Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Book: Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Yasmin, Grade 12

Fans of Marissa Meyer won’t be disappointed by one of her newest releases, Gilded. The first

book of a duology, Gilded follows the adventures of Serilda, a girl born with a god-given gift-or

a curse, as the people of her village see it. Serilda was blessed by the god of stories and lies at

birth, an experience that left her eyes marked with a magical symbol. However, Serilda’s affinity

for gold-plated lies lands her in deep trouble with the tyrannical Erlking, a cruel and immortal

hunter who steals away children in the night. When Serilda tells him she can weave straw into

gold in an effort to save herself and two others, things don’t go as planned, and she finds herself

whisked off to the Erlking's castle, where she must spin him gold from straw or face death. There,

Serilda makes discoveries about herself, the Erlking’s mysterious past, and befriends a strange

ghost, all while she tries to keep her lies, and herself, alive. Gilded is a unique story in that it

gives off a classic fairytale atmosphere, yet is still full of plot twists and a modern feeling that

makes it engaging. It also contains numerous smaller stories told by the characters that all

connect to their reality and add to the mystery of the book as the reader begins to put these

stories together and connect them to the main plot. Overall, this book does not disappoint, and is

great for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Victoria Aveyard, and Holly Black.