“Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik
This was another book that I couldn't really fault. It has an interesting story, and was rooted in a folklore I'm not familiar with. It had a strong sense of heritage and culture outside of my own. Yet, I simply couldn't get lost in it as much as I would have thought I would.
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.
I'm a big fan of Naomi Novick's writing. And so, when I saw Spinning Silver in my local bookshop, I picked it up on a whim. I didn't know anything about it beforehand. I only knew that I had really enjoyed Uprooted and so thought it likely I would enjoy this one as well.
But while I did enjoy it, I just couldn't get into it.
I had no problems actually reading it. It's well written, with interesting characters and an engaging story, and so isn't one of those literary novels that's physically difficult to get through. It was just I could never get myself enthused to do so. There was never a point where I realised I'd stayed up reading far later than I'd planned to, or wished a journey on public transport could be longer so I could keep reading. I merely continued reading it because I'd started until I finally got through it.
I do think the story drags a little in the middle, which doesn't help. The beginning is very good, unfolding at a pace that gradually pulls us in and builds the world. And the ending is captivating and was the only real part that truly grabbed me. Once I got to the final 100 or so pages, I truly couldn't put it down. But the middle is definitely overlong and drags out the plot longer than it needed to. I don't think it actually needed to be any shorter than it was, as much as Novik needed to pull in a little more action in sooner. By the end of the story, we have a view of the conflict between the opposing supernatural powers. But we needed to see this long before it was made clear. I think if we'd known more of the motivations of our more powerful and mysterious characters, it would have been easier to want to read on.
Overall, I can't really recommend Spinning Silver. But I can't not recommend it either. There is nothing actually wrong with it other than being a bit slow in the middle. But this still shouldn't be enough for me to not have enjoyed it more. I guess sometimes a book will simply not engage you, however good it might be.
