Product Description

Santa Claus is the King of Forever, Land of the Immortals. When one special boy writes to Santa asking what no other child has ever asked, a miracle occurs: Santa and Mrs. Claus are blessed with a daughter. But the birth of Holly Claus also brings about a terrible curse—from an evil soul named Herrikhan. Holly's heart is frozen, and the gates to Forever are locked, barring exit or entry.

As she grows into a beautiful and selfless young woman, Holly longs to break the spell that holds her people hostage. With four faithful and magical animal friends, she escapes to the wondrous world of Victorian New York, where she will face countless dangers, adventures, and a miracle all her own.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #84942 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-01
• Released on: 2006-09-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7–A letter written in 1878 to Santa Claus by a 10-year-old boy asking not for presents but to know what Santa himself wishes for allows the gent (aka Nicholas, King of Forever) and his wife to realize their greatest dream, the birth of a daughter named Holly. She is, however, cursed by an evil sorcerer, Herrikhan, who surrounds her infant heart with ice and promises to return to collect it one day. Holly grows up happy but lonely in the Land of the Immortals, and when she becomes a young woman, she takes a daring and possibly deadly trip to Victorian New York City, where she is determined to do good deeds. There she has adventures, brings joy to the hearts of young and old, and manages to foil Herrikhan with the shining purity of her love. The writing is acceptable, if a little precious, and the descriptions of Nicholas and his household are a pleasure to read, but the whole Herrikhan plot is jarring, inconsistent, and unnecessary; there are more than enough characters and subplots swirling through this novel already without the addition of a leering, black-tongued sorcerer. The drawings scattered throughout are detailed and a touch old-fashioned, a good match for the sentimental tone of the text. Fans of Alcott, Spyri, and Burnett may enjoy this long and convoluted tale.–Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. Forever, the Land of the Immortals, is ruled by Nicholas Claus (aka Santa) and populated by a host of greats--ranging from Bach to Merlin to Zeus. Nicholas' daughter, Holly, has been cursed by an evil warlock and must forever dwell in the ice and cold so that her heart does not melt. Drawn to the Empire City (New York, December 1896) in an attempt to break the evil spell, pure-hearted Holly finds work in a toy store, creating lifelike dolls. There she meets Christopher, an adult whose boyhood letter to Santa opens the story, and comes face-to-face with Herrikhan, the wizard who would possess her. A large cast of mostly magical characters operating in a romanticized, cinematic snow-globe world populate this classic tale of good versus evil, which will grow on readers despite its excessive length. Booktalk this offering in the Julie Andrews Collection before Thanksgiving so that families in search of a holiday read-aloud have plenty of time to finish. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"A lush and leisurely Yuletide read." -- Publishers Weekly

"Exquisite, detailed illustrations." -- Kirkus Reviews

Customer Reviews

Enchanting Novel for Readers Young and Old
Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nick and Father Christmas, is the King of Forever, in a place called The Land of Immortals. He is known for giving presents to good girls and boys the world over. But one day, he gets a special letter from a young boy, asking him what he wants for Christmas, and instantly Santa Claus and his wife are blessed with a miracle: a little bundle of joy whom they name Holly Claus. But with the miracle comes danger, as well as a curse from an evil man named Herrikhan. For Holly Claus' heart is now frozen, and the gates to The Land of Immortals are locked, barring anyone from coming or going. Now, Holly Claus is a grown woman, and decides to break the spell that is holding her people captive. So, accompanied by her four faithful friends - a penguin, fox, wolf, and owl - Holly heads towards Victorian New York, where she encounters many different life-changing, yet dangerous, adventures.

Newcomer Brittney Ryan, has written a book that stands out against many of the children's/young adult books on the market right now. Her vivid descriptions, quirky characters, and wonderful storyline are absolutely amazing, while Laurel Long's black and white sketch illustrations are enchanting, and bring the story to life. THE LEGEND OF HOLLY CLAUS will capture the hearts of readers young and old, and eventually go down in history as one of the greatest fairy tales of our generation.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

A STAR IS BORN - HOLLY CLAUSE
FINALLY, A CHILDREN'S BOOK THAT WILL NOT ONLY HOLD THEM SPELLBOUND, BUT ADD TO THEIR VOCABULARY, AND SENSE OF CREATIVE WORD PLAY. A BOOK THAT CAN BE "READ TO" THOSE WHO ARE STILL TO YOUNG TO READ, AND HAVE THEM ASKING FOR MORE AS EACH CHAPTER ENDS.

THE WRITING IS BEAUTIFUL - THE ILLUSTRATIONS FABULOUSLY 18TH CENTURY IN APPEARANCE

A TOTALLY ORIGINAL STORY, FILLED WITH FABULOUS CHARACTERS BOTH HUMAN AN IMAGINED. A LOVE STORY, AN ADVENTURE, A PAGE TURNER!

A BOOK DESTINED TO BECOME A CLASSIC.

New Christmas Classic for all ages!
We read this story for a family read aloud and my daughters, then 4 and 5 really enjoyed the book. The only drawback from their point of view was that it was a bit long compared to our normal read (I wouldn't expect an average 4 yr old to maintain interest for this lengthy story). It is an enchanting tale that is sure to become a classic. I enjoyed all of the various mythical characters taken from different cultures that were woven together in this tale (there is even a sort of glossary in the back with background on the various characters). Very original. While I personally don't approve of exposing children to unnecessary violence, I really didn't feel that this was too frightening as expressed by another reviewer. I'm sure if it were to be made into a movie the scary parts would be overemphasized, but I felt the novel had a good balance. My 5 year old enjoyed this magical story and the fact that good triumped over evil in the end. There was a great mix of magic, mystery, humor, and even good values. The artwork is quite beautiful, as one would expect from this talented illustrator, and definitely contributes to the enchanting feel of the book. I highly recommend this to families whose children enjoy a potpouri of fantasy, love, and mystery.