Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available Nov 28,2023!

These are my thoughts and my thoughts alone.

It was a solid read. Spun the lore of The Nutcracker on its ear and gave a darker fantasy than what we all know. It spans generations, includes wonderful descriptions of the World of the Nutcracker and is told from the perspective of Natasha, the sister in the shadow of Clara.

This sprawling dark fantasy spans nearly a half-century, across continents and other, less tangible geographies, to portray a world which is familiar yet magical, and extremely dangerous. Johansen manages to evoke the imagery and mystical experience of the more fantastic scenes from Hoffman's original fever-dream vision of "The Nutcracker." Even the elements of Tchaikovsky's ballet are incorporated seamlessly as the author describes a upper-class family whose fortune has dwindled, forcing their affiliation with a local aristocrat who seems to wield mysterious power.

Grounded in social psychology, history and religious ritual, the more colorful scenes in Kingdom of Sweets are always supported by a strong factual foundation and enhanced by emotional authenticity. It's is an intense adventure, but also a meditation on the struggle of humanity through violence and oppression to personal sacrifice and community. The cast of characters is large enough to convincingly populate the story, but they're mostly compartmentalized so that readers can follow intricately woven threads from their first pages. Fans of Christina Henry will be delighted by this rich re-imagining of The Nutcracker, and anyone who's read King's Fairy Tale will likely see some parallels.

To immerse yourself in the spirit of the season when the colder months set in, or just to chase away the shadows (and the rats), touch a flame to your bedside taper and prepare for this odyssey through The Kingdom of Sweets.

A sugar-frosted thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Group for the ARC.

The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen is a unique dark fantasy novel.

The world-building, and characters are truly fascinating.
The plot and the characters are well developed and I enjoyed being swept along with them. The pace, the plot, the writing style were all perfection. This is the type of book that engages you so deeply that you don't even realise you're reading.
The story was engaging, along with everything else, not to mention the well-described scenes.
I found myself devouring the story every chance I got.
This was everything I could have hoped for

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Dutton for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!