Anyone who’s been here for a while will know: I’m not really into science fiction or fantasy. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but it’s just not usually what I gravitate towards. I have a hard time with complex world-building, I have a hard enough time understanding humans so anything that involves other sentient beings is difficult, and often the storylines seem to focus a lot on conflict and I just don’t have a lot of interest in it. But that’s just of the ones I’ve tried. I know there’s a hugely diverse range out there in both genres, and I am always willing to dip a toe in if given a reason. This book was sent to me by one of my all time best friends, Scott, and he said I’d like it. Since he knows me so well, if he says read it, I’ll read it. And man, am I glad I did.
The first thing that hit me about this book was that it evoked amazing imagery in my head. It’s set in a world not too different from ours maybe a couple hundred years ago, but with this magic realm that seems to exist side by side with it. There are magical beings called the Staryk, and they travel by way of a glowing road, leaving behind snow and ice wherever they go. We aren’t told much about them at the beginning of the book, except that everyone is afraid of them.
The main character is Miryem. She’s a peasant girl who lives just outside of a small town with her mother and father. Her father is the local moneylender. He’s good at the lending, but not so good at the recovery of debts. They’re poor, and no one in town has much respect for them. Miryem, tired of scrounging for scraps, steps in and begins collecting. It’s difficult at first, but soon she has learned how to bargain, threaten and demand payment. Soon everyone in town looks up to her. She takes the money she gets and is able to flip it into goods and services that net her even more money. Before long she is taking money to her grandfather in the city for safekeeping, and develops a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.
This reputation draws the attention of the Staryk, who are in search of gold. Things get messy from there, and drama ensues.
I loved so many things about this book. The story is fast-paced, but also takes enough time to develop the characters. I was deeply invested in all of them. On top of that, this book addresses another issue I’ve had with some fantasy and sci-fi – over-use of male leads. This book is all about the women. In addition to Miryem, we have Wanda and Irina. Wanda is the daughter of a drunken farmer who trades Wanda’s labour to Miryem to pay off his debts. She is tough, fiercely protective of her younger siblings and a lot smarter than anyone gives her credit for. Irina is the daughter of a nobleman hell bent on finding a husband for her to advance his own social status. Who better than the Tsar (even if he is a horrible man harbouring a terrifying secret). These three women’s fates are intertwined in unexpected ways, and they must work together to save their own lives and the lives of everyone they know.
Every time I thought I was figuring out what was happening in the book, it would shift focus and a whole new element would appear. No one in this book is what they seem. Nothing goes as expected. But that is what makes it such an addictive book. I don’t care if you’re a fan of fantasy or not. You will enjoy this book – it managed to not only make me re-think why I avoid this genre, but leave me wanting more!
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty–until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.
When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk–grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh–Miryem’s fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar.
But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love.
Channeling the vibrant heart of myth and fairy tale, Spinning Silver weaves a multilayered, magical tapestry that readers will want to return to again and again. – Goodreads
Book Title: Spinning Silver
Author: Naomi Novik
Series: No
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Del Rey Books
Released: May 7, 2019 (first published July 10, 2018)
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Feminist
Pages: 480
Date Read: April 19-May 16, 2021
Rating: 9/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.20/5 (92,117 ratings)