Found my new favourite book. What a delight. Amazing character work and worldbuilding. Beautifully written. Just the right amount of will-they-wont-they, even though that’s not the main point of the story. I listened to the audiobook on Audible and the narrator is also FANTASTIC. She really did give each character a different voice. Im absolutely in love with this story. ( )

Because Once Upon a Time... group is reading it July 2023...
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Nope. P. 110 (twice as far as I usually read for a dnf!) and I am exhausted by the unrelenting misery. Skimmed the ending, saw a glimpse of a hint that the good people, some of them anyway, survived, but certainly nothing like an HEA. So, no, I don't like grim fantasy about how awful it is to be a woman.

dnf July 2023

This took me FOREVER because it was SO SLOW in the beginning. I couldn’t get into it. Then at about 30%, it took off and I couldn’t put it down. 3 stars for a slow start and waaaaaaay too many narrators. ( )

I grew attached to every one of the characters in this book... And the more the plot grew, so did they.... Three main stories that each held me deep. I don't think I liked one more than the other, and each story had happy endings. This is my all new favorite book ❤️ ( )

Like [b:Uprooted|22544764|Uprooted|Naomi Novik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550135418l/22544764._SX50_.jpg|41876730], another of Novik's excellent fantasy novels, 'Spinning Silver' is a brilliantly constructed twist on fairy tales and mythology. In this case, Russian mythology and a conflict between magical ice and fire beings. The tale is told via three female protagonists, who try to protect their loved ones from magical and more prosaic dangers. I adored the characters, plot, and world-building. Given my love of snow, the lavish descriptions of endless snowy winter in the Staryk realm were a delight. The protagonists' similar yet sometimes conflicting motivations made for a very compelling narrative. I appreciated the complexity of playing off one supernatural power against the other and the difficult trade-offs involved.

The magic was also fascinating, as it worked very differently in the human and Staryk realms. Miryem's skill is shown ingeniously and I really liked the role played by her Jewish family in the plot. Both Miryem and Irina display considerable ingenuity and bravery, taking the initiative to negotiate for what they want. Wanda has much less scope for this, as she lacks the privileges of birth, wealth, and family support that the other two have at least some of. She nonetheless takes the initiative and has an important role in events. I would like to have seen more of the friendship between the three, as they are each so vivid and interesting. The plot resolution is nonetheless brilliant, simultaneously moving, neat, and satisfying. 'Spinning Silver' gave me exactly what I want from fantasy: thoughtful allegories for reality, exciting adventures, picturesque settings, strange magic, appealing protagonists who make smart decisions, and a lot of escapism. ( )