In many ways, Gilded feels like a mashup of various YA fantasies (Caraval and A Curse So Dark and Lonely immediately spring to mind), but if anyone could pull-off yet another fairytale retelling, it was going to be Marissa Meyer.

Serilda is a refreshingly mischievous main character, and Meyer manages the balance between her quick-witted heroine and some seriously dark fantasy action perfectly. Serilda likens storytelling to spinning straw into gold, and Meyer weaves layers of narratives together in a pretty neat interpretation of that metaphor.

Gilded is pacy, compulsive and well-structured, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series to find out what happens next.

Fancy a curl up, snuggle down read as Autumn descends, hot chocolate optional?! Then this book may fit the bill!

This is a magical and enchanting retelling of the story of Rumpelstiltskin and has all the elements of the Grimm original. Here we have goblins, Moss maidens, Witches, fairies, stolen princesses, stolen children, monsters, ruined castles, dungeons and high towers. There are ghosts, ghouls, phantoms, spirits, spells, curses and enchantments and lording it over all is the cruel, vengeful Erlking, King Grim, whose hounds and hunts prowl the forests with ravens tracking moves. Has he met his match in millers daughter Serilda? Serilda, cursed by the God of Lies and possessor of spinning eyes of golden wheels, is a weaver of fairy tales but is she capable of spinning something out of nothing as Erlking demands? A desperate Serilda appeals for help, enter Gild, the ‘Gilded Ghost’ who demands payment for his magical talents.

This is a marvellously written story which keeps you spellbound from beginning to end. It’s a captivating, dark tale full of fear, creepiness, deception (for good and ill), vengeance, hatred and terror. Let’s add in a bit of romance as literally ‘[they] found love in a hopeless place’ but are they doomed star crossed lovers? The characters are brilliantly crafted and spring to life before your eyes with all the various full moons shining brightly on them.

Overall, this is a compelling twist on the original with a cliffhanger of an ending. There’s got to be a sequel surely, if not, you are as cruel as the Erlking Marissa Meyer!!!

This is marketed at YA and I’m not telling how many years I’m beyond that category and I loved it, so its one for every lover of a fantasy novel!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Faber and Faber for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Marissa Meyer has of course done it once again. Where do I even begin with this book? First of all, I loved this more and more as I kept reading. It was whimsical and magical and everything I could have asked for. I’ve been familiar with Meyer for many many years, her previous series is similar, with different magical retellings projected into a different format and I loved everything about it. This was just the same and if anything even better. I cannot wait to see where this goes in the future as this was a pleasure to read. 5 out of 5 stars!

This is my first time reading this author, and I absolutely adored this book. If you love fantasy steeped in folklore and fairytale, this is definitely one for you. It feels like Uprooted meets Rumpelstiltskin, lots of deals and bargains and creatures that overall create a rich world. The writing is totally engaging and as beautiful as reading a rhythmic fairytale, would highly recommend.

Wow. Just... wow. This is the first book I've read by Marissa Meyer and now I want to go and read everything she's ever written. I also want the follow-up to this book in my hands as soon as its humanly possible.

This is a retelling of the story of Rumpelstiltskin, and it is so beautifully and cleverly reimagined. Serilda is a miller's daughter, blessed (or cursed, depending on how you look at it) by a God of storytelling and fortune. She's distrusted by the people of her village as an omen of bad luck, and she spends her days helping out at the local schoolhouse, weaving fairytales and stories for the local children. When she catches the eye of the Alder King, she lies and claims to be able to spin straw into gold, and when he charges her to prove it she meets Gild, a poltergeist who offers to spin the straw for her, in exchange for magical payment.

From here the story follows Serilda as she delves deeper into the world of the terrible Alder King, the world beyond the veil of the living. It is a story of good versus evil, a twisted tale of debt and revenge, and a beautiful piercing love story. The prose is lyrical and the engrossing, I truly felt like I was in another place while I was reading it. I would absolutely recommend it to any lover of fantasy or fairytales.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Yes I'm giving this a five star rating simply because I honestly couldn't put it down as I needed to know how it would end. Sad truth here is I got to around eighty percent and thought oh no this looks like it's shaping up to be a tragedy and then bam it's over and I now realise its not a standalone so cue much gnashing of teeth and head banging !
We follow a young woman who is God touched with a gift of stories that many perceive as lies and bad fortune. She attracts the attention of the fiendish King of the Wild Hunt and from then on her life takes a turn that in many ways looking back I feel was inevitable. She does grow as a character and indeed is very likeable but this retelling of popular fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin has dark undertones and sadly yes heartbreak . Do not misunderstand this wasn't a miserable, depressing story as there's hope woven into these pages and I very much look forward to the conclusion although to get the ending I'm hoping for perhaps we need a dash of Sleeping Beauty added to save everyone from things much worse than death !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In a sea of 5-star reviews here I am with my 3 stars… technically 3.5 :(

It took me a while to figure out what my problem was with this book and I've finally concluded that I was just bored. The first half of the book kinda dragged on for me but the second half picked up the pace and I enjoyed it.

The book is about Serilda, a miller's daughter and the goddaughter of the god of lies and fortune. A gifted storyteller, she often talks her way out of one bad situation and right into a worse one. She's a sweetheart really, she just doesn’t think things through and constantly makes questionable decisions (like any other teenager if we’re being honest).

A lot of the reviews complained about how the love story developed but if you've ever met 18-year-olds it's not that surprising how quickly they think they fall in love.

The plot though was a bit transparent I'm not gonna lie. It’s one of those where you know exactly what is going to happen but you’re waiting for the characters to catch up. And then of course they don't until the last possible moment so you're left trying not to throw the book in frustration.

I like to think there are different levels of YA books; the ones that read as though it's made for preteens and sugar coats a lot of the bad things and ones that are made for teenagers a bit older who can handle more graphic details. This one somehow has both at different points and honestly, it gave me whiplash. There are also quite a few murders in this book, all descriptive and some made me wonder if they originally wanted this to be a new adult book instead of a YA.

That being said, I would 100% read the next book even though this ended with my least favourite trope but I am committed to this series now plus I love Marissa Meyer.

“You say those words like they’re bad things. But when it comes to the age-old art of storytelling … you need darkness to appreciate the light.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue. Or so everyone believes. When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price. Love isn't meant to be part of the bargain. Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.

Serilda is a great character. An outcast from all because of her mysterious eyes, she does her best for the children in her village, giving them hope, spinning them tales. I did like that she remained strong despite the problems that were thrust upon her and that she didn’t give up when things got hard. We got to see her vulnerable too but that just made her stronger. I really loved her interactions with the children too, keeping their imaginations alive and their spirits up in the trying times.

I’m a big fan of Meyer’s writing, so when I heard that this book was releasing, I knew I had to read it! There’s a great storytelling quality to her work that easily draws me in and has me desperate to keep reading. As a whole, this story is an interesting twist on Rumpelstiltskin but the ending seemed to suddenly go off the rails a little bit. I’m all for a good plot twist and unexpected moments but the last quarter really took a turn that I wasn’t entirely on board with. It changed the whole dynamic of the story that left me a bit shell shocked. I’ll definitely need to read the sequel (praying there is one!) because that ending has left me with a whole heap of questions!

Overall, Gilded is another wonderful fairytale retelling that needs to be read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

Another hit by the incredible Marissa Meyer, I read this is one sitting, once again Meyer has crafted a captivating fairytale retelling.

4.5 stars
I was so excited to receive an arc of this book, I absolutely loved heartless and the premise of this story sounded amazing. Well it delivered on all fronts!! There was action, romance, magic and fairytales woven in and I was here for all of it.
I loved the MC from the first chapter, she was not like any female heroine I have read before and it endeared me to her. The other characters in the book pulled on my heart strings in various ways and Ive fallen in love with so many of them.
The story moved at decent pace and I just couldn’t figure out what she was going to do next. The magic and world building was beautifully crafted, I truly felt transported to that world. If you like fairytale retellings, stories of dark fae and magic then you will love this book. I cannot wait for the next book to come out
Thank you to netgalley for providing an arc of this book.

I haven't read much of Meyer's work before and I'm not a huge fairytale retelling fan, but something about this book drew me in from the moment I read the blurb on Netgalley. And once it had me, I was hooked. This story was so familiar yet new, with twists and turns to keep things more than interesting. The characters are superbly crafted, worthy of a fairytale that keeps on telling itself. It's dark yet dreamy, charming yet disturbing (in a good way), like all good fairytales are. I was left begging for more at the end.

I was instantly drawn to Gilded when I heard that it was a retelling of Rumplestiltskin. I will admit that I am, generally, quite a fan of a retelling in any instance, but have been feeling recently like they have become a bit "samey" - with a very clear preference for Beauty and the Beast! Gilded struck me as a breath of fresh air, and a book that would take the classic fairytale retelling in a new direction and reinvigorate my excitement for the genre.

Gilded did NOT disappoint! I was instantly gripped by the story, and it was so refreshing to dive so much deeper into a story that I loved as a child but have not given much thought to as an adult, and certainly not to look so much further into the characters who were only ever surface-deep in the original story. This is the perfect read for someone looking for something more than your standard Beauty and the Beast retelling that they have seen 15 times before - and I will definitely be looking through the rest of Meyer's catalogue to see what other interesting stories she has up her sleeve!

I can't believe that I have never read any novels by this author before. I have missed out!

Gilded in a twisty, dark re-telling of the story of Rumpelstiltskin - a story I had to google to remind myself of the main elements. We have don't only have ghosts, ghouls, the evil Erlking, fae, forest folk and magic woods, we also have some super characters that enchant you. Serilda is the daughter of the miller who was blessed/cursed by the god of lies and she is a story-teller. She also helps at the school and her charges adore her, and she is very protective of them. The children don't judge her, unlike the adults who believe that she brings bad luck to the town.

Every full moon the Erlking rides out from his castle with his host of phantoms to hunt and it is on one of these nights that Serilda comes to the rescue of two forest folk by beguiling the Erlking with stories that she can turn straw into gold, a statement he decides to put to the test. Imprisoning her in his castle, she has until dawn to turn the straw to gold or lose her life. Distraught, she calls out for help and enter Gild - and that is where I stop.

Gild is trapped in the Erlking's castle and is a character who is mischevious but also has such pain within him. He is a wonderful invention and enjoys listening to Serilda's stories as much as the children.

I would suggest that this is for 13+ as there is a bit of gore - which younger reader might find shocking. But teens will devour it -the relationships between the different characters, the magical element, the gruesome ghouls and the sweet children. This story will shock you, make you laugh and tug at your heart. It will also make you desperate for the second book because the ending sets the scene for more anguish and drama. I loved it. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this.

Gilded by Marissa Meyer
I give this book 4.5 stars


Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.
Or so everyone believes.
When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her... for a price.

This is an enchanting dark reimagining of Rumpelstiltskin.The spellbinding plot line grabbed my attention and transported me off into a magical world with captivating characters and a lyrical writing style..A fascinating story that l couldn’t put down,loved every single minute of it!
With thanks to Netgalley,Marissa Meyer and Fabre and Fabre Ltd for my chance to read and review this book.

Gilded is a book I didn’t expect to be lucky enough to get an eARC of, due to the popularity and anticipation of this books release, but apparently I got very very lucky.

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber for allowing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Plot summary:
Serilda is cursed by the god of lies. A born storyteller, she is shunned but are all her stories as they appear?

When one storytelling escapade goes too far she is taken from home and expected to turn straw into gold. It’s only with the help of Gild, a mysterious man in her capturted cell, and a bargain that she is able to complete this un-accomplishable task. However, as more is expected of her, and her feelings for Gild life grow- how much will Serilda be willing to bargain away?

Review:
Plot and World Building – This was a really well developed world, and the history and lore slowly weave throughout Serilda’s stories truly bring it to life. It’s felt like a while since I have been so fully immersed into a story like this and I honestly found it so refreshing for the worldbuilding to be done in this way.

The general plot was really enjoyable and the last few chapters had me literally glued to my kindle. Any fan of Marissa Meyer or fairytale retellings will fall in love with this book within seconds, just remember that it is completely separate to the Lunar Chronicles series. Overall pacing of the story was really quite varied and it worked well for the plot.

Characters and Development- Serilda was slightly frustrating as a character, but I believe she is written to be a flawed protagonist with something to both gain and lose which I quite enjoyed as it leaves room for her to grow.

Gild is by far the best character I found in this book-hands down! He was sassy, funny and everything I truly hoped he would be. And his development was just beautiful and I cannot wait to find out more. His relationship development with Serilda was also extremely well done.

All the side characters in this book were well fleshed out, developed and had an integral part of the story.

Final Thoughts:
A fantastic new fairytale retelling to adore, by one of my favourite authors. It’s a delight!

When I first looked at the write up of this, I figured it might be another addition to the Lunar Chronicles world. It's not, though. This is a completely new vision and honestly it reads more as fantasy with light fairy tale elements rather than something that has a strong fairy tale plot run through the middle of it.

Still YA though, but I think this might end up being better than some of the Lunar Chronicles stories. And with that ending, there simply has to be more books in this series, even if Goodreads isn't listing them right yet.

Serilda is the only daughter of a father whose wife died prior to the beginning of this story. So far, a pretty fairy tale like set up. But when we get to the gods and goddesses of this world, it becomes a little bit less so. One of the gods is said to be a sort of 'godfather' to Serilda. She bears his mark in her eye, but that mark also makes her somewhat of an outcast among the rest of her town.

One night, she saves two fairies from the Wild Hunt as it sweeps through her town, lying to the Erlking who comes to her door, in the process.

For the next month, she thinks that's the end of it, but then he summons her to his castle realising that she must have told him a lie to get him to leave. She has a choice then, make good on the lie that she is able to spin gold from straw, or else die.

Yes, this is literally the plot of Rumplestiltskin, but see how long it took us to get to this point? And even after we meet the character of Gild, the one who can actually spin that gold from straw, his kindness to Serilda is quite different to the colder version of the fairy tale that we might be used to. The Erlking is villain enough in this book, it doesn't need another one.

Throughout the story, we see Serilda weaving stories of her own. This is the only complaint I have about this book, honestly, because right up until the end, these stories seem disconnected to the main plot. I felt that there could have been a bit more from Serilda's inner dialogue, recognising that some of the stories she has been weaving have been coming true before that end point where it just suddenly sneaks up on the reader and Serilda alike.

The story ends on a cliffhanger, which is good in a way because I definitely want to see more of these characters.

I finished this book and immediately tried to find out when or if a sequel is coming.

I first discovered the author when I read heartless, a retelling of the red queen of Alice in wonderland. The novel had stuck with me for years, so picking up this book was an easy choice. It did not disappoint.

The intricate storylines woven together, the character development, the attention to detail that paints every scene in the mind of the reader. All of it leaves the reader never wanting the story to end.

The heroine is both flawed and someone you root for. The reader will definitely become attached to her and feel the pain and happiness she feels.

I felt there was the appropriate amount of tension and build up to major plot events. The novel moved on at a good pace, never rushing details but never feeling like I was bored. There were tiny details in the narrative that seem insignificant but play into the mystery later on.

I have nothing bad to say about this novel, providing there will be a sequel. The novel ended so abruptly I was at first confused when I turned the page and found I had reached the acknowledgments! The reader is given many details and concludes a lot of the plot points. But there are still many answers to come, I feel, and I hope that there will be another book that concludes the tale.

What a clever, fun read this was! I do love a fairytale retelling which puts the heroine firnly at the fore and that is exactly what this version of Rumplestiltskin is. One word of warning though: there's a sequel do not expect a nice, tidy ending...
Serilda is a miller's daughter with a gift for storytelling, so much so that most of what she says is invention and lies. She was marked at birth with gold wheels in her eyes, and the townsfolk blame her for all bad luck. So she contents herself with the children in the school who she'd rather entertain than educate and her beloved father until one night, a full moon when the hunt rides, she shelters two hunted moss maidens and finds herself lying to the Erlking himself. She's out at midnight, she says, to collect straw to spin into gold. So convincing is she that... well, you know how this plays out.
Only there is nothing redeemable about the Erlking (and I did always wonder how the original miller's daughter felt about wedding the man who threatened to kill her) and the person who comes to her rescue is no goblin but the spirit of a handsome young man. The more time Serilda spends there the more she is convinced there's a story waiting to be uncovered, but her lies have consequences for everyone she loves and a fate worse than death for Serilda herself.
Dark, occasionally gruesome, intelligent and wonderfully imaginative, I loved it; bring on part two.

I really loved this!

Gilded is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, a fairy tale that I definitely consider one of the ‘classics’ from my childhood, but also one that I don’t think gets many retellings.

Serilda is the daughter of a miller who once saved a god. The god blessed Serilda and she was born with the wheel of fate shining gold in her eyes (although the wheel of fate could be misinterpreted as a spinning wheel). Serilda is blessed (or cursed) with the ability to weave stories (or lies), and uses this talent to lie to the Erlking one night in order to save the lives of two moss maidens. She tells him she can spin gold and is soon whisked away to his haunted, mysterious castle where she must turn straw into gold or die at sunrise. Of course, you know the story: she can’t actually turn straw into gold. Luckily, Gild arrives – a magical boy about her age, with no memory of who he is or why he’s trapped at the castle. Together, Gild and Serilda spin gold and unravel the truth of the ghastly, haunted castle the Erlking calls home, and discover why Gild can’t leave.

It’s such an engaging story. I loved reading it and I can’t wait for the next one. Typically I’m not usually one who cares much for long sections of description, but Marissa Meyer uses these sections to expertly paint this dark fairytale world and draw the reader in.

The one area that I wish had been stronger was Serilda! She often seemed content to let things happen to her. I didn’t understand why she wasn’t asking questions at certain points, or using her time away from the castle to more proactively investigate. She seemed oddly content with letting things happen to her and to not try and solve the mystery until quite near the end of the book. While I would usually say this is quite a big flaw in a protagonist, I still really enjoyed the story and didn’t overly mind working things out a while before Serilda. It felt like an odd choice, but perhaps in the second book we’ll discover a reason why she needed to be passive and a little naïve.

But I really did enjoy this book and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of fairytales and their retellings.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before even starting this book, I already knew that I would love it - and yet it still managed to beat all my expectations!! Marissa Meyer is fantastic at writing retellings, I was completely transported into the totally atmospheric, dark and magical world - I was so absorbed I couldn’t stop reading and finished it within a day. This was just everything I could have ever wanted.

Serilda is a wonderful main character, she’s so strongly written and very likeable, her characterisation was spun beautifully. And Gild !!!!! I loved him so much, like I’m ready to lay my life down for him. The slow build up of the romance between them both was SO cute and fulfilling, it had me smiling so much, I’m just completely obsessed with them both.

If you’re in the mood for a dark/gothic fairytale or have been impressed with Meyers previous works, seriously give this a read - I 100% recommend. I cannot believe how this ended and I actually have no idea how I’m going to be able to wait for the next book????