Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
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. 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. **Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times-bestselling author, returns to the fairytale world with this haunting retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.**
Tags
Is Gilded appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 14 and up.
This dark fairytale retelling features supernatural threats including ghouls, phantoms, and an undead hunt, with moderate peril and tension. Romance is fade-to-black appropriate for teens.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, mild sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include captivity, death, and supernatural threats (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will love this atmospheric retelling with a clever heroine, mysterious boy, and dark magical world full of secrets to uncover.