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alliecat1915's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Violence, War, Body horror, Animal death, and Mental illness
rohrbaugh82's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The book was intriguing enough that I wanted to finish it. But it could easily have been 100 pages shorter and all the better for it. I found the action and spells drawn out and repetitive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, and Sexual content
Minor: Dementia, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
orchidlilly's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Overall, subpar. The magic and world building are far more interesting than any of the characters could ever dream of being, which is a shame because we don't get to see much of it. The premise was interesting, the plot was an actual plot, but it could have been fleshed out so much better if it only had a bit more time. The ending was a semi-refreshing subversion of the expected romance ending, but it felt a bit rushed. The romance part itself was, in my opinion, wholly unnecessary and a bit unpleasant. The main romantic interest is an immortal while our mc is... 17-ish. Not to mention the attempted rape scene.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Bullying, Fatphobia, Gore, and War
Moderate: Mental illness, Death, Sexual harassment, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Animal death, and Confinement
jesshindes's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I know Naomi Novik better as astolat, one of the founders of the Organization for Transformative Works and its offshoot Archive of Our Own (for whom I volunteer!). She writes tip-top fanfic (I've enjoyed her SPN and Game of Thrones works) and so I was pretty sure I'd enjoy Uprooted, which I did. It's full fairytale fantasy, set in a world where a wizard watches over a valley of villages and a cursed, magical forest threatens the lives of its neighbours. Novik's protagonist, Agnieszka, is also the novel's first-person narrator and I found her likable and interesting from the get-go, which is very important when she's your contant companion. I enjoyed her developing relationship with the sorcerer who takes her in, appreciated the fact that her relationship with best friend Kasia is treated with the same narrative weight as the romance, and found that the book in general kept up an entertainingly rollicking pitch throughout. Magic in this novel is scary, dangerous, but full of promise as well. If you like fantasy and fairytales, I recommend Uprooted. Novik knows what she's doing and it's fun from start to finish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, War, and Animal death
Moderate: Mental illness and Violence
astoryofpages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure what to expect other than a story inspired by Slavic folklore (which I don't know very well, so I couldn't dwell on it too much). I was very startled by Naomi Novik's writing. I felt like I was reading a fairy tale. Look out, not a children's story, and that I want to clarify quickly. I saw the book classified in YA, but for me, this book is Adult, or maybe New Adult. I had a little trouble with some very described scenes (I don't want to know how the blood is spurting). So even if the story seems gentle and soft, be aware of that.
I appreciated the worldbuilding: even if I'd have preferred to have a map because, without one, I couldn't locate the kingdoms, cities and towns. The magic system is interesting, with this mystery around Jaga, who is, in fact, Baba Jaga. I would have liked to know a little more about wizards in general, like Alosha, I think, from whom we could have learned a lot.
The plot was a little radical at times. Writers often have this "weakness" of wanting to kill their characters all the time to solve the problem (sometimes, I found myself not understanding some reversals). Nevertheless, this whole idea of The Wood, which is almost a living and threatening entity, was all fascinating, and I think it was rather well. It's an element that wasn't put aside, and I loved the end, which remains slightly open. I liked how Agnieszka's adventure ends.
The characters were enjoyable. I loved Kasia and her journey, which is quite incredible. She is truly a role model, very courageous and believes in her values. Agnieszka left me a little more unmoved. I struggled to grasp her personality at first. She seemed a little empty to me. I think she does become someone at the very end, which is a bit sad since I would have liked it done earlier. As for the Dragon, just like the other wizards, he lacked details and depth. Wizards remain very superficial, sadly. I don't have much to say about relationships other than maybe I would have preferred there to be no romantic relationship (if it's love) because I think it comes kind of out of nowhere. Or to get just a glimpse of it at the very end, just a suggestion for readers who wanted to see one, while the others had nothing since they didn't want to see anything between these two characters.
I appreciated the worldbuilding: even if I'd have preferred to have a map because, without one, I couldn't locate the kingdoms, cities and towns. The magic system is interesting, with this mystery around Jaga, who is, in fact, Baba Jaga. I would have liked to know a little more about wizards in general, like Alosha, I think, from whom we could have learned a lot.
The plot was a little radical at times. Writers often have this "weakness" of wanting to kill their characters all the time to solve the problem (sometimes, I found myself not understanding some reversals). Nevertheless, this whole idea of The Wood, which is almost a living and threatening entity, was all fascinating, and I think it was rather well. It's an element that wasn't put aside, and I loved the end, which remains slightly open. I liked how Agnieszka's adventure ends.
The characters were enjoyable. I loved Kasia and her journey, which is quite incredible. She is truly a role model, very courageous and believes in her values. Agnieszka left me a little more unmoved. I struggled to grasp her personality at first. She seemed a little empty to me. I think she does become someone at the very end, which is a bit sad since I would have liked it done earlier. As for the Dragon, just like the other wizards, he lacked details and depth. Wizards remain very superficial, sadly. I don't have much to say about relationships other than maybe I would have preferred there to be no romantic relationship (if it's love) because I think it comes kind of out of nowhere. Or to get just a glimpse of it at the very end, just a suggestion for readers who wanted to see one, while the others had nothing since they didn't want to see anything between these two characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Violence, Sexual violence, Blood, and Mental illness
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