The Nutcracker Curse

Cursed Fairy Tale #1

by Margo Ryerkerk

12 days.
4 realms.
Break the curse.
Or turn into a nutcracker.
​
Princess Clara thought she knew the main threat to her freedom.
She was wrong.
At seventeen years old, Clara isn’t ready to marry, and yet that’s what she must do as the crown princess of Austria.
However, getting to know the foreign princes visiting her kingdom becomes the least of Clara’s worries when she picks up a bespelled nutcracker and unleashes a deadly curse. She has twelve days to find and feed the nutcracker the magical nut Crackatook. If she fails, her soul will be trapped inside the toy for all eternity and her body will turn to wood.
Instead of relying on her suitors or the king’s men to find the cure, Clara saddles her unicorn and sneaks out of the palace. Her childhood friend Philip notices her leaving and makes her choose between returning to the castle or allowing him to come along.
Reluctantly, Clara agrees to him joining her, and soon, they are off to lands filled with mythical creatures.

Will they survive all trials and find the Crackatook in time? Or will Clara’s soul become trapped in the nutcracker and her body turn to wood?

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tales, Christmas, Fairy Tale Retellings, Young Adult

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Margo Ryerkerk is the author of two YA paranormal series, Dark Legacy series and Nocturna Academy series, as well as the author of the YA fairy tale retelling series Cursed Fairy Tales. Filled with intrigue, adventure, and romance, her series transport the reader to a magical world.

After completing a BS in Psychology, a MS in Marketing, and a two-year stint in the fashion world, Margo became a full-time author and can’t believe she gets to spend her days creating stories. When she’s not writing, she loves to read, travel, and dance to pop anthems.

Raised in Austria, Margo now lives in the USA with her husband and her Pomeranian.

Be sure to sign up to Margo's reader group to get her prequel The Fracture for free. You'll also be notified of sales, freebies, and new releases.

Sign up here https://margoryerkerk.com/contact/

Reviews

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is time for Princess Clara to pick her prince charming and marry. Clara is not ready to give up her freedom but her father is being very persistent. A ball is being held in Clara’s honor with Princes from other kingdom’s attending hoping to catch Clara’s attention and be picked as her Prince.

Clara sees an old wooden doll, a nutcracker that belonged to her mother that she hasn’t seen in a long time. The nutcracker is cursed and unleashes a deadly curse. Clara has twelve days to find a magical nut to feed to the nutcracker or she will be turned into the nutcracker with her soul trapped inside of the wooden doll.

When her father hears about the curse he enlists the help of the visiting princes to help find the Crackatook hoping to help make Clara’s choice of a husband easier.

Clara is not ready to turn her faith over to the visiting princes so she decides that she is going to go on the hunt herself. When her best friend and also one of her father’s guards Philip sees her sneaking out of the castle he confronts her. Philip wants to take her back to the castle where she will be safe but Clara will have no part of that so Philip gives her an ultimatum either he goes with her or he will take her back. With that ultimatum Clara allows him to go along for the ride besides he can help protect her.

Clara with her trust worthy unicorn, Philip and his horse Ace start out on the adventure of a lifetime. Their travels take them to other realms where they must face trials that will hopefully help them to find the Crackatook. They have a long hard journey a head of them. They will meet some good and bad magical creatures along the way that may or may not help them.

The Nutcracker Curse has been a very enjoyable journey through magical realms with magical creatures and with some great characters. I will have to say that I enjoyed The Nutcracker Curse way more than I ever thought I would. Margo Ryerkerk is one of those authors who know how to make a story explode right off the pages into magical worlds.

The Nutcracker Curse is filled with a magical adventure with lots of twist on every page. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read more in this magical universe and more of Margo’s work.

If you like fairy tale re-tellings then you are going to fall in love with The Nutcracker Curse.

[Laura..devouring books like crumpets · Rating 4 out of 5]

For My Tastes this would have been a 3 star

But a little girl of 10 - 12 would love it.....

Audio version

The Narrator had a beautiful youthful voice which was really great for princess Clara!

I wasn't so keen on how similar Griselda and Clara's voices were it was a bit disorienting if i didn't catch who's POV it was at the start of the chapter.

If you where collecting golden nuts at the bottom of the rainbow in the company of dwarves and mermaids whilst riding on a unicorn you have this book.....

It is perfect for a little girl who loves Ponies and wants to be a princess... I definitely wouldn't recommend it to a young adult.... Its way to innocent and floaty for that... Also it moves from one scenario to another rapidly with no in depth description which would suit Child reader but no one 13+



It was a girly candyflossed version of the nutcracker from From crazed ballerina's, 7 headed mice to a scorpion full of riddles.

Im giving it four stars for the younger girly tween reader, not really my cup of tea but i could understand its appeal to that target group.

[Faith Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a fun time reading this book! As always Margo’s story was beautifully written and very exciting. I’m never bored when I’m reading one of her books. I had the opportunity to speak with Margo about her next adventure in writing a while ago and I’m so glad she decided to create a fairytale retelling series. I think she did a marvellous job with making this retelling her own and I would definitely recommend this if you are interested in fairytale retellings.
The story was full of action and adventure and the divided perspective was a great way to showcase everything that was happening the in story, as well as letting us readers get a more in depth look at some of the other characters.
I’m very excited to see where this series goes!
Congratulations Margo!

[Tricia Mingerink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting retelling of the Nutcracker ballet. Philip and Clara are very sweet together, and the different realms were very interesting. I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator did a good job, though it took me a little bit to get used to her voice.

There is some mild language, but other than that, the book is clean.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved fairy tales. This version is outstanding! It has all the elements of a great tale. The beautiful young princess, her guard, four princes, a curse and a quest.

I enjoyed traveling through all the different realms and seeing all the different creatures. Oh, and who doesn't want their own unicorn?

I am looking forward the next book in this series. I think Grizelda is misunderstood, and deserves her own happy ever after.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clara is the Crown Princess of Austria and her father has decreed that she must marry one of the foreign Princes visiting the kingdom - something she is not ready to do - she enjoys her freedom. However the choice of Princes becomes the least of her worries when she picks up a spelled nutcracker and a deadly curse on her is released. She has twelve days to find and feed a special nut called the Crackatook to the nutcracker or her soul will be trapped in the toy and she will be turned to wood. She decides that she cannot (and will not) rely on the Princes but will depart on her unicorn and solve it herself. However her childhood best friend Phillip intercepts her and gives her a stark choice - return to the castle or let him come along and help her. So she agrees to have him go on the journey with her across different realms with mythical creatures. Can they survive and can the find the Crackatook before Clara's soul is trapped and she turns to wood?

This is a charming story that is a lovely fantasy spin on the fairy-tale that had a very happily ever after ending to it. I loved the determination in Clara to not only get to the bottom of the curse to save her life but also to do the right thing and be kind to everyone too. Well written and easy to read it became quite addictive wanting to know what is going to happen next.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up

Aside from being a retelling of The Nutcracker, there wasn’t really anything Christmassy about the story. It was cute enough but remained fairly surface level for me.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice YA story about how Clara was cursed by her step-sister, Griselda and she has 12 days to find the Crackatook nut and feed it to the nutcracker or she will be trapped inside the toy forever. Join Clara and her best friend, palace guard Philip, as they follow the path that leads to the Inverse Kingdom and the seven-headed mouse king. Their journey will include three other lands where they must prove themselves in order to obtain things that will help them achieve their goal. Can they get there in time to save Clara?

I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.

[Sara Oxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nutcracker Curse by Margo Ryerkerk a five-star read that will twist you. This is the first novel in the Cursed Fairy Tale series and what a start, bring on the next one already!! This may just be my favourite by this author and I loved her Adere series, but this just seemed to have a magical adventure and a great tale woven through the pages. Clara was such a sublime character that she will captivate you and astound you with her strength. I assure you if you get this novel you will be ordering the second one by the time half way through this one.

[Michele Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great and infused with danger and true love and perseverance. Margo is an exceptional author and her worlds are crafted expertly and have just the perfect level of detail and suspense. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series! This is perfect for a holiday read or just an anytime read with true love surviving a horrid curse and goodness prevailing over evil. HEA guaranteed!!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a good teen and young adult paranormal romance read. The characters are good. The story is a retelling of a fairy tale, and is a good spin on the traditional nutcracker.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I like the spin for the traditional nutcracker! It is full of adventure and danger. I couldnt put it down!!

[4wildmonkeesreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this Arc at no cost to read and review.
I really enjoy Fairy Tale retellings and this one was excellent. The characters are fleshed out to the point where I can picture them and even found myself reading their lines in what I imagined their voices to be.
Clara is a strong young woman who becomes even stronger as she pushes through her quest. Even though there were a couple of things I saw coming, no spoilers, they were still written so well that they were a pleasant surprise.
I am really excited for the second book in this series.
If you want a retelling that you will be glad you picked up and read, make it this one.

[Lisa Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this cursed Fairytale story. I thought I had the ending figured out but I didn’t. It was similar though. Love triumphs all! With this story it starts out like a normal fairytale you’ve come to expect then it sorta takes a Snow White turn and delves further into darkness. Clara was tested in the realms, did she succeed? This book was really hard to put down. It was a fun and quick read. I can’t wait for the next in this series. I received an ARC at no cost from the author

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

First let me say that this cover is straight fire, and so accurate for this story; beautiful and full of intrigue).

I love Clara. She is a spitfire. She is kind and caring. Very loyal to her family, Vienna and herself. Through out this novel, I really liked the theme of kindness and loyalty. There is a quote something like never stop being kind and brave, those qualities will always be rewarded. And that is honestly what this world needs more of. I like when a story can have all of these fantasy elements but really hold true to our world and real life.

This novel gets super exciting real quick because it is told from two points of view. The other being Clara's step-sister Griselda. She is a shifter and can turn into a mouse. She was imprisoned by the King when he found out her secret. Because of her anger and hatred towards the King and Clara she has been scheming to curse Clara.

Margo does a great job of creating this world full of wonderful characters, complex situations and a fascinating story line. There is a love story element that is just beautiful to watch grow and blossom. Clara really finds out more about herself during this journey, her strength and determination is really inspiring. And not all the characters are as they seem. The action and high stakes of this curse start right from the get-go. I read this novel in one sitting and I needed to know if Clara was going to be okay or if ultimately she would succumb to this curse from Griselda.

I like how this novel ends and really set up the next in this series. There will be 3 novels so far; they can be read as stand-alone novels or as a series with Easter eggs for those that have completed this first novel

I cannot wait to jump right into the next installment in this Fairy Tale land.

[Ramona Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nutcracker Curse is an interesting way to bring a children story to the adults written by Margo Ryerkerk. But this doesn't mean this story can't be read to children. It definitely has a more adult element to it by bringing mouse shifters into the story, but let's face it, that has been in children' stories, just wasn't name that way. There always has been magic and the like in kids story this is just a slightly more adult version of it. If you have read some European children's stories you know they can be quite cruel so this is by far nowhere near some of the ones I grew up with like the story compilation of the "Strubel Peter"!

With that being said I think adults can enjoy this book together with their children very easily. The book has a well developed book that follows a great pace leading our Austrian princess through the story. And how could I not love that, being born and raised in Austria? So yeah this made me maybe a tad partial :)
There were some nice twists in this book that added nicely to the story.

Our main character, princess Clara, is exactly what a fairy tale, albeit a cursed one, will need. She is real, with a pure heart, true to herself, strong and grows with the challenge! Thankfully she has a great best friend Philip who will help her through thick and thin.

This is almost like your typical fairy tale but then it isn't. It is quite refreshing to have a new fairy tale that is catered to adults but can still be read to children. I found that interesting and rather unique and isn't really done, and it was well done at that!

Voluntary review of Advance Reader Copy. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher.

[Brandi Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! :)

Let me preface this review by saying this: I am not really a fan of fairy tales. I don't even know anything about the Nutcracker fairy tale that this book is based off of. Despite this, I wanted to read this book because I am a huge fan of Margo Ryerkerk's other books! :)

This book switches between the points of view of two characters, Griselda and Clara. They are stepsisters who have been separated from each other for 10 years because Griselda has been imprisoned. Naturally, Griselda can't stand Clara and wants to seek revenge on her, so she decides to release the Nutcracker Curse on Clara.

Meanwhile, Clara is a princess, and she's not exactly thrilled with being one. She is restless and wants to do her own thing, but her father wants her to get married and become prepared to be a ruler someday.

When the curse is released on Clara, she is told she has 12 days to break the curse. If she fails, her body will turn into a wooden figurine, and her soul will become trapped inside the nutcracker forever. Doesn't sound like fun, does it?! Anyway, the only way to break the curse is to find a magical nut called the Crackatook and feed it to the nutcracker. Instead of sitting idly by, Princess Clara decides to take her life into her own hands and find the Crackatook herself.

She goes through a lot of trouble to do so! I won't give any spoilers away, but she encounters many trials to get to the Mouse King, who is guarding the Crackatook in the Inverse Kingdom. The Mouse King is... terrible, to say the least.

I really did enjoy this book, despite being unfamiliar with the original tale. The book ended in such a way that there is an opening for a sequel, so I can't wait to see what happens next!

[debturk1970_bookvibes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Magical.✨💕👑🐁🌟

This is Fairy Tale retelling at its finest!!👍🌟

Princess Clara is uncomfortable being hemmed in by her positions expectations. She wishes she could run free & not be honour bound to choose a Prince to marry, but her Father is insistant! As her Mother died in childbirth he has always been overprotective but after his 2nd wife attacked her he's become much worse!😳

On the night of her Ball to introduce her Suitors, Clara becomes cursed. The curse was contained in her old toy Nutcracker. She hadn't seen it for 10 years and as it was inherited from her Mother she just couldn't help but pick it up!!😍😟 She now has only 12 days to break the curse or she'll turn into wood & her soul will be trapped forever inside the Nutcracker!😱😢

Clara decides she can't leave it up to the four Prince Suitors & the Royal Guards to break the curse, it feels like something she must attempt to do herself. She's caught sneaking out by her bestfriend, Philip, he insists on accompanying her, plus he's a Royal Guard so can help protect her too!!👍

What follows is two friends relying on one anothers trust & deep friendship to get them through some dangerous & deadly trials.🐾 Magical Kingdoms that seem to want to thwart them at every turn, plus some seriously messed up priorities come to light from some people!!😖👎

The REALLY sad part is that this was all started because of 2 scared little girls, who cared deeply for each other, and a Mouse!!🐁😢✨

I loved this book, It's pure escapism at its finest. Although it isn't set around Christmas the Nutcracker theme lends itself perfectly to this season 🌲 The romance aspects are spot on.💘👑✨ The world building, as always with this Author, is fab🎉 A highly recommended 5 star read 🌟


Debbie, 1970, UK

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margo Ryerkerk sent me an ARC E-book copy of this book for an honest review.. So i would like to say thank you to the author because she is awesome and her books are amazing..

My review

This book is Filled with adventure, love, magic, and strong characters and is a YA Fairy Tale retelling of the nutcracker.. This book will not be out until the 1st of December 2018 and the author sent me a ARC E-book format to read..

I love reading a lot of Fairytale’s and i also like reading retellings of my fav Fairytale’s.. This is the first time i read a nutcracker story and it was a very fast read and the characters were awesome..

The author done amazing job doing this retelling and i can’t wait to read all her other retelling books that she brings out.. It was a very magical read and i really enjoyed the Fairytale..

This retelling is not a Fairytale that i would read a lot of or read more retellings about the nutcracker but i would say the book would be in my top 10 Fairytale’s that i liked reading and i have to say again that the author did awesome job

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves retellings..

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margo Ryerkerk’s The Nutcracker Curse, the first in her new Cursed Fairy Tale series of standalone stories, is pure unmitigated fun. Read the publisher’s blurb on this one as it tells you all you need about the plot without spoiling anything. Clara and Philip have a most wondrous adventure in this perfectly plotted and superbly written tale (are those enough superlatives? - they are heartfelt, and I didn’t even mention the wonderful supporting cast). But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Shawnta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story with a good plot and characters. Princess Clara of Austria and her best friend and guard Philip find themselves on a daring adventure to save her life by breaking the Nutcracker curse. This action-packed romantic tale had me hooked from the very beginning. The different obstacles Princess Clara and Philip must overcome brings them even closer together. I have always loved stories with strong heroines and Princess Clara gives that and more. She refuses to sit around and play the damsel in distress. She always jumps right into the fray helping whenever she can be it against a giant snake or a seven headed rat. This was a truly entertaining story, a real pleasure to read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author never ceases to amaze me with her wonderfully written tales, and The Nutcracker Curse is just one more reason why. I've always loved the magical world of fairy tales, the good vs evil, a bit of romance, adventure - there's just something about them that entices me. This one has all of those elements combined with superb world building and interesting characters. All in all, this story of a princess who doesn't want to leave her fate in the hands of others, who takes charge of her own destiny, is a solid start to the series and I can't wait to see what this author has in store for us next.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story with an interesting twist. Dark magic enters the castle and a curse is placed on Princess Clara. The king wants the four princes courting her to find the elusive item that will break the curse and the winner will marry her. I love that Clara, not wanting to rely on or marry the princes, sneaks away to find the item herself. The search and a dangerous adventure begins, with her life at stake. This story is fast paced with action, adventure, danger, magic, paranormal beings, deceit, suspense, romance and tricks and challenges.

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

With little time to break the curse upon her, Princess Clara embarked upon a dangerous adventure second to none and with her life at stake. I liked and was very surprised that we had the POV of the villain with lot of insight. A smart and witty princess and an intriguing and different villain. Magic, strange creatures, interesting and intriguing challenges, lot of action, suspense and romance. This fairy tale kept me reading eagerly up to the end.

[Marilyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Clara gets cursed by her step sister Griselda and has 12 days to break the curse or be trapped in the nutcracker forever. She sets out with her friend a palace guard Philip to four different land to prove herself worthy and get objects to find the crackatook to feed the nutcracker. On her adventure she comes up again a seven headed mouse and other obstacles. Will she be successful and be able to break the curse in time? I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Angela Pappalardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a fantasy spin off of the famous fairy-tale.
The plot is interesting and also the characters. I loved the main character, Clara. She is so determined!
This story in my opinion could be a perfect mix between Pinocchio, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. The write is easy and fluent, the descriptions are great and I loved the different and lovely creatures that live in the realms. In the end you really want to know what is going to happen next!

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nutcracker is one of the lesser known fairytales. I only know it because of the recent Disney film so I was intrigued by the choice. Anyway, I wasn't disappointed , a well written, gripping story that you've come to expect from Ms Ryerkerk.
Be prepared for a magical adventure .
A great Holiday read!

I received an ARC of the book.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cursed fairytale, a land of mythical creatures, this ya fantasy read is filled with adventure, magic and of course love! Well written I was hooked from the first page and loved both Phillip and Clara and their adventure as they try to find the crackatook! An awesome fairytale retelling!

[Cleocutie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting retelling of a classic story. The characters are well thought out and the storyline adds a twist to the original story that makes it unique.

[Jessica Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Spin On the Nutcracker

I am not a huge fan of the nutcracker story but I LOVED this take on it. This was the perfect fairytale retelling that was so interesting I read it in one sitting.