With the multi-award winning Uprooted, Naomi Novik threw down the gauntlet for fantasy/folklore hybrids. Now, with Spinning Silver, she builds on that magical template to revitalise the story of Rumpelstiltskin, weaving a plot of gossamer delicacy whilst giving voice and power to her female protagonists.
Naomi Novik has once again been influenced by classic folktales, following Uprooted - her standalone novel. Taking Rumpelstiltskin as her starting point, Spinning Silver is rich, original and a joy to read.
Will dark magic claim their home?
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's 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 rumours she can turn silver into gold, which attract the fairy king of winter himself.
He sets her an impossible challenge - and if she fails, she'll 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.
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781509899043
Number of pages: 480
Weight: 338 g
Dimensions: 197 x 132 x 35 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
Cool and clever and warm and satisfying and dire and wonderful; I loved this book so much - Laini Taylor, author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone
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 - Katherine Arden, author of the Winternight Trilogy
Dauntless women, cruel lords and wayward fairies come together in a beautifully realised world. Brimming over with fairy-tale magic, SPINNING SILVER proves Naomi Novik to be a master fantasist at the top of her game - Zen Cho, author of Spirits Abroad
Lovely, intricate and strong. A gorgeous read. The sort of book one reads again and again - Genevieve Cogman, author of the invisible Library series
Enchanting, in every sense of that fine old word. A charming and inviting story that looks unflinchingly at the strangling roots of hurt and revenge - Robin Hobb, author of the Farseer trilogy, on Uprooted
I didn't know how much I wanted to read a book like this until it was already in my hands. Uprooted has everything I love about Novik's writing style, with the added bonus of some old world magic and the flavor of a dark faerie story - Patrick Rothfuss, author of the Kingkiller Chronicle, on Uprooted
The magic in Uprooted, with its realistic moral dimension, is so vividly believable that it almost seems you could work the spells. But the book will do that for you - Ursula K. Le Guin, author of the Earthsea series, on Uprooted
Uprooted has everything I love: a great heroine, new takes on old myths and legends, and surprising twists and turns. A delight - Cassandra Clare, author of Sword Catcher on Uprooted
This gorgeous, complex, and magical novel . . . rises well above a mere modern re-imagining of classic tales . . . This is the kind of book that one might wish to inhabit forever - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
A remarkable achievement . . . Confirms a huge step forward for Novik - SFX Magazine, 5 Stars
Novik has created something that deserves to be a sure fire hit - a tale that's ancient, contemporary, traditional and yet forward thinking - The Bookbag, 5 Stars
Novik outdoes herself in Spinning Silver . . . A fairy tale in the most epic of ways, but one with a strong, proud and beautiful heart at the centre of it - The Bookbag, 5 Stars
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