By Naomi Novik
Del Rey, 2018, 466 pages, Fantasy
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father is not a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has left his family on the edge of poverty—until Miryem intercedes. Hardening her heart, she sets out to retrieve what is owed, and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. But when an ill-advised boast brings her to the attention of the cold creatures who haunt the wood, nothing will be the same again.
Novik’s retelling of the Rumplestiltskin fairytale looks almost nothing like the original. Her skill in taking a classic story and reworking it into something completely new and refreshing leaves me in awe. The story is told from the viewpoint of multiple characters, and each one of them has a distinct voice and a storyline that kept me equally engaged. Fans of fairytale retellings and authors such as Katherine Arden and Eowyn Ivey won’t want to miss this one!
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