A review by purplehulk713
Gilded by Marissa Meyer

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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