It’s never wise to brag where the Staryk can hear you…. One of my favorite authors, Naomi Novik, once again brings fairy tales to life in Spinning Silver. This stand-alone novel came out last year and is a chilling tale that blends a Slavic-inspired fantasy world with a loose retelling of “Rumpelstiltskin.” If you love folklore, badass female characters, and hefty fantasy novels, this book will be right up your alley!
Spinning Silver interweaves the stories of three young women. Its central protagonist is Miryem, the daughter of a Jewish moneylender who decides to take over the family trade when her father fails to get the townspeople to repay their debts. Miryem’s natural skill for moneylending reverses her family’s fortunes, but she makes the mistake of bragging about her ability to “turn silver into gold” within the hearing of the Staryk—the icy fae-like creatures that prowl the woods. When the Staryk king shows up at her door demanding gold, Miryem must make a series of bargains to save herself, her family, and her people. The story’s other main protagonist is Irena, the plain-faced daughter of an ambitious duke who adorns her in Staryk silver in order to catch the eye of the young tsar. But the tsar is tormented by a demon that wants to devour Irena for the trace of Staryk blood she inherited from her mother. Miryem and Irena come up with a plan to pit the demon and the Staryk king against each other in the hopes of escaping them both. The last of the three women is Wanda, a simple peasant girl who finds refuge from her abusive father by working off his debts in Miryem’s home. Once out from under her father’s thumb, Wanda learns the true meanings of love, loyalty, and bravery.
What drew me into this story is Naomi Novik’s impeccable world-building, which is most evident in her portrayal of the Staryk. These mythical beings are reminiscent of Celtic-style fae, except that they embody the icy winters of Lithvas—a realm meant to resemble historical Lithuania. Like traditional fairies, the Staryk love bargains and take them very seriously (and literally). Something else they take seriously are names—an area where Jewish mysticism and the traditional folk beliefs found in stories like “Rumplestiltskin” overlap. Names have power, and knowing someone’s true name can give you control over them. These subtle bits of myth and folklore serve to make the Staryk feel both familiar and completely unique.
Another aspect that I loved about this story is its messy, complicated villains. The first antagonist that we’re introduced to is the Staryk king, whose heartless disregard for human life and cruel bargains initially make him out to be a pretty clear bad guy. However, we soon learn that the Staryk king is not motivated by cruelty but by an honest desire to serve his people. His constant clashes with Miryem are half due to cultural differences and half due to conflicting interests. But if Miryem can find a way to save both her own people and the Staryk, then perhaps she can make an ally out of her enemy. The tsar, Mirnatius, is the story’s other villain. But in truth, it is the demon possessing him, Chernobog, that is evil and Mirnatius is as much the demon’s victim as anyone else. Irena finds her feelings for her unwanted husband slowly changing as she learns to separate the man from the monster within him. I do really love a good bad guy!
If you want to read Spinning Silver for yourself, you can find it on shelves at your local retailer. Or you can buy it online and support The Gothic Library in the process by clicking on this Bookshop.org affiliate link. If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts on it in the comments!