Spinning Silver

Name: Spinning Silver
Author: Naomi Novik

by Naomi Novik

2018 · 465 pages · Fiction

79.1Must-Read
Score Modern

Critics' pick

≈ 12 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Miryem, a moneylender's daughter, takes over her soft-hearted father's business and boasts she can turn silver into gold, a boast that reaches the Staryk, cold fairy lords who demand she prove it. Her fate becomes tied to Wanda, a peasant girl escaping her abusive father, and to Irina, a duke's daughter married off to a tsar with a terrible secret, in this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.

Why it's worth reading

It was a finalist for both the Hugo and Nebula awards. It's a rich, wintry fairy tale with three remarkable heroines.

You'll love it if you liked

Uprooted, Circe or The Bear and the Nightingale

Good to know

It stands alone, unrelated to Uprooted. It's told by several narrators, which takes a chapter or two to settle into.

Quick answers

Is Spinning Silver worth reading?

Yes. It was a finalist for both the Hugo and Nebula awards. It ranks #448 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.1 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Spinning Silver about?

How long does it take to read Spinning Silver?

About 12 hours (465 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Spinning Silver?

If you liked it, try Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Circe by Madeline Miller or The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.

By the numbers

79.1Must-Read Score

Readers85 out of 100 · counts 42%
Critics43 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
Bestseller42 out of 100 · counts 14%
Buzz10 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Hugo Award finalist (2019).