An enjoyable read!

I have to say, I've only read Cinder by the author, but that was a great Cinderella retelling, so I decided to pick this one up. I really liked the main character who is cursed and called a liar by her town. Still, she made some very crazy decisions that annoyed me sometimes, but I enjoyed how the story itself unfolded.

The writing was beautiful and easy to read, with the world-building being so vivid and well-written. I can't wait to read more by the author!

I love a fairytale retelling, they’re some of my favourite books and I was so excited to read Gilded (going into this book I had quite high hopes for it especially since I love Marissa Meyer’s other books). I have to say in terms of the plot and characters it really lived up to my expectations. Gilded has such a unique twist on the tale of Rumplestiltskin, I found myself constantly surprised by what was happening and I could never seem to predict what was going to happen.

I loved the characters, obviously Gild and Serilda are amazing but I’m so interested to see what happens with The Erlking in the next book(s). The world building was truly incredible and (while I wasn’t overly keen on the way the book was written in terms of the style of writing) I couldn’t put it down, I was hooked all the way through!

Thank you to Netgalley and Fabre and Fabre ltd for sending me copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will also be posting a review for this on my Instagram @laurleareads

Firstly I would like to say thank you to the author and publisher of this book for allowing me a copy and thank you to NetGalley Shelf are allowing me access to this website.

To be honest I may have squealed like a 13-year-old girl meeting a man crush when I accepted for this book as I love Marissa Mayer as she is absolutely gifted with book writing I have read all of her books and she’s one of my favourite authors so I feel blessed.

Okay right back to the book I loved this book I thought it was absolutely amazing the characters were great I love that this is a start of a new series and I definitely will be buying the books are continuing the series because I love supporting Marissa Mayer and I love all of her stuff. I think this book was absolutely divine and does her justice and I think everyone should read this when it comes out.
No complaints no bad thoughts on this book I thought it was absolutely beautiful

A gothic, and atmospheric retelling of Rumplestiltskin. I did enjoy this book, although it took a while to get in to. Unfortunately not a book I'd go back to though

This book I was surprised to find is different to Meyers’ other work which I thoroughly enjoyed reading throughout the years. However, this book just didn’t click with me and I did not enjoy it as much as I have her previous books, and ended up not finishing this book.

I enjoyed the fact that the chapters were short and manageable, however the third person almost poetic prose way it was written made it hard for me to read. However if you enjoy poetry and books written in prose I would definitely recommend this book to you!

Despite it being harder for me to read, I’m sure many people would still enjoy it as it is a fantastic retelling of not just Rumpelstiltskin but also other German Folklore, which are intricately woven into the story to make it magical.

The main character Serilda is shunned by her town as a liar as she spins stories from nothing, however her patron deity is the God of stories and lies. Every full moon, the veil of a dark world lifts and there is a hunt led by the evil Erlking into Serilda’s world. One full moon she protects two moss maidens from the hunt and is taken herself, having deceived the Erlking that she can spin gold out of straw.

Throughout the book Serilda makes questionable decisions and and gets herself into worse situations, despite being cursed by the God of Lies she’s not very good at it!

This was a very exciting start and so much happened however after a little I felt like the book had lost momentum. I felt that the descriptions were very good at setting the scene and allowing me to imagine where the characters are, almost as if I were there with them, which shows how well Meyer set the scene.

The overall tone of the book is mysterious and dark, even with the romance aspect as you root for the characters and their fates. Despite this book hitting a lot of the things I love to read about, I was disappointed and will most likely not pick up the sequel, which I am sad about because I absolutely love Marissa Meyer’s other books and worlds and characters she has created.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy fairytale retellings and a dark fantasy.

“All Magic Comes At A Price”
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis: Serilda, a miller’s daughter, was cursed by the God of Lies – the consequence? Serilda has an extraordinary talent for storytelling, for spinning lies into marvelous tales. But on the night of the Hunt, Serilda spins a tale to the Erlking himself, a story of spinning straw into gold. The Erlking’s interest is captured and Serilda is taken to his castle, locked in a dungeon with the order of spinning his straw into gold. If she fails, she dies. But in the dungeon she meets a strange young man who offers to help, for a price. But the two are drawn to each other, and no bargain of love was made.

CW/TW: Murder/child death/kidnapping/gore/body horror/death/Suicide/imprisonment.

So, I really enjoyed the Lunar Chronicles, more so as the series went on, and enjoyed book 1 of the Renegades, by Marissa Meyer series, so when I saw a Rumpelstiltskin retelling by Meyer I had to request it! I have a particular love for Rumpelstiltskin, from iterations throughout my childhood, to Once Upon A Time (tv series). Gilded, definitely has a darker tone compared to TLC and really delves into the darker side of fairy-tales.

Gilded, by Marissa Meyer is an intensely atmospheric read that perfectly captures the fairy-tale tone it aims for. Meyer’s prose is easy to read and is richly descriptive. From the main character’s narration to her stories, it is all beautifully written and engaging. Serilda’s narration is very interesting, especially as she is a storyteller, cursed by the God of lies, so her tales are always interesting and embellished when she retells them. Meyer incorporates Serilda’s tales incredibly well into the story and utilises the well in terms of building mystery and tension. The pacing of the story is a little slow at times, but it works well to build the tense and dark atmosphere.

The plot is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin so some elements are a little predictable but it doesn’t take away from the story itself, since the plot is compelling, captivating and has enough twists and turns within it to keep you surprised and intrigued. We follow Serilda, cursed by the God of stories and lies, as she spins a tale to the dark Erlking himself resulting in her imprisonment and encounter with a curious young magical man. I really enjoyed the story, the idea behind the nights of The Hunt that result in missing people, at the hands of the Erlking and his army of gory ghosts. From magical beasts, to God blessed and cursed people, it is a truly magical read with a viciously dark streak.

I particularly enjoyed the interactions between Serilda and the Erlking, and Serilda and Gild. The contrast between the two made for some interesting scenes, and the creepy aura from the Erlking makes the story all the more sinister. The Erlking was a great villain, creepy, ruthless, cold and cruel, and yet able to manipulate and act unsettlingly charming. Gild was a perfect contrast to the Erlking, awkward, sweet, and mischievous. The duality of their personalities and scenes made the story quite compelling. Serilda, however, was quite the force on her own and made the story very interesting. She is bold, creative and chaotic – it was rather amusing watching herself use her stories to escape one situation just to find herself in the middle of a plethora of more problems. I loved Serilda’s relationship with the children in her town, her connection with them and how fiercely she loves them. I loved her determination, and it made all the dark turns and twists more impactful.

Overall, Gilded by Marissa Meyer is a captivating, dark and magical retelling of Rumpelstiltskin that was twisty and compelling. From the stories, to the magic, to the settings and the characters, Meyer perfectly captures the dark fairy-tale atmosphere and made all the elements engaging.

*I received an eARC via #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review -thank you!*

I really don't know how to express my disappointment here. I had such high expectations, if only because I enjoy retellings of Grimm fairy tales and I have a thorough appreciation for Marissa Meyer's writing. But this... did not hit the mark. There's this constant feeling that things are getting better, but it's so gradual and so minuscule that it feels almost as though there's no progression. I was not convinced by the relationship, nor did I care much for Serilda as a main character. The book simply felt too drawn out for what it was and I unfortunately don't see myself purchasing this or picking up the sequel.

I do love a fairy tale retelling - I'm a sucker for them. And Rumpelstilskin isn't one that I've seen retold before, so I was intrigued. I didn't think the book would be badly written, because I like Marissa Meyer's writing style.

I wasn't disappointed. The book was a retelling but so much more than that too. I really liked Gild and Serilda, and the dynamic at play between them. The worldbuilding was really good and I'm excited for the next installment!

I’m sure you know by now that this is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, but it is so much more.

Another fantasy world I have been thrown into and fallen in love with!
The writing is seamless. Like the straw that is spun into gold, it takes you beautifully into Serilda’s world, weaving in and out of every day life, enjoying her tales along with the children, her sweet relationship with her father to feeling her loneliness as she is shunned & feared. Nothing but a bad omen. A curse.
She has a heart of gold, but hidden away by a simple look in her eyes.

Her stories, she believes, are just that. Nothing more, nothing less. Just the wild imagination of a lonely girl. Finding an escape (like us all) in fairytales!
Until one cold night, her telling-tales was to take her deep into a frightening world full of a terrifying array of creatures, ghosts & ghouls and an evil King.

Marisa’s builds around you a wondrous world. Full of all the luscious delights and terrors you want from a fantasy novel with stunning imagery.
- “In the moonlight, his lips were purple, like a fresh bruise or a squashed blackberry. Strangely, Serilda’s mouth watered at the thought.” -

Once you enter, you find yourself completely immersed. Reading non-stop, a desperate urge taking over. Needing to know how this might end.

And then, at the end, you are left hanging over a cliffs edge, about to scream as you realise, the story isn’t over and you have to wait until Book 2! At least, you hope and pray there’s another book to come!

I also want to add that, yes I do love Serilda & Gild, but there is something about The Erlking that captivated me from his first meeting with Serilda. I can’t wait to see art of how he looks and if it’s anywhere close to how I imagine him to be.

Another spellbindingly perfect fantasy that has me wanting more.

Thank you Faber & Faber and also NetGalley for giving me an ARC eBook in exchange for an honest review.

I have not yet have access to a PC, so unable to connect my social media links with my NetGalley page, but I will post my review on my bookstagram account .. piggindani_reads xo

this is a charming but eerie retelling of the rumpelstiltskin folk story, wherein serilda, a miller’s daughter, was blessed by the god of fortune before her birth. she grows up and as the original tale goes, ends up needing to spin gold for the erlking.
i haven’t read the original tale since i was a child so the details are blurry for me, but this was truly an enjoyable and entertaining retelling - i especially liked the character of serilda. her personality was so fun and refreshing and i loved how smart and resourceful she was when spinning her stories.
i also loved gild, and found he and serildas relationship very sweet - and i’m intrigued to see how the story progresses in the next instalment(s)
i enjoyed the plot and thought it was well paced - i wasn’t bored at all while reading it and managed to read around 80% of it in almost one sitting which was a nice change - it’s rare to find something so entertaining and gripping while also being easy to read.
all in all i enjoyed this very much and i’m honoured to have gotten an arc of it before it’s official release!

this is a copy of my goodreads review which is linked here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4272962572

Marissa Meyer writes my favorite retellings. I loved how the story of Rumpelstiltskin was mixed with German folklore and especially Erlkönig to make this amazing book.

Gilded may start slow, but it's for a reason. To lure you into the story, so you can feel exactly what the characters feel. It truly feels like a fairytale, filled with gods, stories, creatures in the dark, and most importantly, the Erlkönig, the most haunting of them all, with his mystery plans and castle full of ghosts, curses and secrets. I loved the way that Marissa Meyer included German folklore and how the worldbuilding was pretty simple to understand, but still with many secrets to uncover.

I was certain from about half way point that this was going to be at least a 4 star read, but as soon as I got to the last 70%, I knew that there's more to happen. And it did. That last third was truly the best, with so much to uncover and so much that the characters could lose. I was desperate to finish this, because I needed to know what happens at the end, and the ending did not disappoint. It sets the stage right for the sequel and it rounded this first book perfectly.

Serilda as a character was interesting, because she was blessed by a god and has a talent for spinning the most interesting and fairytale-like, but false stories. The residents of her village don't like her and blame her for every misfortune that happens to them. She goes through some growth during the course of this book and she finally finds worth in herself as a person, not only as someone who is god-blessed.

The romance in this book had me invested from the start and I was almost screaming from delight and happiness. It's been a while since romantic scenes had me feeling this way and I loved it. It is a pretty slow build to that, but considering the conditions in which it was happening, that was to be expected and it was so worth it and it fit the story. I was cheering for them from the start, because their dynamic was so good! I loved their conversations and how both of them were shy and bashful. At times, I almost wondered if Gild was going to turn out to be a villain, and I still can't make up my mind if I actually regret that didn't happen or if I'm glad.

This book is good at giving hints that you don't notice until they are important and can actually make a difference to the story. There aren't any super wild plot twists, but there are some reveals that will make you go "How did I not notice this clue before?".

Additional thing that I loved: the fact that gods were neither male nor female. Serilda explains that well, when one of the children asks her about it. And the characters of Lorraine and Leyna. I hope we get to see them again.

As for this being the Rumpelstiltskin retelling, I loved the nods to the original story and I can't wait to see how it develops in the sequel, considering the ending of this book. I wish I could tell you more, but... spoilers.

Wow!! Wasn't expecting that what a novel, absolutely fantastic! A must read for anyone who loves fairy tales reimagined. The only things I knew,about Rumplestiltskin were his name and that he could do in straw into gold , but nothing about his past who was he before? How can he spun straw into gold? Is it a gift or a curse?

Please, please, please give us a follow up to this, I need to know what happens with all of the characters!!!

Many thanks to Net galley for giving me the opportunity to read this novel. I can see it being snapped up for a t.v adaptation- maybe Disney, like, Once Upon a time, which I also loved

Just as I expected, this story enfolded me and stole me away during the night. It is enriching and enchanting full of horrors and a side of forbidden love.

Gilded is a retelling of Rumplestiltskin and judging by the story it seems to be the beginning of a series as a lot of questions were left unanswered.

The author has created a bold heroine that gives the noun ‘curse’ at least three different meanings. Woven with stories of gods and mythical creatures, kings and queens, life and death, Serilda, the millers daughter, feels very much over her head with her situation but her humour is a crutch of what would otherwise be an overwhelming amount of disaster. The author has reached equilibrium in the story and I honestly cannot wait to see what happens next.

I also ordered the Fairyloot edition of Gilded before I was approved for the ARC and now I’m extra excited for it after the book has surpassed all my expectations!

The only things I knew going into this book was that it’s a rumpelstiltskin retelling (and the only think I knew about rumpelstiltskin was that he can spin straw into gold) and this it’s written by Marissa Meyer which seemed like a good enough reason to read it as I love her lunar chronicles series.
The only things I know coming out of this book is that I absolutely loved it and I need to know what happens next!

This book is dark and twisted, following Serilda, who has always been shunned by everyone around her, apart from her beloved papa, for the strange spinning wheels in her eyes. She has a gift for telling stories and weaving tales which have a habit of landing her in trouble. Trouble comes in the form of the evil Erlking who takes Serilda beyond the veil after she told him she can spin straw into gold and to her rescue comes Gild, a charming poltergeist, who has the gift Serilda claimed to have herself. I loved they way Serilda and Gild interacted with each other and how their story progressed and I have to say Meyer really loves an evil villain who I would love nothing more than to see be defeated by Serilda in the next instalment, especially after how the book ended!

This story had twists, turns, mystery and a great cast of characters and I really can’t wait to see where this story goes next!

Than you to Faber & Faber ltd and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This Rumpelstiltskin retelling follows the cursed Serilda, who’s gift of storytelling often lands her in hot water with the locals in her village. But when she catches the attention of the evil Alder King, her fabrication of the truth finds her in more danger than she’s ever been in before.

The story is engaging and fast paced, covering months with ease without seeming rushed and the character of Serilda is charming and enjoyable to read. These, coupled with a wonderfully created world and background, including a fully fleshed out mythology, help to build the perfect retelling of a well known story without being predictable.

The only let down is that the story is evidently part of a series, which relies on later - as yet unwritten - books to answer all those burning questions at the end of the novel. Book.2 cannot come quick enough!

This is the first book by Meyer that I've read and it has completely blown me away! Gilded is a dark, gothic retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, that takes the familiar, creepy tale we all know and twists it to become something even more macabre than the Grimm original!

Serilda has a gift of telling tales. Shunned by the villagers where she lives, she weaves her dark tales to her father, the miller, and the children of the local school who adore her stories about the evil Erlking and his hunt. Her stories start to meld with reality when she is awoken one night and tells a lie to the Erlking himself. She becomes trapped in his haunted castle for one night every month, where she must spin the straw into gold or loose her life. Along comes Gild, a spectre who is trapped within the castle along with all the other ghosts. When he receives a payment, he's able to help Serilda with her task. However, Serilda soon learns that Erlking is not going to allow her to go and she is running out of objects that she can give Gild as payment. She starts to devise her own plans to escape the cruel and evil king.

This is a captivating, fast paced novel. Every time you think this tale can't get any darker it does! My heart was racing through the second half of this book. I love the eerie fairy tale settings which Meyer really brings to life in horrifying glory. This is a book filled with ghosts, mythical beasts, witches, Gods and goblins. Serilda is a fascinating MC and her relationship with Gild is just so pure and sweet against all the evil and cruelty that happens around them. This book has everything I want in a novel; rich characters for both good and evil, fantastic gothic settings and plenty of dark, disturbing twists.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of Gilded...now I'm off to race through Meyer's back catalogue!

What an absolute beautiful read. I took some notes while reading. My first being 9% in, this is the sort of book you pre-order in excitement, the sort that deserves to be read in hardback. Straight away I was pulled into the fairy tale world that Marissa Meyer created.

This book gave me such a joyful feeling and nostalgia, it's a retelling of Rumplestiltskin but it had so many other elements of a classic fairy tale. I feel some retellings fall short of the magic the original creates but Gilded gets it so right.

There's many layers to this book, the main story and then all the stories Serilda makes up, eventually all weaving together. I swear, I didn't breathe for the last half an hour of this book, while everything fell into place and began to set up the second book.

Im feeling the possibility of a love triangle but I don't want to get too much into that and neither does this book. Bit of insta-love but it's done right, not soppy and ridiculous. Just two people making best of a bad situation.

I will eagerly wait for book two and it'll definitely be one I pre-order.

I love a good retelling so was extremely excited to dive into one of my favourites - Rumplestiltskin. I adored Serilda as a lead and thought there were some interesting reveals and twists within the story, although the pace did lag for me a little at times. I'm a very demanding reader - I need a good pace throughout to keep me engaged, which wasn't quite maintained the whole way through. However, the ending of this book was so exciting that it overshadowed any other feelings I had towards the story and redeemed my rating! I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it's released

Thank you to NetGalley, Marissa Meyer and Faber & Faber for the eARC.

Firstly I love the cover! 💙
I really wanted to love this book as a whole but sadly this wasn’t the case 😥
I just didn’t connect with the characters and felt there was no real love connection between them and the romance and it was a bit rushed.
First half of the book I was bored to be honest but the second half was getting better.
I feel bad for writing this review as Marissa’s books have always had such good reviews and this was my first time reading a book by her so I had high expectations. I won’t be out off though and I will still pick up her other books and give them a go! 💛

2 1/2 stars.
I'm still deciding my rating as I write this review. I liked... some of this book. The first hundred or so pages were fantastic, really well-written and compelling, right up to where the first round of straw has been spun into gold. After that, I thought things got repetitive, convoluted and a bit boring.

Gilded is one of those books where I liked the idea of it more than the actual reading experience. I love, for example, that Meyer wove so much German folklore into this retelling, not just that of the Rumpelstiltskin tale, but also the Erlking, Shrub Grandmother and Nachtkrapp. You can tell that Meyer did her research.

A major problem here, I feel, is that Rumpelstiltskin is a short tale and Meyer attempts to extend it to over five hundred pages of novel. Part of this is achieved by adding in all the mythology extras above, which is exciting, but also makes it unnecessarily convoluted at times. Part of it involves adding in lots of side characters and padding, most of which I did not care about. I know the tale, I know Serilda is going to be brought back to the king's palace again, so all the dithering around until he shows up really dragged the story down.

I also did not care for what is ultimately at the centre of this story-- the romance. The chemistry was not there for me and it felt like there were too many important things going on for me to invest in the two of them giving each other googly eyes. Also, part of it may be my fault for initially assuming Meyer was going to (view spoiler)

I must confess that I did not realise until the very end that there would be a sequel and now I'm even more convinced that this book should have been a 350 page novel, not a 500 page one. Hype might convince me to give it a try, but right now I'm thinking I'll pass on the sequel.