There's a lot of children's dialogue in this excerpt, and I don't think Meyer quite nailed it — like she was being so careful to avoid baby talk that she went a little too old. Nevertheless, it was pretty enjoyable and convinced me that I do want to read this book after all, so I suppose that makes it a good opening.

This is an interesting and darker look into the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale. We follow Serilda as she tells tall tales to her community. Her tales are fantastical and intriguing and catch the interest of one of the characters from her stories the Erlking.

I enjoyed the darkness interwoven in the details that I already knew of the tale. I am interested in how the story continues, so I suppose this extended sample did its job!

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a review for the extended sampler, so my comments and rating are only reflective of the first ten chapters.

I read Meyers’s Lunar Chronicles for the first time this summer and thoroughly enjoyed her inventive take on fairy tales! Gilded is a return to the fairytale retelling genre, but it seems to be more traditional rather than futuristic, as in the Lunar Chronicles.

It’s still too early to make a judgment, but I think one of the biggest issues I had was that the world-building felt a bit nebulous in these first chapters; it was a bit difficult to really visualize the setting and characters in a distinct way, especially when one compares them to the foundation Meyer works to build early on in Cinder for The Lunar Chronicles, details related to time and place that really help to make the story come to life. While there were definitely some qualities to root for in the main character, Serilda, mainly her pluckiness and care for others, sometimes her voice also felt a bit less mature, which made it more difficult to really want to invest in her.

I found the first ten chapters to be a bit slow, but the story definitely picked up in the last chapters of the sampler, enough that I would still want to check out the rest to see where the story goes from there!

I was intrigued by this retelling Rumpelstiltskin, . There are not a lot of books that use this one.

The sampler was TOO SHORT!! I devoured it and was made when i tapped and there wasn't more!

This was a fascinating start to an old tale and I can't wait to get my hands on the entire books!

Gilded is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling and follows Serilda, a young girl who cannot stop herself from spinning tales. Unfortunately one night she makes the mistake of telling the fearsome Erlking, leader of the Wild Hunt, that she can spin straw into gold. Now he wants her to prove it, and the Erkling is not known for his kindness or forgiveness.
I love fairytales and fairytale retellings and Marrisa Meyer sweeps you away into this world from the very first paragraph. The sampler is enough to wet your appetite and has made me even more convinced that I need to read this book as soon as possible. The sampler ends just as a certain magical character appears and I honestly cannot wait to see where this story goes. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this sampler and while I haven't read the whole book yet I think anyone who loves the story of Rumpelstiltskin or loves retellings will want to pick this book up.

WOW! Marissa Meyer did not disappoint in this one.

Her ability to cast traditional fairy tales in a new light has been unmatched in the past, and it seems that will continue in her next release, Gilded. I look forward to this highly anticipated release so that I can learn more about these characters and the world they inhabit. Best-seller status!

I’ve been a fan of Marissa Meyer for years. I was so excited to be able to get the chance to read this extended sneak peak of Gilded. It was everything I hoped for and more. I love the main character and can’t wait to see where her story goes. If you loved The Lunar Chronicles as much as I did you need to read this book. I can’t wait to finish it once it’s released. I’ve already preordered my copy!!

I received a sample up through chapter ten in exchange for an honest review.

Our main character is a young woman who likes to craft stories. Unfortunately she spins one for the wrong person, a dark magical being.

So far I like it. Ten chapters isn’t enough to say I love it but it didn’t change my plans to read the whole book when it’s out

Wow! This story is so compelling, it sucked me in with the first paragraph. Of course, Marissa Meyer is a fantastic author, so I was expecting great things and was not disappointed. It is a fantastical retelling of Rumplestiltskin, with ghosts and characters from European folklore. The main character is a spunky girl who cannot seem to stop herself from spinning yarns (lies) that land her in a heap of trouble. Only the first 10 chapters were available to review, so I cannot wait to read the rest.

THIS WAS SO GOOD. MISS MEYER YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN. IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK. PLEASE READ IT. UGH. I LOVED IT.

rumpelstiltskin's story is one of the best story by the brother Grimms and it is one of the most undervalued stories their is so when i found about the Gilded book by Marissa Meyer, i was super intrigued by the retelling of his story. The book revolved around Serilda a poor farm girl that was bless or curse to tell beautiful extravagant stories u til one day she met up with a hunting party. From there she was thrown into a world more dangerous and beautiful then her own world. It is a great story for fan of Sleepy Hollow and Disney. I gave it a 4/5.

This was an interesting experience. Fairytales really work with Meyer's writing style. This little snippet makes me even more curious for where this story will go.

Oh, what a wonderful tease! This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year, so I really appreciate the opportunity to read a sampler.

Even though this was just a fraction of the book, I can immediately tell this is going to be a 5 star read. I can’t wait to get my hands on a full copy to see what happens next!

The Gilded sampler has me craving more of this story. A magical journey and intrigue for fantasy fans.
#marissameyer, #netgalley, #gilded

In this Rumplestiltskin retelling, we meet Serilda, who has a penchant for telling tall tales. One night, she hears someone calling for help, and finds two not quite human girls, running from the leader of the wild hunt. She hides the girls and tells a small fib to the leader when he comes looking, that she was out looking for straw by the light of the moon to spin into straw. Thinking she got away with her small fib, she carries on with her life until a month later when an undead creature knocks on her door and kindly requests, under penalty of death, that she accompany him back to his master’s castle. She learns that the leader she met, was no other than the king and he is not a forgiving sort. Now she must spin straw into gold or find hers and her father’s head mounted to his wall.
As I generally love story retellings, I cannot wait to read the rest of this story. Heartless was my favorite book for a long time and I hope that this story lives up to that standard. I would like to thank Net Galley for the chance to read this extended preview in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was a great teaser! As it isn't the full book, my review here is only for the sample I was provided.

I think the amount of story given in the sampler was enough to wet the appetite and grab your interest. I will be looking forward to ordering and reading the finished book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for allowing me the sampler to review.

I absolutely loved the sneak peek! It feels like a folklore ready to be opened for hungry eyes! O I was left at such a interesting point in the story and now am desperate to finish it! If you like Wolf and the Woodsmen or Bear and the Nightingale this is the book for you!
The main character is a day dreamer who believes in fairytales she weaves for the children she teaches. One day her stories become real life and she tricks the Dark King! He in turn expects her to spin gold from straw like she says she can! This retelling is going to be interesting and a new take on such well known folklore!

As this is only a sampler and not the full book, this will be a very brief review.
For months, I have been beyond excited for GILDED. Not only is it written by one of my favorite authors, Marissa Meyer, but it is her twist on a fairytale retelling of Rumplestiltskin. Obviously I was ecstatic to read the sampler and obtain a sneak peek of one of my most anticipated 2021 releases.
Unfortunately, it took longer than I would have liked for me to become invested in the story. The main character Serilda's stories to the children, while depicting her character wonderfully, felt aimless and overall unnecessary; in my humble opinion, they made the beginning quite boring. Once the action picked up, however, I was utterly lost in the words, leaving the real world behind. The cliffhanger left me begging for the completed book, so I will most definitely be preordering the moment I can.
As for Serilda herself, the potential for a strong character arc is very evident and I look forward to seeing its completion. The Erlking, thus far, makes for a slightly stereotypical, though intriguing, villain, so following along with his antics seems to keep the tension high and boredom low.
Overall, the sampler of GILDED presents a very promising beginning to Marissa Meyer's latest and greatest.

What a great teaser!!!
I am very excited for this release!!!!

I'd like to thank the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely sample that had me excited to see what happens next in the story! I can’t wait see what’s next for Serilda.