NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “One of the year’s strongest fantasy novels” (NPR), an imaginative retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale from the bestselling author of Uprooted.NEBULA AND HUGO AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF THE DECADE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York … LIBRARY AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • NPR • Time • Tordotcom • Popsugar • Vox • Vulture • Paste • Bustle • Library Journal
With the Nebula Award–winning Uprooted, Naomi Novik opened a brilliant new chapter in an already acclaimed career, delving into the magic of fairy tales to craft a love story that was both timeless and utterly of the now. Spinning Silver draws readers deeper into this glittering realm of fantasy, where the boundary between wonder and terror is thinner than a breath, and safety can be stolen as quickly as a kiss.
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty—until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk—grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh—Miryem’s fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. She will face an impossible challenge and, along with two unlikely allies, uncover a secret that threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike.
Praise for Spinning Silver
“A perfect tale . . . A big and meaty novel, rich in both ideas and people, with the vastness of Tolkien and the empathy and joy in daily life of Le Guin.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Gorgeous, complex, and magical . . . This is the kind of book that one might wish to inhabit forever.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Cool and clever and . . . dire and wonderful.”—Laini Taylor, author of Strange the Dreamer
“The Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale has never been as captivating. . . . Spinning Silver further cements [Novik’s] place as one of the genre greats.”—Paste
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A book as cool and mysterious as a winter’s night, with two marvelous heroines at its heart. Spinning Silver pits the cold of endless winter against the fires of duty, love, and sacrifice. I couldn’t put it down.
I loved every minute of this book. It feels so much like an old-fashioned fairy tale, but with clever twists, fresh perspectives, and strong female characters who save themselves and control their own destinies. This is everything I want in a fantasy!
It’s taken me a few days after finishing Spinning Silver to pull my thoughts together for this review. I picked this book up as soon as I could after it was released because I absolutely loved Uprooted – it was atmospheric and surprising and lovely and a reminder of everything I liked best about the stories I grew up reading.
Spinning Silver was almost nothing like Uprooted. It was as stark and cold as the winter brimming across its pages. The magic was intriguing and the world building clearly rooted in history, and the characters were real and strong and just so interesting. It’s been a long time since I read a novel with three female protagonists who are all so clearly flawed and yet who so powerfully know their own minds and selves. I found myself really struck by all three of their voices throughout the book.
That being said, I had a really hard time connecting with the story, particularly in the last half of the book. There were moments that kept me swept up and glued to the page, but many others where I felt my attention drifting. I wonder if perhaps I just did not pick this book up at the right time in my life because objectively, there are so many things to love about Spinning Silver and I think any fantasy fan would be enchanted by the winter-dark tale Novik tells. Perhaps I’ll pick it up again this winter, when my world is as cold as MIryem’s, and let myself be drawn in once more.
It was a complete joy to get lost in the world of this book. Pro tip: It pairs really well with wintery things like tea, blankets, candles, and all things hygge.
Spinning Silver was absolutely fun to read. I really loved the characters and the world building. I was impressed at how things kept building on each other and as we read, we were rewarded with richer characters.
I’m also really satisfied with the ending, and this book left a lot of room to get it wrong. It had some great twists. The people I was rooting for won. The best part is that it felt natural. It wasn’t heavy or wedged in. The book just sweeps you merrily along.
I didn’t have this immediate insight, but I’m stealing it – Spinning Silver does a great job of taking things you know about fairy tales and changing them just enough to make them fresh and exciting.
The world itself was vivid. I didn’t expect a fairy tale that didn’t feel like a fairy tale land.
You don’t even need to see this as a fairy tale – is solid fantasy in its own right. I’m so happy I’ve read this.
Magical and atmospheric — you can almost imagine someone telling you this story by the fire on a cold winter night.
I imagine this book would be nice to read while snuggled under a blanket with a hot cup of tea or cocoa, but it was also nice to read on a hot summer day, when the descriptions of snow piling high made me feel a little cooler.
Beautifully written. As someone who is a romance reader above all else, the reason it didn’t resonate more fully and earn five stars from me was the lack of romance. But that wasn’t the point of the book, so I was asking something of it that it never intended to deliver.
Novik deftly weaves together a number of fairy tale tropes in this engrossing story of three women from very different walks of life. I particularly loved the use of the dead mother’s tree that provides gifts, as in Cinderella. My favorite of Novik’s books so far.
I love fairy tales, especially fractured ones retold by sophisticated authors. Naomi Novik’s worlds come alive and are so engaging and engrossing.
This was a surprising and lovely read. It’s a fairy tale retelling, but to me, that statement sells it short. It’s a beautifully crafted tale that’s woven together with incredible artistry and language. Bravo, Naomi Novik. Also bravo to the narrator, Lisa Flanagan, who brings the tale to life with a haunting brilliance.
Where do I even begin?
Naomi Novik is a master storyteller in every sense of the word. Uprooted took me on a journey into uncharted lands I never dreamed existed. I had my eye on Spinning Silver for some time before buying the audiobook. I’ve savored it over weeks, soaking in the beauty of the writing, world, and characters. Narrator Lisa Flanagan was absolutely phenomenal in her voice performance. Every minute of the recorded story was brilliance and perfection. The ending . . . absolutely awesome!
This book will stay with me for years to come.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin that is definitely one of the most unique fairy tale retellings that I have ever read.
What it’s about: Miryem comes from a family of moneylenders; her grandfather and her father are both moneylenders, altogether her father is not good at collecting the money back that he lends out. Because of this, the family is very poor until Miryem decides to step in and take over. She is sick of the village people walking all over them and letting them starve, while they have plenty but refuse to pay. So Miryem starts collecting and gets the reputation that she can turn silver into gold. The strange people that loot their land in the winter has a king that has learned Miryem’s ‘power’ and decides he wants her for it for reasons she can’t even begin to comprehend…
Spinning Silver is such a magical book. There are also a wide variety of characters plus things like demons and ice people. I happen to love fairy tales and I feel like I always get the best feeling after reading them. I read this book pretty slowly as it took me over 9 hours to read 466 pages, but that time was totally worth it. Once I got into the story the pages felt like they were flying by even though I was still reading fairly slow.
There are a lot of POV changes and some people could get a little confused, but I liked how the author at least switched to people that had already been introduced to the story instead of doing cold switches. Plus the storylines were different enough that you could usually figure out fairly quickly who was speaking. I have to say that I enjoyed all of the POVs expect for one. There was a young boy that had a few sections and I didn’t like his all that much. I found myself rushing through them and mostly skimming because of the way his parts are written. Not everyone will have issues with this of course, but for some reason I found his parts frustrating to read – especially in scenes that had a lot of action and we had to see through the eyes of a child.
Final Thought: If you like retellings and fairy tales then I highly recommend Spinning Silver. Even though it is a slower read, mostly because of the language and how descriptive it is, it is a beautiful book and an intriguing story.
Probably the best book I’ve read this year. A very original take on a classic fairy tale, with some of the most compelling characters I’ve ever encountered in a fairy tale retelling.
Naomi Novik knows how to weave words into magic, and Spinning Silver enchants the reader from the first page. This magnificent tale of three courageous young women who find the power to change their fates will catch you in its spell and linger long after the last chapter is read.
I love the story of Rumpelstiltskin but never imagined I’d find a version of it I liked quite as much as Robert Carlyle’s portrayal of the character in Once Upon a Time. How wrong I was! I had high hopes for this book after reading Uprooted and was not disappointed. Another instant classic fairytale from Novik. Can she do no wrong?
Naomi Novik published this book in 2018 and it won the 2019 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. It was also nominated for 2019 Hugo Award for Best Novel. To me it is three things; a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, a mythic fable exploring mankind’s battle with winter, and the story of the powerless finding hope, strength and ultimately the power to overcome evil and subjugation. It is the third aspect that gave me the most enjoyment. I’m somehow fascinated with stories that deal with the underdog, whether it’s the Hobbits in Lord of the Rings, or Gandhi verses the British Empire. The ability of the downtrodden’s ability to find influence especially through non-violence never fails to spark enthusiasm and intrigue for me.
Honestly, this was not a quick read for me, in fact at many points, I found it to be laborious. But I never wanted to give up, I somehow knew that the ending would be satisfying, and it was. Novik tells the tale from many character perspectives and this is jarring at first. In fact, she occasionally retells a scene, from an alternate perspective, which I found unusual and it caused me to step out of the story momentarily to contemplate the technique. However, after a while, I accepted this, and it became a game to me, to see how quickly I could deduce which character’s point of view was taken in a new section. As a reader, I like to work a little!
The plot follows largely follows three women, all who’s dismal future is laid out in front of them, and all who dare to fight against that future. Their stories are entwined in excellent ways. The story also weaves components of the Rumpelstiltskin myth and the parable of human’s struggle against winter. Novak’s prose feels like a classic fairy tale without feeling old-fashioned or dated.
An enjoyable fable with great fantasy worldbuilding, intertwined themes and characters, and a strong and satisfying ending.
If you enjoy unique YA fantasy, Novik’s skills in creating worlds, characters, and voices that stand out are absolutely amazing. I didn’t like this one quite as much as Uprooted, but it is still an impressive feat (all those POVs!) and a page-turning read. Can’t wait to read more from her.
A retelling of a familiar fairy tale with all the messiness of real life, and how three strong women might outwit the fairy elements. Original, witty, satisfying.
Ahhh, I have a book hangover after finishing Spinning Silver. <3 I absolutely loved Uprooted, so was eagerly awaiting this follow-up novel from the author.
Novik's prose is beautiful and so easy-to-read. Her characters are lovable and you find yourself very quickly cheering for their survival -- even the ones who first seem like villains. I loved the many view points in this book -- which characters' eyes you're seeing a scene through is always a really interesting choice with her and not what you'd typically expect!
My only quibble is... I do wish there had been an on-page kiss. But this fantasy adventure does not disappoint in the love story department. I found myself entranced from page one and so satisfied by the end!
So this is one of the best books I had the pleasure to read during this year, it was simply amazing, I loved and enjoyed it so much…
This is a story about three wonderful and powerful women that must endure great danger and take complicated decisions in order to do what they think is the best for the people they love.
This book has a lot of action, incredible characters, amazing trama and everything that makes a book of fantasy magical and impossible to put down.