A wonderful adaption of The Nutcracker with a dark twist that will leave readers on edge throughout the story.

Marietta Stelle lives for the ballet. She has thrown herself into creative dance and has secured herself the lead role in Sleeping Beauty, which will be performed in her family’s ballroom on Christmas Eve. However, neither of her parents are fond of her love for the ballet as they strive for things in life to benefit themselves and elevate their status, so a daughter’s only purpose is the proper arranged marriage. When a new neighbor shows up bearing the name of Dr. Drosselmeier that happens to be an eligible bachelor, her parents find themselves working to set up a marriage for young Marietta. While Marietta is also fascinated with the young doctor, particularly his ability of magic, she soon discovers that not all magic is good. When she escapes Drosselmeier’s grasp through an enchanted grandfather clock, she discovers herself in a new world with new problems that far outweighed any she had faced before.

This was a really fun adaption of the classic The Nutcracker. It takes on more of an adult themed role, not really mature, but just in the way that younger readers wouldn’t understand everything that is going on. It takes a little while to build up the story, but after the first 100 pages or so, it really flies. Marietta has tremendous character growth throughout the book as she realizes that she has led a selfish, entitled life until she discovers herself in Everwood. Captain Legat aka The Nutcracker is far from charming, but the chemistry between the two doesn’t take long to heat up. If you like classic stories with a darker telling, then this is going to be one you will thoroughly enjoy. Sort of like a black swan. There is an implied sex scene as well as hints of other sexuality throughout, but nothing graphic. There is also little to no foul language throughout, which was great. I recommend this to readers who like a new take on a classic story!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

When she danced, she flew on gossamer wings that lifted her away from the dragging weight of her family’s expectations.”


Midnight in Everwood is a coming of age retelling of the classical ballet, The Nutcracker. Marietta’s story, set in early 1900s Edwardian England, a time of rigid societal expectations especially for women, is an ennoblement of being true to oneself regardless of the circumstances. A lauding of the importance of developing and cherishing friendships in a world that rarely supports the non-conformists. An exaltation of the entrancing art of storytelling through the beauty and skill of ballet.


The Nutcracker is one of my all-time favorite ballets, having watched both daughters perform this timeless story multiple times through their dance careers. My love for this tale and enjoyment of a good retelling, as well as the beautiful cover, made me very excited to read Midnight in Everwood. However, it didn’t take long for that enthusiasm to wane. Maybe it was because I know the original so well that I found Kuzniar’s interpretation wanting. I kept waiting for those similarities or connections, found in traditional retellings, but they never came. It ended up being absolutely nothing like the original in either the plot or the characters, except for using the name Dr. Drosselmeier for the magical character and connection to the alternate confectionary world. In the original he is a generous benefactor but in this story he is a powerful and dark figure set on taking Marietta for his own pleasure. This leads me to my other issue with Midnight in Everwood which is promoted as an adult retelling of The Nutcracker. Except for one small event, which could be slightly modified to be more YA appropriate, the storyline and especially the romantic relationship is better thought of as YA material. And speaking of romantic relationships, the conclusion to Marietta’s love interest, which was actually quite compelling, was incomplete and unfulfilling. You’re basically left with an unfinished ending, as if there is another book coming, which at this point there is no indication that is the case.


Midnight in Everwood has much more merit and appeal as its own fictional tale and coming of age story of a young woman whose hopes and dreams are lived out through ballet. With a richly detailed and fantastical world as the backdrop, this story takes the reader on a dreamlike experience to a place where darkness lurks beneath the sugary exterior and choices have life-changing consequences. The Edwardian constraints are the perfect contrast to the freeing and almost spiritual moments of dance Marietta experiences. While a strong and smart character to begin with, the circumstances that push her to Everwood bring out the best qualities in her character and were inspirational and encouraging. “Be safe and strong. Never dull your sparkle for anyone else, flame fiercely into your own glittering future.”

I also appreciated Kuzniar’s apparent love for and knowledge of ballet. Not only does she use an extensive amount of ballet terms to create the dances through words but she conveys the very essence of what it means to express oneself through the medium of dance.

“Ballet resides in your bones; it courses through your blood. For a dancer, it is the very essence of our identity, stripped down to its rawest, most intrinsic parts; you cannot leave it behind any more than you could forsake your own soul. Feel it. Feel the exquisite pain that comes from the purest form of love, for that is what it means to dance ballet.” – Olga in Midnight in Everwood

Midnight in Everwood has many things going for it that make it is worth the time to read. I think a different marketing approach, with less connection to The Nutcracker and more emphasis on the story itself, would change expectations coming in and allow this creative and compelling tale to really shine.

“Never dull your sparkle for anyone else, flame fiercely into your own glittering future.”
“We’re angry girls with hearts made of glass…Nothing can cut like glass”

🌟🌟🌟💫/5
Pub date: Jan 25th (out now!)

Midnight In Everwood is a retelling of the Nutcracker set in 1906 Edwardian Nottingham. Marietta is an eligible society debutante not interested in marriage for the sake of climbing the ranks of society. She has a passion for ballet and doesn’t want to give up her dreams of dancing in order to find a husband.
A mysterious man causes a flurry of interest from the social set and Marietta’s parents are thrilled when he shows interest in Marietta. However, Marietta senses something sinister and when she tries to rebuff his advances she is trapped in a magical world where she is forced to dance for the entertainment of others. She must make allies to win her freedom, save her friends, free a kingdom from an evil king, and get back to her world to fight for her dream.

The magical setting of this book is beautiful and I loved the themes of equality, the strength of women, and striving for your dreams. The book did read more of a YA and not adult. There is one steamy moment so I wouldn’t recommend for younger readers. The characters are interesting but the development left me wanting more. I enjoyed the read but was hoping for more.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper 360 for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

TW: murder, abuse, unaccepting parents

Challenges
Popsugar: Set during a holiday
Kats Booknerds: Published in 2022
52 Books: Involving the art world

I’m a sucker for retellings of the nutcracker story. I loved that Marietta knew who she was and what she wanted. Pursuing your dream when people are against you is always hard but Marietta held true. I liked the characters in the story and the friends Marietta makes along the way to support her. The relationship I was most invested in was the relationship between Marietta, Pirlipata, and Dellara. I wish their friendship was focused on more and Pirlipata and Dellara were given more depth. I felt like we got hints but not the full story. Same thing with Legat. I liked him but I wish we got more. Their relationship was also cute but felt rushed in a way.

The world she is transported had a lot of character itself because of how descriptive things were. Made me wish that where I live we actually experience a real winter. Sometimes it felt like some of the descriptions were redundant but it wasn’t bad. I know it’s a nutcracker retelling and it’s winter themed but it seemed like maybe too much of those type of descriptive words to describe everything.

As for pacing of the story, I thought parts were slow. I thought the beginning was strong up until we got a ways into Everwood. It seemed too slow to get to the climax of the story. Maybe not enough action was taken by the characters at this time?

Overall, I enjoyed the story.

Being a ballet Momma whose daughters dance in The Nutcracker every Christmas, I was thrilled when I was able to receive this Netgalley. The story is well written and so imaginative that I could not put it down! This story is one that is familiar and has been told numerous times yet this is a fresh and exciting take on what is a beloved story! The writing is fantastic. It is easy to follow and deliciously descriptive in the way that it is written. I was excited to see the new elements of the story come to life and bring new ideas into my mind that I have never considered. I recommend this to the fullest and look forward to reading more by this author in the future!

This book is absolutely gorgeous. From the moment I started it, I was enthralled and enamored. It feels like it hit all of my boxes and I will be recommending this to everyone.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Midnight in Everwood is a Nutcracker retelling. I’m not very familiar with the original tale so this book helped fill me in. I liked the magical aspect of this book and I feel like it was made to be read in the winter.

I liked the concept of this book but sadly, I wasn’t as hooked as I wanted to be. I think the long wordy descriptions made it hard to read and focus on. The descriptions made it very slowly paced. Nothing really happens until 1/3 of the way in. I also struggled to connect with the main character.

I did like the whimsy of the world and I would be hopeful to read anything new from this author.

2 stars

I wasn’t very familiar with the story of the nutcracker before reading this book, however I absolutely love ballet. The way this story was told, in both plot and characterization, was an absolute treat. I did feel that it took a bit to really get into the meat of the story, but everything was connected and wrapped up so nicely that I really can’t complain. I love that this was a story of female empowerment and friendship, and the ending was so completely perfect. While there is romance in this book I would not characterize it as a romance novel and it didn’t have a HEA in the typical sense for the couple (but definitely a HEA overall in my opinion!!).

Upon reflection, I don’t think I’ve ever read a retelling of the Nutcracker before so this is quite new to me. I’m also only somewhat familiar with the actual thanks to a quick read through the Wikipedia article, but it seems the barest bones of the original story are there. Many of the names have been recycled and the only nutcracker that appears is given as a not so subtle threat. It does embody the feeling of the source material through the setting - a world made of sugar, a cold winter pine forest, and magical toy wonders. 

Marietta Stelle wants nothing more than to become a professional ballerina, but her father has forbidden it and bids her to marry a suitable match. The year is coming to a close and her final performance is rapidly approaching and a mysterious and wealthy man named Drosselmeier has moved in nearby. He makes the most magical toys and bobbles and has volunteered to make Marietta’s ballet set, meaning it will be a grand marvel, but he’s also approached her father about courting Marietta and she sees something dark in him. When he makes a threatening advance on her, Marietta flees from him and when she emerges on the other side of a grandfather clock, she finds herself in a magical world of winter clad forests and a castle made of frozen sugar. 

While Everwood, as the town is called, seems to be a magical place it hides a rotting core. The king is a monster, and though Marietta is warned away by the handsome Captain Legat she sneaks into the castle where a ball is being held. When King Gelum sees her dance, he imprisons Marietta alongside his two other “pets” - Dellara, who claims to be a demon and Pirlipata, who is a warrior princess. It soon becomes a story of new found friends, small rebellions, a smidge of romance, strength and bravery. 

I enjoyed this quite a bit and didn’t even mind when the ballet terminology went over my head. I wasn’t quite invested enough to google all those terms, but I managed to chug along through sheer strength of imagination. The book was somewhat strangely paced with a good 30% of it spent with Marietta prior to her flight to Everwood and mere pages doing away with the villain. This did provide an excellent opportunity to really build up Marietta’s character, but I find that too often endings happen in too short a span of time, which for me ultimately leads to less of an emotional impact. There was also extra focus on the lovely clothing in the book and while I can see how that may not work for some folks, I personally enjoyed it.  I found this to have a fine balance of whimsical and serious elements and it’s a lovely take on the Nutcracker story - you have to love a trio of strong women, especially when they were so well written!

Having no real inkling of "The Nutcracker" story, I was naturally fascinated by Midnight in Everwood. I immediately felt a kinship to Marietta as she feels confined by the expectations thrust upon her by traditional society. This box of femininity and the confines of her "accepted" future is one that suffocates Marietta. So when a chance for freedom in an audition for a ballet company emerges, she knows she must take it. But in her way stands not only what her family expects of her, but an enigmatic and dangerous admirer.

When she is transported to a magical, but sinister world, Marietta must figure out how to escape yet another gilded cage. When our wishes come with costs, and we are unable to heed the warnings around us, how can we escape? Marietta embarks on a quest for freedom and rebellion even while pieces of her dream are realized. In Midnight in Everwood, Marietta must create alliances and plans for escape even as she discovers she is not alone. Marietta's story questions what the cost of freedom is to you and those you love.

Thank you so much, Netgalley, Harper360 and HQ, for the chance to read and review this book in exchange of an honest review.

Marietta Stelle longs to be a ballerina, but as Christmas draws nearer, she knows her dancing days are fewer and fewer. Her family wants her to marry and be part of the society in the New Year. But everything changes when a mysterious toymaker, Dr Drosselmeir buys a townhouse in the neighbour, bringing magic and fantasy in her life. But his magic is darker than she would have even imagined. After building a theatrical set for her final ballet performance, Marietta discovers is magical and at midnight she finds herself into another world, a land filled with snow, secrets and the difficulty of getting home safe and sound, battling a darkness who wants her in its clutches.

I love the Nutcraker, everything surrounding it and I fell in love first with this magnificent cover and then with the plot. The Nutcraker for adults? I'm totally in!
The story is perfect, enchanting and beautifully written! The setting is fascinating and I was drawn to the story immediately and Marietta is a complex and lovely main character. I felt her love with her passion and strength, her unwillingness to be trapped into a role imposed by her family and society, wanting to follow her own dreams and to be what she wants to be. The world she's transported in is dangerous and fascinating at the same time and she will have to find her way out and getting home.
I loved the writing style and the author's characterization and creativity and I was drawn into the story right away.
Midnight in Everwood is not only a perfect read for the holidays, but for everytime one wants to be filled with magic and fantasy.

I have been a fan of The Nutcracker ballet since I was 5 years old. I absolutely loved this retelling! Not only is the cover gorgeous, but the book is amazing! I love how the story got a little bit dark. I also loved how strong minded Marietta was. She had goals and wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of them. I also loved how strong the women were in this book. Everwood was so magical, and kept making me hungry with all of the food descriptions. I am so so happy that I got to read this arc. It was amazing and I cannot wait to own the physical copy!

Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar is a adult historical fantasy retelling of The Nutcracker. The first thing I would point out though that although this is meant to be adult it did feel to me like a young adult fantasy.

Marietta Stelle loves nothing other than to dance ballet but Marietta’s parent have other things in mind for their daughter. Marietta’s parents want her to find a husband and give up her dreams of dance becoming a proper member of Edwardian society.

When the mysterious Dr Drosselmeier moves into a neighboring home Marietta’s family is won over by him. Dr Drosselmeier constructs an elaborate set for Marietta’s final ballet performance which is enchanted with magic and transports Marietta to a snowy forest where Marietta catches the eye of King Gelum who claims her as his own.

Midnight in Everwood to me was the type of novel that I found myself transported right into the story but soon found that I wanted more than what I was finding. The world building was great but the story seemed to go at a rather slow pace spending half of the novel on things already known to the read in the book’s description and still with the slow pace leaving me feeling that it didn’t go as deep into the characters as I would have expected. Perhaps I just build this up to much but in the end I could only say it was an OK read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Going into the book I had a lot of mixed emotions. The Nutcracker is probably one of my most cherished stories and memories because I grew up doing ballet, along with my sister's, and every winter the company we were with would perform this show. So it is a story that means a lot to my family and I. So when I heard about this book, I instantly knew I had to read it! But then as soon, as I got a copy, I got nervous. "What if I don't end up liking it", I thought to myself?

I am beyond elated to say this book exceeded my expectations! It was so magical and the writing so lyrical, I felt as much a part of this wonderland as Marietta. I love Marietta with my whole heart, she does great justice to the protagonist of the original Nutcracker, bringing such passion and depth to the character and story. Additionally, I realized that this book also reads like a classic, a genre of literature that is hit or miss with me. There are some classics I absolutely loved, some I hated, and some I do not remember anything about them today. But this was a classic style I very much enjoyed and will go back to in the winter's and Christmas' to come.

A magical nutcracker retelling perfect for fans of the Caraval series! I absolutely adored this book! It’s whimsy is especially perfect for a holiday read! If you love the ballet and sweet candy confectionery, then this one is surely for you! With some dark villainous elements, this one is still fun with the beautiful imagery that it entails for both setting and characters alike!

What a Magical Whimsical read!

i initially requested this to read during the Christmas season and i ended up not getting to it until this week! but i enjoyed it nevertheless. The Nutcracker is one of my favorite Ballet's and to see it actually used in a retelling is fantastic! what a perfect winter fantasy read!

The Nutcracker inspired description and gorgeous cover of this book really drew me in. I have always loved the Nutcracker and ballet in general. This story felt wonderfully magical and was beautifully done. Marietta was a great strong female main character! I enjoyed the deeper story created from the basis of the Nutcracker ballet and I can see myself rereading this every winter.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I am reviewing of my own free will and all opinions in my review are my own.

This story is amazing! The first book by this author that I have read but cannot wait to read more. The story and characters stay with you long after you finish it. Highly recommend!

This book has some lovely worldbuilding and is an interesting interpretation of the source text. The wintry feeling in particular is so wonderfully done. However, the prose is really overwrought an unfortunate hunk of the time, the dialogue feels stilted and odd, the themes are really explicitly dashed over your head, and the relationships among the characters don't feel genuinely developed.

Thank you for letting me give this review...
First of all, I love the cover, very eye catching, with the stenciled edges from WS, I had to buy a copy.
I wasn't totally in love with the family relationships before Marietta went into the clock, mainly with her brother. M.A. seemed to put better emphasis and better writing when mentioning women relationships though (her fellow ballerinas) I also got very confused when she kept referencing her parents by their first name only when she didnt even address them by their first names. That really was annoying because they should have made it easier to follow within the first chapter they are the parents and not friends or siblings in the scene.
Our main character maintains a very stubborn streak in the magical world but spineless in the real world, especially gets her in trouble when the king notices her. I will say the female friendship seemed very forced at first but i came to like the trio by 70% of the book. I loved the writing style of the wonderland, it definitely kept me reading. I was looking forward to the in depth escape path/plan but alas it was very suddenly written with no forethought.
3.5 stars