Spinning Silver

Locations
Call Number: Fantasy / Novik, Naomi, Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Novik, Naomi
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Novik, Naomi	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Novik, Naomi	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Novik, Naomi	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Novik, Naomi	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Novik, Naomi	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Novik, Naomi	4-week checkout	Due 05-14-2024

"A fresh and imaginative retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale from the bestselling author of Uprooted, called "a very enjoyable fantasy with the air of a modern classic" by The New York Times Book Review. Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father is not a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem intercedes. Hardening her heart, she sets out to retrieve what is owed, and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. But when an ill-advised boast brings her to the attention of the cold creatures who haunt the wood, nothing will be the same again. For words have power, and the fate of a kingdom will be forever altered by the challenge she is issued. Channeling the heart of the classic fairy tale, Novik deftly interweaves six distinct narrative voices--each learning valuable lessons about sacrifice, power and love--into a rich, multilayered fantasy that readers will want to return to again and again"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Delightfully Complex Fantasy submitted by sdunav on July 23, 2018, 11:08am Novik's latest fantasy interweaves Russian and Jewish folklore and perspectives from different social classes and genders in a lovely story of honor and sacrifice. It's fantasy for intelligent readers and delightfully escapist to read about winter and tsarinas and silver being turned into gold during a hot Ann Arbor summer.

Loved it! submitted by brielle on July 23, 2018, 8:53pm This book was so excellent. I loved the interweaving stories starring strong, varied female characters. I'm not familiar with the fairytale that it is based on, but it was a wonderful fantasy even without the context. The writing was satisfying (in a way that YA books tend not to be for me) and there were no sexually-charged seasons.

Rumplestiltskin with a twist submitted by SolaireFQ on August 11, 2018, 7:20pm This was a good retelling of Rumplestiltskin. The story switches between six different perspectives, which is sometimes interesting sometimes repetitive.

Excellent characters and mythology submitted by dntanzer on August 28, 2018, 9:15am This book does a great job of immersing you in its world. It also features three wonderful protagonists and a side of interesting supporting characters. It's a strong fantasy novel and, as others have mentioned, a kind of retelling of Rumplestiltskin in that parts of the book borrow from that story, while still making a new and interesting story from it.

Even better than Uprooted submitted by jentalley on August 31, 2018, 12:50pm I'm not normally a fan of point-of-view switches, but when I adjusted to it it started working SO WELL for me. There are three very distinct young women telling their stories in this book, and I will say only that none of the three intertwining tales went exactly where I expected them to go. It's rare that I'm entirely surprised by plot twists, but this book got me not once, but several times.

Disappointing submitted by KathyD on July 20, 2019, 9:43am I enjoyed the author's first book, but was disapppointed in this one and couldn't finish it. Too many unhappy characters.

Thoughtful submitted by ssands on August 7, 2019, 2:34pm Really fun, but there's enough references to myth/fairytale that your mind can have something to dig into, by bringing in context and comparing the book to fairytales. I also enjoyed the multiple character viewpoints, which brought the perspective that almost everyone has some problem that they are trying to work on or fix causing their seemingly bad behavior.

Wonderful submitted by SuperKnitGirl on June 24, 2020, 7:24pm A fantastic retelling of the Rumplestiltskin fairy tale. Well-developed characters and settings make for an engaging read. I did not enjoy Uprooted nearly as much and almost skipped reading this one altogether. I'm glad I didn't.

Engrossing submitted by Princess Cimorene on July 19, 2020, 10:44pm I've never read another book like this. I love the narrative style, the strong female leads, the Jewish perspective, the wintery setting...so many elements work together so well to create a story I can't wait to curl up with again next winter.

Wonderfully Original but Sometimes Overwrought submitted by nickino on July 24, 2020, 11:46am I was really captivated by this story, but at some point in the text many of the narrators were doing too much telling about what was going on and not enough showing. Nonetheless I recommend this! Naomi Novik is a wonderful original storyteller.

So good I'm still thinking about it months later submitted by Kejaeck on August 2, 2022, 4:08pm This is one of my favorite books I've read in the last year. The original play on folktales was refreshing, and the story sucked you in and didn't let you go. Already recommended this to a friend.

Love the variety of women's relationships submitted by rlboeder on August 4, 2022, 11:41pm It was so refreshing to read a book full of dynamic, relatable, varied relationships between women characters. I love Naomi Novik already but this is definitely a new favorite.

Feminist Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin submitted by titidasgupta on August 7, 2022, 5:54pm I really enjoyed this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin that focused on three strong women who overcome challenges in clever ways. The characters are complex and multidimensional (not traditional heroes) but I was still rooting for them.

Spinning Silver submitted by lstorc on August 25, 2023, 8:28am Spinning Silver is a fantastic, absorbing journey. Strongly recommend reading it