Series: Standalone
Author: Naomi Novik
Stars: 5 out of 5
Book Blurb (from Goodreads.com):
“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.
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Isn't that blurb awesome?! When I first read it I was super excited, and then instantly disappointed when I realized I had months to go until the book would be published. When I finally got my hands on a copy of Uprooted, I was not at all disappointed, hence the five star review. This book's got it all: action, adventure, magic, and a dash of romance. There's also an engaging plot that kept me turning pages until I finished the book a few hours later as well as strong, well-developed characters.
Unlike most books being published lately and that I've read recently, this book is a standalone - though I would be totally happy if Naomi Novik added a sequel. It was refreshing to have a book with a satisfying resolution at the end and no cliff-hanger making you wait in agonizing anticipation until the next book. Overall, the book was well paced. There were one or two spots where it felt a little slow, but it didn't detract much from my overall reading experience. I never once felt like putting the book down for a snooze.
The setting was also interesting and well-described. This book is set in a fantasy-like kingdom where magic, both good and bad, is a common occurrence. Novik does a great job describing both the smaller settings, like the village and Dragon's tower, as well as the larger, overarching descriptions of the kingdom and land. I could easily visualize the places and people.
My favorite part was the excellent cast of characters. There's of course the main character, Agnieszka, who is a very realistic character that I found relatable. She's brave, strong, stubborn, and cares strongly for her friends and family, but she's flawed; she gets scared, rushes into things, makes social blunders, etc. Most importantly, however, is the growth I saw in her character as the book progressed; she wasn't at all stagnant. There is also the wizard, Dragon, who is another key character. He's brooding, and grumpy, but what I found most interesting was his obsession with order and fashion. Whereas Agnieszka goes with the flow and is constantly disheveled, Dragon is precise and always perfectly put together. They contrast, but also compliment each other. The romance between them wasn't really a surprise, and while I get the whole "opposites attract" thing, I wasn't fully convinced of why Agnieszka cared so much for him. There are a number of other great characters in this book as well, including the best friend, Kasia, who is important throughout the book and well-rounded, even as side character. There's also the antagonist, who I won't go into much detail about to avoid giving away major spoilers. Let me just say, this book has a great villain, who is not just a flat evil character, but has an interesting backstory and a reason for their evilness.
This is a book I plan to re-read and I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy novels with magic and intrigue. I think young adults and adults alike will enjoy this book, however there are some more explicit romance scenes in the book so I wouldn't recommend it for younger teens.
*Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy via NetGalley.
