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.

Spinning Silver is a magical, captivating novel. So captivating, in fact, that the only reason I did not finish it in one sitting was because I had to leave home the day after. Still, its story and characters managed to stay with me and drag me back to its pages constantly. 

Spinning Silver is a very loose re-telling of the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. Many elements from the original story are incorporated into the novel, but different characters embody different aspects of the character and tale. We see silver turning into gold, we see bargains made, and we see names so important that they dare not be uttered. Novik has kept all the elements that made Rumpelstiltskin a captivating and beloved story and gave them a new spin and twist, making them entirely her own.

Perhaps the most important thing Novik incorporated into her novel was that of the Jewish moneylender stereotype. It is a stereotype often seen not just in history but in historical fiction and folklore as well, and seeing a tale as old as time from an antisemitic perspective and interpretation felt like a breath of fresh air to the ever-growing genre of fairytale re-tellings. Novik clearly sets herself apart from her fellow authors.

Above all, it's a very clever book. It uses its setting and magical elements very well to create a mythical, supernatural atmosphere, an eerie aura. In that sense, it reminded me of The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden , as most well-executed fantasy novels tend to do. The setting is very cleverly used to fit the narrative and is properly exploited and explored throughout the novel through the multiple points of view. That's another thing that makes this book unique: the plethora of perspectives that allows for every voice to be heard and aids the readers into forming a well-rounded and informed opinion. Sometimes we see two main characters having opposite views or opinions and the multiple perspectives let the readers fully see both sides instead of guessing one or the other's motives and thoughts, thus allowing them to form their own opinion.
I do, however, have a small complaint. See, Novik's world is so intricate, her characters so unique, complicated, and three-dimensional, that I felt like the ending did not do them justice. To be completely honest, I could not see this story ending with a bang. I saw it more as a study of the characters, their thoughts, and their village, than an actual story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending. I felt like the story did not need a 'wrap up' as the characters beautifully grew into themselves along the way; and a big, impressive ending just did not fit the story for me. But, that's entirely a matter of personal preference.

Wow. A feat of beauty and adventure and dark atmosphere. I loved every second of this, from the setting to the characters and the playful retelling.

A fairy tale adaptation you say? Set in a magical cousin of \Russia? Yes of course I'd love to read this, why haven't you given it to me yet?! Spinning Silver promises a lot of good things in its blurb, but I'm happy to say that what it actually has to offer is a lot better than what is promised. Novik spins a magical web, slowly ensnaring the reader until they realise they're in too deep to get out. Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The main reason I picked up Spinning Silver is because the blurb calls it 'fairy tale-inspired'. I love new, modern takes on fairy tales that explore what is at the heart of those tales and why they are still relevant to us now. Spinning Silver does this at the very start, revealing that behind the fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin there is a very different truth. And so Novik sets the reader on an early path to both mistrust what is at the surface and suspect what lies underneath. It makes for a great set up to exploring the lives of her many characters, and especially the three girls at the heart of the novel, Miryem, Irina and Wanda. And this is where I need to take a moment to complain about the blurb above for this novel. The reason I included it in the review is only to be able to complain about it now. After having read the book I feel the blurb does it a major disservice. Not only does it leave out Wanda as a major character, it misses out of providing hints at the genres the book mixes together and gives no suggestion of the richness of the book itself. So as I said in my introduction above, consider the blurb only a pale reflection of the actual book. In this review I'm going to try and avoid covering too much of the plot because I loved the surprises it offered me.

As stated, at the heart of Spinning Silver are Miryem, the daughter of Jewish moneylenders, Irina, the daughter of a duke who had hoped for more, and Wanda, the daughter of a drunk and poor farmer. Part of why I was so annoyed that the blurb gave no hint of all three is because it is by bringing together their diverse stories that Novik really caught my attention. Miryem's family is poor because her father is no good at moneylending, but one day Miryem has had enough of the sly smiles, the withheld money and the comments about their Jewish heritage, and takes over from her father. Fueled by her anger, Miryem quickly makes her family's life more comfortable. Alongside this we are told of Wanda, who lives with her two brothers and father on a barren farm, "protected" only by her mother's tree. Through Miryem Wanda is given a chance at escape, understanding and maybe even the magic of letters. As Miryem's power to "change silver into gold" becomes more well-known, she draws the eyes of a people shrouded in myth and fear, catching up Irina in the turmoil as well. Irina has lived her life in the shadows, almost content at being a disappointment to her father, until he sees a chance to make her tsarina. Her elevation brings with it strength and danger, and, like Miryem and Wanda, she has to find a way to save what she loves and come into her own. Novik takes her three main characters and highlights both the differences and similarities between them. Whether it's their difference in class and ethnicity or their shared stubborn determination and quiet love for their family, Novik's Spinning Silver shows them in a gentle but honest light and I couldn't help but become engrossed in all of them.

Novik's writing is what brings Spinning Silver to life. She translates the sparse but powerful style of fairy tales into a more luscious and rich style, without losing the clarity and honesty. I loved both her descriptions of the grand landscape and of the small moments between family members that show their love for each other. Spinning Silver moves skilfully between being loud and being quiet, being dramatic and being intimate. It means that I found myself, reading during my lunch break at work, completely lost in her world. I looked up from my Kindle an hour later and had forgotten I was at work. For the rest of the day I had Spinning Silver in my mind and I returned to reading the moment I got home. I was surprised that certain aspects of the novel worked for me. Novik moves a lot between different narrators, and not just her three main female characters. Yet each time there is a new character speaking their narration adds another layer to the story and it didn't feel like too much. In a sense the ending also came too soon and tied up all the loose story lines almost too neatly, but I guess now I'm just really looking for something to complain about. I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for more of Novik's novels.

I adored Spinning Silver. Once I was caught there was simply no escape. Novik weaves a beautiful tale of three interlocking stories, three girls with different paths yet similar desires, all set against a beautiful, Russian fairy tale-esque background. What more could you really ask for?

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. However, my ARC copy would not download onto my kindle, therefore I bought the finished version on release day (mainly because of my love of Naomi Novik’s previous novel Uprooted). This review will be based around that finished copy.

There’s something about Naomi Novik’s fairy tales that I find irresistible and evocative. She manages to weave these fantastical tales that are steeped in tradition around grounded and very real women full of life and character, while delicately introducing complicated relationships that capture the very heart of the story so well.

Miryam is the first character we’re introduced to. Described as resourceful, shrewd and emotionless in her pursuit of debts, she’s a glorious example of a character who must look inside herself to discover her talents and save herself and those she loves from destitution. She can sometimes come across as standoffish and cold - but I found this the perfect counterpoint to her Staryk king who is so similar to her in personality, yet she can’t see it. Their relationship, at once complicated and hard, is one of my favourite aspects of the book. It was great to see it develop as the story progressed from sullenness to something that could be described as amiable.

Irina is Miryem’s counterpoint, the winter to her sun. The daughter of a duke, married to the tsar, she soon realises that there’s more to her husband than meets the eye. She must quickly learn how to be a tsarina and defend her people against a threat much bigger than herself. A threat steeped in fire and hunger. I found her very similar to Miryem in terms of rising to her position as ‘queen’, to discover that she has a natural talent to rule. One that outshines her husband’s. I also enjoyed her relationship with the Tsar, as she struggles with the beast and the man separately. I would have liked to have seen this relationship explored more, as I found it rather complex and politically fraught but I understand the importance of allowing Miryem’s relationships to take centre stage towards the end.

Wanda I found interesting, as she’s everything Miryem could have been if her father was crueller and she wasn’t so shrewd. However, her story peters out halfway through the novel and doesn’t really develop the way it could have. I found she’s rather sacrificed in favour of Irina, and her character becomes less important and more unsubstantial towards the end of the novel.

The settings and world building also really stand out in the novel, especially the descriptions of the Staryk lands and the harsh winters of the human world. I found myself a little lost amongst the forest trees with the characters on many occasions, willing the harsh Staryk white road into being so I could follow it. I do find it odd that the novel is released in the summer, as this is such a pure winter tale that speaks of harsh frosts and bitter winds. It’s perfect for winter evenings.

I will admit that at times I found the Staryk culture a little complicated, with the various concepts of debts and promises and how they must be repaid etc. rather convoluted in their explanations. However, as I was experiencing this along with Miryem it didn’t distract from my overall enjoyment of the story.

I was disappointed that there wasn’t a easier way to distinguish between the many characters who tell the story. The ARC copy apparently had symbols to differentiate between who was telling the story, but the finished book did not. This would have been incredibly helpful, as sometimes I struggled to understand who was telling the story - especially as the tale progressed and more characters were added to the roster, and did dampen my enjoyment somewhat.

Although this doesn’t quite match Uprooted for me in terms of overall enjoyment, I loved reading this. Naomi Novik is firmly on my ‘must read’ shelf for all future novels and I encourage everyone who loves fairy tales and complex relationships to give this a go.

What can I say about Naomi Novik except that she's a brilliant writer and Spinning Silver only adds to her brilliant reputation. I've been a fan of Naomi for nearly a decade since I found her Temeraire novels on a trip to the US and I've yet to be disappointed by one of her books. Spinning Silver takes several wonderful fairytales and spins (sorry, bad pun) them wonderfully together with three amazingly strong female leads to create a book that it gripping from page 1.

Spinning silver is a complex, beautiful and deeply magical story following three women – Miriyem, a Jewish moneylender’s daughter so successful it is said she can turn silver into gold, Wanda, a young girl fighting to protect herself and her brothers from their abusive father and Irina, daughter to a duke, branded uninteresting and all but forgotten after her mother’s death. Each is given their lot in life, and each fights to create their own future in a world very much against them.
 
A beautiful blend of realism and fantasy, the daily lives of these women occur alongside the mysterious Staryk road – a shining white river of a road that shifts and bends through the woods upon which ride the gold-hunting Staryk, icy and merciless as they take all they desire back to their own kingdom during the winter months. Even within well-guarded walls, Irina is not safe from the world beyond – The Tsar is young, handsome, and the son of an executed witch, and she has been placed directly in his view. The stories of Miriyem and Wanda are closely linked, with Irina’s struggles seemingly far removed and distant – until a bag of Staryk silver them together.
 
This book is stunningly written, it’s my first time reading Novik’s work and I will definitely be reading more! The Staryk, with their skin like crystallised ice and their kingdom of white and silver were so stunningly brought to life on the page. I’m quite a visual reader, if that makes any sense, I love imagery and description and world-building that really allows me to envision the characters and places I am reading about and for this Novik has an incredible talent. This is a long book (in pdf format anyway, it’s always interesting reading a book with no knowledge of how close the end is – amazon tells me it’s 480 pages) but it was so tremendous that I didn’t feel bogged down or bored at any stage. Quite the opposite, I had a busy week and I still managed to finish it in about 8 days of frantic lunchtimes of reading and wrist pain – holding up an ipad is not the same as a book. The way the stories overlap and intertwine is fantastic, and the characters were just wonderful – even the villains were complex and exciting and there were elements I simply didn’t see coming.
 
Seriously, when you get to the bits with Tsar Mirnatius (amazing name, I know) things get gothic and I love it.
 
I also really enjoyed reading about Miriyem’s culture and beliefs, and how they shape her life. It occurred to me while reading this that many fantasy novels either shy away from religion, or create their own – to read about the magic of the Staryk alongside an intelligent, likable and complex jewish protagonist was really interesting to me. Her family and the broader Jewish community faced anti semitism throughout the novel – called greedy for doing their jobs as moneylenders, attacked and shunned and mocked in the streets – but stood strongly together in the face of this discrimination. Miriyem even point-blank refuses to adhere to the demands of the Staryk king if he will not allow her to respect Shabbat and abstain from working for the duration of it despite his threats against her life.
 
The women in this novel – and some of the men, including Wanda’s brothers Stepon and Sergey – are placed in seemingly inescapable situations, often by their sex and social status, and each has to use every advantage they can find to stay alive. From the frozen isolation of the Staryk kingdom to the opulence and danger of the Tsar’s palace, this is a world run by the men who own and imprison them, and it is one they refuse to be defeated by.
 
I genuinely loved this novel, it was magical and exciting and I just didn’t know what was going to happen next. I would absolutely recommend this, and will no doubt be reading every book Naomi Novik writes for the rest of time!
 
Overall rating: 5 books out of 5

My Rating: 5 star
Intoxicating, Captivating, Enchanting, Magical, A Shining Star In The Fantasy World.

My Thoughts:

I knew I would like Spinning Silver after loving Uprooted so much, but this book was even better! I didn’t think Naomi’s writing could captivate me even more so, but it was utterly mesmerizing.

The moment I opened the book I was a goner and quickly sinking into the delightfully enchanting writing. I swear Naomi has some sort of magical power that enables her to pull the reader deep into the story and immediately fall in love, she’s a sorceress I tell you and her talent for storytelling is something else.

The story is told from various characters point of view, which I really enjoyed. I’m not usually a fan of multiple POV’s, but this way I could see how certain events affected each character and what their side of the story was. I especially liked how the chapters worked – they were usually told in the present and then the next part would show how that certain event came to be – they melded together well and gave a unique and magical reading experience.

My favourite character has to be Miryem. She watches as her father gets taken for a ride as a money-lender and decides to take his place. She becomes rather cold to the situation, which is ironic given what happens, but she’s had enough in all honesty and I think she’s very brave and becomes even braver as the story progresses. She’s the kind of person who doesn’t let people walk all over her and I wish I had a bit more of her in myself.

I enjoyed the other characters very much too and Wanda and her family definitely stuck out to me, especially little Stepon. Miryem’s parents are really quite lovable too, with their huge hearts and kind words, I want nothing but a happy life for those two.

The Staryk King reminded me very much of The Goblin King from Wintersong, who you should know by now I absolutely fell in love with! So the Staryk King definitely has a place in my heart, however cold he may be. There’s reasoning behind the bad deeds of the Staryk people (which I won’t say because of spoilers) and we eventually see what really lies within his kingdom.

I really enjoyed the subtle take on the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale. I mean she’s not exactly stealing babies, but it was definitely there and weaved magically into the story. I found all of the European folklore very interesting throughout the book and often found myself looking up names and items to try and locate where the story was set. I believe Russia is a good guess.

This story was everything I wanted and so so much more! I can’t possibly put into words how much I adore it and will forever treasure it on my shelves. This story is high fantasy at its finest and will completely enchant whom ever reads it.

I’d like to thank Jamie at Tor Books ( Macmillan) for sending this book my way in return of an honest review (you rock!).

Sarah xo

I received an ARC of this book over two months ago and I was insanely excited for this book’s release got an ARC of this book but didn't get to finishing (or starting) it before my signed preorder arrived in the post. It conveniently arrived on a Friday and right as I was finishing another awesome book. I normally hate to read hardback books because I don't like to cart them to and from work. It arrived in time to be a weekend read. I didn't start it until the Saturday and pretty much devoured it in under 24 hours. I read it quickly but it did have flaws.

I’ll begin with the bad to get it out of the way. I didn't like the continually switching POV, especially as more seemed to be introduced as the book went on. I expected maybe two from the summary but the number kept increasing. I never lost track of who was narrating and the voice of each character was distinct so I was never confused as to who was narrating when. It was well done in the sense. But then often the different POV went over the same events from different perspectives. Sometimes this overlap was necessary to explain to the reader how an event was significant and that only became apparent from a different perspective. Even so, I felt like it slowed the pace of the whole story going back over the same thing again. I also think by having multiple POV it left me questioning why each of these characters was significant. I think some of the viewpoints added only a small amount to the story as a whole. The characters helped play a role in the story but not enough to justify their role in telling that story. It doesn't detract from the book, but it bothered me to some degree whilst reading.

That's my biggest complaint with the whole book really, I do not like excessive numbers of POV because I am easily confused and tend to like certain storylines more than others. Although, in this, all the storylines converged into one of the grand finale, which I did enjoy and that made it quite interesting. I just wish I’d been more prepared for the multiple POVs from the summary and I might’ve been more okay with it.

I will say I loved how this book is very much focused upon the women's story. Irina and Miryem are the main characters really, it's their two stories which are the focus. Miryem as the moneylenders daughter who finds she is far more skilled at the job than her father ever was and the mess that gets her into and the story of Irina who gets caught up in Miryem's machinations to please a Winter King and finds herself being sent to a Tsar as his wife and the terrible secret he holds. I won't reveal too much but I will say these two stories meant both characters had a hard path of difficult decisions and both always tried to what they thought best. I didn't always agree with them or like their actions, but they did it for their family and for their people. I respected them for that, especially as they proved they were such strong female characters who could best the men around them and show they were smart and powerful, even when both weren't claimed to be beautiful or possessed a vast power to make them a chosen one to save everyone. Instead, they had intelligence and respected that.

I really loved the magical way in which Naomi Novik wrote this book as well. Uprooted felt like a fairytale to me and this was no different. It was an amalgamation of various fairytales and folklore and it was so very interesting to read. I think I preferred Uprooted for it's more natural folklore centred within the forest and there was a whole heap of political machinations occurring here which I didn't fancy. But I did enjoy how much it felt set in the past, especially as Miryem was a Jewish moneylender, as her father and grandfather were, and the book never glossed over the fear and hatred her people had experienced being driven from countries out of fear and how they were hated for their jobs with their money. They were accused of taking more than they were due and being greedy when really people were angry to see others have wanted they wanted and were angry and covetous. I won't delve into a history lesson, though. It was just really nice to see historical elements interspersed in the story.

I didn't love every element of the book but I couldn't stop reading so it wasn't all bad. Novik has a way with words and is skilled in writing a fairytale for grown ups. I preferred Uprooted but I'm sure many will love the story within the pages of this book instead, it's all a matter of personal preference really.

After struggling a little to find my way into this book, once I did, it was an absolute delight. It tells the intertwining stories of three girls; Miryem, the money lender who discovers an ability to turn silver to gold, Irina, who becomes tsarina to a very troubling tsar and Wanda, the girl working for Miryem to pay off her father's debt. Throw in the winter king and a fire demon, along with a witch's cottage in the woods and a dead mother in the guise of a tree, and what you get is a very dark and somehow incredibly realistic fairy tale. I loved the structure of the narrative as the point of view character changed from section to section, providing a real variety in tone which I thought was fantastic. The characters are really well drawn and their motivations always seemed authentic. The prose is quite spare and matter of fact, which just contributes to the realism of this fantasy world. As I say, it did take me a beat to get into the story, but I would recommend this to anyone who likes fairy tale re-tellings/re-imaginings or anyone who enjoys the Katherine Arden novels set in Russia. All in all, this was a really good book that I am very pleased I persevered with - I would have missed out on something great!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Like many others, I'd been looking forward to Spinning Silver for a long time, having loved Novik's Temeraire series, and was thrilled to get my hands on a copy to review. The minute I started reading though, I realised I could remember almost nothing about the story of Rumpelstiltskin - something about spinning, something about names, and a whole bunch of stuff from the early seasons of Once Upon a Time (before I got fed up with the queer-baiting, and all to be taken with a large pinch of salt). But it didn't matter at all, because Novik's retelling of this fairy tale uses just the basic premise to spin a chilling, intriguing, and decidedly feminist novel.

The story follows some of the inhabitants of a small village and nearby city, where winter is unwilling to release its grip. There are a number of POV characters throughout the book, but the main three are Miryem, the moneylender's daughter; Wanda, the local woman with a difficult family life; and Irina, the daughter of an important man in the city. They're all brilliant characters to read about, and all serve to highlight different problems with families and the ways in which women deal with them. Miryem's father is a bad moneylender - he lends, but isn't good at getting his returns - and that puts his family into serious hardship. Wanda's father is a nasty drunk who has no problem with beating his children when they displease him. And Irina's father is more interested in politics and his own standing than in his daughter. But as the book progresses, these three women are able to grow and change, learning strengths they were unaware of, and showing themselves to be far more worthy than their families thought.

For the most part, I really enjoyed Novik's writing throughout the book. There were a few moments where I found the moving back and forth between different POV characters a little confusing (particularly as there are some more minor characters who take less frequent turns as narrator), but that was only a few places, and I was easily able to get back into the story. And when her writing shines, it's truly glorious, and the last few chapters of the book moved me to tears.

But the world I wanted wasn't the world I lived in, and if I would do nothing until I could repair every terrible thing at once, I would do nothing forever (p.404)

There are two other aspects of the book I wanted to comment on. The first is its feminist outlook. The women in this book have to work hard for everything they want, but they do work and they work together to support each other and their families. They take agency from the people in their lives who don't want them to have it, and they refuse to be walked over by men who expect them to roll over and play dead.

The second element is Judaism. Miryem and her family are Jewish, which is an interesting choice given the historical links between moneylending and the Jewish community. There is clear antisemitism expressed by characters in the book, particularly some of the other inhabitants of the village where Miryem lives, but she remains unbowed by their prejudice, and strong and secure in her faith. As a non-Jewish reader, I can only say from my own perspective that I found this to be a positive and nuanced portrayal of Judaism, and a fascinating interpretation of the original fairytale.

Spinning Silver is an intelligent and refined retelling of an old fairytale. Novik has taken the issues at its heart and worked them into a captivating, character-focussed tale of power, bravery, and found family. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys clever fantasy novels with wonderful female main characters and strong voices throughout.

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars!

Okay, so, where to begin? This book is so expansive. I felt like I was getting multiple different stories, perhaps even a trilogy, all in under 500 pages when reading this book. I LOVED it. Then again, I knew I’d love it because as I learnt with Uprooted, Naomi Novik is a fairytale genius.

I want to start with talking about the writing style. Novik’s writing is truely wonderful. It’s so beautiful and lyrical with just the right level of description. I adore the way she writes and tells stories. The first 100-200 pages of this book read like a fairytale; it’s more of a lyrical recounting of events. A LOT happens in this first portion and in order to set up the level of depth and layers within this book, there is a lot that happens quickly and is simply told without much character insight or personality. However, once the story is completely set up, we start to delve more into each character’s personality and thoughts. We see their motives and how they affect the story. It’s incredibly well done.

This brings me onto one of my next points. This is a multiple perspective, first person story. But unlike most books written this way, there is no heading or indication at the start of each new perspective to tell you who’s POV we are reading. At first this bugged me because I struggled to grasp who I was reading about, but once we got further into the book and got to know each character better, this became easy to distinguish. By the middle of the book we reach six different perspectives, however, Novik develops a completely different writing style and voice for each character that makes them easily identifiable within the first sentance. This is some of the most fantastic writing I have ever read in its ability to do that. Each character has a different education level, age, social standing, temperment and Novik brings each of those across with ease in a way that allows us to distinguish by the end of the book each character’s perspective by the writing style alone.

One of the characters, Stepon, a young boy of low social standing and education is the most sympathetic character in the book. He’s sweet and innocent, and seeing some of the darkest moments of the story unfold from his perspective adds another layer to the story. Stepon also reads to me as having some kind of difficulty, possibly autism. He struggles to understand people and often remarks that he prefers goats because he can understand what they need and what their actions mean, and he cannot do so with humans. He also later in the story struggles to cope with loud noises and crowds and ends up having panic attack symptoms. I thought this was a very important perspective to include in a story such as this. I feel that fairytale retelling fantasy novels do not include some of the representation that other books are now starting to portray. Traditional fairytales do not include people with disabilities, and often neither do books with a medieval setting, though in reality there would have been plenty of people with conditions such as autism in the medieval world, and Novik’s choice to portray this breaks that. It provides representation in a story that others of its genre would not even think to include.

Carrying on from this, Novik also uses this fairytale setting to explore some other more serious topics such as racism and prejudice. One of the main characters we follow is Miryem, who comes from a family of Jewish moneylenders. Russia, where this book is set, has a long history of anti-semitism, which Novik brings into the story in the way in which the Mandlestam family are treated. This book challenges the treatment of those who are different. It challenges social standing, the meaning of family and the expectations of women within a medival society. This all gives a further level of depth to an already complex story.

However, this book wasn’t perfect. I felt like the magic system wasn’t fully explained at times and there were some aspects of magic that I didn’t quite understand. There were some characters (one in particular) who could suddenly do magic and I felt that it wasn’t explicitly clear why they suddenly has that power. I also found that with so many perspectives, we did not get to see how each character was affected in the aftermath of the book’s climax which I would have liked. I would have liked specifically to read more of Mirnatius’s perspective on his relationship and how he was affected at the end of the book and when that didn’t come I did miss it. However, this are small criticisms in the midst of a truly positive review.

Overall, this book is made up of layer upon layer of intricate plot lines and character development. I have never encountered another story where each character’s voice was so individually developed. This absolutely lived up to the hype for me and was a fitting follow up to Uprooted. Novik’s exceptional writing talent and ability to completely reimagine a fairytale whilst still preserving the feel of being lost in a traditional fairytale truly shine through in this book.

“There are men who are wolves inside, and want to eat up other people to fill their bellies. That is what was in your house with you, all your life. But here you are with your brothers, and you are not eaten up, and there is not a wolf inside you. You have fed each other, and you kept the wolf away.”

The prose was beautiful. It didn't quite match Uprooted for me, but I'm not sure if that's because I had to read it on one sitting on my laptop.

Naomi Novik is one of the best at writing fairytales. It seems almost as if she dug up a treasure quest to find the plots, rather than created them aknew.

Oh, how I love Naomi Novik. I loved UPROOTED, and I love this - what's brilliant about her fantasy writing is you sort of get sidetracked with the surface elements of the story, then she hits you with the deeper themes of the writing. I'm going to go and buy the gorgeous hardback of this! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this early.

I read an ARC received from Pan Macmillan via Netgalley.

“Thrice you shall turn silver to gold for me, or be changed to ice yourself.”

Sometimes, there is an author whose books you know you need to read. An author who has been recommended by countless friends; whose books are some of the most well-known amongst fantasy readers and normal readers alike.

Naomi Novik is one of those authors. I have had Uprooted on my shelves for I’m not quite sure how long. Yet Spinning Silver was the first of Novik’s work that I’ve read.

And to say I devoured it is a slight understatement.

It was gone in a day. I didn’t bother with lunchtime gym sessions, after work drinks – even saying hi to my housemate. I went to work reading, came home reading, and carried on till it was done. I just couldn’t help it – it was so good!

Imagine the story of Rumpelstiltskin, but set in a wintery country with elf Lords, money lenders, and fiery demons. The general themes are there – the importance of names, turning ordinary things into gold – but there is so much more to this story than a simple retelling.

Novik’s writing is, for lack of a better term, immense. It has all the heart, family, and magic you could ask for, and her pacing will make you desperate to turn the page yet horrified at the concept of finishing the book.

“Blue shadows stretched out over the snow, cast by a pale thin light shining somewhere behind me, and as my breath rose in quick clouds around my face, the snow crunched: some large creature, picking its way toward the sleigh.”

My only tiny issue is the ending. It was too well wrapped for me. But that’s a completely personal preference and only because I’m dead inside.

All in all, an absolute brilliant book and comes highly recommended. I think Uprooted just made its way to the top of my TBR!

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.



Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver is inspired by fairytales (most notably, the one about Rumpelstiltskin) and Eastern European folklore. The story follows three young women: Miryem, a moneylender's daughter, Wanda, working off her family's debt in Miryem's household, and Irina, a duke's neglected daughter. There are also supernatural beings, the Staryk, who are drawn to gold and who bring in winter.

It's an amazingly gripping novel, drawing the reader in from the very first pages. It's captivating. It's creepy. There is magic, there is winter, there is silver and love. There are complicated family relationships and family responsibilities, there are friendships and difficult loyalties. And the story keeps taking unexpected turns, leaving the reader breathless and curious for more.

Personally, I just love Novik's writing, her style, the atmosphere she is able to create in her novels. Spinning Silver follows in the footsteps of her previous fairytale- and folklore-inspired story, Uprooted, especially when it comes to the mood and the themes, but despite some similarities, it is quite a different book. I really can't wait to see what Novik writes next. And I'm going to be re-reading Spinning Silver a lot in the future.

Once upon a time, I read a book called UPROOTED and I found it to be a fabulous novel. So, I was thrilled to get the chance to read SPINNING SILVER, a new novel by Naomi Novik. Now this novel is a stand-alone fantasy novel that in some ways feels like a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=66368

Actual rating 3.5/5 stars.

Novik is a name I have been eager to read from for a considerable time. I have some of her previous releases already on my shelves and many more lingering on my Amazon wishlist. She was an author I fully expected to love and she has never released a title that did not sound appealing to me. When I was given the chance at an e-arc of her recent release I couldn't say yes fast enough and went into the book with crazily high expectations that were never shattered but, unfortunately, slowly whittled away at, over the course of my reading this book.

Miryem is the impoverished and starving daughter of a failed moneylender. Wanda takes the brunt of her drunken father's anger as she struggles to raise her younger brothers. Irina’s father schemes to wed her to a tsar with a dark secret. But what these three females are yet to discover is that there are bigger fears than the ones closest at hand. And his name is Winter.

This Rumpelstiltskin retelling was clever in its construction. I adored the way Novik utilised many characters in her creation of this one, by giving them each one of his notable characteristics. I also loved the creation of this world. I read this during some rarely seen British sunshine, but it took only a few words for me to become immersed in the snowy landscape of this kingdom. Most of all I appreciated how truly Novik's writing mirrored that of the fairy tale greats. This book managed to be both simplistic yet lyrical, in a way I have only ever discovered in the writing of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson.

But all these fantastic qualities of the book were not enough to keep me continually engaged. I was intrigued about the events unfurling but never overly invested in the characters plight. I also found some sections took too long to reveal their reason for inclusion and this added to my distance from this story-line. The ending provided the final severing, when many answers I had been yearning for were never provided.

It is unfortunate I could not feel a greater affinity for this novel but I have still not written this author off and am still keen to explore other of her creations.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2018/07/16/spinning-silver-by-naomi-novik/
Spinning Silver was a book of surprises. A story that brings together the faint whisper of other fairytales and a tale that I was fully immersed in for the most part, in fact I’d go so far as to say I was all but convinced that this would be the one. And, in some respects I preferred this to Uprooted. It’s beautifully written and some of the characters are just wonderful to read. I think the only thing that prevented this becoming the perfect read was a slightly stilted feeling that I experienced during the second half of the read combined with maybe one too many character povs. But, for now, yes, this is a beautifully rendered retelling of Rumplestiltskin that gave me chills reading, not just because of the cold and aloof Staryks that inhabit their own icy world, but also because of the shivers you feel when you’re reading a book that seems near perfect.

The story is loosely based on the original fairytale. In fact I love the way that we begin the journey with the strong voice of Miryem explaining that not everything you hear in your bedside stories really happened in the way depicted. In fact, she’s here to put the record straight. Miryem’s father is a moneylender, but a very poor one who doesn’t seem to grasp the concept and very rarely collects the debts he’s owed leaving his family more often than not with a lack of food on the table, fuel to keep them warm and the basic comforts of life. Miryem becomes tired of seeing her mother suffer and basically, much to her parents shame and consternation, takes over the running of the business and does so not only with ruthless determination but also with a certain flair that demonstrates how well suited she is to the business. Of course her exploits don’t go unnoticed and soon she finds herself on the receiving end of unwanted attention from the Staryks. Creatures of myth, the Staryk only ride forth to take gold. They’re cold and seemingly heartless – I’m not really sure if they’re from the winter court of the fae but that’s what came to mind when reading about them. Changing silver into gold is much akin to magic in their covetous eyes and so Miryem finds herself being drawn into an unwanted and seemingly impossible bargain.

At the same time we make the acquaintance of Irina. Born into a noble house, Irina spends her time trying to keep beneath the notice of her father. Her father is disappointed in Irina. She isn’t beautiful enough to attract a suitor who is well connected and she seems to have inherited nothing of her mother’s other-worldly characteristics. But Irina is clever, she uses the invisibility that her feminine demeanour bestows to listen when none would believe her to be interested and so is politically astute and knowledgeable in terms of potential contenders for the crown. More than that Irina cares about the people who she will ultimately be responsible for and this leads her to take great risks in order to protect them.

As if that wasn’t enough we have a third strong female character in Wanda. Wanda and her brothers suffer horrible cruelty at the hands of their drunken and abusive father. Wanda however manages to find herself a position working for Miryem and her parents and her steadfast reliability gradually sees Wanda becoming almost invaluable – to such an extent that her brothers all eventually become entangled with Miryem’s family.

So. I’m not going further into the plot. Just read it.

What I really loved about this book. Well, firstly, the start of the book was positively enchanting and was just like reading a fairytale for adults. The pacing was spot on, the descriptions were evocative. The forest, the cold, the fear of the unknown, Miryem’s tale, everything about this was captivating. And I was suitably enchanted. I also really enjoyed Irina’s story. The way she dealt with the people around her, her compassion and strength, again, a very compelling part of the story. Wanda’s story was, for me, the weaker link in that she felt necessary in some respects to drive the plot forward. That being said, I still found myself very intrigued as things began to unfold. Then, there’s the writing. The descriptions and the dialogue are just so damned good that I can’t even begin. I loved the frosty kingdom and the people we met there. I loved the threat from the fire demon and I particularly loved the feeling that other stories were playing a part – particularly strong Hansel and Gretel vibes, even Little Red Riding Hood and maybe a couple more.

In terms of criticisms. I felt like there were just one too many POVs and not all of them really brought anything to the table – not that I could discern anyway. I also felt the story slowed down somewhat when the two leading ladies began to formulate their plans. Something went missing about that point for me, I didn’t feel the tension as much as I felt I should, I was intrigued, but not as gripped and the fundamentals of all of it felt like it left the realms of fairyland and was too ‘real’ somehow’.

To conclude though, I would definitely recommend this to lovers of fairytales retold. In spite of a few niggles I had a very good time with this and found it quite hypnotic. It has a great ending – although I would have liked more (just saying) – and I sincerely hope that Naomi Novak takes up the pen again to bring us some more enchanting fairytales told in her own sweet style.

I received a copy courtesy of the publisher through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

This book is a kind of Rumplestiltskin retelling and one I was really excited to read. Miryem is rumoured to be able to turn silver into gold and as the rumour spreads, the Fairy King of Winter gets involved and sets her a task to complete. If she fails she will die. If she triumphs a fate worse than death awaits.

The writing in this book is great but perhaps a little over descriptive in parts and lacking in action in others. There are a lot of characters in this book and many of them get their own point of view so if this is something you enjoy this book will be perfect.

Miryem's character is well written and as a reader, I was glued to the pages as she survived one thing after another. She's a strong character and her chapters were a joy to read. With so many characters though it was a little hard to follow after a while.

There's a lot to love about this story and at times the writing was absolutely gorgeous. The story drew me in and the magical atmosphere captured my heart. I would have given the book five stars if it weren't for all the different character POVs as these did get a little confusing.

Spinning Silver was a book I was desperate to love and enjoy, and for a while I did. I think where Spinning Silver really shines is the beginning and the end. For me, the middle was where I really struggled. I got to the point with the story where I just wanted it to be over if I’m honest, the characters began to bore me a little and I thought the pace slowed down to slower than a walk. I was kinda chomping at the bit for something to happen or just anything exciting to happen. There is definitely a lot more description than action in this book.

I loved the premise of this book and I thought that there was definite potential for the storyline. I thought the way the story was framed as a Rumplestiltskin retelling was well done and the links were well distinguished in the story. I definitely loved the culture that was woven all the way through this story and the way I recognised some of it and learnt an awful lot. PLUS it wasn’t thrown in your face as some books will but was subtle and well written. To be honest, I have nothing bad to say about the actual writing, I think this book is beautifully written and the world artfully crafted, the pacing was just a little off for me.

The part where Spinning Silver went wrong for me was the fact that there were SO many characters and most of them have their own point of view which in some cases added something to the story and others just added to the word count and didn’t really added to the story. I just got to the point where I wanted to find out what happened in the end because I was so invested but really couldn’t read any more of the different point of views.

I would have loved without giving too much away for the ending to be more developed than it was. I think having more about how everything ended and the measures that were taken to get to the solution that was reached. I was way more interested in the politics and everything surrounding that then some of the characters and their stories. It just felt that the ending was a little rushed and I just wasn’t satisfied. Which was a shame really, I just wished I could have switched the focus of the ending and the middle.

I don’t know whether I would recommend this book because I don’t know whether I will be picking it up again. The weird thing is even with all my issues with the story I wouldn’t rule out picking it up again and I’m even considering going out to grab a physical copy so I can have it on my shelves. So completely mixed feelings on this one!