Review: The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Santa Claus’s daughter sets out to break a curse and free a magical kingdom
Though few mortals know his secret, Nicholas is more than a jolly red-suited man who visits children all over the world on Christmas Eve—he is also the king of Forever, Land of the Immortals. Each year he gets letters from millions of boys and girls, and helps make their Christmas wishes come true. But one year, a special little boy from New York City asks something Nicholas has never been asked before: “What do you wish for Christmas, Santa?” With that simple question, a magical story unfolds. Nicholas answers that his only wish is for a child. And soon the immortal people of the kingdom celebrate the arrival of Holly Claus, the princess of Forever and the first child to grace its ground. But their happiness is dashed when an evil sorcerer places a spell on the infant, turning her heart to ice and freezing her kingdom in time. Many years later, just in time for Christmas Eve, Holly travels to New York, intent upon saving Christmas and freeing the land of Forever. Holly will make this the most magical—and memorable—Christmas the world has ever seen. This ebook features a note from Brittney Ryan including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

MY TAKE:

Christmas books are usually formulaic so it's nice to find a book that has something new.

In The Legend of Holly Claus, Nicholas and his wife have a daughter Holly. However, Holly is put under a spell by Herrikhan and the kingdom of Forever is frozen with her.

I liked that there was a new spin on the Santa Claus legend. The first half of the story was a little bit boring to me since it reminded me of fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty. The action picked up when Holly arrived in New York City. The scenes set in the toy shop where my favorites in the entire book. Holly's ability to create dream dolls was a nice touch too. The bad guy in the story is quite easy to identify, though, especially if you pay attention to the names of the characters.

As for the characters, my favorite characters are Holly's friends Empy, Tundra, Lexie and Euphemia. I also liked Mr. Carroll, but not as much as you don't get to learn as much about him. As for Holly, she was an okay character for me. Sometimes I liked her, but other times, she annoyed me, particularly when she would go against her instincts.

I really liked the illustrations and coloring for this book, though, especially since the old-school, Norman Rockwell-esque illustrations match the era of the story quite well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Young Readers for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. It's a refreshing change from the usual Christmas stories.
2. There are interesting characters.
3. The worldbuilding is great.

THE BAD:

1. The ending is predictable and a little corny and romantic.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Another platter, with roasted meat laid in tempting slices under a savory sauce, and yet another piled high with delicate fruit, completed the meal.

READ IT IF:

1. You're looking for a nostalgic Christmas read.
2. You want to read a Christmas story to your kids wherein you can get a little romance too.
3. You like new takes on old classics.

RATING:


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