Review: Winterspell

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Claire Legrand
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 454
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (I'm under Goodreads spell): New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted--by beings distinctly nothuman. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets--and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed--if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.

What do I think?

I've never read a retelling for The Nutcracker before. I've never done much The Nutcracker before, except for a scary Barbie version. I kind of want to now.

I love that Clara was such a strong character. She was brave and physically strong too. She seemed so kick-ass in the beginning. But I'm also glad that she was sensible enough to be afraid of some things. It wasn't that she was without fear, it's that it was used to protect her family and to keep fighting. Okay, it pissed me off a little bit, but looking back it was fine.

Nicholas was great...until he was suddenly horrible and I had the worst time forgiving him. I don't think I would of but I'm not Clara so I guess she can make her own choices...

Anise was just bloody weird! Well, I could sort of understand how she could become attached to Clara but what Clara did around her was really the weird thing. Her reaction to being around Anise was aggravating to say the least and not at all what I expected. 

Actually, I didn't see much coming in this novel. It managed to create interesting twists and turns. It was a little younger than what I am reading lately but it kept surprises coming and it kept me interested. The characters didn't sit still for very long. I only wish that the ending would have gone a little more slowly so that I could more easily believe the resolution to Clara's problems. 

It was good but not the best. I wouldn't reread it but I don't regret this book.