I don't know what I expected going into this new release, but I certainly did not expect it to be AS DARK as it was, which is not a negative thing at all. It was a pleasant surprise, and it added a lot to the story overall.

Serilda is blessed by the god of lies and has a knack for storytelling and just embellishing stories, in general, but one night during the full moon, she lies to the wrong person: the Alder King. A full moon cycle later, Serilda is called to act on her lie, which is to spin straw into gold, and her life is thrown into chaos. When all seems lost, a mysterious ghost(?) named Gild arrives and offers to help Serilda with her task in exchange for payment. The rest is history as Serilda survives the first night, but she soon realizes the Alder King wants more than just a night's worth of straw turned gold. And the worst part? Serilda doesn't mind Gild as much... She's sorta drawn to him for some *unknown* reason.

To put it simply, Marissa did a wonderful job holding onto the darkness of this fairytale but added in her own details and changes to the plot to make it just as bad— if not worse. I found myself laughing, trembling, and even covering my mouth with my hand at numerous spots. She's a genius at writing addictive fairytales!

Personally, I think Gilded is now my new favorite Marissa Meyer book; although, Archenemies is still fighting it each and every day. I think plenty of people will love all of the elements or even just a few. In many ways, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this book since Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is an amazing Rumplestiltskin retelling too, but this story is wholly unique and just as invigorating to read. Maybe this is my favorite fairytale retelling.All these authors do it very well.

Holy mother of Pearl! I am amazed! Marissa Meyer, aka the queen of fairytales, is back and better than ever with this dark Rumpelstiltskin retelling. We follow Serilda who is cursed by the god of lies and tells outlandish stories to the children in her town. Her stories end up getting her taken by the Erlking who wants her to spin straw into gold, and as she spends time in his castle she experiences some nightmarish things that spin a golden tale (haha see what I did there). This is the absolute perfect first book to a series: It has great characters, incredible world building, and the plot escalates as the book goes on and ends with me wanting the next book yesterday, please and thank you. One of the amazing things about this book is Serilda's storytelling. Her tales are elaborate and so detailed and really just blow me away with how intricate they are, these stories within a story. I adored the world-building; even with this being a first book we get a great understanding of the gods of the world, the landscape of the different villages, and even the histories of these places. The characters are equally well-developed, especially Serilda. She's a pretty average teenage girl who gets ends up in extraordinary circumstances and her reactions and motivations are believable and make her a relatable, admirable character, even for her faults. The Rumpelstiltskin retelling element was also top-notch; I did sort of see how it would play out about 3/4 of the way through but it didn't lessen my enjoyment at all. I can't recommend this one enough and I hope you'll pick up this dark fairytale on release day!

While I love Meyer's other books (especially the Lunar Chronicles) this one left a lot to be desired. I enjoyed the short excerpt that I received this summer, but then I got the whole book, And let me tell you: it is slow. Like, painfully slow. and nothing happening slow. When the story finally got going, it was over. And there was NO ENDING because, of course, this is the first in a series, which I did not realize when I started to read it. Too little too late for me. I don't plan on reading the next book. I can appreciate the storyline, but several parts of this could have been edited out and her story wouldn't have suffered.

Overall: In freaking love. I thought Cinder was the best series by Meyer. Then I read Heartless, and well, I thought I couldn't love Marissa Meyer more after that book, but I picked up Gilded. And fell in love.

"Serilda felt immediately comforted by the scnet of leather and vellum, parliament and binding glue and ink. She inhaled deeply, ignoring the odd look that Leyna gave her. It was the scent of stories, after all."

15 SECOND “WHAT’S THIS ABOUT”:
Serilda tells fantastic stories, that everything thinks are just that--stories. Until the Erlking believes it and requires her to prove her story by spinning straw into gold. Forced to make bargains with a young man--because magic isn't free--in order to save herself, a more fanciful story that anything Serilda could have told is taking place around her.

FAVORITE PART:
I love stories within stories. And Serilda's tales, whether the ones she tells the children int eh village, or the one she weaves for Gild, always drew me in.

I did not realize this was a twisted tale when I began reading it. Rumplestilskin's retelling was absolutely phenomenal. This is not a standalone, another thing I did not realize. It follows the Cinder template of writing. Great story!

For fans of dark fairy tale retellings, this is a good one, but readers should be prepared for an abrupt ending that leaves our main characters in an unresolved place. Hopefully this means Meyer has a sequel planned. This seems like it has a slightly older intended audience than Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, but fans of her Lunar Chronicles series will likely also enjoy this one, especially if they have the patience to get through the slower beginning to the story.

This book was like being inside a ghost story. It is so wonderfully atmospheric and beautifully, hauntingly written. The perfect book to read on a cold, fall day.

I was immediately intrigued when I saw it was written by Marissa Meyer and even more intrigued when I saw it was a dark, Rumpelstiltskin retelling. It did not disappoint!

I do not have too many negative things. It was wonderfully descriptive and the world building is utterly fantastic to say the least. It almost had a Labyrinth, Goblin-king vibe about it too. It was dark, terrifying, beautiful, and gothic feeling.


The one negative thing I can say is I do not know if this is a series or not. On Marissa Meyer’s website, it is listed as a stand-alone. If that is the case, then the ending has left me with so many questions. So many questions that answering them could fill another book or two (hint hint). I really do hope this is a series because I am left with so many questions to I am craving answers to. I won’t list them here for fear that I will spoil too many plot-lines.

I guess now it is a waiting game to see if another book in this series will come out. Until then, I cannot give a full review because there are still too many unanswered questions, but I will say, this is an excellent start to a new gripping, dark, fairy tale series from Marissa Meyer.

**There are trigger warnings in this book of suicide, murder, and acts of violence against children. Please be aware of these themes before reading. Also at times, descriptions of death can be rather graphic.**

I can't tell you how mad I am that this is the first of a series and I'm expected to WAIT SO LONG for the next one.

Serilda is a miller's daughter, blessed by the god of fortune with the gift of spinning fantastical stories. Shunned by most for her strange eyes, thought to be a sign of bad luck, Serilda spends much of her time alone or telling stories to children. That is, until she, unfortunately, gains the attention of the evil demon king Erlking. In an attempt to save her own life, Serilda lies and says she can spin straw into gold. When trapped to complete this task, she thinks all hope is lost...until she meets Gild, a mysterious boy willing to turn her straw into gold...for a price.

Not only is this a fantastic reimagining of Rumpelstiltskin, with its own unique twists, but it's a fiercely compelling story. Serilda and Gild are characters you HAVE to root for, and while Erlking is the typical evil, there are enough secrets being slowly revealed that he isn't quite one-note. Pieces were JUST starting to fall into place when I noticed I only had twenty pages left and I started to worry...

I highly recommend this book not just for lovers of Meyer's works in general, but for people who enjoy sarcastic, glib characters, notes of the creepy and paranormal, mysteries, and fairytales. This book has a little bit of everything, and I can't wait for book two. PLEASE, Marissa. I need some more answers.

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! Marissa Meyer is definitely known for her re-tellings, and I've enjoyed everything I've read from her thus far. Fans of her writing will definitely enjoy this one, too! Dark, spooky world building which makes for a perfect fall read.

What this book excels at is the world building. Meyer has built this dark world where Serilda and Gild are trying to escape the Erlking. Even though it's been awhile since I've read the Rumpelstiltskin tale, I enjoyed the spin that Meyer put on the original tale. Especially set in the world she created. The strongest aspect is the castle, full of secrets, ghosts, and other monsters. Meyer really sets the scene, pulling her characters into it.

However, the plot itself is a bit slow moving, at least for me. Especially if this is the first book in a new series. There were definitely scenes that I think could have been cut out and the story would make sense. I also think the characters suffer at the expense of the world building. Outside of Serilda and Gild, the side characters aren't super developed. The romance also lacked oomph for me. I wanted more from it. Maybe she's saving it for the next book!

All in all, if you're looking for an atmospheric retelling, this one might be for you! Just be prepared for a bit of a slow moving plot.

Marissa Meyer is unequivocally the Queen of Fairy Tale Retellings. Gilded is sure to be a major hit as it reimagines the story of Rumplestiltskin in a fresh, unique, and vibrant manner. The Character and World Building is so rich in its complexity that I was sucked in and this book kept its grip on my attention until the very end. I am so excited that this is the beginning of a new set of amazing stories because not only was it entertaining but intriguing and thoroughly enjoyable as well. You cannot miss this incredible book! Recommended to the fullest...

Meyer created a whole, rich world out of the fairytale Rumplestiltskin. I have never been so invested in my life. If you know any of her previous books, the plot may seem a little quieter than you’re used to. There isn’t the level of fighting and running around the city as you would have seen in Renegades. Instead, we have a quiet storyteller of a main character who gets in too deep when she spins a tale for the Erlking to make him believe that she can spin straw into gold. Serilda is of course locked in a dungeon to prove her talent, and is saved by Gild - our Rumplestiltskin character. While Gild spins straw into gold, Serilda spins enchanting stories.

I love stories-within-stories, and Gilded kept me on the edge of my seat.

This book took a bit for me to get into it but the latter half sped by and I can't wait for the sequel. It was fun to read Marissa Meyer take on something completely new and the reinterpretation of Rumpelstiltskin was fun.

“ I know I’ve barely met you,” he said, his voice fighting to not tremble, “ but I can tell that you are worth all the bad luck in the world.”

YES, the QUEEN of fairytale retellings is back and with a very uniquely written underrated fairytale. I went into Gilded knowing there was a ghost and that it was a Rumplestiltskin retelling so I brushed up on the original version to see what has changed and PHEW. This book is VERY dark for a YA fairytale retelling and is definitely pushing upper YA with some of the elements in this book. I definitely wasn’t expect all of the ghosts, monsters and a castle that only comes alive on the full moon of each month? Dare I say this fairytale retelling is actually perfect for the fall season?? There’s creepy vibes and sad scenes and a VERY slow burn romance, think like most of the book slow.

What I loved most though, the mystery. There is a lot of mystery shrouded around this castle and everything that has happened there and I’m curious to see where this story ends up heading because yes, it’s going to be a series. I went into this story believing it was a standalone retelling but left it hoping there will be a true fairytale ending some day in the future.

Marissa Meyer is back with a fabulous new series that I could not keep my eyes off of while I was reading. This epic fantasy will be in my mind for the next year. The characters, the story, the setting--all of it was so imaginative and creative. Meyer has outdone herself with Gilded.

I was generously provided a free copy of Gilded by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Like other novels by Marissa Meyer, Gilded is a new twist on a fairy tale. Unlike Cinder, it doesn’t take place in a dystopian future, but in roughly the time period in which the original fairy tale was written. I think that was the biggest disappointment to me, that everything was still very old fashioned.

The rest of the story is engrossing and easy to read. Serilda was marked at birth by a God, and now she is a very talented storyteller- or a very proficient liar, according to her fellow villagers. She loves making up new stories for the young children in her village and is viewed warily by adults, who are distrustful of the physical way the God has marked Serilda.

During a ghostly hunt, Serilda saves the lives of two moss maidens by lying to an evil being. The evil being now believes that Serilda can spin straw into gold. This being continues to come kidnap Serilda every month during the hunt in order to test her gold-spinning skills.

I loved this book. The characters were very interesting and I really was intrigued to find out what happened next. Once I finished reading, I immediately recommended it to a friend. That’s how I know it’s a wonderful book!

Either I didn't know that this book was going to be a start of a new series or I forgot before I began the book so it wasn't the best reading experience. It was almost halfway through the book before I became invested and then I didn't get a conclusion! It's definitely darker than Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series, it's probably more like Heartless in tone. I would describe it as a dark fantasy and definitely a good Halloween read. I think it would make a good read-alike for people who like Uprooted by Naomi Novik. I'm interested enough that I'll read the sequel whenever it comes out, but I wish I would have liked this book more.

I LOVED this book so much! At this point, I believe Marissa Meyer just has a knack for world building and character development. This world in Gilded was crafted so beautifully that I could easily immerse myself into the world, as well as in the characters' mindset. The story had everything I could desire in a book - adventure, magic, a strong female lead, and a tinge of romance. The fact that it's close to the fairy tale, but still somehow holds a unique voice of it's own? Fan-TASTIC!!!

This story is beautiful. Twists and turns. Adventure and myth. Fantasy at its best with the perfect amount of romance.

Marrisa like you've never seen her before. GILDED is haunting and filled with imagery so rich I dare you to read it in the dark. FULL BODY CHILLS.

A perfect read for the spooky fall season and my only complaint is the ending. THERE BETTER BE A BOOK TWO!

I had a hard time getting into this one, because somehow I expected the same mood as Heartless. It was vastly different. However, once I was used to it, I was quickly immersed in the story, and I loved every second of it. The ending was as good as I'd hoped, although it left me hollow. I will need a while to get over this book.