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The Kingdom of Sweets takes the classic tale of The Nutcracker and reimagines it as a dark, gothic fantasy with a sprinkle of creeping horror. Clara has a twin, Natasha, and they are given a blessing by their Godfather, Drosselmeyer after they are born on Christmas. A blessing that turns out to have far-reaching implications for how the lives of both sisters play out in the years to come.

I loved the world-building and how it made you feel as if you were there, seeing every polished surface and every decaying foundation that lay underneath. As I read, I could see threads of movies from my childhood – Labyrinth, Babes in Toyland, the Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka, and Anastasia (specifically Rasputin) – woven throughout the world that Nat and Clara lived in. The entire story felt eerily familiar, and yet had its’ own creeping sense of unease and darkness. Maybe I’m just drawn to the stories where the cracks in the foundation are far more interesting than the pretty house that sits on top.

Nat and Clara have to battle their own perceptions and grievances against each other as they are ensnared in the world that the Sugar Plum Fairy (who shares far more similarities with evil dark fae representations than anything else) spins for them. Image a world where Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked With of the West are contained within the same body, and the havoc that they could create.

At its core, this story is one of coveting what your sister has, feeling as if life were not fair to you, and that you deserved more than you were initially handed. No one is without darkness. The Kingdom of Sweets is a slow dance with madness, leading the reader to see how quickly the sweet can turn bitter.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher (Penguin Group Dutton) for the eARC. All opinions are my own.