22544764Title: Uprooted

Author: Naomi  Novik

Publisher: Del Rey

Publication Date: May 2015

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

 

 

Synopsis can be found here.

I purchased this book.

 

Review:

Every ten years, the lord wizard, named The Dragon, takes a girl from the village. Ten years later he releases her, but she is forever changed. Agnieszka is sure he will take her best friend Kasia, until… he doesn’t.

Rich and dark, Uprooted reminds me of a traditional old fashioned fairy tale complete with magic, evil and prideful men. The village girl Agnieszka doesn’t know she holds magic inside of her. Only when The Dragon takes her instead of her best friend, does she realize that she holds power and she must decide how to use it. The evil wood creeps closer, devouring everything in its path including the villagers. The Dragon has been holding it off long enough but even he is growing weaker against its attacks.

I love the intricate writing. I read the book slowly, enjoying the world building and the old fashioned magical tone of the story. The Dragon is brash and mean and harsh and reminds me of some beloved people I know, who also managed to lock themselves in  a tower. Agnieszka is a little bit harder for me to love. She’s supposed to be very smart, very powerful, very special. She’s a little too Mary Sue.  Then why does she do some really stupid things?

The plot weaves us through politics, human nature and what it means to love. The stakes are high right from the start and I loved the creative ways the woods would take its victims, and the magic used to uncover the corruption.

Overall, the story is absolutely brilliant, a delicious read that takes me back to my childhood. This deep, dark and twisted fairy tale is totally worth your time.