She was safe for another moment, one more moment, and all of life was only moments, after all.
No matter how many books I've read, coming across that perfect story never gets old. And this one's about as amazing and magical as they come.
Spinning Silver is a tale of brave maidens and fearsome villains set against the cold, harsh, brutal winters of the kingdom of Lithvas. I'm not sure what I was expecting going in, but it certainly wasn't this. It felt like I was a kid again, reading a fairy tale of good versus evil and being swept away in all that magic.
Nothing makes me love a book more than a strong female character, and this book has three! Our heroines are clever, courageous, and spirited. Each has been dealt a crappy hand in life, but they don't let that get them down. Instead of waiting for a man to save them, they use ingenuity and hard work to turn their circumstances around, saving themselves and everyone around them. You guys, I swooned!
From the very first page, this book grabbed me and didn't let go. I was riveted. Not only was the story charming and mesmerizing, but the writing was too. There was an exquisiteness to it that perfectly suited this rich tapestry of a tale.
Nowadays, it feels like no one does standalone fantasies anymore. Every fantasy must be a series, and the more books the better. But there's something to be said about a whole tale and a whole universe encompassed entirely in just one book. The worldbuilding is tighter, the pacing brisk, and the fluff trimmed to nonexistent. There's a sense of urgency here that propels the story forward, and the reader along with it.
Because it feels a bit trimmed down, not every scene is spelled out in excruciating detail when it's already clear what's going on. And I love that. Just like the fairy tales of old, it's up to the reader's imagination to fill in between the lines and behind the scenes. It harkens back to my youth when imagination was such a big part of my life. And it leaves me wanting more instead of hoping for less.
Usually it's better to go into a book blind, but in this case, the one thing you should know is that while this story is told in first person, the actual narrator switches between several different characters and it's unmarked. If you're aware of that, it's fairly easy to catch on to the change. The first time I read this, I wasn't, and it made for a bit of brief confusion.
When I think of the ideal fantasy, what I want is for it to be epic and accessible at the same time. And that's this story. The scale feels immense and stunning, but you also fall into the story easily. And the end result is a thoroughly fun and exhilarating experience, one which I adored every moment of.
This was a pick for my Book of the Month box. Get your first book for $5 here.
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