Spinning Silver by Naomi NovikMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've been reading a lot of fantasy lately and think it has its limits, but this one is all-around wonderful for how it takes the fantasy elements and lets them bring out all that's available, and then some, in the characters.
The limits: It's pretty much set in Central Europe, with made-up country names. Not sure why she didn't just use the real ones, since Polish and Russian culture are presented pretty much as-is.
The strengths: The characters are amazing. The central characters are three strong women, each in a different circumstance but with similar grit. Novik manages to give each of them a different voice and show their virtues and flaws in realistic ways. Great storytelling there.
I'm not seeing any reviewers mention Stepon, the young boy in the story who also has a major voice. It's different again from all the others--very simple and direct, yet thoughtful. His view of the story highlights the others, and made it that much more enjoyable.
It's going to be hard to beat this as a favorite from 2018. Absolutely worth reading.
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