Winterspell

October 6, 2014
The story of The Nutcracker receives a sinister steampunk twist in an engrossing retelling. Clara Stole is thrust into the magical, mechanized, war-torn dystopia of Cane with Prince Nicholas, a man cursed by faerie magic to spend his formative years as a metal statue; he's released just before Clara's own transformation into a powerful mage. Legrand's (The Year of Shadows) story is rich in fantastical realism and does not shy from themes of genocide, sexuality, and drug addiction, deftly woven together with crisp imagery and complex character development that are permeated with dualities. From the outset, Clara leads a conflicted double life, secretly training to fight and investigating her mother's murder with her Godfather Drosselmeyer, while attempting to carry on her duties as a proper lady of the house. The book's two empires, Cane and New York, are both threatened by power-hungry forces and on the brink of collapse. And at the story's core are the half-breed queen Anise and her foil Clara, magical creatures whose powers of fire and ice make for a striking contrast and complement. Ages 14âup. Agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary.

August 1, 2014
A Nutcracker retelling includes a Victorian mob princess/warrior heroine, an alternate New York City, steampunk faeries and an epic multigenerational battle. Seventeen-year-old Clara is the daughter of New York's mayor-which is to say her father is the poor dupe that organized crime has mounted as figurehead leader. Heartless Patricia Plum and depraved Dr. Victor are the real leaders, with the city at their mercy. When Dr. Victor isn't committing vile tortures on the bodies of imprisoned waifs, he's sexually harassing Clara, who's afraid to fight back. She could fight back, however, because Clara's Godfather has spent his life training her to become the kind of fighter one only sees in computer games, with a tear-away gown hiding her many knives. These skills will serve her well when she's thrust into the fairyland Cane, accompanied by sexy prince Nicholas, who until recently was a statue: a sinister, repulsively marked statue she'd always found fascinating and more recently erotic. In Cane, the humans (who once tortured faeries for fun) have been defeated by the equally sadistic and sexually threatening faeries, who force all humans to become drug addicts. Perhaps Clara can help, or maybe she'll succumb to the homoerotic advances of the evil queen. An overbusy mishmash. (Fantasy. 15-17)

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September 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Legrand's YA debut is set in two worlds in 1899: New York City and the magical world of Cane, a country of humans, mages, and faeries. Seventeen-year-old Clara Stole's mother, Hope, dies a gruesome death, leaving Clara and her family grief-stricken and at a loss. The teen is determined to uncover who was responsible for her mother's murder. Clara uncovers photos of her mother's body with markings on it matching those on the statue in her godfather's shop. Does he know who killed Hope? There was a curse placed on the statue that Godfather breaks, and the statue becomes human. Godfather and Clara fight the magical creatures that come for Nicholas, the former statue, but they take Clara's father instead. She and Nicholas enter a magical door into Cane and the quest to find him begins. In the process of finding her father, Clara gains courage and learns who she is and what she is capable of. Readers will appreciate the in-depth character development and the action-packed pace in this stand-alone novel. The connection between the two world isn't very cohesive, but teens won't mind. In this unique retelling of The Nutcracker, the author weaves the original story and characters together seamlessly with a rich setting and spins a romantic and dark new tale.-Jesten Ray, Seattle Public Library, WA

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