First off, this book was absolutely FANTASTIC! I have been searching for a fantasy that felt cozy and warm for winter and I finally found it in this wonderful novel!
When I review I use my own setup, called the STAR. Summary, Taste, Authenticity, Review. This really helps me to organize my thoughts into a complete and thorough post.
Summary- 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— everyoneknows—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.
Taste- You know that feeling you get when you read a book (hopefully it's a good one)? I call that the book's taste. "Uprooted" tasted like a traditional dinner dish that you only get once every year. The welcome feeling that you get when reading is something every reader craves. There were a few times when bitterness crept in there, though. I felt that the plot sometimes dragged on, and that is to be expected of a high fantasy novel. Novik had to take time to establish her world and really help us to see and feel what she wanted us too. There were just times I didn't feel that necessary.
Authenticity- This novel was so original! I feel that that is very rare in these times we live in so I enjoyed every bit of this traditional dinner that I could! The fantasy did not feel convoluted in any way and I hadn't quite experienced anything like Agnieszka's world before.
The faerie lore also felt very researched. The tale was never thin and the magic and fantastical elements were very rich in the way they were presented.
Review- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 out of 5: I absolutely adored this book! Although this is a stand-alone I would go anywhere with Agnieszka and The Dragon and I would love it! I really liked how the book flowed, even if the plot dragged on for parts at a time. I don't feel like I can say much without spoiling the story, but I will say that many unexpected twists and turns were thrown into this story and you all know how much I love surprises! At times I was laughing out loud, and I times I was stressed to the point of tears. If you are any sort of fantasy fan, make sure to pick this up from your local bookstore or order from an online book site.
"Uprooted" by Naomi Novik published by Del Rey on May 19, 2015.
