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astrangewind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The characters come alive on the page: Miryem, the moneylender who pays her debts; Wanda, the strong helper who devotes herself to those she loves; Irina, the practical-minded leader who would do anything for her people. Even the more minor characters who we see a lot of later
Naomi Novik is a master of tone. Despite the number of characters who have first-person POV chapters, it is never unclear whose perspective it is. It's clever and subtle in an area where many authors falter. The writing itself, even, is the perfect level of descriptive; the world came alive around me.
The story of the fae and the moneylender lends itself well to problems of deals made, and fulfilling those deals in lateral ways, which I very much enjoy. I've heard from others (and I agree with it) that Spinning Silver has excellent reread value for this reason.
Naomi Novik's romance was a pleasure to read. It isn't overtly sexual, or even overtly romantic
The plot evolves, twisting and turning throughout the book, ageing and maturing. It's never too much, never any surprise plot twists, but the payoff of things set up on every page.
I don't know what else to say about this book. It's absolutely phenomenal. A true joy to read.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
bunnypunk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Rape, and Torture
carlithian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Antisemitism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Torture, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and War
sydapel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism and Child abuse
Moderate: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
erikagibson126's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism
kurumipanda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Blood, and Classism
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
vigil's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this book is the definition of "well done, but didn't need to be done at all" let's start with irina
and the sheer amount of unneeded povs.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse and Miscarriage
bethann_coleates's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Classism
sinceraly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Spinning Silver is an excellent adaption/retelling of Rumpelstiltskin that does a great job of setting itself apart from the original. The book is excellently written with some of the best prose I've read all year, and Novik is so incredibly skilled at describing things so well you really can picture them all in your head.
The only thing stopping me from rating the book 5 stars is the amount of perspectives the book gets written through, and the nonsense order of how they happen. At first it's as simple as Miryem/Wanda/Irina, but then you toss in perspectives from the tsar, from Irina's handmaiden, from Wanda's brother, and they all happen randomly, it feels like. Though I loved the switch in perspectives at first, eventually it led to the middle section of the book feeling disjointed and not as cohesive as it could have been. Maybe on a second read, I'd feel like it's worth it, but it was a big enough negative for me to keep the book from 5 stars.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol