Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Book Review)

Every ten years a wizard called Dragon takes a woman from where Agnieszka lives. No one knows what happens within the tower where Dragon resides. And so, the people in the village thought of these women ruined though alive and well after a decade and was allowed to return to society. When the time comes that Dragon must choose the next woman he will bring with him, everyone expected Kasia to be chosen. But it was Agnieszka whom the Dragon pick and instantly brought in the tower.

With this synopsis I instantly thought that Uprooted is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. But actually, if you’ve seen the film Howl’s Moving Castle by Studio Ghibli, you won’t stop yourself from imagining that the characters in this book is Howl and Sophie. And I love it, whether the author intends it or not, that Uprooted felt like a reimagined version of Howl’s Moving Castle. I read the novel version of Howl’s Moving Castle and it didn’t satisfy me the way Uprooted does.

At first, everything just seemed like a typical world building but set in a land and kingdom similar to a fairy tale or an old magical place. Then the “picking” happened and from there what happened on the next chapters seemed to come in to me like a rush. I was slowly reading during chapters one to three. But as problems appear one after the other I knew I won’t be able to keep my current speed. I read several chapters in one sitting. I just couldn’t stop. I needed to know the details. Yet the author is smart enough to throw all the answers I’m looking for towards the end. And even at the end, I was holding my breath thinking that this book might end as a tragedy after all. But it didn’t. Trust me on that.

Tragic things and bloody battle did happen though in this book. Cruelty and vengeance is clearly part of any kingdom stories I supposed. It reminded me of chess. Anyway, the romance part is also what lead me to keep on holding on to this book. Dragon is a hot-headed wizard but hot nonetheless. Irritatingly handsome and a classic tsundere or a passive-aggressive character (as one caption says on Instagram). Nieszka is also the kind of heroine who would go with her instincts. She is still innocent when it comes to a lot of things like war and magic but her innocence did not make her seemed helpless.

I may not be able to grasp all the explanations about their magic and how she was able to wield it as though it was natural for her to cast a spell after being taught briefly by the Dragon, but I understood the uniqueness Agnieszka have compared to the other witch and wizard that she meets. It was part of her charm.

There is too much show than tell on this book. Sometimes I need to reread some lines just so I could clearly visualize what was said or described. There is often a thin line between reality, sudden change of scene or illusion that made me felt there’s a hump on a smooth line I’m in. I was also waiting for a clear explanation from the Dragon’s point of view but that didn’t happen. It is not a disappointment though because everything falls into place. While reading Uprooted, I get to that point where I knew a character well enough that his actions and few words delivers a clear message that I would not doubt as an act of love.

Will I be recommending this book for everyone? Yes. I would also like to thank Maricar Dizon for confirming that this book is worth reading. Also, Kevin Co, my fellow member at Bookworm Corner at Fully Booked group because without his post and reply to my inquiry then I won’t even know about Uprooted and its author Naomi Novik. Soon I’ll be reading Spinning Silver by the same author.

I am rating this book 5 stars.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Quoted from the Book:

If you don’t want a man dead, don’t bludgeon him over the head repeatedly.

“You intolerable lunatic,” he snarled at me, and then he caught my face between his hands and kissed me.

“It comes, I suppose,” I said thoughtfully, speaking to the air, “of spending too much time alone indoors, and forgetting that living things don’t always stay where you put them.”

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Title: Uprooted

Author: Naomi Novik

Genres: Fairy Tale / Fantasy / Romance

Pages: 435 (Acknowledgments and Excerpts excluded)

Book Source: Fullybooked

Book Number: 42 for 2020

Done Reading: September 14, 2020