Synopsis
Will dark magic claim their home?
Rumours have drawn unexpected attention – and now her life hangs in the balance. From the author of the award-winning Uprooted, Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver is a rich, original tale inspired by the folktale of Rumpelstiltskin.
‘Dire and wonderful; I loved this book so much’ – Laini Taylor, author of Strange the Dreamer
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father is too kind-hearted to collect his debts. They face poverty, until Miryem hardens her own heart and takes up his work in their village.
Her success creates a rumour that she can turn silver into gold, attracting the fairy king of winter himself. He sets her an impossible challenge – and if she fails, she will die. Yet if she triumphs, it may mean a fate worse than death. And, in her desperate efforts to succeed, Miryem unwittingly spins a web which draws in the unhappy daughter of a lord . . .
Irina’s father schemes to wed her to the tsar – he will pay any price to achieve this goal. However, the dashing tsar is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of mortals and winter alike.
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‘Pits the cold of endless winter against the fires of duty, love and sacrifice. I couldn’t put it down’ – Katherine Arden, author of The Bear and the Nightingale
‘Naomi Novik knows how to weave words into magic, and Spinning Silver enchants the reader from the first page’ – Christina Henry, author of Alice
‘I’m in awe of how Novik spins moldy, hateful straw into warm and glimmering gold’ – Amal El-Mohtar, author of This is How You Lose the Time War
Details
16 April 2026
9781035076215Reviews
Cool and clever and warm and satisfying and dire and wonderful; I loved this book so muchLaini Taylor, author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone
A book as cool and mysterious as a winter’s night, with two marvelous heroines at its heart. Spinning Silver pits the cold of endless winter against the fires of duty, love and sacrifice. I couldn’t put it downKatherine Arden, author of the Winternight Trilogy
Dauntless women, cruel lords and wayward fairies come together in a beautifully realised world. Brimming over with fairy-tale magic, SPINNING SILVER proves Naomi Novik to be a master fantasist at the top of her gameZen Cho, author of Spirits Abroad
Lovely, intricate and strong. A gorgeous read. The sort of book one reads again and againGenevieve Cogman, author of the invisible Library series
