Spinning Silver

This book is more than likely to end up in my Christmas card top picks. I ADORED this book; the stars aligned and everything about it made me happy. I'm already anticipating reading it again, that's how much I liked it! Spinning Silver is a Russian folk tale/medieval-fantasy with bad ass heroines. The first of these heroines and the star of the whole show is, Miryem. Miryem has a great sense for bookkeeping and scheming and once she takes over her father's money lending trade in town and starts calling in debts (with interest) and investing them in other items, her family becomes relatively wealthy (rather then dirt poor like she had been raised). Next is Wanda. Wanda grew up even poorer than Miryem and when Miryem comes to collect her father's debt, her father basically sells her out as an indentured servant and Wanda starts working for Miryem and her family. Finally we have Irina, a wealthy Duke's daughter in a city a day's ride away. In the kingdom where they live, their lies a dark force, the Staryk. Whenever a shining white road appears and the snow thickens, the Staryk are near. Legends of their barbarity and thirst for gold are well known. One day Miryem's money skills are noticed and a Staryk leaves behind a small white coin pouch filled with three silver coins. Miryem knows that she needs to find a way to turn them into gold. Will she be able to fend off the Staryk? These three women will find their lives drawn together in unexpected ways. Although none of them were valued for their skills initials, they are more valuable then all the knights and gold in the kingdom. They are no damsels in distress! The "villains" if you will are also wonderful! I imagined the Staryk Lord as Jareth the Goblin King (which obviously makes Miryem Jennifer Connelly) and the demon possessed tsar as Lord Farquaad from Shrek. There's not too much fantasy, not really any romance to speak, but plenty of adventure and wit. BRB I'm going to go voraciously read all this author's others books!