Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
My Twenty-first book for ljbookbingo is Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik for the Number or Color in the Title square found here.
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty-until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk-grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh-Miryem’s fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar. But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love. ~Amazon book description
This was an awesome book that is a mixture of Rumpelstiltskin and Russian folktales. I absolutely loved the main protagonist Miryem. When her mother becomes sick she takes over her father's job of moneylender and is 100% better at actually collecting on their clients debts. Clients who despise her and her family for the fact that they are Jewish. One day she boasts that she can change silver into gold and catches the attention of the Staryk king. The Staryk are fae who travel through the winter forest around Miryem's village. What I loved about Miryem was how strong and intelligent she is about how she deals with the Staryk and with the villagers. I also loved the other characters like Irina who is used by her father who is a duke as a pawn to gain power in the Russian nobility, and Wanda whose father is abusive and places little to no value on her life. All of these women have to take control of their lives in a world that tries to stop them from doing just that. I love how their stories are spun together with each other and with magic. It makes for a very engaging tale, that I highly recommend. I am going to have to go read Ms. Novik's other books now because I loved this one so much!
This entry was originally posted at https://under-the-silk-tree.dreamwidth.org/45346.html
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty-until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk-grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh-Miryem’s fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar. But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love. ~Amazon book description
This was an awesome book that is a mixture of Rumpelstiltskin and Russian folktales. I absolutely loved the main protagonist Miryem. When her mother becomes sick she takes over her father's job of moneylender and is 100% better at actually collecting on their clients debts. Clients who despise her and her family for the fact that they are Jewish. One day she boasts that she can change silver into gold and catches the attention of the Staryk king. The Staryk are fae who travel through the winter forest around Miryem's village. What I loved about Miryem was how strong and intelligent she is about how she deals with the Staryk and with the villagers. I also loved the other characters like Irina who is used by her father who is a duke as a pawn to gain power in the Russian nobility, and Wanda whose father is abusive and places little to no value on her life. All of these women have to take control of their lives in a world that tries to stop them from doing just that. I love how their stories are spun together with each other and with magic. It makes for a very engaging tale, that I highly recommend. I am going to have to go read Ms. Novik's other books now because I loved this one so much!
This entry was originally posted at https://under-the-silk-tree.dreamwidth.org/45346.html