Gilded by Marissa Meyer is an amazing fairy tale retelling that will appeal to fans of Little Thieves or Six Crimson Cranes. The story revolves around Serilda, a young woman whose only talent is spinning tales. One day, she tells the dark Erlking that she can spin straw into gold. Soon, she's kidnapped and given a night to do just that. Desperate, she makes a deal with a mysterious boy, and he grants her wish of spinning the straw into gold. Will Serilda be able to keep up the charade for the Erlking? Who is the mysterious boy who came to her aid? And will their deal turn into something more?
Here is an enchanting excerpt from Chapter 2, which establishes the setting:
"Serilda drew her cloak tight as she left the schoolhouse. There was still an hour of daylight— plenty of time to get home to the mill— but this winter had been colder than any she could remember, with snow nearly to her knees and dangerous patches of ice where wagon wheels had cut slushy grooves along the roads. The wetness was sure to have soaked through her boots and into her stockings long before she got home, and she was dreading the misery of it just as much as she was looking forward to the fire her father would have started in the hearth and the bowl of steaming broth she would drink while she warmed her toes.
These midwinter walks home from the school were the only times Serilda wished they didn’t live quite so far outside of town. Bracing herself against the cold, she pulled up the hood and surged forward. Head lowered, arms crossed, pace as quick as she would allow while trying not to slip on the treacherous ice lurking under the most recent layer of feather-soft snow. The crisp air mingled with the smell of wood smoke from nearby chimneys.
...
The world was full of small enchantments, when one was willing to look for them. And Serilda was always looking."
Overall, Gilded is a great YA fantasy and the first in a new series for a famous author. I wasn't aware that it was the first in a series, but after that cliffhanger, I added the second book to my TBR right away. One highlight of this book is the magical, old-timey, German-ish setting of the book. I thought it was the perfect setting for the mystery and fairy-tale nature of the plot. If I had to complain about one thing, I would say that the first half of the book is pretty slow. I was satisfied with the romance, action, and twists in the last quarter of the book though. I can't wait for the sequel! If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy, you won't regret checking out this book, which is available now!
Here is an enchanting excerpt from Chapter 2, which establishes the setting:
"Serilda drew her cloak tight as she left the schoolhouse. There was still an hour of daylight— plenty of time to get home to the mill— but this winter had been colder than any she could remember, with snow nearly to her knees and dangerous patches of ice where wagon wheels had cut slushy grooves along the roads. The wetness was sure to have soaked through her boots and into her stockings long before she got home, and she was dreading the misery of it just as much as she was looking forward to the fire her father would have started in the hearth and the bowl of steaming broth she would drink while she warmed her toes.
These midwinter walks home from the school were the only times Serilda wished they didn’t live quite so far outside of town. Bracing herself against the cold, she pulled up the hood and surged forward. Head lowered, arms crossed, pace as quick as she would allow while trying not to slip on the treacherous ice lurking under the most recent layer of feather-soft snow. The crisp air mingled with the smell of wood smoke from nearby chimneys.
...
The world was full of small enchantments, when one was willing to look for them. And Serilda was always looking."
Overall, Gilded is a great YA fantasy and the first in a new series for a famous author. I wasn't aware that it was the first in a series, but after that cliffhanger, I added the second book to my TBR right away. One highlight of this book is the magical, old-timey, German-ish setting of the book. I thought it was the perfect setting for the mystery and fairy-tale nature of the plot. If I had to complain about one thing, I would say that the first half of the book is pretty slow. I was satisfied with the romance, action, and twists in the last quarter of the book though. I can't wait for the sequel! If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy, you won't regret checking out this book, which is available now!