Title: Spinning Silver
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: Fantasy
Reviewed by: Aoife, Leixlip Library
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.
This is such a good book. Naomi Novik is one of those authors that you can’t help but fall in love with. One of the things that I love about it this book is that Novik uses the Rumpelstiltskin myth but in a different way. It is not just one person, but a few different people. She also uses the Jewish moneylender stereotype and turns on its head a little. This is an excellent read and well worth the read.
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