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The Prince and Her Dreamer
Clara feels stifled by the life that's been planned out for her, and clings to her only hope that something more might be a mysterious book given to her by her Uncle Drosselmeyer, that recounts the tales of the magnificent warrior woman known as the Red Prince.
Decades ago, Drosselmeyer trapped the Red Prince in the form of a doll to save her from the Rats. When the magic of Clara's selfless admiration restores her to human form, she and Clara must find a way to stand against the Rats once and for all if they hope to enjoy the life they've always longed for...
Decades ago, Drosselmeyer trapped the Red Prince in the form of a doll to save her from the Rats. When the magic of Clara's selfless admiration restores her to human form, she and Clara must find a way to stand against the Rats once and for all if they hope to enjoy the life they've always longed for...
56 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 5, 2019
This was absolutely fucking adorable and I love it do much.
December 5, 2018
Okay so I have quite a few thoughts. First and foremost I want you reading this to know that this book is a queer historical fantasy retelling of The Nutcracker, and doesn't that sound pretty awesome? Yes.
This book had a cool concept, but the execution was... undeniably pretty poor. The writing feels like it was a bullet-point outline that was rewritten into complete sentences. There's almost no description, and for a fantasy world, that's kind of... important?
This book's biggest flaw was the length - it needed like, a minimum of another 50-100 pages just to flesh out setting, magic, and characters. The story structure also adhered too strongly to the Nutcracker storyline. The middle was just a bunch of conversations with characters we don't know and don't have any reason to care about. This works in a ballet because there's dancing and that's fun to watch, but it really doesn't work here.
Another issue I had has hopefully been corrected in the editing process, as this is an arc, but is Ross a wizard or a sorcerer? He's referred to as both, and it was a little frustrating. This kind of thing happened throughout the story several times - The Crystal Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sweets are like, the same place? Something about five worlds? Quintet? Either I don't know this fairy tale as well as I thought I did, or this is new stuff that wasn't explained at all, and either way it just left me really confused about the whole thing.
Also, why was Clara from England and not... Russia? Or Germany, where the original story is from? Or just "vague Europe" instead of definitively setting it in the wrong country?
Also, I needed some more from the romance. I felt like we got a good amount of build-up for Clara to fall for Mattie, but so much of the story was devoted to Mattie holding court with her former friends in the Kingdom of Sweets as opposed to Mattie and Clara getting to know each other better. It made the romance feel rushed, and there are only 75 pages in this thing so like... there isn't even a lot of space to begin with.
However, this story DOES provide some cool representation! I think that is something that will outweigh the quality of the writing for some people, and I fully respect that. The absolute dearth of non-binary heroes makes this something worth reading for anybody seeking that kind of representation. Plus it's always fun to have a cute futch/femme story out in the world, which is definitely this. There's a bit of commentary about compulsory heterosexuality and being closeted in.. I dunno, early 20th century England I guess (this detail is not important), but primarily it's sweet little romp with some gays. It's clear that the representation is the heart of the story, the reason it was written, and the main reason the author intends for it to be picked up. I have no issues with that, and I'm excited for this book to reach people who will find comfort in its story. Unfortunately, I'm not that person.
I can only hope that since I read an arc copy, there have since been several rounds of editing to (at the very least) consolidate what's there on the page into something a little more cohesive. I really wanted to like it, and I struggled a little with how many stars to give it, but ultimately I feel like it needs so much editing that I can't give it more than two stars. It has a lot of potential, though.
This book had a cool concept, but the execution was... undeniably pretty poor. The writing feels like it was a bullet-point outline that was rewritten into complete sentences. There's almost no description, and for a fantasy world, that's kind of... important?
This book's biggest flaw was the length - it needed like, a minimum of another 50-100 pages just to flesh out setting, magic, and characters. The story structure also adhered too strongly to the Nutcracker storyline. The middle was just a bunch of conversations with characters we don't know and don't have any reason to care about. This works in a ballet because there's dancing and that's fun to watch, but it really doesn't work here.
Another issue I had has hopefully been corrected in the editing process, as this is an arc, but is Ross a wizard or a sorcerer? He's referred to as both, and it was a little frustrating. This kind of thing happened throughout the story several times - The Crystal Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sweets are like, the same place? Something about five worlds? Quintet? Either I don't know this fairy tale as well as I thought I did, or this is new stuff that wasn't explained at all, and either way it just left me really confused about the whole thing.
Also, why was Clara from England and not... Russia? Or Germany, where the original story is from? Or just "vague Europe" instead of definitively setting it in the wrong country?
Also, I needed some more from the romance. I felt like we got a good amount of build-up for Clara to fall for Mattie, but so much of the story was devoted to Mattie holding court with her former friends in the Kingdom of Sweets as opposed to Mattie and Clara getting to know each other better. It made the romance feel rushed, and there are only 75 pages in this thing so like... there isn't even a lot of space to begin with.
However, this story DOES provide some cool representation! I think that is something that will outweigh the quality of the writing for some people, and I fully respect that. The absolute dearth of non-binary heroes makes this something worth reading for anybody seeking that kind of representation. Plus it's always fun to have a cute futch/femme story out in the world, which is definitely this. There's a bit of commentary about compulsory heterosexuality and being closeted in.. I dunno, early 20th century England I guess (this detail is not important), but primarily it's sweet little romp with some gays. It's clear that the representation is the heart of the story, the reason it was written, and the main reason the author intends for it to be picked up. I have no issues with that, and I'm excited for this book to reach people who will find comfort in its story. Unfortunately, I'm not that person.
I can only hope that since I read an arc copy, there have since been several rounds of editing to (at the very least) consolidate what's there on the page into something a little more cohesive. I really wanted to like it, and I struggled a little with how many stars to give it, but ultimately I feel like it needs so much editing that I can't give it more than two stars. It has a lot of potential, though.
December 9, 2024
This novella was written for girls who were obssessed with Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001) their whole childhoods and then grew up and realized they were really really gay for women in armor, which is to say, this novella was written for ME.
Got a little soapbox-y at one point, and I would have liked some more Clara/Mathilde, but this was a lovely little queer Christmas story!
Got a little soapbox-y at one point, and I would have liked some more Clara/Mathilde, but this was a lovely little queer Christmas story!
August 10, 2020
This was so adorable and fun to read!!
January 8, 2020
I have to rewrite this review because for some reason different editions came as read, I deleted one edition and it was the one that had the review eh.
At the end of last year I got interested about the story of the Nutcracker. I knew it was a ballet but I didn't know it was a story...so naturally I looked up queer retellings. This looked like the most promising one so if was my first read of the year.
The Prince and Her Dreamer is about Prince 'Mattie' Mathilde who gets injured while fighting the rats. Her best friend and court fae Ross suggests turning her into a doll so she can heal and Mathilde agrees. Fast-forward a few decades and Clara, Ross' relative from the human world manages to break the spell through an act of unselfish kindness.
Now, while choosing which retelling to read, as there are a few sapphic retellings of the nutcracker, I read mixed reviews about this book. Many people were saying the book was too short (it's a novella) and that there was a distinct lack of world-building. This is all true, however, I think it's because it's not a plot-driven story but a character-driven one. It assumes that people are already familiar with the story, so if you are not, look up the story first before reading this retelling.
Before we get to the good stuff, let me air out my pet peeves about this story. To me, the story around Mathilde being turned into a doll sounded unconvincing. Like, why must it be someone related to Ross? Is the magic linked to blood? Most importantly, how does a fae have human relatives? Did they used to be part of the same world? Did someone move? Even a character-driver story needs to address plot-holes.
There is also a bit of an age gap. Yes Mathilde doesn't age while being a doll but she was conscious, she had a lot of time to grow and mature as a person during those two decades. Clara is 17...while being mature and headstrong, she's young. This book apart from being fantasy is also historical fiction as Clara lives during the Victorian era and I am aware that age was a different concept then, but still, this gap was never addressed, in fact, Mathilde thinks of them as about the same age.
Another plot-point which was never resolved was the toy soldier. Were they wooden always or had their appearance been altered? I just did not understand.
Clara's coming out, even though to her 'uncle' who she knew would accept her, felt a little fake. The language used was not something I associate with Victorian times and I'm sure that even with all her self-awareness, it was too quick for her to unpack all her baggage, for her to be comfortable saying those words. In a way, it's a fairytale, but it still needs to seem realistic.
Now, the things that I did like were in brief the characters, their relationship and altering gender-tropes.
Mathilde has a tragic background. She's young but she's leading an army and suddenly she is not able to do even that. When she comes back, most of the people around her had aged; they moved on without her and she has both to overcome survivor's guilt as well as to find her place again among all those people who did not expect her to come back.
Clara is trying to please her family while still doing somewhat what she likes. She's trying to compromise and at some point, she needs to make a decision. Clara likes to read and likes her 'uncle' and the stories he tells her and even though she's too old for a doll, she really liked his present. With all her knowledge of the four realms (due to her reading her Uncle's book over and over), Clara proves to be a great help to Mathilde.
I liked how the two characters, while drawn immediately to each other, take some time to develop a relationship (even in such a short novella). The two characters, because of circumstances, also mature separately before coming back together. I liked very much the fact that in spite of everything, Clara wanted to live life in her own terms, not because of someone else but because of her will. There was also consent while kissing! So props to the author for that (even though it should be common practice both in reality and in fiction). I'd like to point out that there are no sec scenes in this book.
I also liked the gender-altering elements in this book. The most obvious being the 'Prince' title to Mathilde, a girl. The way I saw it was that a Prince was the successor of the King (or an unmarried Royal). I don't see why in reality there should be any gender distinction to royal (or other) titles. There was also a gender-altering for a minor character, who you expect to be female but is male. That was a nice touch and plays on our assumptions.
In the end, I had mixed feelings about this retelling. There were a lot of plot-holes. It felt like starting a book from the ending. We know nothing of the rats apart from what the rat king was made from. We also do not know what happened to the rats towards the end of the book. A few sentences here and there to explain the plot were definitely needed and for use, a longer book was needed. However, there were found family feels, good relationship structures and gender-bending elements.
Give it a try, especially if you already know the story and can fill in the missing information from your previous knowledge or your imagination.
At the end of last year I got interested about the story of the Nutcracker. I knew it was a ballet but I didn't know it was a story...so naturally I looked up queer retellings. This looked like the most promising one so if was my first read of the year.
The Prince and Her Dreamer is about Prince 'Mattie' Mathilde who gets injured while fighting the rats. Her best friend and court fae Ross suggests turning her into a doll so she can heal and Mathilde agrees. Fast-forward a few decades and Clara, Ross' relative from the human world manages to break the spell through an act of unselfish kindness.
Now, while choosing which retelling to read, as there are a few sapphic retellings of the nutcracker, I read mixed reviews about this book. Many people were saying the book was too short (it's a novella) and that there was a distinct lack of world-building. This is all true, however, I think it's because it's not a plot-driven story but a character-driven one. It assumes that people are already familiar with the story, so if you are not, look up the story first before reading this retelling.
Before we get to the good stuff, let me air out my pet peeves about this story. To me, the story around Mathilde being turned into a doll sounded unconvincing. Like, why must it be someone related to Ross? Is the magic linked to blood? Most importantly, how does a fae have human relatives? Did they used to be part of the same world? Did someone move? Even a character-driver story needs to address plot-holes.
There is also a bit of an age gap. Yes Mathilde doesn't age while being a doll but she was conscious, she had a lot of time to grow and mature as a person during those two decades. Clara is 17...while being mature and headstrong, she's young. This book apart from being fantasy is also historical fiction as Clara lives during the Victorian era and I am aware that age was a different concept then, but still, this gap was never addressed, in fact, Mathilde thinks of them as about the same age.
Another plot-point which was never resolved was the toy soldier. Were they wooden always or had their appearance been altered? I just did not understand.
Clara's coming out, even though to her 'uncle' who she knew would accept her, felt a little fake. The language used was not something I associate with Victorian times and I'm sure that even with all her self-awareness, it was too quick for her to unpack all her baggage, for her to be comfortable saying those words. In a way, it's a fairytale, but it still needs to seem realistic.
Now, the things that I did like were in brief the characters, their relationship and altering gender-tropes.
Mathilde has a tragic background. She's young but she's leading an army and suddenly she is not able to do even that. When she comes back, most of the people around her had aged; they moved on without her and she has both to overcome survivor's guilt as well as to find her place again among all those people who did not expect her to come back.
Clara is trying to please her family while still doing somewhat what she likes. She's trying to compromise and at some point, she needs to make a decision. Clara likes to read and likes her 'uncle' and the stories he tells her and even though she's too old for a doll, she really liked his present. With all her knowledge of the four realms (due to her reading her Uncle's book over and over), Clara proves to be a great help to Mathilde.
I liked how the two characters, while drawn immediately to each other, take some time to develop a relationship (even in such a short novella). The two characters, because of circumstances, also mature separately before coming back together. I liked very much the fact that in spite of everything, Clara wanted to live life in her own terms, not because of someone else but because of her will. There was also consent while kissing! So props to the author for that (even though it should be common practice both in reality and in fiction). I'd like to point out that there are no sec scenes in this book.
I also liked the gender-altering elements in this book. The most obvious being the 'Prince' title to Mathilde, a girl. The way I saw it was that a Prince was the successor of the King (or an unmarried Royal). I don't see why in reality there should be any gender distinction to royal (or other) titles. There was also a gender-altering for a minor character, who you expect to be female but is male. That was a nice touch and plays on our assumptions.
In the end, I had mixed feelings about this retelling. There were a lot of plot-holes. It felt like starting a book from the ending. We know nothing of the rats apart from what the rat king was made from. We also do not know what happened to the rats towards the end of the book. A few sentences here and there to explain the plot were definitely needed and for use, a longer book was needed. However, there were found family feels, good relationship structures and gender-bending elements.
Give it a try, especially if you already know the story and can fill in the missing information from your previous knowledge or your imagination.
May 17, 2019
I'm on a short / novella kick and this one really hit the spot. The Nutcracker has never been a thing for me but this story was utterly delightful. I loved the prince and Clara was so sweet. Better still, the ending made me so happy for both of them.
Great book!
Great book!
November 9, 2018
This novella was a fun, if a bit underdeveloped, and was overall enjoyable. Read the full review on my blog.
April 12, 2020
That was a pretty sweet historical fantasy retelling of the Nutcracker with a F/F romance, though I think the combination of being novella length and trying to stick the the general storyline of the ballet kind of hampered the story a bit.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews