Spinning silver by Naomi Novik | Book Review
I haven’t read Uprooted by Naomi Novik so I totally read Spinning Silver on the back of other people’s hype, and I’m so so glad I did. It’s a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, with elements from other fairytales drawn in, making it a spectacular read.
This will be a spoiler free review, and you can read Spinning Silver without having read Uprooted! Trust me, you want to read this book. I couldn’t stop reading it until the end.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik Published by Katherine Tegen Books on July 12th 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Goodreads
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.
But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.
I haven’t read anything like Spinning Silver, honestly, and it blew me away. Not just the story but the writing style, it was delicious. Naomi Novik is truly a genius! I’ll be honest, I’m not overly familiar with the Rumpelstiltskin story, other than what’s in Once Upon a Time… so I can’t really comment on how she retold the fairy tale. However you can really feel various aspects of fairy tales brought into the narrative and they all wove together seamlessly. It keeps you reading right until the end.
So this story is told from a different character’s POV. It was amazing how their narratives were woven together and they spun closer and closer together as the story went on. I didn’t think all of them were of equal value, however, but all just as enjoyable.
The ‘lead’ in the story is Miryem, who is the daughter of a terrible money lender. Through her we meet Wanda, who has lead such a hard life. We then meet Iriyna, the daughter of the duke. Though she lives a rich life, she equally suffers hardships and faces challenges. I won’t go into more detail as I really don’t want to ruin it for you!
Underpinning all their narratives is the Staryk. They are a fantastical race who live in an alternate land and seem to be made of ice. They are magic and are ruled by the Ice King. I really loved hearing about them, though I could have done with hearing more! They are so fascinating, and though they seem to be the bad guys at time, it really makes you think about how there are really two sides to all stories.
Despite the multiple POVs it doesn’t get confusing, it’s done so well.
Miryem. I loved how she took on the role of the breadwinner in her family, despite even her parents’ disapproval. It made my heart warm that despite the fact that everyone had this idea that a woman shouldn’t be ‘cold’, she continued to do the hard work her father couldn’t. Her development was so interesting, she went through a number of moral twists and turns before the end of the story. Her struggles, both physical and mental were believable and I felt them with her.
Other supporting characters I really enjoyed were Iriyna and Wanda. Both Iriyna and Miryem were strong women who don’t put up with the shit that’s dealt to them, especially shit from men. It’s really heartening to see such strong women in a novel. Wanda too, though in a different way. I don’t want to say too much about her story so I don’t spoil it.
The Staryk King was super interesting, there was way more to him than meets the eye.
This book really had so many important characters, like the Tsar, who is also going through some things which adds another layer to the story entirely. Again, I won’t say too much!
Basically, you need to read this! Have you read Uprooted? What did you think? Let me know if you pick up Spinning Silver!
*I was sent an early copy of this for an honest review.
Check out my post about DNFing books you’re not enjoying?
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16 Comments
Spinning Silver was so good ❤️ Uprooted is one of my faves so I was really hype for SS too and it didn’t disappoint haha
I think the consensus is I need to pick up Uprooted haha!
Uh you made me want to read this! I really like Rumpelstilzchen and I’ve never heard of retelling of that fairytale before. I haven’t read Uprooted or anything else by Naomi Novik but I’ve heard so many good things about her writing style.
Great review!
Thank you so much! I’m glad it makes you want to read it, definitely worth picking up. Her writing is amazing.
That edition is so stunning! I haven’t read Uprooted yet either, but I do have a copy of Spinning Silver. Your review makes me more confident about reading it before Uprooted!
DO itttt! It’s so so good, thought I can’t speak for Uprooted haha.
Ooh it sounds great! If you’re into adaptations, I’ve been into a book called ‘The Madman’s Daughter’ which is a retelling of ‘The Island of Doctor Moreau’ by H.G.Wells!🙂
I’m not HUGE into adaptations but I’ll certainly be looking it up!
I love both Uprooted and Spinning Silver! I hope you get the chance to pick up the former sometime soon 🙂 And now I’m even happier I ordered a UK edition to go with my US cover…they’re both so pretty 🙂
It’s stunning isn’t it?! I definitely need to pick up Uprooted I think.
im just over half way through and i am loving it!!
Yey I’m glad! It’s so so good.
I really can’t wait to start this! And you MUST read Uprooted – it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read.
I think I definitely will after how much I loved Spinning Silver!
Sounds like a great book. Loved how you reviewed it in detail there by completely doing justice to it.
Thank you so much <3