Spinning Silver

(Note: This is a mostly-spoiler free review! Not mentioning any specific characters or plot points, but I will be discussing general content and themes pretty extensively.)There is, honestly, a lot to recommend about Spinning Silver! It's a fun and engaging read, and I was genuinely invested in the twists and turns of the plot, and how the various characters came together to interact with each other. Naomi Novik, as usual, does a fantastic job with making antagonists sympathetic and giving them good reasons to be flawed, but also the space to work through those flaws. If you're looking for a strong character piece, something to immerse yourself in, where you can support and cheer on and really feel for the main characters, then you really can't go wrong here.But as much as I wish I could, I can't say that it's a great book. I really can't, at all.One thing about Spinning Silver - and I wouldn't consider this a spoiler, at all - is that it's set somewhere in (as TV Tropes would put it), The Old Country, or rather Eastern Europe with the serial numbers filed off.Another thing about the book is that it's unabashedly about the female experience. I think, personally, that this is great. Letting the subaltern speak and giving voices to people and groups who have are not typically represented in traditional fantasy works is something she's explored in her previous work, Uprooted, and this is very much a sequel in spirit to that.So it's a book about women and girls, and the issues they face, and the courage and strength and wisdom they have in the face of all that. It's about how they find their own solutions, and... and, here's the thing, is that for me it never really actually goes far enough with this or explores it properly, to the point where the least believable aspect of the book was not the winter-bringing supernatural Staryk (aka, a fae by any other name that acts just as weird) but rather its take on religion, families and society.To put it simply, it's a book where women! Show a lot of strength! And are clearly asserting themselves and finding their voices and being heard in what is obviously a blatantly patriarchal system. But the whole time, the whole book, Novik steadfastly refuses to actually engage or confront what made the system that way. It's jarring. It's a story that attempts to tell the story of what the experience of being marginalised is like, while drawing back from explaining why such marginalisation exists to begin with.I don't think it's entirely for me to speculate on why, but I will say this is how it shows: It shows in a character questioning and challenging the structure and rules and norms of an alien society, but never once casting even half as critical a gaze on her own. It shows in a character changing their views of a family with a different faith, growing from distrust to acceptance, but never once actually confronting the issue of why she had those prejudices to begin with. It shows in a character who resents her lack of agency and the limited options available to her as a result of her gender, but not showing the structures that created such a situation.Naturally there is a theme that unites all these examples, and it's I think the book's biggest weakness - for all it questions, and for all the strengths it shows, it never quite dares to confront anything controversial.Like religion.And oh boy, that's... a problem. Because religion is one of the biggest themes in the book. One of the key, central ones, and casts a big shadow over the characters’ lives. They do interact with it in different ways, but interacting with something without ever truly engaging with it is pretty much the same thing as tossing a Token Diversity Cast Member in a show and saying, hey look we're inclusive now! While portraying them a complete stereotype and pretty much a joke at their own group.What happens in Spinning Silver, basically, is that it features openly Jewish and openly Christian characters who practice their faith, show allegiance to it, draw strength from it and identify with it. The book discusses Job and Esther, as they listened, instead of what happened to Eve and Miriam, as they questioned. It shows supportive, warm and genuinely loving families, and finds comfort in their existence, but never shows what might, or could, or would happen if someone challenged the spoken and unspoken power structure that exists throughout them. Women turn roles where they are cast as weak or secondary into positions of strength, and triumph in it, and yet somehow they fail to ask why those were the only positions they had to begin with. There is this weird free pass given to the patriarchy in general, which quite frankly is completely at odds with everything else that the book seems to be trying to say.Like, a big point of the book to me seemed to be how women reclaim their agency and put their own spin on the roles they were given. But all the confrontations that happen and all the challenges issued in the book are personal and not systemic. People confront each other, fight with each other, and grow together. But in terms of narrative conflicts, it's all very - it's man against man, man against self, man against nature and somehow, for some reason, not man against society.Maybe that's because it's easier to weave a story where you only have to fight what's standing in front of you, rather than take on an invisible structure of relationships and obligations and unspoken expectations that's probably too sensitive for YA fiction, or something.But I honestly was expecting something more. And that's because of Novik herself, sort of.I've followed her writing for a long while. Both published fiction, and other stories. And the thing is, this is something she can and has taken on in other works. One thing that I always look forward to is how she offers her own takes on established narratives, examining them from a different lens and taking characters and plots apart to create works that are equal parts engrossing and enlightening. It's the best sort of fix-it fic; where even the structural problems, the ones that can't be fixed by any one person, are confronted head on and not just waved away, and where characters don't just examine what they're doing, but how they're thinking, too.They're very good! And yet, a lot of those things are just strangely absent here.On one hand, I suppose it's different, when you're working off an established canon as opposed to creating your own. But at the same time, the strongest parts of her writing in fandom sometimes completely fail to make it to her published work, and it's vaguely confusing and perhaps mildly disheartening. I've never quite been able to figure out why. She did an Ask-Me-Anything on Reddit at one point, and someone pointed out that while she has clearly no issue exploring queer relationships in much of her fandom writing, there have been exactly 0 seconds of on-screen romance between any LGBT characters in her published work.I'll quote her own response to this: We don’t get nearly equal amounts of women as true protagonists (or antagonists) in the media that tends to inspire my fanfic. In my pro work, I want to create women characters who are independent protagonists, and relationships where the woman is allowed to get laid and to love (and to have an orgasm!), and also to continue to place equal value on her own work and her own life.Which is a nice response, all things considered! But as someone on the same thread replied: 'So do lesbians not exist or'(That particular statement never did get an answer.)So Spinning Silver just ended up feeling like - like something I had greater hopes for, I guess. As in, I feel like Novik is clearly capable of confronting and addressing aspects that are absent from the narrative, but has made a clear authorial decision not to. But to me, when you include Abrahamic religions explicitly and by name, and then put them in a rich, well fleshed out and highly detailed setting, and then proceed to examine and consider pretty much everything that exists in that setting besides religion itself, it doesn't work.Because you can't say that it's 'that world's religion, which we're going to handwave the details of, and just assume is a lot more utopian and nicer than the version that actually exists here, in our world'; not when you're also establishing that it's fundamentally the same exact thing, that contributed to the same exact male-dominated political and family structures which form a big part of the plot. And you can't say the characters aren't aware of it, or aren't able to question it, not when you've established them as smart and strong and steadfast in the face of men and demons and kings.But perhaps male gods and religious leaders are different, somehow, from all the other authority figures out there. I wouldn't be able to say for certain, on account of them conveniently not showing up in any way that would actually force the characters to address them.Still, when all is said and done, Spinning Silver is an entertaining book. It's easy to recommend to friends and family, and I am glad a book like this exists for people to get into and enjoy. It's something that brings joy and puts a smile on the face of many of its readers, and I can't hold that against it. And I commend, at least, the general spirit in which it seems to have been written.I just wish it could've worked for me, too.

Novel by Naomi Novik: 5/5 starsAudio narration** by Lisa Flanagan: 6/5 starsMy face is a disgusting mess of tears and snot, people. What a PERFECT ending. A robber who steals a knife and cuts himself cannot cry out against the woman who kept it sharp.I was already so blown away by Novik's skill to just SPIN WORDS beautifully in Uprooted that to see her meet and then surpass that in Spinning Silver had me in equal parts awe and envy. This author is TALENTED. I would gladly read her grocery lists. I'm of the opinion that Spinning Silver was better than Uprooted, though I've seen plenty of reviews that disagree (which is fine! Opinion is opinion). But I feel like Novik really came into herself with this-- primarily due to the Jewish weavings throughout. There was so much passion and love in this incorporation of Jewish history throughout this loose retelling of Rumplestiltskin. It was seamless and gorgeous with a huge leaning on family and community and being "othered" by anti-semitic townspeople leading to stronger inner bonds. They talked all the day it seemed to me: talked or sang or even argued. But there was never shouting or raised hands. They were always touching one another. Her mother would put a hand on Miryem’s cheek or her father would kiss her on the head, whenever she passed nearby.So. What did I LOVE about this? Why is it officially added to my very selective "favorite books ever" list? Simple: This is a book about undervalued/underestimated women saying NO. And me? I am ALL about that.Of the many POV characters, the three most relevant are Miryem (who I am in love with, oh my GOD. She's officially added to my "frankly scary mastermind character faves" right along Kaz Brekker and Jude Duarte), a young Jewish businesswoman who takes NO guff. Who loves her family and community and will NOT let herself be stomped upon. When she’s whisked away to be a Staryk (basically an ice fairy) bride against her will because he covets her skill of transforming silver into gold, she will stop at nothing to return home, matching wits with the ultra-powerful king to get away from him at all costs.“If you’re lucky enough to catch a goose that lays golden eggs,” I bit out, glaring up at the king, “and you’d like them delivered on a regular basis, you’d better see it tended to its satisfaction, if you have any sense: have you?”Then there’s Wanda, the oldest of three abused children with a brute of a father willing to sell them away for nothing. She works for Miryem’s family and, through them, learns to read and what it means to be a family, and also self worth. I won’t spoil anything, but UGH I have SO MANY Wanda feelings, yo. Her big NO moment comes early on, but it echoes throughout. I am so beyond proud of this girl, y’all. (Also, I can’t be the only person who came away from this book a raging Wanda/Miryem shipper, can I?) There are men who are wolves inside, and want to eat up other people to fill their bellies. That is what was in your house with you, all your life. But here you are with your brothers, and you are not eaten up, and there is not a wolf inside you. You have fed each other, and you kept the wolf away. That is all we can do for each other in the world, to keep the wolf away. Finally, easily overlooked at first (though I think that’s DEFINITELY intentional, cuz. That’s sort of her Thing) is Irena, the very plain daughter of a duke with enough Staryk blood in her ancestry that, through a series of events, she ends up married against her will to a demon-possessed tsar that terrorized her as a child. Her NO moment is quieter, sneakier, but continues throughout. She is so brilliant in how she navigates basic SURVIVAL with this monster of a husband and slowly turns every situation to her advantage. As a Slytherin myself, I can definitely appreciate this Slytherin character-- and she plainly shows how there’s not always a right answer. That ambition CAN actually be altruistic, and… LORD I can’t get into too much without spoiling. (SOMEONE PLEASE TALK TO ME ABOUT IRENA I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS.)“So the fairy silver brought you a monster of fire for a husband, and me a monster of ice. We should put them in a room together and let them make us both widows.”There are many other characters, too-- perhaps ONE thing to this book's detriment is not how MANY characters there are telling the story, but how it's never labelled. It would help clear up confusion if the character doing the narration’s name was written above the page breaks)-- but the two that stood out most to me were Stepon, Wanda's little brother (I would have thought it'd be annoying to have a little kid telling part of the story, but he was used sparingly and effectively, giving a child's simpler perspective to some of the more horrific or otherwise overwhelming scenes) and Mirnatius, Irena's demon-possessed husband.Listen. I kind of have a thing for certain kinds of jerkwad characters. I don't know how Novik managed to inject humor into forced marriage and attempted uxoricide, but she did it, damn it-- I laughed a lot at his graveyard humor. And when he wasn’t being snarky and sarcastic as a coping mechanism for his horrible situation, he was brooding or scheming or scary or, very occasionally, sympathetic. I enjoyed every moment he was on the page.There’s so much more to say, but this review is already far too long. I’ll end on this: I could never predict what was going to happen next, yet somehow when it did happen, it fell perfectly into place. This was just a beautifully woven fairy tale from beginning to end, and I am completely satisfied.** I bought the kindle book and also purchased audible narration. So while I did read chunks of this as a “normal” book, I listened to more than half of it as an audio.

I really enjoyed this loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.Naomi Novik does a great job of adding in some great Eastern European/Russian mythology and folk lore to the mix. I liked Uprooted, which has a similar fairy-tale sort of vibe, but I loved Spinning Silver. Not sure if this counts as enemies to lovers, but it does a great job of character development and the ending was so satisfying.

What absolutely epic world building - loved this story. Loved how these three women changed their destinies and received their happily evers...just a great read.

What an interesting read. I got lost in the characters to be honest... The story was narrated, not only from Miryem, Wanda, Irina's POV but from a few others as well... I had to make sure to pay close attention to the details of each person's style of storytelling to track and follow their journeys which have been skillfully woven through the author's writing.I became so engulfed into finding out what happens next, I slowly became a fan of the Staryk King, rooted for Miryem, appalled by her father and Oleg, proud of Sergey and Stephon, on the edge with Irina and the Tsar/Chernogob and well as impressed by how she helped free Mirnatus? from the Chernogob's stronghold.Quite a fascinating fantasy. It'd be good if it was made into a movie or series so the characters can truly come to life...I recommend reading this none sitting and having the physical book... I did audible and kindle but books like these I need to easily flip back and forth and make notes to track the characters and storylines. T The book made me want to reread the stories of Rumpeltilskin and get more familiar with Eastern European folklore and fantasy literature...

I’ve heard this one described as a retelling of the old fairytale ‘Rumplestiltskin’, but it isn’t that straightforward. Novik has taken elements of that story – just a few – and woven them into another, more detailed backdrop. The setting is a version of 19th century Russia, complete with isolated villages surrounded by hundreds of miles of thick woodland, nobility who have the power of life and death over their subjects and a simmering resentment against the Jewish community. They are the ones who lend money to those who need it, the ones who often also make music, jewellery and can read and write within their close-knit communities, so make a convenient target when those in power don’t want to pay back their debts. Add in the danger of the ferocious cold of a Russian winter, when the dreaded Staryk are more easily able to cross into the human world. These icy fae have mercilessly predated upon the humans who wander too far into their forests, killing and stealing from them – and when their actions further impact upon the protagonists in the story, these shadowy, terrifying beings end up at the heart of this story.It’s a complicated tale with three main protagonists, Miryem, the moneylender’s daughter, Wanda, who becomes her servant and is desperate to escape her drunken abusive father and Irena, the Duke’s eldest daughter by his first wife, whose bookish nature and plain looks have been a constant disappointment – until the Tsar comes to visit…The story bounces between these three young women as their fates increasingly become intertwined. There is a fair amount of explanation – with pages when Novik is telling the story rather than having her characters speak, which I normally dislike. But I’m going to give her a pass on this one – firstly because it didn’t jar with me. This is, after all, a fairy story, which is always told from the outside in. Secondly, because though there is a fair amount of exposition, it was necessary in this complex plot and it didn’t stop Novik from immersing us in the thoughts and fears of her main protagonists. Thirdly, it was a delightfully long book with an unusually dense story, which I loved.I’m aware this is a Marmite book – those aspects I’ve listed above as pluses have also exasperated some readers, preventing them from bonding with this book. Normally, I love a story to unfold from the inside out, but I simply think this time around it wouldn’t have worked so effectively. All I would say is – give it a go and discover for yourself if this one is for you. If you enjoy it, you’ll thank me. This is one that has had me continuing to ponder it since I’ve read it – always a sign that a book has properly got under my skin and it’s recommended for fantasy fans who like detailed worlds with plenty of unexpected twists.

Spinning Silver is a beautiful, magical tale, full of richly drawn, flawed and limited characters doing their very best in desperate situations and achieving more than they could have imagined. The events of the story may have been inspired by the story of Rumplestiltskin, but though names are important, and stuff is turned to gold, and kings and queens and children feature heavily, knowing the tale gives very few clues to how the plot will go. Delightfully, all the strongest, cleverest characters, good and bad alike, are female; which is not to say the males are incidental or even weak, just that the females are spectacular.On another level, this story is an engaging mediation on the nature of indebtedness, and gifts; of honour and honesty. Love wins in the end, but it is long in making its appearance. Until then the tale is ruled by cold justice and fair return, or hot injustice.As always, Novik's writing is fluent, engaging, and often poetic. It conveys the flavour of it's setting in its very cadences. I highly recommend this!

Advertised as a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, this takes quite some imagination to get the reader to that particular fairy tale. I’m assuming that the Staryk King is along the lines of the Rumpelstiltskin character, except he isn’t some wizened dwarf. In fact, more than one of the characters carries some of Rumpelstiltskin’s traits.Miryem, the Jewish Moneylenders daughter (who is actually far better at it than her father), has a reputation for turning silver in to gold, and this reaches the ears of the Staryk King, who demands that she change his silver in to gold. Which she does three times; the consequences of which aren’t quite what she expects.Novik writes good female characters, without any doubt. Miryem, whotakes over her father’s moneylending business and saves her family; Irena, the daughter of a Duke, who marries the demon possessed Tsar; and Wanda, the daughter of a destitute, drunk farmer, who by luck comes to pay off her father’s debts by working for Miryem.These women’s lives converge to create a bewitching story of real human concerns: poverty, helplessness, strength found when needed, and how important it is to pay your debts!I do hope Novik writes more books like this. I’ll buy them all!!

Never one to turn down a good fairy tale/folktale inspired piece of work, the great acclaim that Spinning Silver seemed to be getting completely piqued my interest. Initially I was a bit concerned that the plot would be slow going, especially given the size of the book, but within a few chapters I found myself absolutely hooked. The sort of hooked that sees you staying up far too late, and putting off all the various things that need to be done, just to keep reading it that little bit longer. Novick did a superb job in wrapping it up, with the right amount of closure as a standalone novel, but also the right amount of mystery about the future - just enough to keep the reader guessing but not completely uncertain. I really didn't want it to end, quite frankly, and I feel like I could just go on and on reading about this world and its characters.Each character is beautifully fleshed out, with flaws and redeeming factors in equal measure. Nobody was too perfect, or too evil, and as such the world and its plot seemed absolutely plausible - despite being set in a world with magic and other goings on.I wholeheartedly recommend this book for those who love an enthralling story, set in a world that both resembles and does not resemble our own, that is well written with just the right amount of mystery throughout.

This book felt like it was 4-5 stories crammed into 1 book. I remember getting to a point where I thought ok I know where this is going and the story is going to wrap up soon only to realise I was still at 16% of the ebook.I usually love morally grey characters but I didn’t find any of these ones likeable. The book felt very dense so was a slow read because of how Naomi Novik packs so much into it, but she managed go tie all the different elements together into one cohesive arc (which I have come to realise is no mean fit - so kudos to her!)Overall I really enjoyed reading it and immersing myself into this world. 4 stars.