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The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork is a perfect combination of The Nutcracker and The Pied Piper, two of my favourite stories. This book is fast-paced, and it contains a cast of characters who are each well developed. I especially enjoyed the writing style and descriptions of music. I would definitely recommend this book for the holiday season, even if you are unfamiliar with the two original stories.
Author: Heather Dixon Wallwork
Publisher: The Wallworkshop
Genres: Fantasy, Retelling, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Rating:
Clara Stahlbaum has her future perfectly planned: to marry the handsome pianist, Johann Kahler (ah!) and settle down to a life full of music. But all that changes on Christmas Eve, when Clara receives a mysterious and magical nutcracker.
Whisked away to his world—an enchanted empire of beautiful palaces, fickle fairies, enormous rats, and a prince—Clara must face a magician who uses music as spells…and the future she thought she wanted.
The Enchanted Sonata, a retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet with a dash of The Pied Piper, will captivate readers of all ages.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork
This book is a cross between The Nutcracker and The Pied Piper, and it tells the story of a girl who must reverse the spells of an evil magician who has turned everyone into toys. At first, I wasn’t sure how the two stories would fit together, but it actually makes perfect sense, and the stories work well. This book is action packed as Clara works to save the kingdom under time constraints, and I loved the musical aspects throughout. This is the perfect book for the winter season.
❀ An Origin Story
In The Enchanted Sonata, the reader is exposed to a variety of different perspectives which help to develop each character. I enjoyed getting to follow along everyone’s journey, especially Clara’s. What I appreciated were the bits of backstory for the villain which clearly outline his motives. It makes the story so much more engaging as well as believable. It is not always that we are provided with an origin story, so I was happy to see one in this book.
❀ Beautiful Writing
One of my favourite aspects of the story is the writing style. As music plays a big part in the story, there are many descriptions of music that are so breathtaking. It is easy to see the author’s passion for music with each note played. The beautiful writing is not just limited to music however, the setting and the characters are also vividly described. This makes the book come to life, and it is easy to get lost in the pages.
❀ Spectacular Retelling
The Enchanted Sonata by Heather Dixon Wallwork is a spectacular retelling of two of my favourite stories. The characters are well developed, and the writing style is very descriptive. I would definitely recommend this book, not only to YA readers, but to some middle grade readers as well. It is perfect for a holiday reading list.
About Heather Dixon Wallwork
Heather Dixon Wallwork has been a story artist for Disney, a writer for HarperCollins, and currently works as an animation director in Salt Lake City. She is the author of the books "Entwined" and "Illusionarium". You can find more of her stories and comics at www.story-monster.com.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.