That’s the way it has always been, and that’s the way we like it. The protagonists are clearly good, and their opponents are evidently evil. This does not necessarily have to be a bad thing, since, like most fairy tales, Spinning Silver is, in essence, a simple story about good versus evil. And this is a pity, since it leaves the characters flat, lacking any kind of development. They serve as witnesses rather than actively playing a part in the story. While this could have been really interesting, since each character would have their own perspective on events, the characters in Spinning Silver merely chronicle what happened to them, instead of focusing on how these events have influenced them. Instead of writing the story down with a simple third-person perspective, as is the norm with fairy tales, Novik decided to switch the narrative between a couple of characters. One of the ways in which a modern audience can be captivated by a fairy tale retelling is by playing with the narrative. Fairy tale retellings are tricky, because they have to stay true to the original source while also keeping the reader interested in its modern take on the story and Novik’s version doesn’t seem to pull of either. While I like all these elements seperately, I am not sure whether the combination really works in Spinning Silver. However, there are also elements of The Hunger Games and The Chronicles of Narnia, because of the teenager-saves-the-world trope and the inclusion of a magical world of winter. There is the turning of worthless material into gold and the power that lies in naming things. There are definitely aspects of Rumpelstiltskin in Spinning Silver.

It is up to these two women to save their kingdom, which is more and more occupied by the cold winter. Enter the fairy tale element: the King of Winter is interested in Miryem’s gift and claims her for himself, and the tzar turns out to be a fire demon. Spinning Silver takes place in an imaginary European country in the Middle Ages and is about two women, Miryem, a moneylender who is so good at her job that there are rumours that she can turn silver into gold, and Irina, who is married off to a tzar with a terrifying secret.

Want to know whether her story is just as magical as its source material? Read on! Naomi Novik’s novel Spinning Silver is one of those reimaginings. Despite the story only being little over two pages long, Rumplestiltskin is one of the most famous fairy tales ever written, inspiring countless artists to interpret it in their own way.

Does that name ring a bell? It’s a fairy tale about a creature who could spin straw into gold, and who would not tell his name to anyone.

Spinning silver book review