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A review by lydiamacclaren
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
4.0
Novik is an excellent reteller of fairytales, imagining creatively rich lore that transforms well-known tales into something new and unique. I had previously read "Uprooted" and was curious to read this retelling to consider the two against one another.
The strength of this story were the three main females, they were each strong, well-rounded characters that possessed a unique narrative voice. Their stories, their strengths, their flaws, were all captivating and I was genuinely curious how their stories would unfold.
The weakness of this story would be the slight drag of the narrative in the beginning and end, a similar complaint that I had against Uprooted. Though the world is rich and unique, the pacing is slightly off. I would have enjoyed more of a conclusion to this book, as the plot kept becoming more entangled and there was so little left of the book it almost felt that there would be no conclusion! Though everything was nicely settled, I would have enjoyed to see more of a glimpse of that.
I also agree with a few other reviewers that some of the POVs were unnecessary. I would have preferred if the POV stayed with the three main females, the others felt unnecessary and even at times detracted from the story. There were a few times I was frustrated at the choice of POV when a side character was the focus instead of the main female.
Overall, Novik's story is unique and truly makes you question your own assessment of others and the nuances of making the "right choice."
The strength of this story were the three main females, they were each strong, well-rounded characters that possessed a unique narrative voice. Their stories, their strengths, their flaws, were all captivating and I was genuinely curious how their stories would unfold.
The weakness of this story would be the slight drag of the narrative in the beginning and end, a similar complaint that I had against Uprooted. Though the world is rich and unique, the pacing is slightly off. I would have enjoyed more of a conclusion to this book, as the plot kept becoming more entangled and there was so little left of the book it almost felt that there would be no conclusion! Though everything was nicely settled, I would have enjoyed to see more of a glimpse of that.
I also agree with a few other reviewers that some of the POVs were unnecessary. I would have preferred if the POV stayed with the three main females, the others felt unnecessary and even at times detracted from the story. There were a few times I was frustrated at the choice of POV when a side character was the focus instead of the main female.
Overall, Novik's story is unique and truly makes you question your own assessment of others and the nuances of making the "right choice."