Marissa Meyer is the queen of fairy tale retellings and this one is no different. Enter Serilda, a poor girl who has a gift for telling stories. When she meets the Erlking in the forest during his night hunt, she brags that she can turn straw into gold. And so this retelling of the Rumplestiltskin tale begins.

Thanks to NetGallery for access to this SAMPLE in exchange for an honest review.

Marissa Meyer has proved her competency time and time again retelling fairytales, especially with her Lunar Chronicles series. This book looks to be a sort of YA Rumpelstiltskin retelling.

I loved the descriptions of Serilda and her life in the cabin with her father. It has a strange combination of darkness and hygge that makes it feel like a REAL fairytale. We get a good introduction to Serilda's propensity for telling "tales" and foreshadowing a few times about what can happen under the full winter moon.---then she meets the Erlking and the Wild Hunt. She tells him a story about gathering straw to spin straw into gold to escape.

What follows proves to be really exciting. Direct quote: "Yes, Papa. I truly did meet the Erkling on New Year's Night. But I cannot imagine...what can he possibly want with me now?"

"At the moment?" drawled the apparition. "Obedience." He stepped back, gesturing into the night, and Serilda saw that he had brought a carriage---or a cage."

Chills! Readers will definitely want to check this out come November.

Fairy tale retellings will always call my name, and the tale of Rumpelstiltskin is one that is particularly fascinating to me. The story had a bit of a slow start, and I’m not sure if I’m a fan of Marissa Meyer’s writing style, as I remember that I had a similar issue with Cinder when I started reading it. But the end of these sample chapters has me hooked and I definitely want to read the rest of it.

When I hear "fairytale retelling" by Marissa Meyer, I immediately know I want to read it. This excerpt did nothing but make me anticipate the full release even more. Thank you for this sneak peek and I absolutely cannot wait to read more!

A very fun sampler of Marissa Meyer's newest book! I loved the Lunar Chronicles series and this sampler has made me even more excited for Meyer's spin on Rumpelstiltskin. Serilda is an interesting character and I can't wait to learn more about her. The atmosphere and description in this sampler were perfect. Can't wait to read the whole book later this year!

*Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing us to read this sampler!*

I am so so excited to continue reading Gilded when it comes out later this year! I plan on buying the Fairyloot edition when available and probably another one cause I know I'm going to enjoy the rest of the book.

So much fun!

I was so excited to hear about this book and the sample has left me wanting more! Marissa Meyer excels at reimagining fairy tales, and her take on the Rumpelstiltskin tale is no exception. I look forward to reading the book in full.

I love fairytale retellings and Marissa Meyer has a way of telling a familiar story that you've heard a hundred times all while making it unique and original at the same time. I also love that this is a retelling of one of the less common fairytales. I cannot wait to read the rest and add it to my collection!

Marissa Meyer, without a doubt, is one of my favorite authors of all time, so I went into this sampler with some really high expectations. Sadly it didn't deliver in the way I wanted it to.

What I love about Meyer's novels is the characters and the relationships they form with each other. Gilded follows our main character, Serilda, and at this point in the novel, she doesn't have a very well rounded personality. This made it difficult to connect with her since there wasn't much to connect to. I think the writing style contributed to me disliking the beginning of this story as well. This novel seems to be much more juvenile, and it feels as if the words are dumbed down. I don't know if this was the intention, but it wasn't for me. Since the characters and the writing fell flat, I didn't enjoy this sampler as much as I had hoped.

Even though this section of Gilded didn't meet my expectations, I will still be reading and supporting it when it comes out. I hope that I love the rest of the novel much more than this sampler!

What an intriguing sampler! I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of fairytale retellings, so I was hesitant about going into this sampler, but I did enjoy the concept. Marissa Meyer is an expert at crafting these wonderfully magical worlds, and I can definitely understand the hype behind her books.
Gilded is a yound adult fantasy Rumpelstiltskin retelling. When one of Serilda's magically spun tales catches the attention of the frightening erkling, she is forced to either spin straw into gold, or be killed for lying in her stories.
I really like Meyer's worldbuilding, and how she can create a spooky world that sets the scene for a spooky story. I feel like the introduction was a bit too slow-paced for me, and I would have enjoyed it more if it didn't take ten chapters for the inciting incident to take place. The characters are fairly interesting, and I'm excited to see where this book goes. Overall, this was an enjoyable sampler and I am so stoked to read it in one sitting.

I cannot wait for the full edition of this Book. I read this sample so fast, I couldn't put it down. The story is so vivid it's like you're there with Serilda. It felt like I was watching a movie not reading words. I love Marissa Meyer. Her stories always seem to come to life.

Was glad to get a preview of this book, but only had me yearning for more! Great start, beautiful writing, engaging, and disappointing to stop so suddenly! Cannot wait to read it all!

*SAMPLER REVIEW*

I’m so excited that Marissa Meyer has written another retelling. This world and characters are completely different than the Lunar Chronicles. This story is darker and grittier and reminds me of an old fashioned fairytale. It is a change from her other books and I’m enjoying it so far.

Serilda is a story teller, able to create enchanting tales of lies. A gift or a curse, hard to say which, but she weaves a story where she can spin straw into gold. The Erlking makes her an offer, spin straw into gold or die for her lies. When all hope seems lost, a mysterious boy appears to help…for a price.

I have read the first 10 chapters but I’m excited to see what happens next. I like Serilda. She obviously got herself into this situation but I feel sympathy for her. She isn’t a character that keeps talking and never shuts up. There is a cunningness behind her words and stories and a bit of sarcasm as well. I don’t have enough info on the mysterious boy to say how I feel about him. Not even sure if there is romance or not. Overall, love the tone of the book and I can’t wait for November so I can continue on.

*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I’m sad this only the first 10 chapters because I can’t wait to read the rest! I loved Serilda and the tales she wove and so curious about what happens with the mysterious boy and the Erlking. It’s a story I can’t wait to get lost in!

Gilded – Extended Sampler by Marissa Meyer

Pages – Extended Sampler
Publisher: MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group / Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: November 2, 2021

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teens & Young Adult, Fairy Tales


Serilda is known for telling tales. One full moon night in winter, she meets the Erlking and the wild hunt. She tells him a story about gathering straw to spin straw into gold to escape. Now she is prisoner and must prove her ability or her father will die.

The story is fast paced, the characters are developed and it is written in the first person point of view. The author writes with a very descriptive style. It makes the reader feel a part of the story. Now I have to wait, impatiently, until November to read the rest and find out Serilda’s fate.

*Spoiler Free Review*
Marissa Meyer spins another golden tale as she returns to fairy tales with Gilded, a retelling of the class tale of Rumplestiltskin. Just as she did with The Lunar Chronicles, Meyer alters a classic tale with new twists and turns and character traits, leading readers down to an exciting new story. As readers enjoy the woven story that gives a new face to Rumplestiltskin and a new concept for the one who weaves, they will struggle to turn the pages fast enough. The story of a naïve girl with a kind heart, who has told one too many stories to the wrong ears, brings to light one of the oldest fairy tales, long overdue for redemption.
Readers will find themselves starting a countdown to November 2nd, desperate to finish this book and prepare for the anticipated sequel.

Almost everyone in love with Marissa Meyer will be all over this new one she wrote. GILDED is a classic story retelling of German influence and Grimm tales styling. It flowed well in my opinion, has good amounts of dark, magic, evil villain, beasts, creatures of legend. A tale of a sweet girl who tells one too many stories that end her in trouble and a mysterious boy to help her for a price, of course. It doesn't end with this one book though so be prepared to wait for the next if you enjoy it. The cover looks great too and I'm already in line to grab up the Fairyloot version.

I was given a sampler of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Marissa Meyer weaves stories so beautifully it's as if she's weaving magic itself. As much as I am a sucker for the trend of giving a modern spin to classic fairy tales, this book has that classic Brother's Grimm vibe to it and I am here for it! It's refreshing and different and dark. The writing is absolutely perfect. It flows so well and the storytelling is beautiful. Some authors have an issue writing and storytelling at the same, there is a difference if slight, but Marissa Meyer does it flawlessly every time.
The main character is fun and likeable with a touch of sarcasm and I cannot wait to learn more about her when the book is published.
I cannot wait to read the finished product! The end of the sampler had me feeling like a person lost in the desert being offered a single drop of water- I'm satisfied with what I was given but I desperately need more!

I am so happy I got to read the first few chapters! The story and characters are captivating and the world is so interesting. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

After reviewing the extended sampler on NetGalley I can not wait till this book comes out. I’m hooked I need finish this story. I love the inner dialogue of the main character. She was smart, caring, witty, and curious. Which seems to cause her lots of trouble. The world building is great but, not to many details that over complicate it. At first all the characters names and folklore seemed overwhelming but I was able to understand quickly. I can’t wait to see how this story ends. In the beginning I wasn’t sold on the concept of a Rumplestiltskin retelling but, I never imagined a retelling like this it’s amazing. Is it November 2nd yet ?! I need to know how the story ends.