Gilded (Gilded, #1) in What's the Name of That Book???

Jul 21, 2021 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: from-publisher, edelweiss

As a young man Serilda Moller's father earned favor for his daughter from Wyrdith, the god of stories and fortune. But everyone knows a blessing from a god is not so different from a curse; especially when it comes from a trickster god like Wyrdith, the god of lies themself.

Now Serilda is almost grown and known throughout the village of Märchenfeld. The children adore her for her stories. The adults, quicker to call her a liar, are decidedly less enthusiastic. But Serilda knows every story has t As a young man Serilda Moller's father earned favor for his daughter from Wyrdith, the god of stories and fortune. But everyone knows a blessing from a god is not so different from a curse; especially when it comes from a trickster god like Wyrdith, the god of lies themself.

Now Serilda is almost grown and known throughout the village of Märchenfeld. The children adore her for her stories. The adults, quicker to call her a liar, are decidedly less enthusiastic. But Serilda knows every story has two sides and she knows the power in telling the most interesting story possible spinning a tale as rich as gold from seemingly nothing.

Serilda is mostly content with her small life at the mill with her father until one of her tales draws the attention of the Erlking. Whisked away by his wild hunt, Serilda is ordered to make one of her biggest lies come true. He wants her to spin straw into gold.

Desperate to save herself and her father from the Erlking's ire, Serilda makes a bargain with a mysterious boy who haunts the Erlking's castle. Not quite a ghost but not quite human, the boy wants to help. But all magic requires payment. And as Serilda's lies get bigger and her feelings for the boy grow, Serilda is uncertain how much more she can afford to pay.

There are two sides to every story. The hero and the villain. The dark and the light. The blessing and the curse. Fortunes are always changing. And Serilda will soon learn that the turning of fortune's wheel might be the greatest lie of all in Gilded (2021) by Marissa Meyer.

Gilded is the first book in a duology retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Although the story is grounded in Germanic folklore and Serilda is white, Meyer works to create a world that is more inclusive than that of traditional fairytales with secondary characters with brown skin and LGBTQ+ relationships. The gods in the pantheon of this world are non-binary.

Serilda is a sly narrator who is keenly aware of her reputation as a liar--a reputation she does little to deny even to her detriment--although she views her world with clear eyes and honest assessments of her place in it as well as the dangers of drawing the Erlking's attention.

Fully developed characters and lush settings combine with Meyer's nuanced world building and intricately presented mythology to create a riveting adventure. Serilda's travails and her resilience keep the story moving forward despite the high page count (512 pages hardcover).

Meyer returns to her roots with this latest reinterpretation of Rumpelstiltskin. Gilded imbues the source material with gothic horrors, mythical creatures, and dangerous magic to create a dark and thrilling tale.

Possible Pairings: A Curse As Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George, A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow, Stain by A. G. Howard, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, Little Thieves by Margaret Owen, The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde, Realm of Ruins by Hannah West, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration* ...more

Like · see review

Apr 29, 2022 junia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I love it when MM writes darker books. Her book Heartless still makes me randomly sad. This was super well done, super nuanced, and although the Erlking reminds me of the Darkling from that one other series, it's still good. Not happy that as a standalone book it's not great, and the building romance felt a bit fake/tropey (female lead not thinking she's pretty - needs male to confirm), but in general, great unique twist on Rumpelstiltskin. ...more

Like · see review