4.5/5 stars. It took me a bit to get fully invested in the story, but once I did, I was hooked! An excellent retelling and I'm itching for the sequel!

It's hard to believe that it is already time for another new Marissa Meyer series, and yet here we are! (and I'm not complaining) Gilded kicks off her latest series of the same name, once again delving into a different fairytale element.

Serilda has always had a gift for words. More accurately, she's had a knack for twisting them. Her entire village knows well that Serilda loves stories, tall tales, and the occasional outright lie. That isn't the only reason they are concerned about this young woman, as her eyes mark her as something other.

Yet it is those eyes and her talent with words that saved Serilda's skin – or so she thought. Now she's neck-deep in danger with the Erkling himself, as he believes she has power not her own. Again, it all comes back to the tales she has spun.

“No, I’m not a witch. And I didn’t summon you. I was just sitting here, crying, contemplating my own demise, thank you muchly.”

If you love fractured fairy tales, unique twists on the classics, or Marissa Meyer's writing style, then the odds are more than good that you're going to love Gilded. Her magic rises to the surface here, and I am absolutely enchanted (and counting down the days for the sequel).

Serilda's story is, well...fascinating. It's all based on a simple fairytale premise: turning straw into gold, and yet it so quickly gets blown out of proportion. I think that is what I loved the most about this novel – seeing how far it would stretch.

Other elements I loved include Serilda herself (she's so full of energy and mischief), the tales she tells, her romantic adventure, and the magic she comes across. Each of these parts worked hard to capture my imagination, and I cannot wait to see more regarding each and every one. Okay, I'm a bit more excited for some over others, but you get what I'm saying.

I should probably mention that there are some heavier plots inside Gilded. Given that we're dealing with the Erkling, that probably isn't too much of a surprise, but I thought I'd mention it all the same. There are scenes in this book that depict hunting, brutality, child death, and animal injury/death.

Overall I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by Gilded, and I already was expecting something amazing. I honestly can't wait to see what happens in Cursed, but unfortunately, we've got a bit of time before that happens. It'll be worth the wait, I'm sure.

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and #BookishFirst for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

thepunktheory

Written on Dec 5, 2021

Full review on my blog!

Oh man I loved this. We all know that I’m a sucker for a good fairytale retelling, so this was 100% down my alley. I was so heartbroken when I found out that this is a duology and the second book isn’t out yet. I legit thought it was a standalone! So, I’m both happy to read more and sad to wait for it.

Anyway, let’s talk about the story. I absolutely adore the idea that stories somehow become flesh, that you drag what you speak into existence. While this is not exactly what is going on in the story, this is the underlying vibe and I think it showcases nicely how magical stories and books can be. Certainly, something every avid reader can relate to!

Meyer waves quite an intriguing tale taking familiar elements and combining them with something new and unexpected. She always does such a good job with that, I was unable to put the book down and read the whole thing in almost one sitting. The story isn’t without flaws but overall it was just fascinating. She weaves in so many different things as well. It’s never just one fairy-tale that she draws from. Making all of this work together so seamlessly is no small feat but Meyer really has this down. Some of the works she draws from you might be more familiar with, other aspects maybe not. For example, she also writes about the Wild Hunt, and the only place I had ever heard about that before was in The Witcher. I’m really curious to read up on that now. I think it is part of the folklore of many different regions and countries but it just wasn’t in any of the fairy tales I grew up with. If you have an idea of what the Wild Hunt is, you can tell that this book does feature some rough and slightly darker moments than you might initially expect. But guess what, I’m 100% here for it.