Thank you to Faber & Faber for the review copy.'Rebecca Soler brings this YA adaptation of Rumpelstiltskin to life. If you want info on triggers, I’m happy to supply on DM. I will definitely be reading on, in fact, I am quite a bundle of anticipation for what comes next in this complex, twisty plot. I wanted to be spun away like the gold bobbins on the tails of escapism but I wasn’t. The pacing felt off and while I loved the story, the dragging of the narrative kept pulling me out of it. Now to my rating…why 3.5 stars? This book was incredibly long, it felt long, I had to push at times through long, descriptive narrative to get to the next plot theme. It ends in such a way that I’m dying to know what happens. Suffice it to say, I really liked this character, I like the connections made and I wanted more of this character. The other main character, I’m not going give a thing away about. He was evil to the core, lacking in any empathy and cruel.

Erlking was not a nice character but he was so captivating to read about. She was incredibly likeable and moreso as the plot evolved. Serilda was a morally grey heroine, prone to fabrication, occasional theft and somewhat unreliable as a friend and family member but in reality, she was just living out her legacy and god-given talents. The characterisation in Gilded was also brilliant.

I’d say this was older YA read because of some brief themes/triggers that emerge. It was also incredibly raw narrative with gore and moments that seem to edge onto horror but retreat back quickly. This was a Rumplestiltskin/Goblin King hybrid retelling with lots of woodland fable and magic thrown in. Firstly, the over-arching story and plot in this book are excellent. I have mixed feelings coming out of Gilded and some of it is applause-worthy but other bits pulled this rating down. But love wasn’t meant to be part of the bargain.Ī compulsive read, and as bewitchingly good as you’d expect from a YA bestselling author.

In despair, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious young man to her aid. The king locks Serilda in a castle dungeon and orders her to spin straw into gold, or be killed for lying.

When one of Serilda’s stories draws the attention of the devastating Erlking, she finds herself swept away into a world of enchantment, where ghouls prowl the earth, and ravens track her every move. He was going to kiss her.Ĭursed by the god of lies, a miller’s daughter has developed a talent for storytelling – but are all of her tales as false as they appear? Serilda had never been looked at like that before. All magic comes at a price, but love was never part of the bargain.

Gilded by marissa meyer