I was going to wait for my Bookishfirst copy to arrive before reviewing but alas I am impatient and wanted to spill the beans.
I am a mixture of in love and impatient with this novel. I loved the German folklore. The way Meyer takes her readers through a whirlwind of older lores and classic tales is everything that I adore about her writing skills. Her characters always connect to my heart by the end of each book. Even the ones that may not rank as highly as others. This was no different. I especially like how it’s almost like a tale within tales within a tale.
But don’t let me get ahead of myself just yet. The majority of readers know the tale of Rumpelstiltskin; and while Meyer brings in parts of German folklore we may not know, it tended to get a little daunting and repetitive at times. You can tell this is a thickum novel, and while I do like big books, this could have shaved a bit off and held true to the plot Meyer was following. The romance I will leave for readers to decide on. I felt a bit of insta-love in the making but I also liked the twist from the original tale.
The worldbuilding was everything I wanted it to be with vivid imagery and her signature way of bringing her imagination to life in the pages. The mythological tie ins were well researched and wove expertly into the original tale. The main characters individually were fleshed out, but the side characters lacked the depth I am used to with other novels by Meyer. That aside, atmosphere is everything and the prose drips with gothic inspiration. It may have been what kept me going strong till the end.
I am a massive Meyer fan, and just like the others I will devour anything she puts to paper. Even though every element didn’t add up to create what I would place in my five-star category, Gilded is still an exquisite look into the talent and creative mind of this author. I would recommend to those who (of course) love Meyer, adore retellings and are truly fond of the young adult genre without critical expectations.
Thank you, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Fierce Reads, for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Shoutout to Bookishfirst for providing the opportunity to throw all of my points at this beauty! I cannot wait for it to show up in the mail! True rating 3.5/5.
I am a mixture of in love and impatient with this novel. I loved the German folklore. The way Meyer takes her readers through a whirlwind of older lores and classic tales is everything that I adore about her writing skills. Her characters always connect to my heart by the end of each book. Even the ones that may not rank as highly as others. This was no different. I especially like how it’s almost like a tale within tales within a tale.
But don’t let me get ahead of myself just yet. The majority of readers know the tale of Rumpelstiltskin; and while Meyer brings in parts of German folklore we may not know, it tended to get a little daunting and repetitive at times. You can tell this is a thickum novel, and while I do like big books, this could have shaved a bit off and held true to the plot Meyer was following. The romance I will leave for readers to decide on. I felt a bit of insta-love in the making but I also liked the twist from the original tale.
The worldbuilding was everything I wanted it to be with vivid imagery and her signature way of bringing her imagination to life in the pages. The mythological tie ins were well researched and wove expertly into the original tale. The main characters individually were fleshed out, but the side characters lacked the depth I am used to with other novels by Meyer. That aside, atmosphere is everything and the prose drips with gothic inspiration. It may have been what kept me going strong till the end.
I am a massive Meyer fan, and just like the others I will devour anything she puts to paper. Even though every element didn’t add up to create what I would place in my five-star category, Gilded is still an exquisite look into the talent and creative mind of this author. I would recommend to those who (of course) love Meyer, adore retellings and are truly fond of the young adult genre without critical expectations.
Thank you, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Fierce Reads, for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Shoutout to Bookishfirst for providing the opportunity to throw all of my points at this beauty! I cannot wait for it to show up in the mail! True rating 3.5/5.