NEBULA AWARD WINNER • HUGO AWARD FINALIST • “If you want a fantasy with strong characters and brilliantly original variations on ancient stories, try Uprooted!”—Rick Riordan “Breathtaking . . . a tale that is both elegantly grand and earthily humble, familiar as a Grimm fairy tale yet fresh, original, and totally irresistible.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF … review)
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • BuzzFeed • Tordotcom • BookPage • Library Journal • Publishers Weekly
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.
Praise for Uprooted
“Uprooted has leapt forward to claim the title of Best Book I’ve Read Yet This Year. . . . Moving, heartbreaking, and thoroughly satisfying, Uprooted is the fantasy novel I feel I’ve been waiting a lifetime for. Clear your schedule before picking it up, because you won’t want to put it down.”—NPR
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First, to be fair, I am not a fan of the fantasy genre. I read this book because my granddaughter wanted me to buy it for her. And i wanted to have a shared reading experience with her. There was a lot of hype saying this was the best book ever.
I’m afraid I did not find that to be so. I did like the world-building. I liked the setting. I liked the wood. I liked the main character, the heroine. I liked the author’s voice and the poetry of her language.
However, I had to force myself to read the last two hundred pages with the feeling, will this never end.
There was so much killing and weird goings-on. Sometimes when things happened, I felt confused about what had happened and had to go back reread sections.
I did not think the romance in the novel worked and I am a huge fan of romance. I didn’t think there was any chemistry between the two “romantic” characters, although I was glad that liked each other.
None of the character relationships came to life for me.
I thought this book could have done with some judicious editing on the part of the publisher.
good read. a stand alone book.
My first exposure to Novik’s work and it won’t be my last. A refreshingly fresh fantasy with an unusual magic system, told with prose that is clear yet at times beautiful and surprising, but not overdone.
Highly recommended. A new author for me, and a very interesting and memorable story. A new mythology for me.
Wonderful writing that made you feel good.
Enjoyed this fantasy very much. Would love to see a sequel.
One of my favourite fantasies of recent years. A young woman is shut up in a tower by a mysterious magician … but the book then expands up and out from its premise, becoming something different and wonderful.
Beyond brillant. The sort of story that stays with you long after the book has ended. If you like a fantasy with strong elements of fairy tale, yet its own original interpretation, this is for you.
Engaging, dazzling, smart YA fantasy — go in knowing almost nothing and you’ll be blown away (though I suspect the same might be true even if you know way more than I did). Powerful, spooky, magical.
Just could not get into it.
I’m finding that I really like this conglomerate collection of traits that makes it it’s own unique gem. I’m only on chapter 11, and this book is filling me with all kinds of familiar elements that I’ve come to love across the genre.
There is the Woods with it’s face that I reference to The Evil Dead. And there is the sexual element when two person’s magic work together that reminds me of Darkover and it’s Towers. And the Wood is a evil force all it’s own, reminding me of The Forbidding and/or those from The Princess Bride. And there is the apprentice taken out of their mundane life to learn magic. It also delivers a dark and scary element of life-threatening danger that kind of reminds me of the village in Ginger Bites Back.
I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book. It was full of twists and turns with a cast of characters who were all more than they seemed. I was not surprised by who saved the day–but it was how she did it that was different and very satisfying.
Very unusual story for me. Took a while to get into the book and then I don’t know how I feel about the ending
I loved the dynamic and complex relationship between the two main characters and the amazing imagery. A great plot and wonderful writing.
There’s a reason this book’s won so many awards. While I don’t often delve into high (er) fantasy (and one can argue this isn’t even that), the rich world-building, characters, and lore woven within the world was a nice escape, and the writing was pitch perfect to go along with it. While the story did drag, especially near the end of the middle, the pacing really picks up as you near the end as all the previous pieces of the puzzle placed earlier in the book are revealed. If you’re looking for a slightly more meaty read than typical YA or fantasy fare, give this one a shot.
A really great story
Just amazing…
4.5/5
I LOVED this book! I can’t remember the last time a story kept me up so late…I think I devoured this one in record time (for me).
The heroine here is simply amazing…strong, headstrong, intelligent, and perfectly imperfect. She’s full of empathy and an understanding way beyond her 17 yrs. I liked the hero even though he was a bit of a bully, masking some deeper issues, which of course the heroine (with her wisdom beyond her years) understands and is patient with.
Fantasy, action-packed, romance, a bit of horror. Solid entertainment! Hated to see it end.
A beautifully written novel that draws inspiration from Eastern European and Russian fairy tales. Rich world-building, fantastic characters, and a strong plot that will suck you in and make you never want to leave.
Couldn’t put it down – literally read this all night. Great characters. Witty and well-developed.