Spinning Silver in Into the Forest

Jan 21, 2020 Kate Forsyth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fairytale-retelling

My eldest son put a pile of Naomi Novik’s books on my bedside table years ago and said, ‘you must read these, Mum, you’d love them.’ But I didn’t read them (I was busy, so many books, so little time, you know how it goes.) Her books got pushed to the back of the shelf, and spun over with cobwebs, and furred over with dust, and sank away out of sight under the weight of all the other books.

Then a writer-friend of mine, Anna Campbell, asked me on Twitter if I’d read Spinning Silver yet, and I had ...more

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Sep 25, 2018 Shomeret rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This is the first book I've read by Naomi Novik, but I particularly wanted to read this one because of Miryem, the Jewish protagonist. I'm also interested in fairy tale retellings, but usually without any Faerie element. I'm kind of allergic to Faerie. Novik uses a Russian type name for her Fae, but they're pretty much the same as the Celtic Fae.

There's some great characterization and a few wonderful scenes. but the pace drags. More than half of the book had me turning pages waiting for somethi ...more

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Jul 22, 2018 Katy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Good mashup of several fairy tales in a new story. Nicely done.

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Mar 21, 2019 Tam G rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history-historical, fantasy, fable-or-fairy-tale, women-s-issues

Wow.

I'm responding to the audio version read by Lisa Flanagan, which is stellar. It can be difficult to voice characters who obviously speak a language other than English without giving a pidgin or limited language affect (more obvious in the reading of Novik's book Uprooted). It's even harder to voice multiple characters of different classes or people groups. Again, we're somewhat familiar with class accents in English (cockney vs. Oxford or Bronx vs. Wall Street), but it's harder for us to im Wow.

I'm responding to the audio version read by Lisa Flanagan, which is stellar. It can be difficult to voice characters who obviously speak a language other than English without giving a pidgin or limited language affect (more obvious in the reading of Novik's book Uprooted). It's even harder to voice multiple characters of different classes or people groups. Again, we're somewhat familiar with class accents in English (cockney vs. Oxford or Bronx vs. Wall Street), but it's harder for us to imagine a Russian peasant vs. a Russian Jewish woman vs. a Duke's daughter. Flanagan does it all well, never letting us think down to the peasant, but still making her a unique voice.

The same is true of Novik's work. Novik's peasant is much different than her Jewish moneylender, who is different from the Tsarina. None of these women come off as less intelligent or just 'less' than the others, but even so Novik gets across the concreteness of the peasantry vs. the political finesse of the gentry. She also manages to allow the characters to be who they are unapologetically. The moneylender is allowed to be tough-minded and assertive, even as her parents are allowed to be empathetic and passive. Neither is considered less of a person for who they are. Even when the main characters actions are opposed, we understand the personal necessity of their choices.

This sense of balance works it's way through the tale. Often stories which follow more than one person suffer from imbalance. You would rather be with one character more than the other. I didn't feel that happen here. Even the non-magical character, Wanda, is essential to the story, and the story told by her, or her brother Stephan, is deeply moving.

The story itself is an interesting mix of many things; Jewish wonder tales, the power of names, Rumpulstilskin, Russian tales of saints, high, cold elves in the Tolkein sense, fire demons (which still reminds me of Howl's Moving Castle and probably will forever), the protective mother entering another object to watch over her children in death, dual worlds, dual villains. Each of these blended confidently into the whole.

Really well done fantasy and probably the best book I've read in a few years. Highly recommended.
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Feb 02, 2019 Emily rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, read-in-2019, fantasy

Rumpelstiltskin-y with marginalized Jews in Tsarist Russia and alternate world fairies. And Chernobog. I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the characterizations and the different points of view. I also appreciated that one of the main characters was from a marginalized Jewish family of moneylenders, and the author talked about how the Jews were treated.

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Jun 24, 2018 Lois Young rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin" takes place in the same universe as "Uprooted" (2015)—according to Novik herself—only this time we get a battle between the elements of fire and ice. And no, this will NOT remind you of George R.R. Martin! Once again, we are pulled into a world where magic and talent are desired and have consequences.

The plot is simple: three women from different socioeconomic (and religious) backgrounds are trying to make the best of their current situation and live up to This retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin" takes place in the same universe as "Uprooted" (2015)—according to Novik herself—only this time we get a battle between the elements of fire and ice. And no, this will NOT remind you of George R.R. Martin! Once again, we are pulled into a world where magic and talent are desired and have consequences.

The plot is simple: three women from different socioeconomic (and religious) backgrounds are trying to make the best of their current situation and live up to their families’ expectations. At the same time, they and the rest of the kingdom are all trying to avoid any confrontation with the Staryk: magical humanoids with silver hair and silver eyes who have an affinity with ice, snow, and anything related to winter. However, no one can avoid the Staryk or their goal.

The narrative is told from the point-of-view of six characters: Miryem, Wanda, Irina, and three other characters that have close ties to the three female protagonists. This method of storytelling allows for the readers to learn of the characters’ backgrounds and motivations while at the same time, read the events as they occur in real time. Readers not only gain a better understanding of the characters and their predicaments, but also learn of the Staryk’s motivations and ambitions.

The characters are more than what others perceive them to be. First, Miryem takes over her father’s job as a moneylender in order to save her family from poverty and starvation, especially during an unusually long winter. Next, Wanda and her brothers are trying to stave off starvation, too. However, they fear their drunken and abusive father and his ambitions more than hunger. Last, Irina—who knows she’s her father’s unwanted, yet valued child—decides to use her two talents surrounding the predicament of her marriage: intellect and magic. Readers learn about the Staryk, too. This includes their reasons for gathering gold and elongating winter. All of the characters are trying to survive their current situations, to fight a common nemesis, and to hope for a better outcome in their lives.

The style of Novik’s novel is a retelling of the fairy tale, "Rumpelstiltskin," told from the viewpoints of six characters. While the Grimm Brothers’ variant of this fairy tale is the one most recognized, it is not the only one. That being said, the familiarity of the older story is in the novel. After all, the title is "Spinning Silver." In addition, Naomi Novik returns to the theme of magic and its consequences, which is the same as it was in "Uprooted."

The appeal of this novel is deserving of all the hype! Even though Naomi Novik has been writing fantasy for several years—checkout the "Temeraire" series—"Spinning Silver" is for fans of Robin McKinley, and for readers who can appreciate a fantasy or a fairy tale with some twists and complexities. If you haven’t already done so, then read Uprooted, too! And, for your information, just because this novel is categorized as “fantasy” and as a “fairy tale retelling” does NOT mean it is categorized as a young adult novel! This novel is for adult readers.

I enjoyed this novel because I was just as immersed in "Spinning Silver" and I was in other fantasy stories I’ve read beforehand. Since I was already familiar with both Novik’s style, and with the story of "Rumpelstiltskin," it was easy for me to get into this novel. I loved the characters, the interactions between the characters, the inclusion of the various backgrounds and cultures, and the uses of magic mentioned throughout the story. I hope you will find it enjoyable, too! I will be re-reading "Spinning Silver" in the future. All readers need to read this novel! ...more

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Sep 27, 2019 JS rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fairy-tales, fantasy, romance, top-picks, loved-it

Holy crud, so good. An awesome, complex tale based loosely on Rumpelstiltskin, with nods to a number of other fairy tales (I caught Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, a couple others that seemed like maybes). This story was exactly my cup of tea.

Plus, no spoiler here, but I thought the very ending (we're talking about the last couple paragraphs) were spot-on perfect. Love love love.

Okay, enough gushing. I just really enjoyed it. Though truly the ending may have given it the fifth star. :)

Rating: PG ...more

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