Content levels
Trigger warnings
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
Miryem was brought up in a snowbound village, on the edge of a charmed forest. She comes from a family of moneylenders, but her kind father shirks his work. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, his family faces poverty - until Miryem intercedes. Hardening her heart, she sets out to retrieve what's owed, and her neighbours soon whisper that she can turn silver into gold. Then an ill-advised boast attracts the cold creatures that haunt the wood. Nothing will be the same again, for words have power. And the challenge she's issued will change the fate of a kingdom.Channelling the spirit of the original Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale, Naomi Novik has written a rich, multi-layered fantasy about sacrifice, power and love that is a joy to read.
Is Spinning Silver appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 14 and up.
This atmospheric fairy tale retelling features moderate fantasy peril including encounters with dangerous fae creatures, power dynamics involving forced marriage and magical coercion, and themes of economic hardship and family obligation. No graphic violence or sexual content.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, mild sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include emotional abuse, captivity, and class struggle (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will be drawn to the clever heroine who uses her wits and courage to navigate a dangerous bargain with otherworldly creatures while trying to save her family and kingdom.