The fae lord is a Staryk, and his frozen kingdom is in trouble until he finds Miryem. Set in a fiction world with Russian flavor, we learn about winter and how the fae are affecting it, we learn about demons and sorcerers, about the magic of silver and gold, and the strength of family bonds. Novik’s worldbuilding in SPINNING SILVER is as good as anything she’s done before. These women are brave but must use their wits–and help each other–in order to survive the ordeal ahead. Irina may be mousey on the outside, but inside she’s willing to fight a demon to save her life and the lives of those she loves. Wanda can’t help but compare her abused home life with Miryem and her loving parents, but the confidence she gains working for them changes who she is. Miryem’s ability to make silver into gold (via her moneylending and trading) attracts the attention of a fae lord–a king who is desperate to save his people and needs gold to do it. SPINNING SILVER revolves around the stories of these three women, and how their fates are intertwined. Irina is the neglected daughter of a duke’s first wife, who unexpectedly finds herself attracting the attention of the young and unmarried tsar. Miryem hires Wanda to work for her family as payment–and this simple act changes her life forever.
Wanda’s father owes Miryem’s father money, but as a drunk he often finds himself short of funds. She quickly discovers she’s good at it and soon their circumstances turn around for the better. When her father finds himself unsuited to the task of collecting client payments, she reaches a crisis point when their living conditions are so dire she takes on her father’s responsibilities.
Miryem is the headstrong daughter of a small-town moneylender. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. I went into SPINNING SILVER with the hope it was just as good, bought it, and carved out holiday me time so I could focus on the anticipated deliciousness–even though it’s been released for over a year (my bad).
When I did finally read it, I loved it and recommend it to anyone who would listen. I loved Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series (even during the trudging years), but when she departed from the dragons and wrote UPROOTED ( EBR Review) I admit I didn’t jump on board as quickly as I ought to have.
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