Spinning Silver

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik   469 pages

I’m always willing to give an author a chance to challenge my first impressions of their work, so I tried a second title by Naomi Novik. Spinning Silver holds all the ingredients of a magic spell, but the execution leaves one cold and unsatisfied. 

Novik introduces three daring female protagonists in this clever re-imagining of Rumpelstiltskin. Here is a realm of magic and mysticism, of cruelty and heartbreak, fringed with glittering ice and populated with creatures carved from the wildest corners of the imagination. The initial chapters titillate with high stakes, compelling characters, and enchanting descriptions and details, but the narrative is soon bogged down by several ruinous flaws.

Despite encountering wondrous and unexpected forms of magic, Novik's characters are neither astonished nor surprised. Their flat response evokes a perpetual sense of apathy, a problem that's exacerbated by glacial pacing, further compounded by two of the female protagonists having such similar plot lines as to feel redundant.

The final nail in the coffin - or icicle in the heart - is the inclusion of multiple Points of View. Novik opens with two primary voices, but more characters are introduced as the story progresses. A change in POV is indicated by an icon of a spinning wheel, but the speaker is not identified and new character voices are dropped without preamble. Not only does this create extra work and confusion, Novik elects to recount scenes from varied perspectives, resulting in even more redundancy.

Overall, Spinning Silver holds all the ingredients of a magic spell, but the execution leaves one cold and unsatisfied. 

Posted by: Regina C.