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Spinning Silver

A rich and enchanting fairytale retelling from the author of Uprooted

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Spinning Silver

By: Naomi Novik
Narrated by: Katy Sobey
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About this listen

Will dark magic claim their home?

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s too kind-hearted to collect his debts. They face poverty, until Miryem hardens her own heart and takes up his work in their village. Her success creates rumours she can turn silver into gold, which attract the fairy king of winter himself. He sets her an impossible challenge – and if she fails, she’ll die. Yet if she triumphs, it may mean a fate worse than death. And in her desperate efforts to succeed, Miryem unwittingly spins a web which draws in the unhappy daughter of a lord.

Irina’s father schemes to wed her to the tsar – he will pay any price to achieve this goal. However, the dashing tsar is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of mortals and winter alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and Irina embark on a quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power and love.

As with her standalone novel Uprooted, Naomi Novik has once again been influenced by classic folktales. Taking Rumpelstiltskin as her starting point, Spinning Silver is a rich, multilayered new story which is a joy to read.

Fantasy Historical Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

Cool and clever and warm and satisfying and dire and wonderful; I loved this book so much (Laini Taylor)
A book as cool and mysterious as a winter’s night, with two marvelous heroines at its heart. Spinning Silver pits the cold of endless winter against the fires of duty, love and sacrifice. I couldn’t put it down (Katherine Arden)
Dauntless women, cruel lords and wayward fairies come together in a beautifully realised world. Brimming over with fairy-tale magic, SPINNING SILVER proves Naomi Novik to be a master fantasist at the top of her game (Zen Cho)
Lovely, intricate and strong. A gorgeous read. The sort of book one reads again and again (Genevieve Cogman)
Enchanting, in every sense of that fine old word. A charming and inviting story that looks unflinchingly at the strangling roots of hurt and revenge (Robin Hobb on Uprooted)
I didn't know how much I wanted to read a book like this until it was already in my hands. Uprooted has everything I love about Novik's writing style, with the added bonus of some old world magic and the flavor of a dark faerie story (Patrick Rothfuss on Uprooted)
The magic in Uprooted, with its realistic moral dimension, is so vividly believable that it almost seems you could work the spells. But the book will do that for you (Ursula K. Le Guin on Uprooted)
Uprooted has everything I love: a great heroine, new takes on old myths and legends, and surprising twists and turns. A delight (Cassandra Clare on Uprooted)
This gorgeous, complex, and magical novel...rises well above a mere modern re-imagining of classic tales…Novik probes the edges between the everyday and the extraordinary, balancing moods of wonder and of inevitability. Her work inspires deep musings about love, wealth, and commitment, and embodies the best of the timeless fairy-tale aesthetic…This is the kind of book that one might wish to inhabit forever (Publishers Weekly, Starred Review)
A remarkable achievement... Confirms a huge step forward for Novik (SFX Magazine, 5 Stars)
Novik outdoes herself in Spinning Silver... A fairy tale in the most epic of ways, but one with a strong, proud and beautiful heart at the centre of it (The Bookbag, 5 Stars)
Novik has created something that deserves to be a sure fire hit - a tale that's ancient, contemporary, traditional and yet forward thinking (The Bookbag, 5 Stars)
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I have been in a bit of a reading funk of late, not really able to sit down and really get through a novel.

Blow me away if I didn't break that slump when I downloaded Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. I found myself entirely engrossed: immersed in her story, the characters, and their world. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it, just waiting until I could steal away from university and work to pick it up once more.

The ending left me with a bewildering feeling of sadness that it was over, as well as the sweet satisfaction that can only come from a well-told story, ended well.

If you are a fan of fairy-tail retellings, Russian folklore, interesting and distinct characters, marvellous worlds, and enough twists and turns to keep your chest tight to the very last pages, I highly recommend this audiobook.

I feel I should also mention that the primary protagonist (of which there are 3) is a Jewish girl. I was pleasantly surprised to hear this perspective in a fantasy tale. I have not come across it before and must advocate that more authors follow Novik's lead.

The reader performs well, for the most part, she has distinct voices for each POV character. Her diction can be repetitive at times but does not take away from the story at all.

You Won't be Able to Put this Book Down!

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First of all, the narrator, Katy Sobey is EVERYTHING! So glad she came back to give yet another superb narration of one of Naomi's novels (listen to Uprooted, if you haven't already). I am in awe of her talent as a voice actor. She AND Naomi Novik take you on a journey to another world in this beautiful tale, which tells the stories of three very different young women.

I love that Naomi shies away from depicting these women as perfectly beautiful creatures in a 'Cinderella-like' way. Each character is an individual with fears and flaws, capable of making mistakes or missteps. But make no mistake, these women are intelligent and courageous, and when the time comes, willing to take charge of their own destinies, despite the times and circumstances they live in.

There are echoes of many different fairytales woven into Spinning Silver, but with their own twist - Rumpelstiltskin and The Snow Queen being the main two. There is definitely a nod to the sometimes gruesome nature of the old German fairytales and fables.

This book is fantastic. I can't wait to lose myself in it again soon.

I never wanted it to end! Simply wonderful!

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loved it. a little difficult to always know which character was leading the chapter, but thoroughly enjoyable.

excellent

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Naomi Novik writes wonderful, compelling stories and it is beautifully read by Katy Sobey. Listen!

Very enjoyable.

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Another enjoyable story by this author. I love her story telling style, it always has pace and plot turns. The story is told from different character perspectives and sometimes I found that disconcerting. But overall I loved how she made winter into a person & magical realm. Again, well narrated by Katy Sobey.

Another great story by Naomi Novik

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