M
M. A. Kuzniar
M. A. Kuzniar writes fantasy, often with a dark fairy tale influence. Her novel, "Midnight in Everwood," explores themes of magic and transformation. She creates stories that transport readers to other worlds.
Midnight in Everwood
Synopsis
In 1906 Nottingham, ballet dancer Marietta Stelle is expected to abandon her art and accept a respectable marriage. When her family's mysterious neighbor, Dr. Drosselmeier, reappears in her life, Marietta finds herself drawn into a hidden, enchanted realm that exists behind the ordinary world — one governed by its own dangerous rules and ruled over by figures who are far from benevolent.
M.A. Kuzniar's "Midnight in Everwood" reworks The Nutcracker as adult fantasy, keeping the familiar shapes of the story — a magical toymaker figure, a girl caught between duty and desire, a portal into another world at Christmas — while foregrounding the coercive pressure placed on Marietta by both her family and the powerful men around her, and the cost of choosing a life of her own.
Vibe
Genres
Characters
Marietta StelleProtagonist
A ballet dancer pressured to give up her art for marriage.
Frequently asked questions
Does this book require knowledge of the original Nutcracker ballet?
Reading the original source material is not necessary to follow the plot, though doing so may help you identify the specific inspirations the author adapted for her own narrative.
How does the timeline work between the two settings?
Time functions differently within the portal world, meaning that despite the events occurring in the magical realm, the protagonist returns to her own world at the same moment she originally departed.