Last Christmas, I read a gorgeous Swan-Lake-retelling from the author who wrote Midnight in Everwood, and it was one of the most magical festive books that I've ever read. I didn't finish it until after Christmas, so I've been waiting all year to share my review, and the day has finally arrived.
So, let me tell you why you need to read Upon a Frosted Star this Christmas.
Book Title: Upon a Frosted Star.
Author: M. A. Kuzniar.
Genre: Fantasy, romantasy, fairytale-retelling.
Edition: Waterstones Exclusive.
Plot:
Upon a Frosted Star is a devastating and wintry retelling of Swan Lake set in the Roaring Twenties, beginning with whimsical parties that give off Caraval and The Night Circus vibes, with hints of The Great Gatsby.
It's about a young artist called Forster who falls head-over-heels for a woman he meets at one of these enchanting parties, and becomes consumed with finding her again.
When they finally reunite, Forster discovers that the woman, Detta, carries a secret. Detta is cursed and can only remain human when it snows. When the snow melts, she turns into a mindless swan, and so she stays until it snows again.
It seems they're not fated to be together, but as any great fairytale will tell you, love is stronger than the distance between them, and absence makes the heart grow fonder. (Or some other soppy cliche about long-distance love).
Forster becomes a recluse from the world as he waits for Detta to return, year after year, and as Detta weakens with each year that passes, they realise he must find the man who cursed her if they have any chance of being together. But will Forster be able to track down the mysterious villain, or is Detta cursed to remain a swan forever?
Thoughts:
So... I'm just going to come right out and say it: I loved this book!
I haven't read the original Swan Lake story, so I don't know how it compares and differs, but I enjoyed this melancholy fairytale mixed with a 1920s setting, as it added so much romance and glamour to the existing story.
It was so beautiful, whimsical, and romantic, and with all the snow and festive scenes, it was the perfect book to curl up and ignore the world with during the holidays.
The writing was so magical and descriptive, and it immersed me in every scene until I could almost feel the snow crunching underfoot, and taste the sugary cakes on my tongue. I particularly loved how Kuzniar described the enchanting parties, and the fun and imaginative ways the invitations were sent out each year. They sounded like the most magical parties ever, and I wanted to go to one so badly! And I hate parties!
Now, I admit, I'm not much of a romance reader, either, (unless it's romantasy and involves morally-grey fae warriors or vampires); I enjoy them even less than I enjoy parties. But I loved Forster and Detta's tragic love story so much. They were so cute together!
There are so many books about love lost and found, but having a couple fall in love, and then be separated by the cruelty of magic, weather, time, and distance each time the snow melted, made their story so unique and tragic. The fact that it happened continuously, and that they were lost to each other, despite remaining nearby made it all the more heartbreaking.
I love that they didn't concentrate on the time they didn't have, and always focused on making the most of every minute they had with each other. Although, as romantic as their stolen moments were, their heartwarming romance and declarations of love did become a little soppy and repetitive towards the end, and had me rolling my eyes at times.
Mostly, I just felt sorry for Detta and all she'd been through, and for Forster left behind in isolation from his friends, spending all year waiting for the snow to fall so he could be with the woman he loved. It was so damn tragic, I became so invested in their hunt for Rothbart in the hope that they could break the curse, and have their happy ever after.
I did feel that the ending was rushed and wish that it had been developed more, but I adored this book, and it was one of my favourite reads of 2023.
Rating: 5/5 stars!
So, basically, this book stole my heart, and if you enjoy devastating fantasy romance, and fairytale retellings, I think you'll love it, too.
I'm so tempted to reread it again this Christmas!
Have you read Upon a Frosted Star yet?
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