Can dark magic claim their home?

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s too kind-hearted to collect his bills. They face poverty, until Miryem hardens her own heart and occupies his work within their town. Her success creates rumours she can change silver into platinum, which draw in the fairy ruler of wintertime himself. He sets her an impossible problem – and if she fails, she’ll die. Yet if she triumphs, it could mean a fate worse than loss of life. And in her eager about Spinning Gold efforts to achieve success, Miryem unwittingly spins an internet which draws in the unhappy little girl of a lord.

Irina’s father plans to wed her towards the tsar – he’ll pay any price to achieve this objective. However, the dashing tsar is not what he seems. And the trick he hides threatens to take the lands of mortals and wintertime alike. Torn between dangerous options, Miryem and Irina embark on a search that will consider them to the limitations of sacrifice, power and love.

Much like her standalone novel Uprooted, Naomi Novik has once again been influenced by classic folktales. Acquiring Rumpelstiltskin as her starting point, Spinning Silver can be a wealthy, multilayered new story which really is a pleasure to read.