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Spinning Silver
480 pages
A frost-bitten, intricately woven fairy tale where pragmatic women turn cold bargains into hard-won power.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a deep, snow-hushed forest where every shadow holds a bargain and every word carries weight. The narrative unfolds at a steady, deliberate pace, weaving multiple perspectives into a rich tapestry of survival, duty, and magic. It is a deeply atmospheric experience, steeped in the biting cold of winter and the metallic gleam of silver and gold. The prose carries the timeless, rhythmic cadence of a classic folktale, yet it pulses with a fiercely modern heartbeat, driven by pragmatic, unsentimental heroines who must outwit both monsters and men. It will thoroughly delight readers who love immersive, mythic fantasies where magic is dangerous, debts must be paid, and warmth is something you must fiercely protect.
- Mood
- frost-bitten
- atmospheric
- perilous
- enchanting
- Tone
- pragmatic
- folkloric
- earnest
- wry
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the weight of debts and bargains · female agency and survival · the intersection of wealth and power · finding warmth in cold places · marginalization and community
- The writing
- The prose is lyrical and immersive, carrying the timeless, rhythmic cadence of an ancient oral folktale.
- The arc
- The journey moves from the desperate, hardened necessity of survival to the triumphant forging of alliances and self-determination.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave atmospheric, winter-steeped fantasies anchored by fiercely pragmatic heroines and intricate, interwoven narratives.
Content notes
- anti-Semitism
- parental neglect
- domestic abuse
- violence
About the book
"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"--
Description from Open Library.
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UprootedNaomi NovikA dark, earthy fairy tale where untamed magic and fierce loyalties push back against a creeping, malevolent forest.
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The Bear and the NightingaleKatherine ArdenA spellbinding, snow-draped fairy tale that pits ancient hearth-magic against the encroaching chill of religious fervor.
The Sleeper and the SpindleNeil GaimanA dark, dreamlike subversion of classic folklore where a queen trades her wedding gown for a sword to forge her own destiny.
CirceMadeline MillerA lush, intimate epic of a marginalized goddess finding her power in the quiet magic of the natural world.
The Winter of the Witch (Winternight #3)Katherine ArdenA fierce, frost-bitten conclusion to a mythic journey where old magic and human history collide in blood and snow.