Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Spinning Silver

by Naomi Novik

'I couldn’t put it down'– Katherine Arden, author of the Winternight trilogy

Rumours have drawn unexpected attention – and now her life hangs in the balance. From the author of the award-winning Uprooted, Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver is a rich, original tale inspired by the folktale of Rumpelstiltskin.

Will dark magic claim their home?

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father is too kind-hearted to collect his debts. They face poverty, until Miryem hardens her own heart and takes up his work in their village.

Her success creates a rumour that she can turn silver into gold, attracting the fairy king of winter himself. He sets her an impossible challenge – and if she fails, she will die. Yet if she triumphs, it may mean a fate worse than death. And, in her desperate efforts to succeed, Miryem unwittingly spins a web which draws in the unhappy daughter of a lord . . .

Irina’s father schemes to wed her to the tsar – he will pay any price to achieve this goal. However, the dashing tsar is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of mortals and winter alike.

Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and Irina embark on a quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power and love.

'I loved this book so much' – Laini Taylor, author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series

'A gorgeous read. The sort of book one reads again and again' – Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library series

Reviewed by adamfortuna on

5 of 5 stars

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There's something nostalgic about Novik's writing. Both "Spinning Silver" and her previous book "Uprooted" feel like German fairy tales written a hundred years ago. They have a sense of danger you wouldn't see in a Disney fairy tale, while incorporating the fear and reality of an old-time tale. Spinning Silver jumps between first-person stories following a money changer and her growth into the role. The story takes a turn when a mystical character asks her, a regular person, to change silver into gold after hearing of her skills out of context. What follows is a tale through distant worlds that still feels familiar.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 13 February, 2019: Finished reading
  • 13 February, 2019: Reviewed