12 spellbinding new science fiction and fantasy books to read this November
By Lacy Baugher
November 2021 release: Gilded – Marissa Meyer
From Marissa Meyer, who brought us such fabulous fairytale retellings as Heartless and the princess-based tales of the Lunar Chronicles comes Gilded, her new take on the story of Rumplestiltskin.
“I’ve always known that I would eventually come back to fairy tale retellings,” Meyer told i09. “There are so many that I love and that have boundless potential to be re-interpreted. Rumpelstiltskin is one that’s been on my radar for ages, and I’m really excited to be putting my own spin on this super creepy story.”
In Gilded, Meyer puts a new spin on the classic tale of a miller’s daughter and the boy who helps her spin straw into gold, questioning whether Rumpelstiltskin is truly the villain of the piece the way we’ve always been told.
The official synopsis describes the story as follows.
"Long ago cursed by 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. When one of Serilda’s outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda 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 to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price. Love isn’t meant to be part of the bargain. Soon Serilda 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."
Gilded is available on November 2.