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A review by booksmellers
Gilded by Marissa Meyer
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