A review by jennireadsmaybe
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • 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
I'm an extremely character driven reader, so Spinning Silver definitely suited my particular interest. It's all about women gaining agency. Miryem, Wanda, and Irina all live such different lives, but they are all suffering under the weight of a world that demands women be less. Naomi Novik weaves so much real world commentary into this Slavic inspired fantasy that not only applies to the books original release date but also now eight years later. To quote my eleventh grade English teacher's thoughts on one of my essays, "this is a feminist document." 

I wanted a polar fantasy and Spinning Silver certainly delivered. Everything in the world is informed by the freezing cold of a seemingly endless winter. The Staryk kingdom needs winter to flourish, so the characters must live with those consequences. The characters stories all come together so well. 
Though the beginning is a bit bogged down with so much exposition to get there, in the end the book is such a beautiful story. 

Read this if you like polar fantasy, women gaining agency, fantasy that isn't afraid to comment on real world issues, and the power of choices. 
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