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beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Slavery, Cannibalism, and Abortion
onceuponabookcase's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I was received this eProof for free from Faber & Faber via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.
I was so excited when I heard about Gilded by Marissa Meyer. A retelling of Rumplestiltskin, which I hadn't seen done often, but where Rumplestiltskin is the love interest? I was highly intrigued, and with this being Meyer's return to fairy tale retellings, I knew I would be in for a great story. And I loved it!
Serilda is the daughter of a miller who was granted a wish by the god of fortune, and he wished to marry the girl he loved and have a family. But the god of fortune is also a trickster god, and the god of lies, so when Serilda was born, she was born with their mark on her; golden wheels over the irises of her eyes. Serilda has been given the gift of storytelling, but everyone thinks her cursed, a liar, and no-one believes a word she says. But it's her clever tongue that gets her out of a tight spot when rescuing two moss maidens from the Erlking during the Wild Hunt. She tells him she is out harvesting straw to spin into gold - and he remembers. The next full moon, the Erlking kidnaps her, demanding she spin the straw in the dungeon she's locked in to gold by dawn, or he'll kill her. It's while she's crying and panicking, that a young man appears. A young man who can't remember his past, who is as trapped as Serilda is, but has a knack for spinning straw into gold...
I absolutely adored Gilded! Meyer has written another fairy tale retelling that lands on all the major plot points and events of the original Brothers Grimm story, but makes it completely her own. There's the lie of spinning straw into gold; a greedy king who locks the miller's daughter in a room with a spinning wheel and straw and demands she spins it into gold or she will die; there is someone who appears who is able to spin the straw for the miller's daughter for a price; and on the third go, there is the promise of the miller's daughter's first born child in exchange. What I adore with Meyer's stories is how she can take these pieces, and create something brand new. It's the same story, but not. The lie is told by Serilda herself. The king is the Erlking - or Elfking - a dark and fae creature, who leads the Wild Hunt every full moon, hunting animals and mythical creatures, abducting children, and seducing others to join the hunt that may end up killing them. The Erlking demands straw spun into gold, but it's for reasons other than greed. And there's a young man, who doesn't remember his own name, who is tied to the Erlking's castle, unable to leave, but who's magic can't work without something valuable given in return, no matter how much he may want to help. While you know where the story is going, with Meyer, you don't know how it's going to get there, or what will happen when it does.
Gilded is set in a historical German inspired setting, intertwining the story of Rumplestiltskin with Germanic Paganism. Throughout the story are creatures from Germanic folklore and stories straight out of Germanic belief, such as the Wild Hunt. As someone who has an interest in Paganism, I really appreciated all of the details, such as the various full moons having specific names because of what they meant on an agricultural calendar, the importance of the solstices and equinoxes. Although this is a fantasy story, it grounded the story for me; this is how people lived, and this is what they believed. Even the gods the people worship are loosely based on Pagan gods. I also really loved all the nods to the Brothers Grimm themselves. One of the ways of addressing the Erlking is, "You're Grim," which has the double meaning. And the Grimm's first collection of fairy tales is called Kinder- und Hausmärchen, which translates to Children's and Household Tales, with märchen translating specially to "little tales"; the town Serilda lives in is called Märchenfeld.
And stories play an important part in Rumplestiltskin. She's called a liar, but really Serilda is a storyteller. She doesn't often lie outright; the lies people object to are really just stories. She's judged for her eyes, for the so called curse that brings bad luck, and she's hated for things others have decided are her fault - which to me seemed similar to the accusations thrown around during witch hunts, the superstitions people held, which again grounds the story in time and place. Because of the prejudice against her, and her propensity to make up stories, when she is telling the truth, nobody believes her. She is not to be trusted. It reminded me of The Boy Who Cries Wolf, but without Serilda really crying wolf in the first place. As no-one will believe her, there are times when there is no help to be found, and she has to rely on herself.
Until she meets Gild. Gild is the Rumplestiltskin character, but with a twist, and I adored him. He's a prankster, doing all he can to wind up the Erlking, making a nuisance of himself, because that's all he's able to do. He's funny, and charming, but also really quite a tragic character. He is drawn to Serilda because she's human, and she's alive. He is surrounded by ghosts and the dark court only, but he can touch Serilda, and she's warm. I loved him, but I also felt so sorry for him. And for Serilda, he's someone who will listen to her, who believes her, who doesn't shun her because of her eyes. They each give the other something they can't get elsewhere, and from that blossoms something more. Their relationship was wonderful; the chemistry was great, but there's an aching, bittersweet element to it that just has you so completely rooting for them, but not really seeing a way out of it.
I was completely gripped by Gilded, by the romance but also the wider plot. As I read, I thought of and discarded so many theories as to what was happening and where the story would take us. There were three that I had that were right. But the story isn't predictable. I was never really 100% sure on any of them, not until the reveals. This is the thing with Meyer and her retellings; you can never really be sure where the story will lead. And I absolutely didn't see the ending coming! It suddenly gets a lot darker, and it was such a shock! It shouldn't have been; we're constantly told how terrible the Erlking is and what he's capable of, what he's done in the past. And I've read Meyer's previous fairy tale retellings, she definitely goes there when it comes to the horrific. It struck me like a blow though, and completely knocked me for six. I was completely devastated, but there's no time to get used to it before the next shock comes, and the story ends on a cliffhanger! Something else that blew my mind, despite the original story, despite knowing where the story leads. I guess because of the dynamics between the various characters, I forgot that element of the story. But it left me with my jaw hanging, shouting, "No!" It's a belter of an ending, and I am so, so looking forward to reading the sequel, Cursed, when it's released on 3rd November this year. Considering most of the major elements of the original story were part of Gilded, I honestly couldn't really guess how the story will play out in Cursed, and I absolutely love it! I really can't wait, it's going to be epic! If you're a fan of fairy tale retellings, Gild is definitely one to bring to the top of your TBR!
I was so excited when I heard about Gilded by Marissa Meyer. A retelling of Rumplestiltskin, which I hadn't seen done often, but where Rumplestiltskin is the love interest? I was highly intrigued, and with this being Meyer's return to fairy tale retellings, I knew I would be in for a great story. And I loved it!
Serilda is the daughter of a miller who was granted a wish by the god of fortune, and he wished to marry the girl he loved and have a family. But the god of fortune is also a trickster god, and the god of lies, so when Serilda was born, she was born with their mark on her; golden wheels over the irises of her eyes. Serilda has been given the gift of storytelling, but everyone thinks her cursed, a liar, and no-one believes a word she says. But it's her clever tongue that gets her out of a tight spot when rescuing two moss maidens from the Erlking during the Wild Hunt. She tells him she is out harvesting straw to spin into gold - and he remembers. The next full moon, the Erlking kidnaps her, demanding she spin the straw in the dungeon she's locked in to gold by dawn, or he'll kill her. It's while she's crying and panicking, that a young man appears. A young man who can't remember his past, who is as trapped as Serilda is, but has a knack for spinning straw into gold...
I absolutely adored Gilded! Meyer has written another fairy tale retelling that lands on all the major plot points and events of the original Brothers Grimm story, but makes it completely her own. There's the lie of spinning straw into gold; a greedy king who locks the miller's daughter in a room with a spinning wheel and straw and demands she spins it into gold or she will die; there is someone who appears who is able to spin the straw for the miller's daughter for a price; and on the third go, there is the promise of the miller's daughter's first born child in exchange. What I adore with Meyer's stories is how she can take these pieces, and create something brand new. It's the same story, but not. The lie is told by Serilda herself. The king is the Erlking - or Elfking - a dark and fae creature, who leads the Wild Hunt every full moon, hunting animals and mythical creatures, abducting children, and seducing others to join the hunt that may end up killing them. The Erlking demands straw spun into gold, but it's for reasons other than greed. And there's a young man, who doesn't remember his own name, who is tied to the Erlking's castle, unable to leave, but who's magic can't work without something valuable given in return, no matter how much he may want to help. While you know where the story is going, with Meyer, you don't know how it's going to get there, or what will happen when it does.
Gilded is set in a historical German inspired setting, intertwining the story of Rumplestiltskin with Germanic Paganism. Throughout the story are creatures from Germanic folklore and stories straight out of Germanic belief, such as the Wild Hunt. As someone who has an interest in Paganism, I really appreciated all of the details, such as the various full moons having specific names because of what they meant on an agricultural calendar, the importance of the solstices and equinoxes. Although this is a fantasy story, it grounded the story for me; this is how people lived, and this is what they believed. Even the gods the people worship are loosely based on Pagan gods. I also really loved all the nods to the Brothers Grimm themselves. One of the ways of addressing the Erlking is, "You're Grim," which has the double meaning. And the Grimm's first collection of fairy tales is called Kinder- und Hausmärchen, which translates to Children's and Household Tales, with märchen translating specially to "little tales"; the town Serilda lives in is called Märchenfeld.
And stories play an important part in Rumplestiltskin. She's called a liar, but really Serilda is a storyteller. She doesn't often lie outright; the lies people object to are really just stories. She's judged for her eyes, for the so called curse that brings bad luck, and she's hated for things others have decided are her fault - which to me seemed similar to the accusations thrown around during witch hunts, the superstitions people held, which again grounds the story in time and place. Because of the prejudice against her, and her propensity to make up stories, when she is telling the truth, nobody believes her. She is not to be trusted. It reminded me of The Boy Who Cries Wolf, but without Serilda really crying wolf in the first place. As no-one will believe her, there are times when there is no help to be found, and she has to rely on herself.
Until she meets Gild. Gild is the Rumplestiltskin character, but with a twist, and I adored him. He's a prankster, doing all he can to wind up the Erlking, making a nuisance of himself, because that's all he's able to do. He's funny, and charming, but also really quite a tragic character. He is drawn to Serilda because she's human, and she's alive. He is surrounded by ghosts and the dark court only, but he can touch Serilda, and she's warm. I loved him, but I also felt so sorry for him. And for Serilda, he's someone who will listen to her, who believes her, who doesn't shun her because of her eyes. They each give the other something they can't get elsewhere, and from that blossoms something more. Their relationship was wonderful; the chemistry was great, but there's an aching, bittersweet element to it that just has you so completely rooting for them, but not really seeing a way out of it.
I was completely gripped by Gilded, by the romance but also the wider plot. As I read, I thought of and discarded so many theories as to what was happening and where the story would take us. There were three that I had that were right. But the story isn't predictable. I was never really 100% sure on any of them, not until the reveals. This is the thing with Meyer and her retellings; you can never really be sure where the story will lead. And I absolutely didn't see the ending coming! It suddenly gets a lot darker, and it was such a shock! It shouldn't have been; we're constantly told how terrible the Erlking is and what he's capable of, what he's done in the past. And I've read Meyer's previous fairy tale retellings, she definitely goes there when it comes to the horrific. It struck me like a blow though, and completely knocked me for six. I was completely devastated, but there's no time to get used to it before the next shock comes, and the story ends on a cliffhanger! Something else that blew my mind, despite the original story, despite knowing where the story leads. I guess because of the dynamics between the various characters, I forgot that element of the story. But it left me with my jaw hanging, shouting, "No!" It's a belter of an ending, and I am so, so looking forward to reading the sequel, Cursed, when it's released on 3rd November this year. Considering most of the major elements of the original story were part of Gilded, I honestly couldn't really guess how the story will play out in Cursed, and I absolutely love it! I really can't wait, it's going to be epic! If you're a fan of fairy tale retellings, Gild is definitely one to bring to the top of your TBR!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Blood
Minor: Vomit
Infanticide, gorey descriptions of violence, descriptions of corpses, multilation of corpses and people as they are being killed.trippalli's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Brutal but beautifully written classic horror fairytale with undead, monsters, witches and faery folk, tricks and tales of love and lost worlds .. Adventures and passing through the veil with the wild hunt under the full moons... Trigger warnings: children and innocents violently killed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infertility, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It took me about a hundred pages to really get into the story, but then it was very absorbing. This was the kind of story I hope for when I start a book, that pulls me in and makes me keep reading without checking how many pages are left in the book. And it even explored the nature of story itself a bit, which gave it a bit of depth I quite enjoyed.
My frustrations with the book, which kept it from quite being a five star read, were mostly with the author's worldview. Most of the magic fits into a made up, fantasy world feel that I'm fine with, but one short part of the story involves the good side using magic that both has a more 'real world' flavor, and plays with the line of of what would normally be portrayed as 'dark' magic. I also felt a lack of characters who appreciated both hard work AND stories--that shouldn't have to be an either/or. And there's a lesbian side romance shoehorned into the story.
I also didn't realize going in that there's a book two, which may well be my own fault, but definitely made the cliffhanger ending feel abrupt!
My frustrations with the book, which kept it from quite being a five star read, were mostly with the author's worldview. Most of the magic fits into a made up, fantasy world feel that I'm fine with, but one short part of the story involves the good side using magic that both has a more 'real world' flavor, and plays with the line of of what would normally be portrayed as 'dark' magic. I also felt a lack of characters who appreciated both hard work AND stories--that shouldn't have to be an either/or. And there's a lesbian side romance shoehorned into the story.
I also didn't realize going in that there's a book two, which may well be my own fault, but definitely made the cliffhanger ending feel abrupt!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, Abortion, and Pregnancy
meliroo's review against another edition
dark
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
tigerlilliereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book!
I have previously read another book by the same author and loved it and this one was no different. Serilda is seen as cursed in her village, they blame everything that goes wrong on her and she is constantly looked at with suspicion because of her unique eyes that show a wheel… the wheel of fortune…. When she talked she always talked in lies, spinning stories like spinning straw into gold. Yet these stories where always harmless… that is until the night of the full moon when she saves two Moss maidens from the hunt… where the evil Erlking with his terrible creatures and hounds sets off to steal children, kill monsters and more.
Wow! This story starts of as a retelling of rumplestiltskin but ends up so much more than that. With twist and turns that I was no expecting… okay I expected a few but I felt like I was constantly on edge trying to work out what was going to happen next. I wanted to figure out the end and find a way to save the characters from the impending doom. It’s definitely more than a simple retelling, Meyer is so good at adding so many layers to the story, creating dark and foreboding atmospheres and really grabbing the readers attention and emotions.
One thing… that cliffhanger was so so cruel! I kept seeing the pages numbers left dwindle down and worrying how they were going to wrap it all up and then book cliffhanger! Need next book now!
I have previously read another book by the same author and loved it and this one was no different. Serilda is seen as cursed in her village, they blame everything that goes wrong on her and she is constantly looked at with suspicion because of her unique eyes that show a wheel… the wheel of fortune…. When she talked she always talked in lies, spinning stories like spinning straw into gold. Yet these stories where always harmless… that is until the night of the full moon when she saves two Moss maidens from the hunt… where the evil Erlking with his terrible creatures and hounds sets off to steal children, kill monsters and more.
Wow! This story starts of as a retelling of rumplestiltskin but ends up so much more than that. With twist and turns that I was no expecting… okay I expected a few but I felt like I was constantly on edge trying to work out what was going to happen next. I wanted to figure out the end and find a way to save the characters from the impending doom. It’s definitely more than a simple retelling, Meyer is so good at adding so many layers to the story, creating dark and foreboding atmospheres and really grabbing the readers attention and emotions.
One thing… that cliffhanger was so so cruel! I kept seeing the pages numbers left dwindle down and worrying how they were going to wrap it all up and then book cliffhanger! Need next book now!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
beckyg1016's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
booksmellers's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
At this point, I think fairytale retellings are sort of overdone, but honestly Marissa Meyer could keep writing these types of books for the rest of her life and I wouldn't complain.
I listened to this book on audio, and I was hesitant to start it at first because I saw the book was like 13 hours (I tend to try to listen to books that are less than 8 hours just because I do still prefer to read physically most of the time) and I have a lot going on with final and stuff. Luckily, with 1.5x speed, an engaging narrator, and a great story, I was able to read the book in a reasonable amount of time. And even though I wasn't so sure about listening to it on audio, but I'm actually glad I read it in that format. I really <i> really </i> liked the narrator, and I think she added a layer of drama and emotion that really took the story to the next level.
Meyer does a great job of hooking you from the beginning. Rumpelstiltskin is an interesting story anyway, but Meyer takes it and makes it her own in a way that's unique and interesting, yet makes total sense. She incorporates worldbuilding in such a seamless way that there are moments I forgot this is set in a fantasy world. I loved the characters, I really liked Serilda as a protagonist, and honestly, I just had a really fun time reading this book.
I do think this book was just a little too long. There were parts in the middle that were kind of bland and got a little repetitive; I just didn't think were especially important to the plot or the characters and they didn't necessarily need to happen. I did think the romance happened a little too fast, especially considering how long this book is, but it didn't really effect my opinion of the book too much, it's just something that's a little personal preference. Even with these nit-picky critiques though, there were a lot of great moments that really elevated the story and made it worth reading. The first 25% and last 25% of the book were particularly great and I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot.
Was this book my favorite Marissa Meyer retelling? Probably not. I don't think it was better than the Lunar Chronicles as a whole, but I enjoyed it more than I did some individual books in that series (*cough* Scarlett *cough*). If you're a fan of Marissa Meyer, you'll like this one.
Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
One thing I like about Meyer is that even though her books are mostly YA and definitely have a YA feel, she's not afraid to show her dark side. There are some actual gruesome consequences in this book! Please check Content Warnings.
I listened to this book on audio, and I was hesitant to start it at first because I saw the book was like 13 hours (I tend to try to listen to books that are less than 8 hours just because I do still prefer to read physically most of the time) and I have a lot going on with final and stuff. Luckily, with 1.5x speed, an engaging narrator, and a great story, I was able to read the book in a reasonable amount of time. And even though I wasn't so sure about listening to it on audio, but I'm actually glad I read it in that format. I really <i> really </i> liked the narrator, and I think she added a layer of drama and emotion that really took the story to the next level.
Meyer does a great job of hooking you from the beginning. Rumpelstiltskin is an interesting story anyway, but Meyer takes it and makes it her own in a way that's unique and interesting, yet makes total sense. She incorporates worldbuilding in such a seamless way that there are moments I forgot this is set in a fantasy world. I loved the characters, I really liked Serilda as a protagonist, and honestly, I just had a really fun time reading this book.
I do think this book was just a little too long. There were parts in the middle that were kind of bland and got a little repetitive; I just didn't think were especially important to the plot or the characters and they didn't necessarily need to happen. I did think the romance happened a little too fast, especially considering how long this book is, but it didn't really effect my opinion of the book too much, it's just something that's a little personal preference. Even with these nit-picky critiques though, there were a lot of great moments that really elevated the story and made it worth reading. The first 25% and last 25% of the book were particularly great and I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot.
Was this book my favorite Marissa Meyer retelling? Probably not. I don't think it was better than the Lunar Chronicles as a whole, but I enjoyed it more than I did some individual books in that series (*cough* Scarlett *cough*). If you're a fan of Marissa Meyer, you'll like this one.
Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
One thing I like about Meyer is that even though her books are mostly YA and definitely have a YA feel, she's not afraid to show her dark side. There are some actual gruesome consequences in this book! Please check Content Warnings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
elderflower's review against another edition
3.0
hmm well that was different from what I expected. it wasn’t bad but definitely my least favorite Marissa meyer book.
Likes:
Likes:
- The cover
- It’s Marissa fricking Meyer
- Bi character!
Dislikes:
- Pro-life messaging. It’s terrible to force someone to get an abortion, but i definitely was getting pro life vibes
- Cliché
- Hard to get into
- Violence
- Badly done instalove
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cannibalism and Abortion
bookishflaneur's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
4.5
title: Gilded
author: Marissa Meyer
my rating:
This book is a heartbreaking story of curses, mistakes, loss of hope and darkness. You thought fairytales were supposed to have a happy ending? Marissa Meyer will snap that thread of hope before you can say Rumplestiltskin.
I am in total admiration of the way Meyer creates her characters. I felt so connected to everybody, even the side characters, and it was so hard for me to see everything go wrong for them that it took me over a week to read this book; I didn’t want to turn the page for fear of the new challenges that arise in every single chapter.
The writing was beautiful, and perfect for a YA audience. I loved reading the stories Serilda spins throughout the book, and how the book was structured generally. We deserve a sequel please, you can’t just leave me hanging like that, even if it is by an unbreakable golden rope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Abandonment