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Quick answer: If you loved Spinning Silver, read Naomi Novik's Uprooted, then The Bear and the Nightingale, Beauty, Howl's Moving Castle and The Night Circus. All are rich, lyrical fairy-tale fantasies with clever heroines and a wintry, folkloric mood.
Naomi Novik's 2018 novel retells Rumpelstiltskin through three young women: a moneylender's daughter, a lord's daughter and a poor girl, each caught up in a deal with the Staryk, creatures of ice. It is intricate, wintry and warm. The books below offer similar fairy-tale retellings, Slavic and Eastern European flavours and heroines who use their wits.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uprooted | Naomi Novik | Adult | more Novik |
| The Bear and the Nightingale | Katherine Arden | Adult | Russian winter tale |
| Beauty | Robin McKinley | Adult | Beauty and the Beast |
| Howl's Moving Castle | Diana Wynne Jones | Ages 10+ | witty magic |
| Stardust | Neil Gaiman | Adult | fairy-tale romance |
| The Night Circus | Erin Morgenstern | Adult | magical competition |
| Ella Enchanted | Gail Carson Levine | Ages 9-13 | fairy-tale heroine |
| The Hazel Wood | Melissa Albert | Teen | dark fairy tales |
| Circe | Madeline Miller | Adult | witch of the Odyssey |
| Piranesi | Susanna Clarke | Adult | strange wonder |
| A Deadly Education | Naomi Novik | Adult | magic school with monsters |
| His Majesty's Dragon | Naomi Novik | Adult | Napoleonic dragons |
| The Wolf and the Woodsman | Ava Reid | Adult | Hungarian-inspired fantasy |
| Daughter of the Moon Goddess | Sue Lynn Tan | Adult | Chinese mythology |
| Six Crimson Cranes | Elizabeth Lim | Teen | fairy-tale fantasy |
1. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
A girl is taken by a wizard to protect her valley from a Wood. Lush and atmospheric.
Best for: more Novik.
2. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
A girl in medieval Russia can see the old household spirits. Atmospheric and slow-burning.
Best for: Russian winter tale.
3. Beauty by Robin McKinley
A quiet girl goes to live in an enchanted castle. A gentle, classic retelling.
Best for: Beauty and the Beast.
4. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
A young woman cursed to old age meets the wizard Howl. Funny and original.
Best for: witty magic.
5. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
A young man crosses a wall to find a fallen star. Witty and charming.
Best for: fairy-tale romance.
6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Two young magicians are bound to a duel in a travelling circus. Dreamy and romantic.
Best for: magical competition.
7. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
A girl cursed with obedience fights to be free. Funny and charming.
Best for: fairy-tale heroine.
8. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
A girl searches for her mother in a world of dark stories. Eerie and sharp.
Best for: dark fairy tales.
9. Circe by Madeline Miller
The goddess Circe tells her story from exile to power. Lush and thoughtful.
Best for: witch of the Odyssey.
10. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
A man lives in an endless house of statues and tides. Short and lyrical.
Best for: strange wonder.
11. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
A student at a school full of monsters tries to survive. Funny and inventive.
Best for: magic school with monsters.
12. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
A British captain bonds with a dragon during the Napoleonic wars. Elegant and exciting.
Best for: Napoleonic dragons.
13. The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
A pagan girl and a warrior prince travel through a cruel kingdom. Dark and lyrical.
Best for: Hungarian-inspired fantasy.
14. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
A girl raised on the moon trains as a warrior. Lyrical and inventive.
Best for: Chinese mythology.
15. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
A princess is cursed and must save her brothers. Lyrical and romantic.
Best for: fairy-tale fantasy.
How to Choose
For more Novik read Uprooted, A Deadly Education or His Majesty's Dragon. For Slavic and wintry folklore choose The Bear and the Nightingale or The Wolf and the Woodsman. For classic retellings pick Beauty, Howl's Moving Castle or Ella Enchanted. For dreamy, lush fantasy read Stardust or The Night Circus. Spinning Silver rewards slow reading, so these picks suit readers who love fairy-tale texture. Spinning Silver draws on Jewish and Eastern European folklore, which gives its fairy-tale world a distinct texture. If you want more wintry fairy tales, The Bear and the Nightingale and The Wolf and the Woodsman are the closest. If you want lighter retellings, Beauty and Ella Enchanted are friendlier. If you want to read Novik chronologically, Uprooted came first, and the Temeraire series begins with His Majesty's Dragon. Audiobooks of Spinning Silver use several narrators for its many viewpoints. Readers who finish Spinning Silver often look for more fairy-tale retellings with a strong heroine.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Spinning Silver about?
A moneylender's daughter strikes a bargain with the ice king, which pulls her into a dangerous world.
Who wrote it?
Naomi Novik.
When was it published?
2018.
Is it a retelling?
Yes, of Rumpelstiltskin.
Is it related to Uprooted?
No, it is a separate standalone, though similar in tone.
Did it win awards?
It was a Hugo and Nebula finalist and won the Locus Award.
Is it a long book?
About 480 pages.
What should I read next?
Try Uprooted or The Bear and the Nightingale.
Is Spinning Silver a standalone?
Yes, though it shares themes with Uprooted.
Is it dark?
It has danger and cruelty, but a hopeful tone.
Is Spinning Silver good for fans of Uprooted?
Yes, though its structure is more complex, with several narrators.