The Kingdom of Sweets

Ericka Johansen

SPOILER ALERT

I struggled for a while trying to figure out how to describe this book, and honestly, I think part of that is because of how much it made me feel.

I’ve always loved The Nutcracker. It was one of my favorite Christmas stories growing up, but I always feared the Rat King. That was the villain. That was what stayed with me.

This book changed that.

This version took everything I thought I knew and twisted it into something darker, something deeper. And this time, it wasn’t the Rat King I feared. It was the Fairy Queen.

The way she was written, the way she represented the darker parts of human nature like greed, vengeance, and hatred, made her feel more real than any monster. That was what made her terrifying.

And having a sister, even though I don’t have a twin, made parts of this story hit in a very personal way. The bond between siblings, and the things that can break that bond, felt very real.

This is easily one of the best retellings I’ve ever read.

Thank you, Erika Johansen, for this masterpiece.