Drosselmeyer's backstory, and how he becomes this magical toy maker. Love interests, family, apprenticeship, intrigue, mystery, magic, etc. I think if it's done well, it would be amazing. Drosselmeyer is one of my favorite characters, and he is one that I believe to get a hard take. He's the Snape character, and I'd love to know more about his back story.
Overall, this was beautiful. So well crafted and written. I didn't want it to end, honestly, but it ended just the way I had hoped.