Naomi Novik
Del Rey
May 19th, 2015
Agnieszka lived in her tiny village knowing that her best friend Kasia would one day be taken from her. How? By the village Dragon.
Not a literal Dragon, of course. This Dragon was the local Magician, confederate of the King and the only thing keeping the ensorcelled Forest from overtaking all the villages of Polya. He lived in the castle alone, and wanted only one other person living with him. Not to bed, but to cook and provide human company. Someone pleasant and pretty that wouldn’t get in his way. He took girls at 17, and kept his chosen girl for ten years, and then she received a dowry and could go home. Except, none ever really did. Once they came back, village life was always too small. They left.
Choosing Day comes, and Agnieszka expects to say goodbye to Kasia. Everyone knows he will choose Kasia, the jewel of the village. Until he points at Agnieszka.
Uprooted is a re-imagined Polish fairy tale of a girl following in the steps of Baba Yaga. She learns magic from a crabby, stubborn man and saves the day– then it’s off to live in the forest, slowly healing the sickened land around her. While the crabby Dragon does wear a bit thin on the reader’s patience, the book is an entertaining entry into fairy tale, giving the reader a protagonist that grows and changes. She learns to trust herself, and that bravery doesn’t mean you’re not afraid.
A solid contender for this year’s Hugo award for Best Novel, Uprooted also won this year’s Nebula award for Best Novel. The book has been a popular choice to be sure, as it’s many Amazon reviews reflect.
JL Jamieson is a strange book nerd who writes technical documents by day, and book news, reviews, and other assorted opinions for you by night. She is working on her own fiction, and spends time making jewelry to sell at local conventions, as well as stalking the social media accounts of all your favorite writers.