Twins Natasha and Clara have always been two sides of the same coin, cursed and blessed in equal measure by their godfather, the sorcerer Drosselmeyer. Clara is beauty and light incarnate, but has little interest in understanding the world around her; Natasha may be dark and homely, but she has a penetrating mind. On the night of their family’s Christmas Eve soiree, Natasha seeks revenge for another of her sister’s thoughtless betrayals. Using one of her godfather’s magical gifts to travel to the deceptively beautiful Kingdom of Sweets, Natasha meets the Sugar Plum Fairy, a demonic being whose power and vindictiveness are neither sweet nor fanciful. Natasha’s deal with the fairy sunders the sisters and changes her life forever, pulling her into a web of power far greater than her godfather’s paltry tricks.
Set in the wintry, decadent atmosphere of late-19th century Russia, Erika Johansen’s The Kingdom of Sweets puts a disturbing twist on the classic Nutcracker, transporting readers into a world where dark bargains lurk beneath ornate facades. Johansen explores the casualties of the era’s gender and beauty politics, and every display of the excesses of the Russian Empire comes with the knowledge that revolution is only a few years away.
In this retelling, even the traditional wonders of the holiday tale, from its delicate dancing fairies to its sugared delights, are but illusions hiding the Sugar Plum Fairy’s true identity and motives. Hers are not the only obfuscated intentions, however. Johansen delves into the dissonance between how her characters present to the world and the truth of their hearts. From Conrad, Natasha’s former lover whose straightforward nature Natasha mistakes for true kindness, to Drosselmeyer, whose cruelty is just a byproduct of his greater aims, The Kingdom of Sweets is rife with characters who use their status or polite misdirection to hide their true faces.
Just like its characters, The Kingdom of Sweets has hidden depths: Lyrical and terrifying, it is just as likely to disturb as it is to enchant.
