Of Silver and Secrets A Rumpelstiltskin Retelling by Sylvia Mercedes Review

In a previous review (The Princess Pact by Melanie Cellier) I discussed how odd of a tale Rumpelstiltskin is. It's full of questions and very unlikable characters and yet it is still a somewhat commonly known fairy tale even without a Disney film. Chances are that most people know the titular character from the show Once Upon a Time as he an leading figure throughout it. In some book retellings he keeps his role as the villain but there are some authors who make him more a sympathetic character who sometimes even become the love interest. And while some may find it odd for him to be considered a romantic partner to the protagonist (and I do agree to some extent) I will just point out the king who the millers daughter marries isn't much better. He threatens to execute her three times if she doesn't spin straw into gold and never shows any real kindness. It doesn't seem like a happy marriage at all. Sylvia Mercedes must have been on the same page as me for she combined both characters to be the villain of the story.

Sylvia Mercedes has become a favorite author of mine recently. I have read and review five of her books (this one included) and have enjoyed them all. She is a very gifted writer who knows how to retell fairy tales is a very original way. I don't think I will be finding a Rumpelstiltskin story that matches the creativity of this book anytime soon if ever. While some main plot points from the original tale are omitted (such as the boastful miller and the actual spinning straw into gold parts) this is still a Rumpelstiltskin retelling through and through.

The book begins by introducing us to Farryn an apprentice to the ward witch Mother Ulla. Besides the little training she has learned in her apprenticeship Farryn also has a talent for entering peoples dreams while she is asleep. She knows she shouldn't do it given the risks but she can't resist. However one day without realizing it she enters the dream of a fae. Although it was done by mistake this act violates the pledge made between the humans and fae long ago. Forced to pay for her what she's done she is imprisoned by the fae lord whose dream she had entered and forced to attempt an impossible task. She must enter his dream and rid him of the deadly monster plaguing him. And if she fails her life is forfeit. Farryn can't achieve the impossible by herself. But when the help she needs comes in the form the mage who she certainly has not been pining for will she put her pride aside in order to save her life. Kellam highly regrets his past actions. He should have written to Farryn while he was at school. Why he let his anxieties get the better of him he will never understand. Upon returning to his hometown he finds Farryn just as bitter as he feared she would be. However after aiding her destroy a dream demon he knows he has to try and earn her forgiveness. But when disaster strikes and Farryn is kidnapped by a fae he with aid Mother Ulla must bring her back home safely even if it should cost him his life. Together will they be able to destroy the dream demon? And if they succeed will the fae lord simply let her go? Can they both escape this mess alive? Perhaps is they can figure out the fae lords name...

Of Silver and Secrets is set in the same world as the The Moonfire Bride, its sequel the Sunfire King and Of Wolves and Wardens. However its only returning character is Mother Ulla the ward witch. It was really interesting to learn that witches in this story use runes to create magic spells. To create a rune one must draw it out it on the ground with their staff. Their system of magic is very different from the more high class mages who use spell books to accomplish their magic. There seems to be some time of rivalry hinted at between the ward witches and the mages that I would have liked to have seen explored more. Perhaps it will be mentioned in a future book.

Farryn is a rather stubborn protagonist. For the longest time she refuses to acknowledge that she still has feelings for Kellam. Her hurt is understandable since Kellam was her childhood friend who seemed to be turning into something more despite their different stations in life. Before leaving for school he had promised to write to her and never did. As a result she grew bitter and spends a good deal of the book refusing to acknowledge her true feelings buried deep within her heart. And even when she does finally acknowledge the truth to herself it feels a little sudden. But despite these gripes Farryn is still a likable character who I kept rooting for. She isn't my favorite protagonist in from Sylvia Mercedes books but she is by no means a bad one.

However if I had to pick a preference between the two protagonists I'd probably prefer Kellam. He is very self-conscious of himself and his past actions. The reason to why he never wrote to Farryn during his time at a magic academy isn't detailed upon too much but it seems that he never really worked up the courage to do so. As to why he was so scared to write them is unclear since his love for Farryn never wavered over the past years. From the start of the books he is still mentally kicking himself for causing her pain and wants to make amends. When she is captured by the fae lord he does everything in his power to save her even if it means putting his own neck on the line. His love towards her is extremely touching and made my heart melt at all he was willing to sacrifice to set Farryn free. 

Mother Ulla is a character I know I probably should have mixed feelings about. In all the books she's been in she acts equally helpful and unhelpful toward the protagonists. She can be extremely frustrating but for some reason I still can't help but love her. She is funny and underneath her gruff exterior she does generally care for those around her even if she would be hard pressed to admit it outright. She doesn't have a tragic history that made her sour which was kind of a nice surprise. Characters don't always need to have tragic backstories or earth shattering experiences for them to be considered well written. I hope that more books will feature Mother Ulla for she makes me smile more than she makes me scowl.

I won't say too much on the stories villain the fae lord except that his personality was creepy. After reading and loving Erolas from Sylvia Mercedes previous duology (who was kind and genuine) I was taken a little off guard by this fae lord and his maliciousness. His character might be a more accurate representation to what most fae act like in old stories (although I do not know this for sure) but he really unnerved me.

Overall this was a very well written and imaginative take on Rumpelstiltskin. Although it can take a while to see the similarities between these two stories and the beginning is a little slow you just need to stick with it and I promise you it will be worth your while. I rate this book five out five stars.