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Once Upon A Winter
It's shaping up to be the most dangerous of all Christmas Eves, and fifteen year old Ree Stahlbaum is in the midst of it. Apprentice to a mysterious inventor named Drosselmeier, Ree is swept up in his dark dealings as the clock strikes midnight. As she leaves her comfortable, safe hearth and home to uncover the secrets behind living toys and enchanted creatures, Ree finds friendship and enemies in unexpected places.
Putting aside her knitting and embroidery, and the constant nagging of her sister are all tasks she can relish easily enough, but the choices and demands only get harder from there. Is Ree up to the task of righting Drosselmeier's wrongs, with only a nutcracker man, a clockwork doll, an irritating older brother, a handful of urchins, and her wits to help her? With an army of mechanical rats close on her heels and an air ship of sky pirates above her, time is running out, and Ree can't be sure who to trust.
Drosselmeier's dark world is unlike anything Ree has ever known. A lifetime of needlepoint, piano forte, and etiquette lessons had hardly prepared her for this.
Putting aside her knitting and embroidery, and the constant nagging of her sister are all tasks she can relish easily enough, but the choices and demands only get harder from there. Is Ree up to the task of righting Drosselmeier's wrongs, with only a nutcracker man, a clockwork doll, an irritating older brother, a handful of urchins, and her wits to help her? With an army of mechanical rats close on her heels and an air ship of sky pirates above her, time is running out, and Ree can't be sure who to trust.
Drosselmeier's dark world is unlike anything Ree has ever known. A lifetime of needlepoint, piano forte, and etiquette lessons had hardly prepared her for this.
- GenresSteampunkYoung Adult
ebook
Published November 21, 2016
1 person is currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Melyssa Williams
9 books52 followersHopeless bookaholic, hopeful author, magazine columnist, ballet teacher, mommy of three (not counting the dog or the chickens), drinker of mugs of half and half with a splash of coffee, red wine lover, former contemporary dancer, mind behind the Shadows Trilogy: Shadows Gray, Shadows Falling, and Shadows Lost. Coming in the holiday season of 2015, Once Upon A Winter, a steampunk retelling of the Nutcracker.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 19, 2015
This was pure awesomeness. The Nutcracker was made for the Steampunk genre.
December 20, 2018
This is the fourth book I've read by Melyssa Williams and I am very very happy to have found her as an author. It was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. I didn't want it to end I wanted to stay with Ree and Nikolai at Sea Level forever, I do believe a sequel may be in order. It is very easily one of my favorite books. I am very thankful to my friend who introduced me to Melyssa Williams' books!! :)
December 22, 2015
Whether you like Steampunk or not (or whether you know what it is or not), you're bound to love this quirky Nutcracker. It's got everything the traditional ballet has, but it doesn't stop there. It takes the original's sweetness and ramps it up with a whole lot of off-beat characters - grubby Angels, a terrifying Drosselmeier, and inebriated fairies that have to scraped off the sides of buildings with a spatula. With a liberal lacing of humor, a spunky and funny heroine, and a visually stunning atmosphere, this is a great Christmas read!
December 24, 2020
Certainly the most unique and creative Nutcracker retelling I’ve ever read. (Not necessarily a good thing.) The plot meandered and very abruptly ended.
December 11, 2015
Review to come...
November 18, 2015
Having read the author’s Lost trilogy previously, I was expecting a rollicking good read, and Once Upon a Winter did not disappoint. The Nutcracker story plus a steampunk setting is a match made in heaven, and made me wonder why the story hasn’t always been presented that way. Strongly-drawn characters, elements from the classic ballet, and a plot that keeps you guessing are brilliantly blended by the author. This was a ton of fun, and although I haven’t the foggiest idea what “Nutcracker 2” would look like, I still find myself hoping for a sequel.
December 1, 2015
Mechanical rat armies! Sky pirates! Reindeer girl hybrids! Overbearing brother! All in time for tea. What's not to like?
March 26, 2017
This book is so heart-warming, I struggled to tear myself away from reading it. For this time of year, it is absolutely ideal. I found myself immediately relating to the protagonist, Ree, who dreaded her family’s Christmas party for the many awkward encounters the night would probably entail (let’s face it, sometimes we’d much rather be curled up reading a book), but also looked forward to her godfather’s inventions with mounting anticipation. And wow, they were certainly impressive gifts. Being a keen mechanic herself, Ree helped to create the first one, but the next two were shocking even for her. The plot took a swift turn as he presented the guests with two clockwork figures, both of which enthralled Ree with their realistic quality – this section has some really brilliant imagery, so you feel the same excitement as Ree does. Her fascination with the dolls leads her to a thrilling adventure out of the comfortable world she had become somewhat bored with.
The style of the book reminded me of Phillip Pullman, which I was delighted with, being an avid fan of this type of book. The world it’s set in is similar enough to ours to make it easy to visualise, yet refreshingly magical with some nice fantasy features, most of which I haven’t seen before, like the reindeer children. I was talking with a friend the other day about how fantasy is a genre that has so much potential – limitless possibilities – and can be stunning when the author puts in the effort to communicate the little details, this book certainly falls under this category. Many masterpieces are from this area, think of Harry Potter, The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings trilogy – these are all such successful and cherished stories because the author successfully whisked us away to somewhere new, where we could follow captivating adventures. The usage of clockwork was very different and well executed.
Ree is such a great character to lead the story, firstly because she’s a girl that spends little time waffling and is blunt about what she thinks without appearing rude or conceited, also as her sarcasm and sass is faultless and to top this, she admits any mistakes she makes. She goes stubbornly against what her sister claims is proper; yearning for adventure, passionately delving into mechanics even before the novel is set and actually fighting when necessary. Every ounce of fear and happiness that she feels is radiated through the language: she is not fearless, labels herself as claustrophobic at one point and screams a fair amount later on in the book. I think it’s important for authors to address that being scared is not weak, at no point does Ree stand up and say “Okay guys, this was fun but now I want to go home,” and walk away, that’s what really matters. Another plus point to her character was that though she often admired the boys, the story does not end with a cliché and emotional kiss, nor does she spend a long time pondering dates. I look forward to when the author writes a sequel (please write one) so these kinds of relationships can form, but the chemistry between Ree and Nikolai was perfect.
If you want a nice book to keep you company on these long and cold winter days, I would highly suggest this one. I’ve included some links below to help you all find it and hope that you do so. This author has so much potential, I cannot wait to read her next book and feel she will definitely grow in popularity soon!
Review from my book blog; http://eccentrictrilogy.blogspot.co.u...
The style of the book reminded me of Phillip Pullman, which I was delighted with, being an avid fan of this type of book. The world it’s set in is similar enough to ours to make it easy to visualise, yet refreshingly magical with some nice fantasy features, most of which I haven’t seen before, like the reindeer children. I was talking with a friend the other day about how fantasy is a genre that has so much potential – limitless possibilities – and can be stunning when the author puts in the effort to communicate the little details, this book certainly falls under this category. Many masterpieces are from this area, think of Harry Potter, The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings trilogy – these are all such successful and cherished stories because the author successfully whisked us away to somewhere new, where we could follow captivating adventures. The usage of clockwork was very different and well executed.
Ree is such a great character to lead the story, firstly because she’s a girl that spends little time waffling and is blunt about what she thinks without appearing rude or conceited, also as her sarcasm and sass is faultless and to top this, she admits any mistakes she makes. She goes stubbornly against what her sister claims is proper; yearning for adventure, passionately delving into mechanics even before the novel is set and actually fighting when necessary. Every ounce of fear and happiness that she feels is radiated through the language: she is not fearless, labels herself as claustrophobic at one point and screams a fair amount later on in the book. I think it’s important for authors to address that being scared is not weak, at no point does Ree stand up and say “Okay guys, this was fun but now I want to go home,” and walk away, that’s what really matters. Another plus point to her character was that though she often admired the boys, the story does not end with a cliché and emotional kiss, nor does she spend a long time pondering dates. I look forward to when the author writes a sequel (please write one) so these kinds of relationships can form, but the chemistry between Ree and Nikolai was perfect.
If you want a nice book to keep you company on these long and cold winter days, I would highly suggest this one. I’ve included some links below to help you all find it and hope that you do so. This author has so much potential, I cannot wait to read her next book and feel she will definitely grow in popularity soon!
Review from my book blog; http://eccentrictrilogy.blogspot.co.u...
January 26, 2018
I had been wanting a steampunk Nutcracker story for years, so I was incredibly excited to find this.
Unfortunately, it's not very good. I liked the *idea* behind most of the characters, but the execution was poor. The ending felt abrupt and unfinished. The whole thing could have done with a firm editorial hand.
Unfortunately, it's not very good. I liked the *idea* behind most of the characters, but the execution was poor. The ending felt abrupt and unfinished. The whole thing could have done with a firm editorial hand.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews