After being thoroughly enchanted by Uprooted a few years ago, I was beyond excited about Novik’s new standalone.

To give you a general idea of my enjoyment of the book, I binged it — and smiled stupidly with tears in my eyes upon reading the last sentence. It was that sort of story, one that left me with an overflowing of emotions and the distinct feeling that I won’t be able to pick up another book for a while.

Silver Spinning is a standalone “retelling” of Rumpelstiltskin. I am using quotes because, while there are elements that echo the original tale, the story feels entirely new. Miryem is the daughter of a poor moneylender, who is too nice for his and his family’s own good. When her mother spends a harsh winter abed, sick, the young woman takes it upon herself to go collect the debts. She’s faced with scorn and contempt, but eventually manages to take over her father’s business with growing success. She is the woman who can change silver coins into gold — a dangerous reputation to have when the Staryk, the fair folk who bring winter and who are always hungry for gold, are roaming. When their king comes knocking at Miryem’s door with an offer she really can’t refuse, she has to spin silver into gold in order to save herself and her family.

The story is told from six first-person points of view. The way Novik structured her book is very much like a juggler who gradually adds new objects to balance in the air. We start with core points of view and extend to new ones as the story evolves. I think it’s probably the first multiple pov book I’ve ever read where I’m enjoying all of them, and not wishing I could skip a chapter to get to a more exciting character. The way their stories are woven together, in coins of gold and jewels of fairy silver, in sacrifice and love…I didn’t want to miss any of it.

Novik scratched that continuous itch I have for female characters who are strong in different ways. They are all savvy, they are quick on their feet, they are good at what they do. In politics, in business, or in practical household matters; their competence makes them overcome more than a few challenges.

Spinning Silver is also incredibly atmospheric and immersive. The descriptions put us right into the settings. The hardships lived in a Slavic-inspired world ravaged by a lingering winter are vividly portrayed, as well as the Staryk’s eerie but beautiful world of ice.

But what really makes the book stand out, in my opinion, is the rollercoaster of emotions it puts us through. It’s heartbreaking at times, heartwarming at others, with flashes of unexpected and brillant humour. The issues characters are facing are heavy and dark; nevermind the dangerous otherworldly creatures: Miryem and her family have to live with their anti-Semitic fellow villagers, who resent them for the debts they have incurred. Their servant, Wanda, has an alcoholic and violent father. But there is a bittersweetness in the story overall, and it’s often more sweet than bitter.

Naomi Novik spun words into storytelling gold. If you have high expectations for this book, I think they’ll be met. Mine were.

Another winner from Naomi Novik! After reading and adoring UPROOTED when I first started reviewing books (you can find my review here: https://onewayoranauthor.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/naomi-novik-uprooted/), I was exceptionally eager for SPINNING SILVER and I was NOT disappointed. While the books are not connected at all, they follow a similar fantastical theme, with the most recent being fairy-tale based. Both books are amazing for different reasons, and I can’t wait for readers to pick up and love SPINNING SILVER like I did.

Words can’t express how much I adored Miryem, the main POV that this book follows. Miryem’s father is a moneylender, but a very passive one. He’s never taking back the money he borrowed and this leaves their small family poor and hungry. Soon though, Miryem takes things into her own hand and starts becoming the moneylender in the family. Her tenacity and determination make for a cold yet successful businesswoman that soon allows her sick mother to heal and her family to gain back their wealth. This gift is not all great, however. Soon enough, her talents draw out a Staryk lord who will kill her if she does not make the silver coins he gives her into gold. The Staryk are mysterious ice beings that bring winter with them wherever they go. They say that the Staryk are the ones who bring winter, and they are always trying to steal the human’s gold. The nameless Staryk lord promises Miryem that if she can complete the task he assigns her three times, she’ll gain powers and become his bride.

Everything about this premise screams “YES” to me. I adore a stubborn heroine who will do whatever it takes to reach her goals, and Miryem is just that. I also really enjoy Novik’s way of writing dialogue: it’s so concise and informational and a sentence is never wasted. Combine that with her enchanting writing, and it makes for an unforgettable fantasy read. Seriously, I read this huge book in almost one sitting. That’s how addictive it was!

So the story starts with Miryem becoming a moneylender, but several perspectives are followed. The most important three to me, are Miryem, Wanda, and Irina. Wanda is a village girl who suffered from the abuse of her alcoholic father, while Irina is a daughter of a duke who is pawned off to a powerful man with a powerful secret. Novik intertwines these girls’ stories with expert detail and magic. I adored all three of them and their persistent character qualities. While Wanda is more naive of the world, she’s extremely hard-working and grows to love her family. Irina is trying to make the best of it after being wed to a dangerous tsar with secrets, but she finds power within herself - and her ancestry - to duel with him. Each girl has a distinct narrative that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. There was never a boring scene in the book!

Lots are going on with the plot, but the main conflict comes from the fact that winter is plaguing the land, and the Staryk are the ones causing it. This winter is bringing along famine and poverty, so SOMETHING must be done about it - but what? How can Miryem, who has the closest ties to the Staryk, help? What can Wanda and her resilience do? How can Irina and her political machinations solve this problem? I love how Novik gives power to these three seemingly insignificant girls, and every page of their journey was worth the read.

I also enjoyed seeing the Jewish representation! Miryem honors the Sabbath, even when she gets taken to the Staryk kingdom. SPINNING SILVER was expanded on from a short story in the anthology THE STARLIT WOOD: NEW FAIRY TALES and it’s an exceptionally clever retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Novik addresses the anti-Semitic writing of the original story and makes Miryem’s family Jewish, ultimately making it a trumphiant and empowering story.

I can’t recommend Novik’s fantasies enough, and I really need to dive into her Temeraire series. SPINNING SILVER is just another example of her exceptional writing that just transports a reader into a captivating world you are loathe to leave. There are smalllll, teensy tiny romantic lines that come to fruition (built on very slow burn relationships), strong women who are here to save their loved ones and country, and the underlying cold magic of the Staryk, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Fantasy readers CANNOT miss out on this one!

Content Warning: abuse, alcoholism, trauma, death, mild violence

Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the review copy!