Synopsis:
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty—until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk—grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh—Miryem’s fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. She will face an impossible challenge and, along with two unlikely allies, uncover a secret that threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike.

Review:
“But the world I wanted wasn’t the world I lived in, and if I would do nothing until I could repair every terrible thing at once, I would do nothing forever.” (Page 404)

This book was more than I ever could have asked or expected. While clearly a take, in some regard, to Rumpelstiltskin, this book turns the tale on its head. I absolutely loved how the Jewish religion played into this book. As someone who is not of the religion featured, I found it really interesting how in depth the book was, especially regarding the prejudices that many would have from practicing another religion. I loved how everyone was willing to take when they didn’t think there would be any repayments; and that Miryem was done with that. In fact, most of the women featured were done with the glass boxes they were placed within and were ready to do whatever it took to forge something new and worthwhile.

I absolutely loved the Staryk; fey/fae creatures that clearly do not have much care for humans at all. The Staryk king very much suffers from what most do, or so it appears–those who have the power think that they should be able to wield it however they see fit. While there are still stores to be filled with gold, and magic abound, what makes this retelling stand apart is the soul of it all; everyone is doing what they believe is best to serve and save those they love. All of the characters have great depth and history, allowing a deeper understanding of motives and desires.

I wasn’t sure how I would find another book to fall into after this because it really had me. I read and reread Paul O. Zelinsky’s Rumpelstiltskin more times than I could count growing up. I took it out of the school library endlessly, and every week my Grampa read it to me again and again. This book gave me the same feeling of being deeply embroiled in a story that you could truly get lost in. I cannot recommend this novel enough. The ending is truly what makes it a masterpiece. Very well done by Novik!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

*The cover of this book has changed for kindle, and as I prefer the one still listed as the Paperback and Hardcover, that is the picture I have included.