So Basically I am in love with this book. IN LOVE. Marissa Meyer wrote a dark, atmospheric reimagining of Rumpelstiltskin set in Germany, an enchanting gothic fairytale reimagining of Rumpelstiltskin that simply lit my entire world on fire as I devoured page after page of this story. Blessed, or Cursed, by an old god called Wyrdith(the god of stories, fortune, lies, and fate), 18 year old miller's daughter, Serilda, lives with her father, bestowed with the ability to spin fantastical tales that mostly land her in hot water. She is shunned by most locals as cursed, untrustworthy and a born liar, and is easily spotted as being god-touched by her golden wheeled eyes. She spends her says working as a school assistant bewitching her pupils with tales spun from what appears to be thin air…but the real question of the book is-- are her stories really lies?
Danger lurks at the the full moon every month, a time when the veil of to the realm of the dead(for lack of better explanation) opens and the wildly exuberant hunt led by the evil Erlking takes place. The hunt is notorious for taking children and bewitching others to join, none of whom are ever seen alive again. One night, with his entourage of the undead and hellhounds, the Erlking is deceived by Serilda as he searches for two forest creatures, whom Serilda hides, as she convinces him she can spin gold from straw. This comes back to bite her the following full moon when she is taken by the Erlking to Adalheid Castle to spin straw into gold or be killed for her lies. Though she faces almost certain death, the castle poltergeist reveals himself to her, and for a price( a small trinket) completes the task. He knows nothing of himself or his past, only that he is Sometimes called the Gilded Ghost and goes by “Gild”, cursed to inhabit the Castle and its grounds, unable to ever depart. As Serilda is brought back to the castle time and time again, she and Gild form a relationship that grows deep and strong and the Erlking’s plans are brought into the light.
Gilded is wonderfully written with darkness and horror around every corner. You cannot help but root for Serilda and Gild, wondering how or even if they can escape the terrors of the fate that looms before them them. This book was expertly crafted and well done as a retelling and I am so looking forward to the next book in the series to see what’s in store for the characters!
Danger lurks at the the full moon every month, a time when the veil of to the realm of the dead(for lack of better explanation) opens and the wildly exuberant hunt led by the evil Erlking takes place. The hunt is notorious for taking children and bewitching others to join, none of whom are ever seen alive again. One night, with his entourage of the undead and hellhounds, the Erlking is deceived by Serilda as he searches for two forest creatures, whom Serilda hides, as she convinces him she can spin gold from straw. This comes back to bite her the following full moon when she is taken by the Erlking to Adalheid Castle to spin straw into gold or be killed for her lies. Though she faces almost certain death, the castle poltergeist reveals himself to her, and for a price( a small trinket) completes the task. He knows nothing of himself or his past, only that he is Sometimes called the Gilded Ghost and goes by “Gild”, cursed to inhabit the Castle and its grounds, unable to ever depart. As Serilda is brought back to the castle time and time again, she and Gild form a relationship that grows deep and strong and the Erlking’s plans are brought into the light.
Gilded is wonderfully written with darkness and horror around every corner. You cannot help but root for Serilda and Gild, wondering how or even if they can escape the terrors of the fate that looms before them them. This book was expertly crafted and well done as a retelling and I am so looking forward to the next book in the series to see what’s in store for the characters!