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The Nutcracker Bleeds
London 1905—It begins when a toymaker comes bearing a unique Christmas gift for his favorite niece, Olivia—a handsomely carved nutcracker doll.
Anne, Olivia’s young governess, believes that a girl of fourteen is much too old for toys. Olivia, however, refuses to grow up. She cares for the dolls as if they are dear friends. They speak to her. Anne merely humors the girl’s pleasures. She has never had much use for fantasy.
Yet not even Anne can deny the curse.
At the stroke of midnight, Anne is immersed in the horrific world of her unstable charge when a bite from a mouse makes her the size of a doll. She must brave a world of mangled and demented toys that have come to life. Each has his own agenda—the most unrelenting of which is the mysterious Nutcracker, who becomes Anne’s only sane ally.
There is war in the lower levels of the Ellington house between the rodents and the toys, yet Anne's only concern is getting Olivia and herself back to their own world before they are stuck in this twisted reality forever, or worse: become subjected to the terrifying Rat King.
The Nutcracker Bleeds is a mature, unusual, and horrific retelling of the classic Nutcracker story.
Anne, Olivia’s young governess, believes that a girl of fourteen is much too old for toys. Olivia, however, refuses to grow up. She cares for the dolls as if they are dear friends. They speak to her. Anne merely humors the girl’s pleasures. She has never had much use for fantasy.
Yet not even Anne can deny the curse.
At the stroke of midnight, Anne is immersed in the horrific world of her unstable charge when a bite from a mouse makes her the size of a doll. She must brave a world of mangled and demented toys that have come to life. Each has his own agenda—the most unrelenting of which is the mysterious Nutcracker, who becomes Anne’s only sane ally.
There is war in the lower levels of the Ellington house between the rodents and the toys, yet Anne's only concern is getting Olivia and herself back to their own world before they are stuck in this twisted reality forever, or worse: become subjected to the terrifying Rat King.
The Nutcracker Bleeds is a mature, unusual, and horrific retelling of the classic Nutcracker story.
ebook
First published December 3, 2014
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About the author
Lani Lenore
21 books141 followersLani Lenore is a writer of gothic horror and dark fantasy. In addition to rewriting well-known fairy tales with a twist, she also writes original stories in a style she calls ‘dark fairy tale’, which uses fantasy elements to build horror stories. Most of her tales, though horrific at times, have a subplot of romance. She loves to keep readers on the edge of their seat and immerse them in worlds of beauty and terror.
Lani currently lives in Tennessee with her husband, two dogs, and four cats.
Lani currently lives in Tennessee with her husband, two dogs, and four cats.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 10, 2017
I have to confess. I went out and read four different versions of The Nutcracker fairy tale in preparation for reading this book. I'm very glad I did, because not only did I discover a new favorite in the original Nutcracker, but I got all the nuances and references to the original while reading The Nutcracker Bleeds.
This is a unique book. I don't know if I've read anything quite like it. Lenore's style has always been unique and dark-- something that keeps bringing me back to her work after the incredible Nevermor trilogy (an all-time, top-5 favorite of mine).
But her writing style is a little different, too. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what that is, but there's something about the phrasing, the way the characters speak, a quirk in the mechanics of it all that is just... Lani Lenore. I think this is what makes her prose feel immersive in the worlds she has created. And it has a bit of an old, historical feel that makes her settings feel even further from reality.
I happen to love it, but this unique style isn't for everyone. And neither is this book. It's certainly not for a younger audience. There are sexual trigger scenes-- .
It's technically a "gothic horror", which is a very interesting twist on the Nutcracker story-- which always had a bit of an eerie tone to it.
I think the best part of this story is the atmosphere. Lenore drags us through the entirety of this huge mansion-- made even bigger by the fact that our main characters are all the size of dolls-- through the vents, behind the walls, down the stairs, under beds. You'd think a story taking place in one house over the course of one night could be a little limited. Well, not when you're toys. And not when you're Lenore.
The next best thing is the characters, and their development. We start the story not really liking anyone. Olivia is crazy, Anne is selfish, and all the adults in the house are indulgent and don't seem to care for anyone but themselves. But as the story goes on, we delve into what makes each character tick and we see their flaws be directly challenged by the trials they face during the long night. And, of course, the Nutcracker has a fantastic arc of single-minded revenge to eventually sacrificing for others.
The pacing is wonderful as well. The action never stops, there's always something else to run from or kill or almost get eaten by. I think only four stars, for me, was because of 1. a bit of adult content that just felt a little more indulgent than I prefer, and 2. the villain.
Edge is a great villain, by the way. Very sly and cunning and his decisions are very believable within his character. I struggled a bit more with the Rat King. His backstory was a bit confusing to me, and for the majority of the book is too weak to do anything "villainous" so we don't really know what we're up against until he gains his power back.
All in all, a magical, creepy, and bloody-but-entertaining traipse through a house on Christmas Eve. I love dark fairy tale retellings, and I'm not sure I've found anyone who gets my need for them quite like Lani Lenore. Keep them coming, please :D
This is a unique book. I don't know if I've read anything quite like it. Lenore's style has always been unique and dark-- something that keeps bringing me back to her work after the incredible Nevermor trilogy (an all-time, top-5 favorite of mine).
But her writing style is a little different, too. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what that is, but there's something about the phrasing, the way the characters speak, a quirk in the mechanics of it all that is just... Lani Lenore. I think this is what makes her prose feel immersive in the worlds she has created. And it has a bit of an old, historical feel that makes her settings feel even further from reality.
I happen to love it, but this unique style isn't for everyone. And neither is this book. It's certainly not for a younger audience. There are sexual trigger scenes-- .
It's technically a "gothic horror", which is a very interesting twist on the Nutcracker story-- which always had a bit of an eerie tone to it.
I think the best part of this story is the atmosphere. Lenore drags us through the entirety of this huge mansion-- made even bigger by the fact that our main characters are all the size of dolls-- through the vents, behind the walls, down the stairs, under beds. You'd think a story taking place in one house over the course of one night could be a little limited. Well, not when you're toys. And not when you're Lenore.
The next best thing is the characters, and their development. We start the story not really liking anyone. Olivia is crazy, Anne is selfish, and all the adults in the house are indulgent and don't seem to care for anyone but themselves. But as the story goes on, we delve into what makes each character tick and we see their flaws be directly challenged by the trials they face during the long night. And, of course, the Nutcracker has a fantastic arc of single-minded revenge to eventually sacrificing for others.
The pacing is wonderful as well. The action never stops, there's always something else to run from or kill or almost get eaten by. I think only four stars, for me, was because of 1. a bit of adult content that just felt a little more indulgent than I prefer, and 2. the villain.
Edge is a great villain, by the way. Very sly and cunning and his decisions are very believable within his character. I struggled a bit more with the Rat King. His backstory was a bit confusing to me, and for the majority of the book is too weak to do anything "villainous" so we don't really know what we're up against until he gains his power back.
All in all, a magical, creepy, and bloody-but-entertaining traipse through a house on Christmas Eve. I love dark fairy tale retellings, and I'm not sure I've found anyone who gets my need for them quite like Lani Lenore. Keep them coming, please :D
December 3, 2016
I love this story and I love the ending, they way Lenore has taken this story and made it her own is amazing!
When you start off reading it and are introduced to Anne you feel disappointed in her from the start. You feel like you can't like this character very much and you don't care about what happens to her. But as the story continues and Anne goes through everything she is put through, your feelings for her change as her character develops. By the end of the book I felt so much for Anne that I was crying for her when she was sad and laughing for her when she was happy.
The character development in this book is absolutely amazing, the way Lenore makes the characters so real and full of flaws is perfect. Like I said, I started off this book thinking I was going to hate the main character Anne, but by then end of it, all I wanted was the best for her. Olivia, is a spoiled little girl who indeed has mental development issues and is hard to like at times. She is the perfect example of someone who should be careful for what they wish for. Her dream world becomes reality where she is their ruler but comes to understand that the world she had envisioned was the world she got but with all of the horrific realities that come along with it. She is a child wanting to rule a kingdom that has so much adult emotion ruling it that she doesn't truly understand because she has no idea what these emotions are. She kind of reminds me of Peter Pan, the child who never wanted to grow up. Then there is Armand. Such a pain filled character with a cold exterior, he has been hurt and he has been cursed, his growth in the story is heart aching and all you want to do is kill the bloody Rat King for him. There is romance between him and Anne, this romance however (and I admit I am such a sucker for romance) is not the main focus of the story. To me it feels like the focus is all these flawed characters coming together to find themselves for who they are truly meant to be and recognising their flaws for themselves.
The ending is defiantly a twist and completely screams Lani Lenore. This isn't your typical they lived happily ever after ending but it brings everything to a nice close and all the character's stories are played out. The ending for Anne is a rather great twist. Its one of those endings that fit for a number of people, the romantics (like me) who like happy endings or the psychoanalytical type who want to see a different side to the ending, or the readers who like angst. It was very cleverly ended and depending on who is reading you can take the ending in different ways. Me? I like a happy ending and I'm glad that it ends how is does as to how I have read it.
Lani Lenore is an brilliant mind who's stories are NEVER like you think they should be. She will keep you on your toes, she will never let you put the book down until you turn the last page and she will always leave you satisfied with the endings. There is something for everyone in this story and I'm so glad I have had the chance to read it. If you haven't pick up a copy do so!
Thanks Lani, this story is going to stay in my mind for a very long time! Brilliant work!
When you start off reading it and are introduced to Anne you feel disappointed in her from the start. You feel like you can't like this character very much and you don't care about what happens to her. But as the story continues and Anne goes through everything she is put through, your feelings for her change as her character develops. By the end of the book I felt so much for Anne that I was crying for her when she was sad and laughing for her when she was happy.
The character development in this book is absolutely amazing, the way Lenore makes the characters so real and full of flaws is perfect. Like I said, I started off this book thinking I was going to hate the main character Anne, but by then end of it, all I wanted was the best for her. Olivia, is a spoiled little girl who indeed has mental development issues and is hard to like at times. She is the perfect example of someone who should be careful for what they wish for. Her dream world becomes reality where she is their ruler but comes to understand that the world she had envisioned was the world she got but with all of the horrific realities that come along with it. She is a child wanting to rule a kingdom that has so much adult emotion ruling it that she doesn't truly understand because she has no idea what these emotions are. She kind of reminds me of Peter Pan, the child who never wanted to grow up. Then there is Armand. Such a pain filled character with a cold exterior, he has been hurt and he has been cursed, his growth in the story is heart aching and all you want to do is kill the bloody Rat King for him. There is romance between him and Anne, this romance however (and I admit I am such a sucker for romance) is not the main focus of the story. To me it feels like the focus is all these flawed characters coming together to find themselves for who they are truly meant to be and recognising their flaws for themselves.
The ending is defiantly a twist and completely screams Lani Lenore. This isn't your typical they lived happily ever after ending but it brings everything to a nice close and all the character's stories are played out. The ending for Anne is a rather great twist. Its one of those endings that fit for a number of people, the romantics (like me) who like happy endings or the psychoanalytical type who want to see a different side to the ending, or the readers who like angst. It was very cleverly ended and depending on who is reading you can take the ending in different ways. Me? I like a happy ending and I'm glad that it ends how is does as to how I have read it.
Lani Lenore is an brilliant mind who's stories are NEVER like you think they should be. She will keep you on your toes, she will never let you put the book down until you turn the last page and she will always leave you satisfied with the endings. There is something for everyone in this story and I'm so glad I have had the chance to read it. If you haven't pick up a copy do so!
Thanks Lani, this story is going to stay in my mind for a very long time! Brilliant work!
June 13, 2020
I read this hefty book in about 5 days and I have a whole lot of feelings about it. I would like to warn whoever is reading right now that I am going into spoiler territory here. If you don't care about spoilers, you should also know that this review is NSFW, but neither is this book. Whatever, let's get into it.
I'd like to preface this review (again) by saying that I love the story of The Nutcracker. I grew up attending the ballet, I've read all the different renditions of the story, and I constantly seek out retellings of the story in novel format. When I found out that this book existed, I was excited. Nutcracker retellings are so rare. There's only one (Winterspell) that had made it to mainstream publishing (aside from the original publications, I suppose), and that one is terrible and left me so disappointed. I grew up watching Barbie in the Nutcracker as a kid and still return to that movie every holiday season, no matter how much the animation has aged and how much I have aged too. So I guess what I'm saying is, I have a very romantic and nostalgic place in my heart for this story. It's hard to do it right, at least to my liking. I think Lani Lenore came extremely close, but I think after marathoning this novel, I feel disappointed.
But before you write off this review as completely negative, I would like to say that Lenore got a lot of things right, and I know I will be seeking out more of her writing. Here are some of the things I liked:
The Writing: This author has talent. The prose is not overly purple, but it isn't blunt either. There's a perfect balance here that I don't think I've ever encountered before. It's such a rich read, but flowing and smooth that the time gets away from you. Goodreads tells me that this book is 600 pages, which I'm not sure is true? I think kindle formatting is weird, and this book was closer to 300/400. Either way, it's a loooooooonnngggg story. There is a lot that goes on, there are so many characters to keep track of (each with their own perspective on the events unfolding), and there are so many events and missions that the characters go on. Through all of this, the writing holds it all together. I could probably tell you exactly what happens in a timeline of the book, because it was so easy to consume. I think that takes a masterful writer to pull off. I hope as a writer myself, that I can someday succeed in that right.
The Characters: There are A LOT of characters. In all of the reviews for this book, the character development is praised as one of the greatest parts of the books. I can confidently agree with everyone else that Lenore knows how to develop her characters. This is not a retelling of the original story, this is a reimagining with similar themes and motifs. The characters are original. I've never seen a nutcracker character quite like Armand. Our "Clara" character, is not the blissfully innocent girl who cowers before the growing tree in her ballet shoes. Our rat king/mouse king is disgustingly evil. This is not a YA retelling. The things the villains (yes, there are quite a few villains) do in this book are irredeemable and their actions are steeped in the horrors of reality.
**I'm writing this little subsection post-review to mention that Anne is absolutely wonderful heroine. She's a realistic protagonist. She's just a tiny Edwardian lady. She can't fight, she's going to be scared. Her flaws MAKE SENSE to her history and the role that women played in society of the time. She used her sex appeal to get what she wanted, good for her, but at the same time, she lost herself in the process and forgot her morals along the time. She is driven to hell and back during this story. I love her, I want her to be happy. I saw her grow and learn and suffer. I saw her struggle with her feelings for Armand and become selfless in the end of it all. She was smart and her helplessness was justified. I'm glad she got to have a nice orgasm before it all went to shit. She deserved it.
The Horror: I've hidden this review behind a spoiler warning, but I hope readers are aware of the triggering content that is present in this book. There is pedophilia, death, gore, blood, rape, abuse, and mistreatment of characters suffering from mental health issues. There is a two near rape scenes (and one implied) within the first 50 pages of the book. I will touch on all of this in my part about what I didn't like, but now that I've gotten all that out of the way, I would like to mention the absolute craziness that goes on in this novel.
When the Jester professes his love to Anne and reveals to her his little handmade "phallus" I literally looked up and said "what the fuck" out loud. I think this was the point of the book where I realized that I was in for a rollercoaster ride of a horror story. I'd like to think Lenore read the original Hoffman tale and said, "Wow this is kind of fucked up for a children's story, I could make it REALLY fucked up for an adult novel." And she did! The absolute madwoman!
If you've read the original story, the world of the dolls is creepy. The rats are creepy. In a realistic situation, anyone thrust into this world would be absolutely horrified of it. The dolls are lawless and without morals, the humans are terrible and distant, the rats/mice are disgusting and horrible. It all kind of makes sense in its own twisted way.
I don't do horror, or at least I've never really actively sought out the genre, so all this was new to me. I'm a bitch who loves fairy tale retellings, what can I say, this book smacked me against a wall and then punched me in the jaw for good measure. I'm no master in how horror should be properly written and I know a lot of fairy tale retellings market themselves as "dark retellings." They've got nothing on this book. This book is DARK, but not terrifying to the point that I had to keep the light on at night while in bed. It's just kind of super fucked up. You love it and you hate it. I love it enough to put this part of the review under the list of things I liked. This is not the sugary Nutcracker retelling that Heather Dixon Wallwork spins in her book, "The Enchanted Sonata." (My favorite nutcracker retelling, by the way, please check it out if you love sweet romances and easy reading. It's like a palate cleanser).
The Twists: When I say twists, I mean Lenore's own interpretation of the story along with the little surprises she throws in there we weren't expecting (I'm not including the part where the jester doll whips out his toothpick schlong to nail Anne in this). She does a really nice job of setting up these twists without giving them away. Armand sees Clara (the doll) and it is implied that the two have met before. He unexplainably lets her go and I got so pissed at the book for just letting this clearly evil little girl just stroll on by when Armand clearly has a destruction fetish. It all makes sense later when we learn that the dolls bears the likeness to his daughter and was actually her formerly. The rat king turned her into the doll, essentially killing her, but her consciousness was replaced with an entirely new person when the dolls were brought to life. Clara's transformation is the reason Armand is cursed into a nutcracker. It all makes sense and feels so satisfying when we learn all this.
When it comes to interpretations, this book reigns absolutely supreme. Everything is so perfectly done to contribute to the plot (except a couple of things that I will get to in a second but let me praise the book real quick). If you are over the age of 18 and you would like to see this story/ballet flipped upside down in the craziest yet most justifiable way possible, buy this book!
Alright, now let's get to the things I didn't like.
The Sex: I'm 21, I love sex. It's a great time and sometimes reading about it can be a great way to quench whatever thirst or angst you're feeling in your real life. Lenore, I know your history, fictionpress/fanfiction.net is your roots. That doesn't mean every book has to have a sex scene, especially when it's between a human and a nutcracker. He doesn't have a dick! It's touched on how much this sucks for him. Anne gets her nuts off for like three pages in the middle of all the action, a huge piece of story exposition, for what? It just felt like it was there to be there? It felt out of place and I honestly skipped through it. So like, whatever, it's easily skippable. I remember reading some reviews for this book before I started it and literally said to myself "I will not be reading human/toy smut today," and that was that. Whatever gets you hot and bothered, I guess. Not for me.
The Shock Factor Triggers: Some of it works! A lot of it doesn't! The rape and pedophilia are disgusting and while I know they are supposed to make the villains evil, I just feel dirty and grossed out by them. I don't even want to dwell on this subsection of my review because abuse, rape, pedophilia, and all that other triggering content are a really hard topic. Just be warned that this book has triggers and upsetting content.
Armand: I was going to put the romance under the list of things I liked, but then I kind of realized Armand was absolute shit until like 3/4th of the way through the book. Anne literally is like "this dude is kind of awful but he also kind of fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks," when she's falling in love with him. He's like really rude to her, which I guess makes sense since he's lost his humanity to the centuries of suffering this curse, but geez dude, give her a break. The nutcracker is so full of rage and bloodlust that the few moments of romantics in the first half of the novel feel inorganic. He was just raging at you and grabbing you by your collar to threaten you, so why are you now touching his hair in this really romantic way and giving each other romantic stares? Then I realized that I eat up moments like this and kind of excused it. Once we hit the final 100 or so pages, when Armand realizes he was wrong and awful and goes back to save Anne, and once we learn of his past and how he came to be cursed, he became likable. At one point he cries tears of blood thinking of his past. Okay, Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way.
The Ending: God Damn Lenore, you really killed me here. I know in your afterword you wrote about how you tried to appeal to both sides of your fanbase with that ending, but I think you ended up killing me instead of Anne and Armand. As soon as the final battle was over, everything really went to shit for Anne. The asylum though? Just felt like kind of a copout. I guess I was really hoping Armand would become human and he and Anne would start their own lives on their own. Anne had a really terrible life. No dreamland afterlives or insane visions with your one-night stand is going to mend the fact that everything kind of sucked for her. I guess I'm just a sucker for happy endings. Maybe my review would not be this long and insane if I could have at least gotten that. I really hate when books don't end the way I want, especially when I've just spent 5 days and 600 pages to get through it. The lead up to the ending made me anxious and my anxiety was not soothed when I reached the final page. Even the afterword made it worse. I'm really salty, but this nitpick is my own personal preference. If you enjoy a tragedy, then maybe you'll feel like the finish line was worth the marathon.
I'm giving this book 4 stars even considering all my nitpicks because clearly this book gave me SO MUCH to think and feel. That's pretty impressive for an author to do. You can look at my profile, I don't write many reviews. I think if you enjoy The Nutcracker then you should read this book (and if you are okay reading it with the trigger warnings in mind). I literally powered through this book nonstop to finish it. I think that's a sign of a good book. A bad book has me marking it as DNF at page 100. It's 3 a.m. and I've just written a 2,000+ word review. You win, Lenore, you win.
I'd like to preface this review (again) by saying that I love the story of The Nutcracker. I grew up attending the ballet, I've read all the different renditions of the story, and I constantly seek out retellings of the story in novel format. When I found out that this book existed, I was excited. Nutcracker retellings are so rare. There's only one (Winterspell) that had made it to mainstream publishing (aside from the original publications, I suppose), and that one is terrible and left me so disappointed. I grew up watching Barbie in the Nutcracker as a kid and still return to that movie every holiday season, no matter how much the animation has aged and how much I have aged too. So I guess what I'm saying is, I have a very romantic and nostalgic place in my heart for this story. It's hard to do it right, at least to my liking. I think Lani Lenore came extremely close, but I think after marathoning this novel, I feel disappointed.
But before you write off this review as completely negative, I would like to say that Lenore got a lot of things right, and I know I will be seeking out more of her writing. Here are some of the things I liked:
The Writing: This author has talent. The prose is not overly purple, but it isn't blunt either. There's a perfect balance here that I don't think I've ever encountered before. It's such a rich read, but flowing and smooth that the time gets away from you. Goodreads tells me that this book is 600 pages, which I'm not sure is true? I think kindle formatting is weird, and this book was closer to 300/400. Either way, it's a loooooooonnngggg story. There is a lot that goes on, there are so many characters to keep track of (each with their own perspective on the events unfolding), and there are so many events and missions that the characters go on. Through all of this, the writing holds it all together. I could probably tell you exactly what happens in a timeline of the book, because it was so easy to consume. I think that takes a masterful writer to pull off. I hope as a writer myself, that I can someday succeed in that right.
The Characters: There are A LOT of characters. In all of the reviews for this book, the character development is praised as one of the greatest parts of the books. I can confidently agree with everyone else that Lenore knows how to develop her characters. This is not a retelling of the original story, this is a reimagining with similar themes and motifs. The characters are original. I've never seen a nutcracker character quite like Armand. Our "Clara" character, is not the blissfully innocent girl who cowers before the growing tree in her ballet shoes. Our rat king/mouse king is disgustingly evil. This is not a YA retelling. The things the villains (yes, there are quite a few villains) do in this book are irredeemable and their actions are steeped in the horrors of reality.
**I'm writing this little subsection post-review to mention that Anne is absolutely wonderful heroine. She's a realistic protagonist. She's just a tiny Edwardian lady. She can't fight, she's going to be scared. Her flaws MAKE SENSE to her history and the role that women played in society of the time. She used her sex appeal to get what she wanted, good for her, but at the same time, she lost herself in the process and forgot her morals along the time. She is driven to hell and back during this story. I love her, I want her to be happy. I saw her grow and learn and suffer. I saw her struggle with her feelings for Armand and become selfless in the end of it all. She was smart and her helplessness was justified. I'm glad she got to have a nice orgasm before it all went to shit. She deserved it.
The Horror: I've hidden this review behind a spoiler warning, but I hope readers are aware of the triggering content that is present in this book. There is pedophilia, death, gore, blood, rape, abuse, and mistreatment of characters suffering from mental health issues. There is a two near rape scenes (and one implied) within the first 50 pages of the book. I will touch on all of this in my part about what I didn't like, but now that I've gotten all that out of the way, I would like to mention the absolute craziness that goes on in this novel.
When the Jester professes his love to Anne and reveals to her his little handmade "phallus" I literally looked up and said "what the fuck" out loud. I think this was the point of the book where I realized that I was in for a rollercoaster ride of a horror story. I'd like to think Lenore read the original Hoffman tale and said, "Wow this is kind of fucked up for a children's story, I could make it REALLY fucked up for an adult novel." And she did! The absolute madwoman!
If you've read the original story, the world of the dolls is creepy. The rats are creepy. In a realistic situation, anyone thrust into this world would be absolutely horrified of it. The dolls are lawless and without morals, the humans are terrible and distant, the rats/mice are disgusting and horrible. It all kind of makes sense in its own twisted way.
I don't do horror, or at least I've never really actively sought out the genre, so all this was new to me. I'm a bitch who loves fairy tale retellings, what can I say, this book smacked me against a wall and then punched me in the jaw for good measure. I'm no master in how horror should be properly written and I know a lot of fairy tale retellings market themselves as "dark retellings." They've got nothing on this book. This book is DARK, but not terrifying to the point that I had to keep the light on at night while in bed. It's just kind of super fucked up. You love it and you hate it. I love it enough to put this part of the review under the list of things I liked. This is not the sugary Nutcracker retelling that Heather Dixon Wallwork spins in her book, "The Enchanted Sonata." (My favorite nutcracker retelling, by the way, please check it out if you love sweet romances and easy reading. It's like a palate cleanser).
The Twists: When I say twists, I mean Lenore's own interpretation of the story along with the little surprises she throws in there we weren't expecting (I'm not including the part where the jester doll whips out his toothpick schlong to nail Anne in this). She does a really nice job of setting up these twists without giving them away. Armand sees Clara (the doll) and it is implied that the two have met before. He unexplainably lets her go and I got so pissed at the book for just letting this clearly evil little girl just stroll on by when Armand clearly has a destruction fetish. It all makes sense later when we learn that the dolls bears the likeness to his daughter and was actually her formerly. The rat king turned her into the doll, essentially killing her, but her consciousness was replaced with an entirely new person when the dolls were brought to life. Clara's transformation is the reason Armand is cursed into a nutcracker. It all makes sense and feels so satisfying when we learn all this.
When it comes to interpretations, this book reigns absolutely supreme. Everything is so perfectly done to contribute to the plot (except a couple of things that I will get to in a second but let me praise the book real quick). If you are over the age of 18 and you would like to see this story/ballet flipped upside down in the craziest yet most justifiable way possible, buy this book!
Alright, now let's get to the things I didn't like.
The Sex: I'm 21, I love sex. It's a great time and sometimes reading about it can be a great way to quench whatever thirst or angst you're feeling in your real life. Lenore, I know your history, fictionpress/fanfiction.net is your roots. That doesn't mean every book has to have a sex scene, especially when it's between a human and a nutcracker. He doesn't have a dick! It's touched on how much this sucks for him. Anne gets her nuts off for like three pages in the middle of all the action, a huge piece of story exposition, for what? It just felt like it was there to be there? It felt out of place and I honestly skipped through it. So like, whatever, it's easily skippable. I remember reading some reviews for this book before I started it and literally said to myself "I will not be reading human/toy smut today," and that was that. Whatever gets you hot and bothered, I guess. Not for me.
The Shock Factor Triggers: Some of it works! A lot of it doesn't! The rape and pedophilia are disgusting and while I know they are supposed to make the villains evil, I just feel dirty and grossed out by them. I don't even want to dwell on this subsection of my review because abuse, rape, pedophilia, and all that other triggering content are a really hard topic. Just be warned that this book has triggers and upsetting content.
Armand: I was going to put the romance under the list of things I liked, but then I kind of realized Armand was absolute shit until like 3/4th of the way through the book. Anne literally is like "this dude is kind of awful but he also kind of fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks," when she's falling in love with him. He's like really rude to her, which I guess makes sense since he's lost his humanity to the centuries of suffering this curse, but geez dude, give her a break. The nutcracker is so full of rage and bloodlust that the few moments of romantics in the first half of the novel feel inorganic. He was just raging at you and grabbing you by your collar to threaten you, so why are you now touching his hair in this really romantic way and giving each other romantic stares? Then I realized that I eat up moments like this and kind of excused it. Once we hit the final 100 or so pages, when Armand realizes he was wrong and awful and goes back to save Anne, and once we learn of his past and how he came to be cursed, he became likable. At one point he cries tears of blood thinking of his past. Okay, Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way.
The Ending: God Damn Lenore, you really killed me here. I know in your afterword you wrote about how you tried to appeal to both sides of your fanbase with that ending, but I think you ended up killing me instead of Anne and Armand. As soon as the final battle was over, everything really went to shit for Anne. The asylum though? Just felt like kind of a copout. I guess I was really hoping Armand would become human and he and Anne would start their own lives on their own. Anne had a really terrible life. No dreamland afterlives or insane visions with your one-night stand is going to mend the fact that everything kind of sucked for her. I guess I'm just a sucker for happy endings. Maybe my review would not be this long and insane if I could have at least gotten that. I really hate when books don't end the way I want, especially when I've just spent 5 days and 600 pages to get through it. The lead up to the ending made me anxious and my anxiety was not soothed when I reached the final page. Even the afterword made it worse. I'm really salty, but this nitpick is my own personal preference. If you enjoy a tragedy, then maybe you'll feel like the finish line was worth the marathon.
I'm giving this book 4 stars even considering all my nitpicks because clearly this book gave me SO MUCH to think and feel. That's pretty impressive for an author to do. You can look at my profile, I don't write many reviews. I think if you enjoy The Nutcracker then you should read this book (and if you are okay reading it with the trigger warnings in mind). I literally powered through this book nonstop to finish it. I think that's a sign of a good book. A bad book has me marking it as DNF at page 100. It's 3 a.m. and I've just written a 2,000+ word review. You win, Lenore, you win.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2015
Click through to read my review and enter my giveaway!
Now, I don't usually read or review self-pubbed books. It's a waste of my time slugging through the thousands of mediocre books to find that one gem. But here I am to tell you that I've found a gem.
I've been a fan of Lani Lenore for nearly a decade, when she published her stories on fictionpress.com and fanfiction.net, and when she decided to pull her stories, rewrite, and publish them, I immediately got my hands on her work.
In The Nutcracker Bleeds, a dark retelling of the Christmas tale of The Nutcracker, we are thrown into a world where toys come to life during the night, and are thrust in the midst of a war between toys and mice. When Olivia and her maid Ann are shrunk due to mouse magic, they are forced to find their own roles in this world: Olivia as Queen of the toys, and Ann, a wayward girl who might be the catalyst to everything.
The plot is definitely the star of the show. It never stops being a thrilling ride, there's always something happening. This makes it a quick read, despite its crazy length (600+ pages on the ebook). It is almost overwhelming, the amount of action that's flung in your face.
Their foe comes in the form of the Rat King, who has a limited supply of magic, and in order to replenish his magic levels enough to turn back into a human, he must eat either tiny Olivia or tiny Ann. Thus, his army of rats and mice are constantly on the lookout for the girls, and kill any toys that come in their way.
Olivia is nonplussed about the whole situation, so sure that her toy guards will protect her in her fortress of books. Not only that, but she pines after her brand new nutcracker, Armand.
Armand is a curious character. Made of wood, but with the heart of a human, he was transformed into a nutcracker by the Rat King many centuries ago. His mission is to defeat the Rat King and become a human again.
The cast of characters is massive, and it's so fun to see all the interactions between all the characters. There's a puppet who carved himself a wooden phallus; a glutton of a toy who gorges on food that rots within him; and an androgynous doll who lusts after Armand, so much so that he plans on replacing Armand's head with his own.
There are multiple threads of narrative, and they all interweave nicely, and get tied up in interesting--though sometimes convenient--ways. Ann and Armand's endings felt too good to be true, and I think that was my main disappointment.
I found this an engaging read, and it saddens me that so few people know about Lani Lenore and her work, so I've decided to give away my copy of The Nutcracker Bleeds.
Rating
Cover Art: 4
Writing: 3
Plot: 5
Characters: 4
Interest: 4
Total:
4 stars
Now, I don't usually read or review self-pubbed books. It's a waste of my time slugging through the thousands of mediocre books to find that one gem. But here I am to tell you that I've found a gem.
I've been a fan of Lani Lenore for nearly a decade, when she published her stories on fictionpress.com and fanfiction.net, and when she decided to pull her stories, rewrite, and publish them, I immediately got my hands on her work.
In The Nutcracker Bleeds, a dark retelling of the Christmas tale of The Nutcracker, we are thrown into a world where toys come to life during the night, and are thrust in the midst of a war between toys and mice. When Olivia and her maid Ann are shrunk due to mouse magic, they are forced to find their own roles in this world: Olivia as Queen of the toys, and Ann, a wayward girl who might be the catalyst to everything.
The plot is definitely the star of the show. It never stops being a thrilling ride, there's always something happening. This makes it a quick read, despite its crazy length (600+ pages on the ebook). It is almost overwhelming, the amount of action that's flung in your face.
Their foe comes in the form of the Rat King, who has a limited supply of magic, and in order to replenish his magic levels enough to turn back into a human, he must eat either tiny Olivia or tiny Ann. Thus, his army of rats and mice are constantly on the lookout for the girls, and kill any toys that come in their way.
Olivia is nonplussed about the whole situation, so sure that her toy guards will protect her in her fortress of books. Not only that, but she pines after her brand new nutcracker, Armand.
Armand is a curious character. Made of wood, but with the heart of a human, he was transformed into a nutcracker by the Rat King many centuries ago. His mission is to defeat the Rat King and become a human again.
The cast of characters is massive, and it's so fun to see all the interactions between all the characters. There's a puppet who carved himself a wooden phallus; a glutton of a toy who gorges on food that rots within him; and an androgynous doll who lusts after Armand, so much so that he plans on replacing Armand's head with his own.
There are multiple threads of narrative, and they all interweave nicely, and get tied up in interesting--though sometimes convenient--ways. Ann and Armand's endings felt too good to be true, and I think that was my main disappointment.
I found this an engaging read, and it saddens me that so few people know about Lani Lenore and her work, so I've decided to give away my copy of The Nutcracker Bleeds.
Rating
Cover Art: 4
Writing: 3
Plot: 5
Characters: 4
Interest: 4
Total:
4 stars
December 30, 2018
Read it because it's good! Read it because you like horror! Read it because you were smart enough to read ETA Hoffmann's Nutcracker and Mice King first!
Also and I hesitate to even write the words but:
Note: first of all, this is a great book, and you should read it. (Unless you're under 16, because this ain't pretty) That being said, the reason WHY NO ONE IS READING THIS even though it's so great needs to be adressed. In an article! Written by me. (Put in spoiler brackets because its long and also who wants to read a rant about Wattpad?)
More notes: no spoilers in my actual review. This book does not need spoiling! Just read it!
The Nutcracker Bleeds is a violent tale, and it's unapologetically good even though Lani Lenore committed the gravest crime there is in rewriting the Nutcracker, which is to think that the Ballet is the original source material. It's not. The Ballet is an adaption of Alexandre Dumas' (author of the Three Musketeers, Count of Monte Cristo anyone??) adaption of the Prussian author ETA Hoffmann "Nussknacker und Mausekönig" (badly translated into English as the Rat King, the original dude was actually a mouse).
So: ETA Hoffmann > Alexandre Dumas > Tchaikovsky's Ballet
The difference:
ETA Hoffmann's main cast was Marie (yeah her name isn't Clara either), the daughter of two stuck up, super bourgeois people, and the Nutcracker (actually Godfather Drosselmeyers enchanted nephew). The Nutcracker was the epitome of Prussian military valor; he was proud, valiant and heroic through and through, randomly ready to fight to the death against the Mice King for very little reason. ETA himself also made fun of Prussion militarism by making Marie's brother exercise his toy soldiers around all day, even though his troops later were found out to be complete cowards.
Pirlipat also makes an appearance; her tale is one of the creepiest in the slim book, as Drosselmeyer himself tells it to the children.
Dumas allegedly retold the tale of the Nutcracker when his daughter asked him to entertain her friends at her birthday party. Having forgotten the main character's name, he called her Clara and changed the story quite a bit. Later, he wrote that piece down.
Tchaikovsky didn't even read Hoffmann, basing his whole Ballett on Dumas' adaption instead. Few people remember this, although Wikipedia does mention this fact (I checked). Most articles refer to Dumas as the original author. He isn't.
The Nutcracker Bleeds succeeds, unlike other adaption (I think of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms while feeling bile rise in my mouth because the movie gets worse every week that goes by and I rethink about how bad it was), because it is independent enough from the Ballet to actually reclaim the original creep-factor of the ETA Hoffmann version (which, even though I LOVE the Ballet, must be artistically called the best by far) and add a completely new tale around an old shoe.
The Nutcracker Ballet, which I love and which has great music, is pure kitsch. It had lost all the sense of madness and vile background that the Hoffmann story had. The Nutcracker Bleeds is a great book because it doesn't adapt; instead, taking some choice intestines of the original and the adaptions, and brewing them into a new toy altogether. A great success.
This is a fantastic book, yet I still think you ought to read Hoffmann first to appreciate some of the (intentional? unintentional?) links between the two stories. It's a little more than $1 on amazon.com, and only 150 pages I think.
Read both, and rejoice.
Also and I hesitate to even write the words but:
Note: first of all, this is a great book, and you should read it. (Unless you're under 16, because this ain't pretty) That being said, the reason WHY NO ONE IS READING THIS even though it's so great needs to be adressed. In an article! Written by me. (Put in spoiler brackets because its long and also who wants to read a rant about Wattpad?)
More notes: no spoilers in my actual review. This book does not need spoiling! Just read it!
The Nutcracker Bleeds is a violent tale, and it's unapologetically good even though Lani Lenore committed the gravest crime there is in rewriting the Nutcracker, which is to think that the Ballet is the original source material. It's not. The Ballet is an adaption of Alexandre Dumas' (author of the Three Musketeers, Count of Monte Cristo anyone??) adaption of the Prussian author ETA Hoffmann "Nussknacker und Mausekönig" (badly translated into English as the Rat King, the original dude was actually a mouse).
So: ETA Hoffmann > Alexandre Dumas > Tchaikovsky's Ballet
The difference:
ETA Hoffmann's main cast was Marie (yeah her name isn't Clara either), the daughter of two stuck up, super bourgeois people, and the Nutcracker (actually Godfather Drosselmeyers enchanted nephew). The Nutcracker was the epitome of Prussian military valor; he was proud, valiant and heroic through and through, randomly ready to fight to the death against the Mice King for very little reason. ETA himself also made fun of Prussion militarism by making Marie's brother exercise his toy soldiers around all day, even though his troops later were found out to be complete cowards.
Pirlipat also makes an appearance; her tale is one of the creepiest in the slim book, as Drosselmeyer himself tells it to the children.
Dumas allegedly retold the tale of the Nutcracker when his daughter asked him to entertain her friends at her birthday party. Having forgotten the main character's name, he called her Clara and changed the story quite a bit. Later, he wrote that piece down.
Tchaikovsky didn't even read Hoffmann, basing his whole Ballett on Dumas' adaption instead. Few people remember this, although Wikipedia does mention this fact (I checked). Most articles refer to Dumas as the original author. He isn't.
The Nutcracker Bleeds succeeds, unlike other adaption (I think of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms while feeling bile rise in my mouth because the movie gets worse every week that goes by and I rethink about how bad it was), because it is independent enough from the Ballet to actually reclaim the original creep-factor of the ETA Hoffmann version (which, even though I LOVE the Ballet, must be artistically called the best by far) and add a completely new tale around an old shoe.
The Nutcracker Ballet, which I love and which has great music, is pure kitsch. It had lost all the sense of madness and vile background that the Hoffmann story had. The Nutcracker Bleeds is a great book because it doesn't adapt; instead, taking some choice intestines of the original and the adaptions, and brewing them into a new toy altogether. A great success.
This is a fantastic book, yet I still think you ought to read Hoffmann first to appreciate some of the (intentional? unintentional?) links between the two stories. It's a little more than $1 on amazon.com, and only 150 pages I think.
Read both, and rejoice.
April 13, 2021
I don’t understand all these positive reviews, other than we all seemed to like The Nutcracker and horror. I loved the story, but Lenore’s writing is slow and very Tell, not Show. The dialogue made it impossible to remember this was a) 1905 and B) set in London. Then the random German thrown in there to remind you Armand was from somewhere other than London.
It sucks because the concept is really awesome. It was just too long and went on and on. I had to take several breaks but the story itself was very compelling. I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen to Anne and Olivia and how it would all play out. I liked that it was just inspired by the Nutcracker and didn’t hold back with the darkness.
It sucks because the concept is really awesome. It was just too long and went on and on. I had to take several breaks but the story itself was very compelling. I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen to Anne and Olivia and how it would all play out. I liked that it was just inspired by the Nutcracker and didn’t hold back with the darkness.
December 24, 2021
The Nutcracker Bleeds is a very original retelling of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Based on the cover, I predicted this to be a young adult-type novel, but it was NOT. This may have been one of the goriest, most violent books I’ve ever read, and I read American Psycho. In this new story, a young girl named Olivia and her caretaker, Anne, are both shrunken and brought into the world of toys, thrust into the violent war between toys and mice. Of course, there’s a Nutcracker and a mouse army and a toymaker, but there’s more than one kingdom of toys, there’s betrayals and backstabbings, and there’s a ton of violence. I’m not sure yet how I felt about the ending. It was interesting though, and most of it was fairly well done.
Read
April 26, 2022I’ll just offer a quick caution to other readers that this book does contain pedophilia, incest, sexual assault, ableism, transphobia, racism, and fatphobia, and if any of these topics are triggering I’d suggest skipping this book.
December 6, 2024
This was a journey. Went from disturbing, to emotional, back to disturbing and then back to emotional. Went from hating the characters to loving them, and then mourning them. The writing was so beautiful, the perfect balance of whimsical and realistic, there was so much emotion, so many memorable quotes. It was so easy yet challenging to follow in the best way possible. It was such a perfect, bittersweet chaotic experience and I’m left feeling wanting more and also a little empty lol. I didn’t know if this sort of thing would be up my alley as I don’t really like dolls much when it comes to horror, but I loved the nutcracker and had to give it a chance and I was so positively surprised. Tho it sits heavy on my chest I absolutely loved every second of it!!
As much as I try to see the ending as positive, in my mind it’s just canon that she ended up going insane. It feels fitting, though it’s very tragic and undeserving for poor Anne. She grew on me so much!!
This was my first book of this author and it truly was such a great first impression.
As much as I try to see the ending as positive, in my mind it’s just canon that she ended up going insane. It feels fitting, though it’s very tragic and undeserving for poor Anne. She grew on me so much!!
This was my first book of this author and it truly was such a great first impression.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2017
THIS BOOK OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDD
IT WAS TERRIFYING, FUCKED UP, AND TRAGIC SO I OBV LOVED IT.
AND IT GAVE ME SOOOOOOO MANY FEELS. FEELS OVER TOYS WHO DONT THINK THEY'RE REAL BUT HAVE FEELS UGHHHH (SO BASICALLY LIKE AI GAINING SENTIENCE). ANYWAYS READ IT!!!!!
IT WAS TERRIFYING, FUCKED UP, AND TRAGIC SO I OBV LOVED IT.
AND IT GAVE ME SOOOOOOO MANY FEELS. FEELS OVER TOYS WHO DONT THINK THEY'RE REAL BUT HAVE FEELS UGHHHH (SO BASICALLY LIKE AI GAINING SENTIENCE). ANYWAYS READ IT!!!!!
January 28, 2018
4.5/5. A deliciously dark and twisted nutcracker retelling. I enjoyed it, even if the ending was kinda depressing in a way.
December 25, 2020
I must say I love the different/original spin on this tale. <3
June 26, 2021
a blast from fictionpress past. pawed through a lot of references to eyeballs as orbs to get to this shit when i was twelve.
January 6, 2022
Wonderful retelling of Hoffman's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. A true gothic tale updated for the 21st Century.
December 4, 2022
Phew. Ok. Hmm...
This book is like a patchwork quilt of several half-formed ideas. One thing that made this book too long and often tedious was the constant "quest" aspects. Characters being sent on errands to and fro, that ultimately didn't serve to push forward the plot. It felt like small journeys to establish character relationships rather than serving a greater point.
There were too many characters that served little to do with plot. The author really seemed to love the character of Edge, but he was hardly even a plot device. He was a tangential character that brought a "wild-card" aspect to the story, and dish out some unnecessary horror. A "bad-boy" character with elements that weren't really needed or warranted. I'm not really sure why he was even there to begin with. A point that is soundly made when you read his full character arch. It will leave you going, "ok, soooo why tho?" Other characters, such as the Shaman were there to (I guess) give the other characters some place to go, something gross to read about, and then send them on to some other place to go, so they could return and have had something to do while they got to know each other? I'm still trying to work that out... Again, what was his point to the story? It felt like it was just an opportunity to read something gross. If you want gross and shocking with an actual point to the gruesomeness, you'd be better satisfied by reading Tender is the Flesh. The Shaman was just gross to be gross and send the characters on another pointless quest. But I digress...
Other characters like Clara or the Rat King seemed half baked. I wasn't sure why Clara needed to be morally-gray, as it didn't really tie into the back story for Armand. (The one really interesting plot point in the book). She was good, then bad, then bad-ass, then innocent and naïve? It just didn't work. I felt like the author never really picked a lane for her. The Rat King was just a ball of confusion. What did it serve to have all the heads, other than to be shocking and (again) pointlessly gross? As a human he was far more terrifying than anything he did as a Rat King. In his final hour, all this build up for a ritual that he decided to go "meh" and change his mind? Again, more filler with no substance.
Armand, Anne, and Brooke. This was the huge miss! At the end of the book the author takes the time to write and justify the use of characters and storylines. Odd. I've never had an author explain their book, in their own book but whatever. She said that she had an idea for a love triangle between the 3 and decided against it. In my opinion, it was a huge misstep. I was far more engaged in these 3 characters than anyone else at all. I think a little less, go here and do this then come back and find out it was all for not, and a little more who will "will-they-won't-they" in this group would have been far more interesting. Also, I didn't fully understand or vibe with the attempt at enemies to lovers with Armand and Anne. I was getting that this was the attempt but it really felt choppy and forced. Armand was a dick and then for no reason he just wasn't anymore. Anne was repulsed by him and then for no reason she craved his approval and attention. Huh? Usually this trope is fed by each character revealing tidbits about themselves enough for the other to see there is more behind the façade. Not these two. This was more of the cart being put before the horse. Both had started showing feelings for one another before either had revealed anything about themselves. There wasn't even any sexual tension. Just arguing and then catching feelings? Between a woman and wooden toy that was treating her like shit? Wha..? Again, why tho?
The B plot of the husband and nephew trying to poison his wife felt forced and frankly I didn't care. Nor did I care about Olivia and her unexplained stunted maturity. Meh, more fat that needed to be trimmed. At the end of the day, it seemed like the author probably had 3 different ideas for books, and decided to distill them down and jam them all into one with nothing that made sense to tie them together.
So, why 3 stars when this review probably reads like a 1 star? When it was good it was good! I was interested to see how it all played out- even thought it only ended up being meh for me in the end. The backstory with Armand was pretty compelling and I wish that had been more focused on, and further developed. The Armand, Anne, and Brooke trio had some meat to it, but again left severely wanting. It would have been more satisfying of a read if there was a ticking-clock element that drove the plot forward, rather than pointless questing back and forth. I didn't mind the choose your own ending choice that was made, had the author written a less disjointed journey to get there. I think it's fair to say that the story is a 2, but that book cover is stunning, so I'm giving it an additional star for it's shelf-appeal.
This book is like a patchwork quilt of several half-formed ideas. One thing that made this book too long and often tedious was the constant "quest" aspects. Characters being sent on errands to and fro, that ultimately didn't serve to push forward the plot. It felt like small journeys to establish character relationships rather than serving a greater point.
There were too many characters that served little to do with plot. The author really seemed to love the character of Edge, but he was hardly even a plot device. He was a tangential character that brought a "wild-card" aspect to the story, and dish out some unnecessary horror. A "bad-boy" character with elements that weren't really needed or warranted. I'm not really sure why he was even there to begin with. A point that is soundly made when you read his full character arch. It will leave you going, "ok, soooo why tho?" Other characters, such as the Shaman were there to (I guess) give the other characters some place to go, something gross to read about, and then send them on to some other place to go, so they could return and have had something to do while they got to know each other? I'm still trying to work that out... Again, what was his point to the story? It felt like it was just an opportunity to read something gross. If you want gross and shocking with an actual point to the gruesomeness, you'd be better satisfied by reading Tender is the Flesh. The Shaman was just gross to be gross and send the characters on another pointless quest. But I digress...
Other characters like Clara or the Rat King seemed half baked. I wasn't sure why Clara needed to be morally-gray, as it didn't really tie into the back story for Armand. (The one really interesting plot point in the book). She was good, then bad, then bad-ass, then innocent and naïve? It just didn't work. I felt like the author never really picked a lane for her. The Rat King was just a ball of confusion. What did it serve to have all the heads, other than to be shocking and (again) pointlessly gross? As a human he was far more terrifying than anything he did as a Rat King. In his final hour, all this build up for a ritual that he decided to go "meh" and change his mind? Again, more filler with no substance.
Armand, Anne, and Brooke. This was the huge miss! At the end of the book the author takes the time to write and justify the use of characters and storylines. Odd. I've never had an author explain their book, in their own book but whatever. She said that she had an idea for a love triangle between the 3 and decided against it. In my opinion, it was a huge misstep. I was far more engaged in these 3 characters than anyone else at all. I think a little less, go here and do this then come back and find out it was all for not, and a little more who will "will-they-won't-they" in this group would have been far more interesting. Also, I didn't fully understand or vibe with the attempt at enemies to lovers with Armand and Anne. I was getting that this was the attempt but it really felt choppy and forced. Armand was a dick and then for no reason he just wasn't anymore. Anne was repulsed by him and then for no reason she craved his approval and attention. Huh? Usually this trope is fed by each character revealing tidbits about themselves enough for the other to see there is more behind the façade. Not these two. This was more of the cart being put before the horse. Both had started showing feelings for one another before either had revealed anything about themselves. There wasn't even any sexual tension. Just arguing and then catching feelings? Between a woman and wooden toy that was treating her like shit? Wha..? Again, why tho?
The B plot of the husband and nephew trying to poison his wife felt forced and frankly I didn't care. Nor did I care about Olivia and her unexplained stunted maturity. Meh, more fat that needed to be trimmed. At the end of the day, it seemed like the author probably had 3 different ideas for books, and decided to distill them down and jam them all into one with nothing that made sense to tie them together.
So, why 3 stars when this review probably reads like a 1 star? When it was good it was good! I was interested to see how it all played out- even thought it only ended up being meh for me in the end. The backstory with Armand was pretty compelling and I wish that had been more focused on, and further developed. The Armand, Anne, and Brooke trio had some meat to it, but again left severely wanting. It would have been more satisfying of a read if there was a ticking-clock element that drove the plot forward, rather than pointless questing back and forth. I didn't mind the choose your own ending choice that was made, had the author written a less disjointed journey to get there. I think it's fair to say that the story is a 2, but that book cover is stunning, so I'm giving it an additional star for it's shelf-appeal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2023
This book is the equivalent of what I would imagimagine taking an LSD would feel like.
This book is batshit crazy.
This book is batshit crazy.
November 13, 2024
Well, this was an entertaining ride for sure, I definitely enjoyed things and parts in this book and it held my interest over quite a few pages.
I always liked the Nutcracker story and it always was a bit creepy to my to being with, so why not enhance it?
I liked the characters, their motivations were understandable enough, although the love story part was a bit eye-rolling in parts.
That being said, the book would’ve profited from some firmer editing, it goes on for too long and diverts paths too often to bring in all kinds of characters. Some of them are likeable for sure, but too many times it felt like the author just strung the story along as it fell, without proper outlay or planning.
Same goes for the ‚logic‘ and magic behind it all. It’s not playing by clear rules, it is inconsistent and sometimes stuff is just made up in the moment to fit the narrative that is being aimed for. The power level of certain characters is unclear and changes when fit and the overall rules just get stretched too far. The author even kind of admits it in the afterword. I would’ve appreciated some more proper planning here, cause sometimes it’s just a bit of eye-rolling.
The final conclusion was a bit.. well, all fell into place somehow and then it’s open for interpretation I guess. But I would’ve hoped for something more heroic and convincing here.
Overall 3/5 - enjoyable, but you have to leave your suspension of disbelief outside in the snow
I always liked the Nutcracker story and it always was a bit creepy to my to being with, so why not enhance it?
I liked the characters, their motivations were understandable enough, although the love story part was a bit eye-rolling in parts.
That being said, the book would’ve profited from some firmer editing, it goes on for too long and diverts paths too often to bring in all kinds of characters. Some of them are likeable for sure, but too many times it felt like the author just strung the story along as it fell, without proper outlay or planning.
Same goes for the ‚logic‘ and magic behind it all. It’s not playing by clear rules, it is inconsistent and sometimes stuff is just made up in the moment to fit the narrative that is being aimed for. The power level of certain characters is unclear and changes when fit and the overall rules just get stretched too far. The author even kind of admits it in the afterword. I would’ve appreciated some more proper planning here, cause sometimes it’s just a bit of eye-rolling.
The final conclusion was a bit.. well, all fell into place somehow and then it’s open for interpretation I guess. But I would’ve hoped for something more heroic and convincing here.
Overall 3/5 - enjoyable, but you have to leave your suspension of disbelief outside in the snow
December 9, 2022
This is a book that hooks you in and doesn't let go. It is the perfect blend of the ballet adaption and the original tale. The story telling was phenomenal and many original ideas were jam packed into this book. It is a very twisted and sinister tale, and Lenore doesn't shy away from adult themes that pose the question of what it means to be alive (though it thematically makes sense, not shoe-horned to be 'edgy'). You could see the blood-shot eyes and drool of the mouse king, the blood-strained tears of the nutcracker on his wooden face, and the disgusting and ill-intentions of the Jester. Everything was painted in such a descriptive way that drove the story.
After finishing, I found myself making other connections, questions, and "what ifs" - Was Anne a parallel to the sugar plum fairy, guiding Olivia through her journey of womanhood? Could Clara's soul be almost 'trapped' in Olivia's innocence, requiring release through the journey to join her father? Did the magician give Clara the cats eye as a way to 'always watch her'? Did he give it to the other girls that he had kidnapped?
This is a book I look forward to revisiting in the near future, as well as getting a physical copy to add to the shelf. Can't wait to explore more the Lani Lenore's novels!
After finishing, I found myself making other connections, questions, and "what ifs" - Was Anne a parallel to the sugar plum fairy, guiding Olivia through her journey of womanhood? Could Clara's soul be almost 'trapped' in Olivia's innocence, requiring release through the journey to join her father? Did the magician give Clara the cats eye as a way to 'always watch her'? Did he give it to the other girls that he had kidnapped?
This is a book I look forward to revisiting in the near future, as well as getting a physical copy to add to the shelf. Can't wait to explore more the Lani Lenore's novels!
July 3, 2023
This was the first story I ever read by Lani Lenore, and I'm happy to say it wasn't the last. I happily gorged myself on it, back when it was still being posted on FictionPress. And I happily bought it the first week it came out in paperback - and sadly pushed it back to read textbooks and complete homework. I pulled it out this past Christmas and revisited this marvelous story.
It's strange to see it again, for me at least. It's the same story that I know and love, but with all the grim and horror that I've come to expect from Lani's works.
Really, I couldn't recommend this book enough to my Gothic Horror friends and fans. To all those who are curious and looking for something new to read, this is the one - the first book by Lani Lenore - to start out with.
It's strange to see it again, for me at least. It's the same story that I know and love, but with all the grim and horror that I've come to expect from Lani's works.
Really, I couldn't recommend this book enough to my Gothic Horror friends and fans. To all those who are curious and looking for something new to read, this is the one - the first book by Lani Lenore - to start out with.
December 28, 2021
Original rating: 5/5 stars
Reread rating: 4.5/5 stars.
Reread rating: 4.5/5 stars.
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