Light and dark—this is the cursed birthright placed upon Clara and Natasha by their godfather, Drosselmeyer, whose power and greed hold an entire city in his sway. Charming Clara, the favorite, grows into a life of beauty and ease, while Natasha is relegated to her sister’s shadow, ignored and unloved.

But Natasha seizes the opportunity for revenge one Christmas Eve, when Drosselmeyer arrives at the family gala with the Nutcracker, an enchanted gift that offers entry into an alternate world: the Kingdom of Sweets.

Following Clara into the glittering land of snow and sugar, Natasha discovers a source of power far greater than Drosselmeyer: the Sugar Plum Fairy, who offers her own wondrous gifts . . . and chilling bargains. But as Natasha uncovers the truth about a dark destiny crafted long before her birth, she must reckon with forces both earthly and magical, human and diabolical, and decide to which world she truly belongs.

There’s something delicious about a fairy tale with some edge. Especially during a time of the year when everything can take a turn for the saccharine. Just in time for the holidays, Erika Johansen turns the classic Nutcracker story on its head and tells a haunting and twisted tale of sorcery, secrets, and betrayal.

After crashing their christening, the sorcerer Drosselmeyer curses twins Clara and Natasha, anointing them respectively “light” and “dark.” The girls grow up as such: while light and beautiful Clara floats through life believing in fairy tales, dark and plain Natasha lives in her sister’s shadow and sees the darkness in other souls. As they approach the age of 17, Natasha is forced to see the young man she loves engaged to Clara, who is pregnant out of wedlock. Come Christmas Eve, the sorcerer gifts the girls a nutcracker that transports them to the Kingdom of Sweets, a macabre realm where sugar conceals decay and the Sugar Plum Fairy seeks vengeance. Natasha decides to chase Clara through this twisted land, where they are forced to reckon with their poisoned relationship.

Brace yourself to explore the complexities of love, revenge, and the shadows that lurk beneath the surface through The Kingdom of Sweets. In a blend of dark folklore and Gothic fantasy, Johansen spins a gripping narrative that transcends the sugar-coated facade of traditional fairy tales.