After a share of Naomi Novik books, she has become an instant read for me. The way she brings the world and characters alive us second to none. Her Uprooted title was the same rollercoaster ride i have come to expect from her. My rating was an obvious 5/5 and if you choose not to read my spoiler’s below, I highly recommend it to anyone wondering if you should take the plunge.
**Spoilers Below**
We discover Agnieszka as she is growling up in a village, Dvernik. We watch her grow living close to ”The Wood’. The Wood is a new kind of protagonist that surfaces as a corrupted forest, attempting to take over everything. In exchange for protection from the wood, the resident sorcerer, Dragon. Every seventeen years he takes a subject from them, keep them within his castle, and teaches them. Agnieszka is sure he will choose her best friend from her class as she is so kind and beautiful. .
Though on the day, he surprises the entire village by choosing Agnieszka herself Shocked and terrified, she relocates to his tower. Shortly thereafter, she discovers she is a sorcerer and he chose her to make sure she received proper training. When the Dragon is away from the tower, her home town sends an urgent message requesting aid. Unable to bear it, Agnieszka escapes the tower and charges in with her limited knowledge and the Dragon’s special fire oil to help.
Agnieszka and the Dragon must work together to save the world from the Wood’s swift retribution. Betrayal is behind every turn as the true depth of the it’s reach is uncovered. With their own people turned against them, they must rise above to destroy it. This retelling of Beauty and the Beast fits right in with it’s fairy tale atmosphere and epic proportions.