Winterspell (Winterspell #1) by Claire Legrand
Published: September 30th 2014 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Review:
Winterspell is a YA fantasy spin on the popular Nutcracker ballet. It follows the story of Clara Stole in an alternate New York City 1899, her journey to the land of Cane (where of course, the Nutcracker himself originates) and discovery of a secret familial past.
Myth: 3/5
The idea behind this book is so cool, but I find Clara lacking as a main character. She is annoyingly pure, offended by hints of bare skin all the time. (It's setting up for later scenes, but her initial reactions are not believable.) In line with that, there are several scenes where Clara ping-pongs back and forth on her feelings towards the love interest. She doesn't come off very mature and her reasoning here is pretty weak.
There is an interesting turn halfway through the book with a revelation you know is coming, but still really picks up the pace of the plot. I struggled with the first half of the book, but flew through the second half.
Clara struggling with how easy she relates to the villain drives the second part of the book, and makes up for the slowness of the first half. There's a nice “whodunnit” vibe throughout, and Clara's not sure who to trust.
Magic: 4/5
Although slow to start, once the magic enters the novel, it continually kicks up the tension. You meet three distinct societies in the world of Cain, all with different magical abilities, and learn how their magic interacts with each other and the land. It was also an excellent plot device, pushing the story and characters along in new and unexpected ways.
Overall: 3.5/5
Despite the slow start and weak main character, Legrand builds a world ripe with magical possibility. I almost didn't finish it, but now that I have I'll be reading her follow-up epilogue, Homecoming.
