Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc via Net Galley.

Wow, I ended up flying through this book! I had no idea what to expect from this book, but I love and trust Marissa Meyer and was ready for her return to fairy tale retellings. She is one of my favorite authors, so I had high hopes from this book and I was not disappointed.

Even though this was a Marissa Meyer book and she is no beginner when it comes to retellings, this book felt like it had a different vibe than her other books, which is not a bad thing. It was darker and that had me interested to see what she was going to do with this new duology. I ended up giving this five stars for the wild ride that I was taken on for the entirety of the 500 pages. It has so many elements including magic, gods, mystery, darkness, and death. That was one thing I didn't expect a lot of: death. But there was way more than I expected.

This shows to me that Marissa Meyer can easily flow between genres, weather it be an adventure retelling like The Lunar Chronicles, a fun superhero story like Renegades, or even the dark, twisted retellings like Gilded.

I don't want to wait a year for the next book because I have so many questions, especially about my prediction that was correct. Marissa Meyer is back with retellings and I am ready for it!

Having read and loved The Lunar Chronicles, I will admit one of the things that most interested me about Gilded was to see how Meyer, now as an experienced author with multiple completed series under her belt would do at tackling a straight fantasy again for the first time since Heartless. Heartless sadly wasn’t to my tastes as I don’t tend to enjoy villain backstories as much but GIlded seemed a lot more up my alley. The cover alone is a work of art and drew me in from the minute I saw it. Many thanks to Feiwel & Friends for granting my wish to read this ARC!
I give this book a 3.5 but because we can't do halfsies on here, I'm rounding up to be nice.
Gilded, unfortunately, was one of those books where it had a wonderful setup and brilliant body of a book but failed to stick the landing for me. I'd really been enjoying it but as more and more twists were revealed in the last 10% of the book, the more miserable I became and the less I was enjoying myself. The story hadn't exactly been a sunshine parade previously but towards the end, it just got darker, bleaker, and grimmer. Not saying I expected a happy ending fairy tale but it just slammed the lights off for that final stretch. Yes, I understand that all of this was to set up the next book but all of this made me thoroughly unexcited to continue and unenthused for the direction everything had taken. It made me feel as though Cursed would do the same thing that Gilded had just done: spend the beginning restoring my hope by fixing the doom and gloom of Gilded’s ending and then just go right back downhill hill again for the closing and disappoint me all over again. I had been greatly enjoying this book and then really disappointed by the path that went down that it makes it hard for me to be objective and not cynical about the current arcs that Gilded stopped on.
Serilda was my favorite part of the story, I loved learning more about her gift that comes from being gifted by the God of Stories and Lies and how she weaves her stories. The world-building was fascinating and the banter was very good and fun but it’s a very dark story. People who loved dark retellings and bloody fairytales will love this because Meyer’s writing weaves such a vivid tapestry. It’s also just very macabre and morose and well maybe a touch depressing. Maybe I’m a simpleton for liking happier stories but I have enough darkness in my life to not want to read about fictional darkness. I will likely want to see how things end up in Cursed but right now, I’m not convinced it’s gonna be worth the heartache. I hate to say that but I’m a wimp who likes happiness and happy endings and some very not happy things happened at the end of this book that left a bad taste in my mouth.
So overall Gilded is wonderfully crafted and written and I love Serilda very very much but it’s almost like I love her too much to want to see her suffer anymore. And, it’s so well written that the pain and darkness are a bit much for me. THat’s down to personal taste though, I’m sure many people will just eat this up and love it, I just am not one of those people.

Serilda is a poor miller's daughter known for her outlandish tales. When she tells a tale to the Erlking on the night of the Wild Hunt, she is taken to his castle and told to spin straw into gold or face the consequences of her lies. Devastated, Serilda accidently summons a mysterious boy who agrees to aid her with her task, for a price.

Definitely not my favourite Marissa Meyer book, but I still enjoyed my time reading! This is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling, that I had no idea was going to be A SERIES?! I was so confused when it ended, as I totally thought it was a stand-alone and it was so open-ended. I am definitely intrigued to see where the story progresses in the next installment. I think I was expecting the same friendship dynamics and witty banter I've gotten with Meyer's other books so I was a bit disappointed that much of this book was Serilda on her own. I also wasn't the BIGGEST fan of the romance in this, it just didn't give me the same vibes as I've felt with her other books. I did love the setting though, and found the descriptions of the places Serilda went to be wonderful and atmospheric. I think my favourite parts of the book were when Serilda began to spin her tales and we were able to hear them as well. I did really like Gild as a character, and I'm interested to see what happens next!

Interesting fantasy twist on a fairy tale fantasy. I found it tedious for the most part, but the writing is decent as well. Had a difficult time getting into the story but was impressed by the research element in German folklore.

I love this Rumpelstiltskin retelling! We all know that short fairy tale but this had a little more woven into it... The German tale of the Erlking.

Serilda is a very good storyteller (some call her a liar) with golden spokes around her eyes. When she rescues two moss maidens from the Erlking's hunt, she ultimately tells a lie that makes the Erlking want to steal here each hunt. She says she can spin straw into gold.

When she is forced to do that very thing, she is surprised by a ghostly boy that can ACTUALLY do it. He helps her in exchange for trinkets and stories.

I love Marissa's way of storytelling. This book may look big (and it is at 500 pages) but it goes by quickly. I read almost 300 pages in one sitting! I could clearly see in my minds eye all that Serilda saw and I could feel all she felt. The end had a great set up for book 2 and I cannot wait until they day comes!

The Erlking is frightening in what he does and who he is. I want Serilda to take him down. It will be exciting.

I have a love hate relationship with this book currently but in the best way possible. The love I have for Gild and Serilda is crazy and real. I truly hope everything I want to happen in the second book happens and that the ending is what I hope for but don't we all want books to go a certain direction. I grew too attached to some of these characters and sometimes that can be good and bad. I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment to this wonderful yet cursed series!

I’ve never read a Marissa Meyer book before but I will be seeking them out now. I absolutely love a good retelling and this one was phenomenal. It’s was magical and enchanting and still contained some of the original Grimm aspects of the original Rumpelstiltskin fairytale that I loved. Marvelously written and keeps you captivated from the start.

When she was born Serilda was blessed - or cursed - by the god of storytellers. She can make up fantastic tales, which helps when she's working with children in the schoolhouse, but is less helpful when the people of her town call her a liar, and believe her curse brings bad luck and misfortune. One day she makes the mistake of telling a fantastic tale - that she can spin gold our of straw - to the Erlking, who promptly summons her to his castle to prove it. There she is surrounded by goblins and evil spirits, including the ghosts of those who followed the Erlking's hunt to their death. She also meets a boy who offers to help her fool the Erlking, but only for a price.

This was...okay? It's pitched as a retelling of Rumplestilskin, but it sticks pretty close to the source - this is pure high fantasy, set in a world of Germanic and Norse myths. It's clearly pitched to be the beginning of a series, and it shows in the pacing. The book feels like the end of Act 1, as opposed to a fully contained story. The beginning especially drags, as we wait for all the pieces to click into place. And even then it definitely feels like we're in a holding pattern, because Meyer needs enough story to make it long enough to justify a whole book, but doesn't want to give plot away that she's saving for the next book.

Marissa Meyer is one of my favorites and I have loved her books, especially the Lunar Chronicles. I did enjoy this one but it was not one of my favorites. The pacing was a bit slow and I found it hard to get into, but the ending picked up and there will clearly be a sequel. I will definitely be reading it, but I won't be waiting on the edge of my seat.

In this young adult fantasy novel, Serilda was allegedly cursed/gifted by a god at birth with a gift for storytelling, which along with her strange eyes has left the people of her village suspicious of her. One night, in order to rescue some forest dwelling magical creatures from the mythical Erlking, she tells him that she is out gathering straw to spin into gold. Then she finds herself summoned to his castle and ordered to spin straw into gold or be killed. And that’s just the start of the book, there’s a lot more to it than that!

So, it’s loosely inspired by the story of Rumpelstilskin, but with plenty of original elements as well. Unlike Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series, which are fairy tale reimaginings set in a sort of futuristic sci fi dystopia, this one is set in more of your typical medieval-ish fantasy world. So a vibe more like Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver or even Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorn and Roses (but without the steam and younger-feeling). Definitely a long and at times slow book, but with a great story. Ends on a cliffhanger which was obviously not entirely satisfying, but I’ll definitely be reading the sequel.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

This book started out very intriguing, but around the 20-30% mark, it began to slow considerably. I love how the hunt is introduced into Serilda’s life, and how her lies end up putting her in a horrible situation.

But the story begins to drag, as the hunt only occurs once a month. The in-between moments are a bit boring, or at least lacking excitement (the children, Serilda and her father’s relationship, the town of Adelheid), and I felt that the story lost its momentum. I also really wanted there to (maybe-possibly) be a budding romance between the Erlking and Serilda, because I personally find those relationships (that of a villain with a “good” character) much more appealing and interesting.

The ending was just like the beginning in that the last 10% or so was fast-paced and exciting. I wish the whole book had been like that. But this was still a well told story, and it definitely had a very “fairytale” vibe.

Fairy tales are a double edged sword. I think all of us have been inclined toward reboots not because we’re Hollywood dupes or whatever the alarmist discourse is now, but because the familiar is comforting—and after these past few years, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting comfort. But it puts authors in a bind, because as much as we want comfort, we need novelty. Authors then have to innovate within much narrower confines, pushing the bounds of a narrative without breaking them. Fortunately, and as usual, Marissa Meyer is a genius at doing just that.

I really never knew what was going to happen next in Gilded, her 12th novel and her return to fairy tales after some time away. That’s no small feat given that the source material is already established. We know the beats: a young woman, under pain of death, must spin straw into gold for a king. To accomplish this, she trades her most precious possessions to Rumpelstiltskin, who is actually able to produce golden thread. The woman then marries the king and defeats Rumpelstiltskin by learning his name.

Meyer starts with the very reasonable premise that this king must be an absolute piece of garbage to make this unreasonable threat. And thus, instead of a mortal man, we have the Alder King, immortal leader of the Wild Hunt. He rides across the land seeking prey of all kinds, whether mythic beasts—or human children. His cruelty is on full display, and he only becomes more fearsome the more we learn of him.

To balance him out, Serilda is stubbornly optimistic and full of moxie. I loved her ability to be cheeky even when in mortal peril and her ability to tell stories under the strangest circumstances. She’s not perpetually sunny—her life has been marked by loss too much for that—but she’s hopeful. It’s a very nice trait to see persist across the book, not least because it keeps Gilded from becoming full grimdark.

Yes, Gilded was much, much grimmer than I expected while still somehow—I really don’t know how—maintaining that trademark Meyer optimism. There’s a surprising amount of child murder, for one, and some of it is graphic. There’s plenty of adult murder, too, which is also graphic. Torn-out hearts, a zombie chewing on its own flesh…the list goes on, but I’ll spare you more detail. It’s not gratuitous exactly, more that Meyer really embraced the darkness of the original Grimm’s fairy tales.

Maybe it’s the setting that kept the book from going full horror. Serilda’s life, and village and town life in general, held as much dismay as joy. People were reasonably superstitious and self-serving, but could also be generous and thoughtful. It’s very realistic to see the full range of human experience rather than just the negative, and I liked the secondary characters well enough. I think there could have been less detail about how much Serilda likes working with children (the answer is so much), but by and large the world is rich and compelling.

Ultimately, though, I think it was the romance that really buoyed Gilded. Its sweetness and sultriness was sheer perfection, paced magnificently and written even better. I was particularly glad that a moment of misunderstanding was resolved very nearly within the same moment it was introduced, a huge relief to me, personally, who hates that trope. Instead there was fun flirting and, more importantly, a solid foundation of mutual insight and trust. If you want me to believe in happily ever after you have to give me relationships (romantic or otherwise) that really seem like they’ll go the distance, and Meyer nailed it.

The ending surprised me, too, but not in a good way. It kept getting drawn out and drawn out, and then the not-really-a-cliffhanger arrived with me still hoping in vain for a resolution of some kind. It felt like 500 pages was enough to tell this story to completion, only Meyer (or her publisher) was dragging her feet.

Maybe I’m wrong. I hope I’m wrong. It will be nice to see all the loose ends tied up, and maybe there really is another book’s worth of material in that. But it feels much more like there could have been some cuts made, some points condensed, and the whole book made into…well, a book. Just one. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely going to pick up book two. How could I not? I do love these characters, and I do love this story. Meyer isn’t being cruel or conniving here. I suspect instead that her level of fame has prevented editors from really pushing this to be as tight as it could be. It just doesn’t help that it came out around the same time as Little Thieves, another Germanic fairy tale retelling that did manage to cram everything into a single action-packed drama-dense volume. They could have really complemented and been in conversation with each other, but instead I’m going to have to wait to fully judge Gilded on the merits of its forthcoming conclusion.

3.5⭐

This is a surprisingly dark twist on Rumpelstiltskin full of folklore, magic, and captivating writing. But while I loved aspects of this book (seriously the writing is beautiful) I found some parts to be repetitive and predictable. Overall I had a good time with this story, and I don't plan to pick up the sequel, it just isn't going down as a favorite of all time.

Let's start with my favorite parts of this book!

The retelling and folklore aspects of this were fantastic. They were true to the original while still feeling fresh and modern. I loved the fantastical elements (god magic) mixed with the darker paranormal aspects (some of these ghosts were terrifying!). And I thought it was such a fun blend of genres making it feel really unique.

This genre blend also gave it a much darker edge than I was expecting. This book reads older on the YA scale and tackles some dark stuff. And it definitely doesn't shy away from gruesome descriptions! I really liked that Marissa Meyer wasn't afraid to go dark with this retelling, especially considering how dark the original tales get.

And just like the Lunar Chronicles, Marissa Meyer is a stunning writer. Her descriptions and worlds are so lush and magical. And the scenes leap off the page. I could vividly see every single scene throughout this book.

But I think were this book fell a little short for me was in its length and characters.

This book did not need to be 500 pages long... Did we really need 3 detailed spinning scenes. I was frustrated by the fact that we were rehashing information over and over again (how many times did Serilda need to be told that magic required payment?!).

But on top of that, we spent a lot of time hinting at the past and over and over to the point where it became extremely obvious where the story was heading. And as a reader I felt like I was just waiting for the characters to catch up.

I think if some of that time and detail had been eased off on the history and spent developing the relationships, this book could have 100% won me over. But I didn't buy into the romance as much as I wanted to because their minimal interactions were so focused on external discussions rather than getting to know each other.

Overall this book was a little hit and miss. Some parts blew me away and were absolutely magical. While other aspects fell flat. But I am curious to see where this story goes from here enough that I plan to pick up book 2.

So here’s the thing regarding my feelings about Marissa Meyer: I love her. When it comes to storytelling she can do no wrong. When it comes to fairytale retellings she excels. When it comes to writing and voice she weaves and enchants. And Gilded was no exception.

I went into it without reading the synopsis, because honestly it’s Marissa, she’s an all time fave and I really don’t need a preview of what’s to come as I know it’s going to be epic. And epic ‘twas was.

If you’re obsessed with dark fairytales as I am then this is the one for you. With vivid descriptions of imagery that’s lush and atmospheric and a character with a knack for storytelling that was vibrant and rich- I was already in love.

Then we met the Erlking, with all that he entails, and Gild and slowly started the becoming of what is now my favorite Marissa Meyer book to date.

If it wasn’t the intoxicating atmosphere of the novel, then it was surely the charismatic and alluring characters, but if it wasn’t them, then it was the absolutely witty and hysterical dialogue that had me cackling- and if it wasn’t that then it was surely the bewitching storytelling.

All this to say, I absolutely adore Gilded and hope everyone is just as obsessed with it as I am.

Gilded, by author Marissa Meyer, is the first installment in what is being sold as the retelling of Rumpelstiltskin and the Wild Hunt featuring 18-year old Serilda Moller as the primary storyteller. Cursed by Wyrdith, 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. Thanks to her golden wheeled eyes, and the fact that her mother disappeared years before, Serilda's only outlet is the children she keeps entertained while being an assistant to Madam Sauer.

After Serilda saves two moss maidens from the Erlking's hunt, and tells one of her outlandish tales which has left her with no friends, she draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters. She soon finds herself in a world full of ghouls, ghosts, monsters and other creatures from nightmares and hollow-eyed ravens that track her every move. Because of her lie, she is forced 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 who we will call Gild (Vergoldetgeist) to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price. Love isn't meant to be part of the bargain. But there is more to Gild than meets the eye. Serilda soon 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.

Every time Serilda tries to escape and return home, she's brought right back to the castle and forced to make more gold. Even after meeting a woman and her young daughter, and trying to find safe haven, it doesn't last very long. When the Erlking takes five children from her village who were an eager audience of Serilda's tales and stories, she knows she is in deep trouble with no outlet for escape. Gilded encompasses the dark and sinister aspects of the original German fairy tales while creating something new and enchanting.

This is the first part of a planned duology with the finale coming out November 2022. Unfortunately, there are some damnable spoilers on Goodreads that tells readers what they can expect next. At times, I really do wish the publisher would wait until shortly before release date in order to add the synopsis to the sequel. This book is repetitive at times, and probably could have been cut back by a 100 pages or more. The worldbuilding is probably the one thing the author does well as we are not just stuck in one place, but several places as Serilda tries to find a way to escape from the Erlking and find out if her mother is alive or not.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

This book was somehow simultaneously dark, atmospheric, and fun. I really had a blast reading it and I loved each and every one of Serilda’s stories. I’ll be honest, a lot of the time when I read a book with side stories, I find myself reading through them quickly to get back to the main plot. In Gilded, I can honestly say that I enjoy Serlilda’s stories as much as I enjoyed the main plot.

One of my favorite things about Marissa Meyer’s books has always been the way she consistently writes sassy main characters. Her banter is consistently on point, and I loved how quirky Serilda was. She was so caring and protective of not only the people in her life, but the new people she met as the story progressed.

Overall this was a really incredible twist on the classic tale of Rumpelstiltskin, and I can’t wait to continue Serilda and Gild’s story in the next book.

I highly recommend this book for fans of fairytales! I loved the incorporations of folklore and its creatures. I've always loved Rumpelstiltskin as a story, so it was interesting to have another unique retelling. I was drawn into the world Meyer created, and I liked the characters. I'll be interested to know where the story goes.

Gilded by Marissa Meyer is the first in an as yet untitled series or trilogy and a haunting retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Addictive, dark, and romantic, this fairytale will sweep you away and have you checking the phases of the moon.

I love slipping into the worlds Meyer creates and while I am familiar with the story of Rumpelstiltskin; she put a spin on it that drew me in. Fans of German folklore will appreciate the research Meyer did in bringing Grimm’s Rumplestiltskin’s tale to life, but also the stories of the Erlking, Shrub Grandmother and Nachtkrapp.

Serilda lives with her father, the local miller, and has golden wheeled eyes that make the villagers blame her for all their woes. She has a talent for weaving stories. Most of the village fear her, but the children adore her and the stories she weaves about the Erkling, woods and creatures found there. She received her gift from the god Wyrdith and we learn how that came to be in the opening chapter.

The townsfolk avoid the forest and live in fear of the full-moon when Erkling and his dead hunt. They are known for stealing young children and hunting wild creatures. I loved the Wild Hunt and the ghosts, slaves and happenings within the Erkling’s keep. Meyer’s weaved elements a horror into this dark fable from the creatures to the poor souls who heard the call.

On a full moon Serilda saves some moss maidens and when confronted by the Erkling, she weaves a tale of spinning straw into gold. On the next full moon, the Erkling sends one of his servants to her door and she is taken to Adalheid Castle, which sits in the middle of a lake. The Erkling throws her in a dungeon filled with straw and a spinning wheel. She must weave all the straw to gold before daylight. Weeping Serilda believes she will face death, but a young man, a poltergeist, named Gild appears. If she gifts him her locket, he will help her.

The tale that unfolds was a gothic fairytale filled with horror, romance and magical elements from the creatures to the lores. I was impressed with how she blended Grimms’ tale with German folklore and loved everything from the hunt to the castle and its secrets.

Aschen Wood, the magical creatures, the secrets and superstitious rituals performed by townsfolk, held me spellbound. Gild (Rumplestiltskin) and Serilda along with secondary characters were fleshed out yet mysterious, and I loved what tidbits we learned. The ship (romance) was sweet, despite the limitations, but the what-ifs will hook you.

The mysteries of Gild, Adaheid castle, its former residence and the Erlking have me anxious for the next book.

Marissa Meyer has done it again; turned a well known fairytale into something wildly delicious and adventurous. From spinning straw into gold to spinning lies into truths, Gilded is a truly breathtaking story. Dive into the story of Rumplestiltskin like you’ve e never heard it before.

This was just, odd. Started out great. But the story ended up feeling very drawn out. And the intended romance fell pretty flat.