Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Miryem is the daughter of a moneylender, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty – until Miryem take matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When a boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk – grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh – Miryem’s fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the fey king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar. But all is not as it seems with the handsome tsar. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power and love.

Shannon’s Rating — PG-13

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Rumpelstiltskin is not my favorite fairy tale. Never has been. (The idea of a baby being stolen from its mother by a creepy little goblin was way too anxiety-inducing for me as a child!) But… “Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik, is a totally reimagined version of Rumpelstiltskin. This book completely enthralled me and captured my heart.

The legend of Rumpelstiltskin dates all the way back to the sixteenth century. The tale we know today, made famous by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, is a combination of a variety of stories from a variety of cultures. The name, Rumpelstiltskin, is thought to have derived from an old children’s game played in Germany. “Rumpeln” meant “to make a noise” and “stilzer” referred to someone with a limp. And so, “Rumpelstilzchen” was conceived as a noisy goblin with a limp.

But before this troublesome, conniving creature was called Rumpelstiltskin, he was known around the world by very different names. In Scotland, he was Whuppity Stoorie. In Iceland, he was Gilitrutt. In Arabic, he was Joaidane. In Russia, he was Khlamushka. In South America, he was Ruidoquedito. And in England he was originally called, Tom-Tit-Tot. (My personal favorite!)

And now, thanks to the Brothers Grimm, he’s simply – Rumpelstiltskin. That weaselly little guy trying to steal a nice young girl’s first-born baby. That ugly little goblin giving our modern-day children all kinds of anxiety!

It’s no small feat to take this well-known, slightly anxiety-inducing story, and reimagine it in a new way. But Naomi Novik succeeds in doing just this. I loved her fresh take on spinning silver into gold. I loved the inclusion of many different Eastern European folklore into the story. And, most of all, I loved the intelligence, resilience and fortitude of the three young women questing to save themselves, their families and, yes, the kingdom!

Instead of a trickster goblin with a limp squaring off against a miller’s daughter – in “Spinning Silver” we have a winter fairy king squaring off against a moneylender’s daughter. Miryem is a complex, sometimes flawed, heroine. She bravely takes over her father’s flailing business and turns it into a successful enterprise. But this success comes with a cost. She grows proud and, while boasting of her money-making skills, draws the attention of the king of winter. She unwittingly makes a terrible bargain with him. He will make her his queen if she succeeds in spinning a vast pile of silver into gold – and will freeze her solid if she fails. Clearly, neither option is agreeable to Miryem. She must use all her wits to extract herself from this predicament brought on by her pride. Oh, and the fate of the kingdom also hangs in the balance…

If you enjoy fairy tale remakes – with an Eastern European flair – this is the book for you! It’s fun. It’s different. It’s magical. It’s right up my alley! (And there’s no baby-stealing talkative goblin with a limp!)