Similar voices spoken.

Sometimes hard to work out which character is speaking because readers voice does not change. I still loved the story.

1 person found this helpful

loved it but a small warning

Enjoyed this a lot, for a bunch of rrasons but a word of warning. the narrator doesn't seperate the character's voices much and because the author or people who to turned this to audio didn't give any heads up when your shifting between characters from one paragraph or sub chapter to the next it can sometimes be a bit disorienting figuring out which character’s scene it is. particularly if you haven't listened for a day or two.
but please don't hesitate to listen as the story and performance are otherwise great!

3 people found this helpful

Glorious.

I loved this story and wanted it never to end. The story of three women, beautifully intertwined.

1 person found this helpful

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

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.

1 person found this helpful

I never wanted it to end! Simply wonderful!

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.

1 person found this helpful

I tried. Twice.

Although the story was going well for me, I couldn't get past the reader ending every phrase and every sentence with the same upturned inflection. It was really distracting. When new characters were speaking, they too had the same voice and upturned inflection. Took a while to figure out that someone new was speaking. Didn't finish.

2 people found this helpful

Moral, magical and white!

Such a delight to listen to! Naomi Novik has a gift for creating, within a single book, a depth and history for her characters which provides a great basis for a ‘reality’ that she gently weaves magic around - making it feel true as ever. Her stories accomplish quickly what could easily be explored over many books but are neatly and rightly wrapped in a single volume. I love Katy Sobey’s narration I will be searching for other books she has performed for the pleasure in how she reads them.

2 people found this helpful

Really enjoyable read

Fell in love with this kingdom and it’s characters. I don’t know if it was Audi Award winning good narration but it was better than most. Definite must purchase and listen

Enchanting Fairytale Retelling

A beautiful and engaging story that never disappoints. It’s ostensibly a retelling of the Rumplestiltskin fairytale but it is also the tale of three strong, courageous women, a tar of worth and wealth and magic and other worlds that interconnect and weave in and out of this one.
Definitely for you if you like fairytales and probably still for you if you don’t but love a well told story. 😁

Absolutely enchanting

Loved every moment of this enchanting tale. The narration was perfectly suited to this story. A very unique fairy tale.