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thepurplebookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Premise:
Spinning Silver centres on Miryem, a young Jewish woman who, at the beginning of the story, takes over her father's money-lending business as her family falls on hard times. She does such great work (better work than her too-nice father ever did), 'changing' silver coins into gold ones (meant for the family bank account, in the nearby town), she attracts the attention of a Staryk lord (a kind of fairy, essentially), who imperiously challenges her to turn his own silver into gold, within a certain amount of time.
The book also features three other points of view, but chiefly those of two other women: Wanda, a poor peasant who comes to work for Myriem in order to pay off her father's debt, and Irina, the daughter of a local lord fated to marry Mirnatius, the Tsar... and the fiery demon who inhabits him.
Spinning Silver thus broadly works as a loose re-telling, or re-imagining, of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale, set in Eastern Europe and mildly pulling from Slavic mythology.
Review:
To start off with some positives: I liked the fact this story was as female-centric as it was, and that it worked very well as a mythology-infused, fairy tale retelling.
On a world-building front, I most certainly enjoyed the fact Spinning Silver featured an Eastern European/Slavic setting, and that it pulled from Slavic mythology, for a pleasantly refreshing change! The novel's 'fairies', the Staryk, were also convincingly portrayed as non-human and otherworldly. Or rather... what I'll term 'sub or para-worldly', in the sense that they represented a different facet of the world, and Nature, rather than a completely separate sphere of being. And this is, in fact, more in line with what fairies, elves, the Sidhe, etc... are 'supposed' to be, so point there!
Speaking of Nature... I found the novel's highly atmospheric writing very compelling, and immersive. Novik's prose, for its part, flowed smoothly overall, though I can't say I found it evocative or inspiring in any specific fashion either.
Now onto some negatives: I'd say Spinning Silver was, more or less, equally character- and plot-driven, which was fine, but it lacked greater world-building, and certainly thematic depth beyond that. There just wasn't much there for me to engage with on an intellectual or emotional level, in terms of ideas, mythological referencing, or in terms of deeper character work, and greater character relatability. At most, I can say Spinning Silver showed a character experiencing anti-Semitic discrimination, and a sketch of intersectional oppression, since three of her four main characters were female and prejudiced in different ways. But I never got anything more than, well, a sketch, and would have preferred more substance and colour to be given to said sketch.
I'm also not entirely sure the story needed all its points of view, and this feeling honestly came as somewhat of a surprise, since I'm generally a fan of multiple POV stories. But it may precisely be because I felt the story lacked deeper substance; it didn't need so many 'character bones', as it were, given it's lack of 'meat' (stories are animals in this metaphor, apparently, lol). And the same kind of goes for the book's length. Not that it's a chonker either, mind you, but I'm not sure it needed to be as long as it was. Still, I'll allow its compelling atmosphere largely made up for this feeling of 'paddedness'.
I am, unfortunately, a little more miffed about Spinning Silver's ending, which felt rough and rushed to me. I basically had to 'reason' my way to it feeling like it 'fit', if that makes sense. Because sure, I suppose it could fit, in a roundabout way, but... it needed additional build-up. It really did. That being said, and despite that, the book's very last sentence, on its own, resonated perfectly.
Overall, then, Spinning Silver was a slightly more positive-than-not, but ultimately mixed bag for me, and my 2024 'reading run' remains, on the whole, decidedly average. #KindaSadgeBookwyrm
On the bright(er) side, however, I'll add that I liked Spinning Silver just enough to give Naomi Novik's work another go, and will thus probably check out Uprooted... at some undefined point in the future. š
Spinning Silver centres on Miryem, a young Jewish woman who, at the beginning of the story, takes over her father's money-lending business as her family falls on hard times. She does such great work (better work than her too-nice father ever did), 'changing' silver coins into gold ones (meant for the family bank account, in the nearby town), she attracts the attention of a Staryk lord (a kind of fairy, essentially), who imperiously challenges her to turn his own silver into gold, within a certain amount of time.
The book also features three other points of view, but chiefly those of two other women: Wanda, a poor peasant who comes to work for Myriem in order to pay off her father's debt, and Irina, the daughter of a local lord fated to marry Mirnatius, the Tsar... and the fiery demon who inhabits him.
Spinning Silver thus broadly works as a loose re-telling, or re-imagining, of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale, set in Eastern Europe and mildly pulling from Slavic mythology.
Review:
To start off with some positives: I liked the fact this story was as female-centric as it was, and that it worked very well as a mythology-infused, fairy tale retelling.
On a world-building front, I most certainly enjoyed the fact Spinning Silver featured an Eastern European/Slavic setting, and that it pulled from Slavic mythology, for a pleasantly refreshing change! The novel's 'fairies', the Staryk, were also convincingly portrayed as non-human and otherworldly. Or rather... what I'll term 'sub or para-worldly', in the sense that they represented a different facet of the world, and Nature, rather than a completely separate sphere of being. And this is, in fact, more in line with what fairies, elves, the Sidhe, etc... are 'supposed' to be, so point there!
Speaking of Nature... I found the novel's highly atmospheric writing very compelling, and immersive. Novik's prose, for its part, flowed smoothly overall, though I can't say I found it evocative or inspiring in any specific fashion either.
Now onto some negatives: I'd say Spinning Silver was, more or less, equally character- and plot-driven, which was fine, but it lacked greater world-building, and certainly thematic depth beyond that. There just wasn't much there for me to engage with on an intellectual or emotional level, in terms of ideas, mythological referencing, or in terms of deeper character work, and greater character relatability. At most, I can say Spinning Silver showed a character experiencing anti-Semitic discrimination, and a sketch of intersectional oppression, since three of her four main characters were female and prejudiced in different ways. But I never got anything more than, well, a sketch, and would have preferred more substance and colour to be given to said sketch.
I'm also not entirely sure the story needed all its points of view, and this feeling honestly came as somewhat of a surprise, since I'm generally a fan of multiple POV stories. But it may precisely be because I felt the story lacked deeper substance; it didn't need so many 'character bones', as it were, given it's lack of 'meat' (stories are animals in this metaphor, apparently, lol). And the same kind of goes for the book's length. Not that it's a chonker either, mind you, but I'm not sure it needed to be as long as it was. Still, I'll allow its compelling atmosphere largely made up for this feeling of 'paddedness'.
I am, unfortunately, a little more miffed about Spinning Silver's ending, which felt rough and rushed to me. I basically had to 'reason' my way to it feeling like it 'fit', if that makes sense. Because sure, I suppose it could fit, in a roundabout way, but... it needed additional build-up. It really did. That being said, and despite that, the book's very last sentence, on its own, resonated perfectly.
Overall, then, Spinning Silver was a slightly more positive-than-not, but ultimately mixed bag for me, and my 2024 'reading run' remains, on the whole, decidedly average. #KindaSadgeBookwyrm
On the bright(er) side, however, I'll add that I liked Spinning Silver just enough to give Naomi Novik's work another go, and will thus probably check out Uprooted... at some undefined point in the future. š
Content Warnings
Minor: Antisemitism and Sexism
The novel centres on female characters (one of whom is Jewish, in Early Modern Europe) who experience discrimination, and prejudice, on different levels.kurumipanda's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
Minor: Animal death, Rape, Xenophobia, Blood, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Classism
val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
From the very first pages I felt like I was in a dream with the way this book is written, I really like how this author was describing the setting and presenting the characters, besides the narrator has such a nice voice and it changed it for each POVā¦ it was a full experience and from the beginning this was a 4 ā for me!
This is a young adult book with fantasy elements and magic! Which is perfect for me, but if youāre looking for romance this isnāt it (like AT ALL, and Iām okay with that but I know itās a deal breaker for some people), also, the fantasy is very low in the beginning but after a few chapters is there.
I liked Miryem from the second we met her, I donāt care if sheās ācoldā or āambitiousā for others, to me she was caring for her family, doing the job, she was organized, really wise, not afraid of anything and always with a plan, proud of her religion and loyal to the people she loves until the very end. I just love her.
I was rooting for Wanda all the time, I just wanted her to be okay in the end, be free from her father, find her way and have a good and happy life. Sheās such a hardworking girl, smart and quick learner, but overall she has a lot of courage and is ready to protect her family from anyone (even if itās a demon or a scary King!)
Then we have Irina who I also came to love by the end. She looked weak in the beginning but she quickly adapted to her new reality, she was protective of her people and so brave. I just love women plotting, taking action, involved in politics, always with a plan and one step ahead!
I loved these girls so much! Iām tired of reading about girls who just go and do whatever without thinking, no plans, making things worse and not caring about the others. But Miryem, Wanda and Irina? They have such different backgrounds and yet their main qualities were being hardworking, really smart, brave and protective over their love ones. Honestly? I feel like thatās just me, in each girl I saw myself reflected and maybe thatās part of why I loved them.
When you are reading this book, I understand why some people might find it boring, but to me it was as if I was enchanted by it, so focus on the story and the characters with this beautiful writing. Besides the audiobook helped and I knew when the POV changed from one girl to another (or sometimes another character), it was so addictive and interesting.
So yeah, I donāt think this book is for everyone but I still recommend you give it a try if the premise sounds interesting to you.
This is a young adult book with fantasy elements and magic! Which is perfect for me, but if youāre looking for romance this isnāt it (like AT ALL, and Iām okay with that but I know itās a deal breaker for some people), also, the fantasy is very low in the beginning but after a few chapters is there.
I liked Miryem from the second we met her, I donāt care if sheās ācoldā or āambitiousā for others, to me she was caring for her family, doing the job, she was organized, really wise, not afraid of anything and always with a plan, proud of her religion and loyal to the people she loves until the very end. I just love her.
I was rooting for Wanda all the time, I just wanted her to be okay in the end, be free from her father, find her way and have a good and happy life. Sheās such a hardworking girl, smart and quick learner, but overall she has a lot of courage and is ready to protect her family from anyone (even if itās a demon or a scary King!)
Then we have Irina who I also came to love by the end. She looked weak in the beginning but she quickly adapted to her new reality, she was protective of her people and so brave. I just love women plotting, taking action, involved in politics, always with a plan and one step ahead!
I loved these girls so much! Iām tired of reading about girls who just go and do whatever without thinking, no plans, making things worse and not caring about the others. But Miryem, Wanda and Irina? They have such different backgrounds and yet their main qualities were being hardworking, really smart, brave and protective over their love ones. Honestly? I feel like thatās just me, in each girl I saw myself reflected and maybe thatās part of why I loved them.
When you are reading this book, I understand why some people might find it boring, but to me it was as if I was enchanted by it, so focus on the story and the characters with this beautiful writing. Besides the audiobook helped and I knew when the POV changed from one girl to another (or sometimes another character), it was so addictive and interesting.
So yeah, I donāt think this book is for everyone but I still recommend you give it a try if the premise sounds interesting to you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexism, and Child death
Minor: Sexual content
Here is a list of the content warnings and how is it that theyāre present in the book, if you donāt want spoilers just skip this part:
Death of parent / Grief: Wanda lost her mother when she was eleven years old.
Child death: Wandaās mother had a lot of babies but I think they died soon after being born or were stillborn.
Domestic abuse / Child abuse / Alcoholism / Violence: Wandaās father was a really bad man, beating his three children for years and spending most of his money on alcohol.
Sexual content: There is just talk around the topic or slight mention of it, not explicit at all.
Misogyny / Sexism: Because Wandaās father would just give her in exchange for a pig or alcohol. And thereās some other instances.
jalexpulliamkepler's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved the themes, the characters, and the story. A perfect winter read!
CW: mentions of SA, sexism, anti-semitism, violence, alcohol abuse, child abuse, death of parent, death of child, mentions of infidelity, hunger, poverty, animal cruelty, horse death
CW: mentions of SA, sexism, anti-semitism, violence, alcohol abuse, child abuse, death of parent, death of child, mentions of infidelity, hunger, poverty, animal cruelty, horse death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Addiction, Sexism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Sexual assault
starlit_pathways's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Grief
Minor: Sexual violence and Rape
ink_and_wings's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Body horror, and Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement, Antisemitism, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I had much higher hopes since the Schoolomance books are some of my faves. This was glacially paced, I was frequently confused by the switching POVs since they all had similar voice. Some really interesting concepts but was not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Antisemitism, and Physical abuse
Minor: Rape
siobhan74's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
You know, most people spend their time writing bad reviews. I only really enjoy writing good ones. Spinning Silver immediately joined my Top 5 Books Ever list. I have reread it a half dozen times. Itās all about knowing oneās own value, the value of women, the value of stepping into the unknown. Spinning Silver is all about how much people are worth. Right there, that tells you something.
Itās a sort of retelling of Rumplestilskin without a Rumplestilskin. Or at least without a character with a direct Rumplestilskin correlation. That story begins with a father bragging about his daughter that she can spin straw into gold. Our primary heroine ā because there are three stories here ā is a young Jewish girl in the time when Christians were not allowed to lend money with interest so all moneylenders in Europe were Jewish (this little fact is a monumentally important part of history. European Jews lent to kings and financed wars and palaces, and religion was only the excuse used to chase the Jews out of any given country). She brags that she can turn silver into gold.
The wiring is incredible, the characters ARE complicated, the plot moves quite quickly. Nothing but wonderment here.
Itās a sort of retelling of Rumplestilskin without a Rumplestilskin. Or at least without a character with a direct Rumplestilskin correlation. That story begins with a father bragging about his daughter that she can spin straw into gold. Our primary heroine ā because there are three stories here ā is a young Jewish girl in the time when Christians were not allowed to lend money with interest so all moneylenders in Europe were Jewish (this little fact is a monumentally important part of history. European Jews lent to kings and financed wars and palaces, and religion was only the excuse used to chase the Jews out of any given country). She brags that she can turn silver into gold.
The wiring is incredible, the characters ARE complicated, the plot moves quite quickly. Nothing but wonderment here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Antisemitism, Sexism, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
raquelrose's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Death, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Rape, Child death, and Sexism
chris_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Antisemitism, and Alcoholism
Minor: Animal death and Blood