Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - Gilded

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Gilded by Marissa Meyer

68 reviews

lc_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I picked this book up for the cover art if I'm being honest. It's so beautiful and once I read the story to completion I appreciated the cover even more, the artist really does capture the feeling and theme perfectly.

The story is set in a Germanic fairytale world and follows a Rumpelstiltskin/Beauty and the Beast retelling. We follow the main character; Serilda, a miller's daughter who is blessed with a god's gift of storytelling (or according to the villagers, lying). She is an outcast and the only true friends she has are the children she tutors and tells stories to. Her life is changed during a full moon when she encounters the fabled Erlking during the famous hunt. To protect the creatures he was hunting, Serilda lies and tells the Erlking that she can spin straw into gold - which she can't - and in the next full moon he takes her.

All three stars go to the mesmerizing worldbuilding which was so atmospheric and was a very believable fairytale land straight out of Grimm's. I have a soft spot for ghosts in a story and I thought the castle filled with ghosts was pretty great. It would have been better if they had been further developed because, for me, the most interesting character in the entire book was the coachman ghost with an iron chisel in his eye! Because Dutch is a second language and I'm familiar with German - I hundred percent enjoyed the word play with the German language and it added something extra special to the read for me and more depth to the world.

So, this was almost a five star read for me. It had so much potential especially in the first half, even though the main character; Serilda, didn't do it for me. I was so frustrated with her actions and behaviors that, at times, it made whole scenes unenjoyable for me.
Unfortunately, I really disliked the last third of the book. I nearly DNF'd it.

It got dark real fast. Like grimdark dark. I found the death of all the adorable children (which I thought were better characters than Serilda) was a step too far. I wasn't prepared for it and it was very much a slap in the face. I don't need a shock like that to appreciated high stakes. I read a lot of horror and difficult scenes, gore and death. And so I realize that horrific consequences can work well depending on the theme of a story. Then I thought how can this get worse. Well, Serilda is now pregnant at the end of the book and has promised her unborn child both to the Erlking and also her ghost lover, Gild (who is basically Rumpelstiltskin). There was a very awkward abortion/anti-abortion themed scene which, after the slaughter of children, I just couldn't stomach. The worst thing that happens to Serilda, after her stupid decisions cause the death of her friends, is that she becomes Queen??!! Nope. Just nope. I can't with this ending, it ruined my enjoyment of the whole thing. Which is a real shame.

Would I recommend this book? Probably. I mean, it had it's ups and downs but I know some readers will love it. Though, I recommend the Lunar Chronicles by the same author as it is far better. Even though Gilded was childish at times, I question if this should be for kids?
Will I continue with this Gilded series? No. Regardless of the ending, I don't love the main characters enough to care what happens next.

Such a shame. I'm sad I can't rate it any higher.

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maublew's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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nrogers_1030's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

TW: lots of death & children aren’t excluded

Also I don’t think my review has any spoilers, but 🤷🏻‍♀️

Okay, so here’s what I love: the storyline, it’s great. I love the fairytale creatures, the haunted castle, all of it. At times, it did get a bit repetitive. What’s the one thing.. well person, that drove me up the wall? SERILDA. Her constant lying had me wanting to drop the book. It’s such a pet peeve of mine. It’s so hard to not get worked up over it. Granted, she has some redeeming qualities, but it’s really hard to like her. She’s a liar and she’s a bit dense… like how many times does everyone have to tell her how magical bargains work!?! 🤦🏻‍♀️
That being said, I adore Gild and he makes up for her. I really like what’s going on in the story and the cliffhanger is absolutely maddening! I’ll def be reading the sequel… even though Serilda will be in it 🙄😂

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arthur_ant18's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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mundanedaydream's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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purplehulk713's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Beware the nachtkrapp. Marissa Meyer’s newest retelling is eerie and beautiful, like a full moon on Halloween night. Magic abounds, in some of the best world-building I’ve read in recent years—Pusch-Grohla and her moss maidens, the Erlking and his dark ones, and of course, Gild, the mischievous poltergeist. The dark German folklore and sentiments characteristic of the Brothers Grimm haunt the pages like the ghosts of Adalheid Castle. And of course, the unique pantheon of seven gods like Wyrdith (god of stories and lies) and Velos (god of death) are fascinating not only in power and mystique, but also Meyer’s characterization of them as gender-fluid. Serilda is one of my new favorite protagonists—clever, unique, loyal, courageous, and magical, she faces ghouls and demons even though she has fear. Her arc is mostly based on her initial view of herself as cursed rather than blessed by her godparent Wyrdith, as the people in her village see her. The setting is well-spun (pun intended) with the significance of the full moons, equinoxes, and solstices tearing back the veil for the wild hunt. Subplots in the form of Serilda’s stories also provide unique parallels. And of course, the fairytale that it spins anew, “Rumpelstiltskin”, provides marvelous shades of allusion which keen-eyed readers can spot to add to the novel’s cleverness and complexity. This novel truly is gilded in 24-karat-quality. Remember, all magic comes with a price. Do you dare enter the Aschen Wood?

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