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kaitrates's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
There's something about the way Naomi Novik writes tension that just gets me. š„µ
Uprooted is spooky, atmospheric, tension-filled fairytale involving a creepy sentient wood, a mysterious lord (and wizard) called The Dragon, and a heroine who was never supposed to be picked.
The less you know going in, the more fun this one is IMO.
The battle scenes had my heart pounding, the romantic subplot was paced and executed to perfection (in other words: i was giggling and fanning myself and kicking my feeties in delight), the writing was immersive AF, and I never knew what was coming 'round the bend.
The weakest part of the book is after a location change. Novik's settings always feel so real but when she changes them (*coughGoldenEnclavescough*), it never feels like it actually serves the story. Add in a dose of court politics and this section dragged. Thankfully, its quite short.
I devoured this one and couldn't put it down. It felt like the very pages were imbued with magic luring me in and urging me on until the end.
One note about the content warnings: there is an attempted SA but it is brief and not completed.
Uprooted is spooky, atmospheric, tension-filled fairytale involving a creepy sentient wood, a mysterious lord (and wizard) called The Dragon, and a heroine who was never supposed to be picked.
The less you know going in, the more fun this one is IMO.
The battle scenes had my heart pounding, the romantic subplot was paced and executed to perfection (in other words: i was giggling and fanning myself and kicking my feeties in delight), the writing was immersive AF, and I never knew what was coming 'round the bend.
The weakest part of the book is after a location change. Novik's settings always feel so real but when she changes them (*coughGoldenEnclavescough*), it never feels like it actually serves the story. Add in a dose of court politics and this section dragged. Thankfully, its quite short.
I devoured this one and couldn't put it down. It felt like the very pages were imbued with magic luring me in and urging me on until the end.
One note about the content warnings: there is an attempted SA but it is brief and not completed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Adult/minor relationship, and War
Minor: Sexual assault
SA is attempted and brief.doahdancer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I don't understand why the romance subplot between the MMC and the FMC existed. It seemed more wholesome as a mentor/mentee relationship, considering that neither seemed all that attracted to each other overall.
I love romance books and read this on a recommendation for a fairy tale style fantasy with romance, but I would say the lack of focus on the romance left it underdeveloped and made the age gap feel shallow and about relieving stress through a one night stand rather than them forming a connection that transcended their ages.
I also didn't love the ending, it felt a little cliche and the story was very Grimm tales up until that point, I wish the ending was darker and more twisted.
Overall, the fairy tale aspect of this book was well done and I love the Scholomance series by this author, so definitely try it anyway if you like romantic relationships being downplayed. It's a well written book.
I love romance books and read this on a recommendation for a fairy tale style fantasy with romance, but I would say the lack of focus on the romance left it underdeveloped and made the age gap feel shallow and about relieving stress through a one night stand rather than them forming a connection that transcended their ages.
I also didn't love the ending, it felt a little cliche and the story was very Grimm tales up until that point, I wish the ending was darker and more twisted.
Overall, the fairy tale aspect of this book was well done and I love the Scholomance series by this author, so definitely try it anyway if you like romantic relationships being downplayed. It's a well written book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Violence
em_w's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
If I was giving this a star rating based on the fact this is supposedly supposed to be a beauty and the best retelling, I would give is 0 because it took me reading reviews to realize that š However, on being a great introduction to people for Eastern European folklore I would give it 3.5ish.
On basically everything else I give it a 1, this book has so much promise but nothing is really developed! Like am I the only one who was hoping Agnieszka was somehow gonna be Baba Yaga with that little hint about her messing with them? No? Ok š Like, the romance is sidelined by the main story of the evil forest but we donāt really go into WHY until theyāre legit killing it, like I would have loved more instances of the forest being evil (esp when Sarkan is expecting the forest to retaliate! I would have liked more physical retaliation than the subterfuge in the capitol). Like I saw Sarkan/Agnieszka coming a mile away but damn they do not really set it up at all like you could zone out and *BAM* theyāre kissing!
The first half of the book was interesting but almost as soon as Agnieszka gets to the tower is all goes down hill. A shame really, this book could have been great :(
On basically everything else I give it a 1, this book has so much promise but nothing is really developed! Like am I the only one who was hoping Agnieszka was somehow gonna be Baba Yaga with that little hint about her messing with them? No? Ok š Like, the romance is sidelined by the main story of the evil forest but we donāt really go into WHY until theyāre legit killing it, like I would have loved more instances of the forest being evil (esp when Sarkan is expecting the forest to retaliate! I would have liked more physical retaliation than the subterfuge in the capitol). Like I saw Sarkan/Agnieszka coming a mile away but damn they do not really set it up at all like you could zone out and *BAM* theyāre kissing!
The first half of the book was interesting but almost as soon as Agnieszka gets to the tower is all goes down hill. A shame really, this book could have been great :(
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Bullying
aidareads's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
such a weird read, almost got into a reading slump. it probably wasnāt what my brain needed at the moment. iām just glad i finally got through it and finished it because by the end i just didnāt feel like reading at all and it definitely was not solely because of how iāve been doing these past few days
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, and Death
strixy16's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.75
I donāt think this book is bad, I just donāt think it was for me!
The magic system was a little wishy-washy to me and I felt like I was just along for the ride as things progressed. There wasnāt a ton of motivations for moving from place to place and I really never figured out what was going to happen next, but not in a good way.
The second half also felt like it dragged to me. The ending redeemed it a bit though.
The magic system was a little wishy-washy to me and I felt like I was just along for the ride as things progressed. There wasnāt a ton of motivations for moving from place to place and I really never figured out what was going to happen next, but not in a good way.
The second half also felt like it dragged to me. The ending redeemed it a bit though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual assault
samanthafrati's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Uprooted is a standalone, single POV, high fantasy novel with a romance subplot loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. I love Naomi Novikās writing style and her ability to create unique, high fantasy worlds within a single novel. I really loved Novikās Spinning Silver- also high fantasy and standalone- so I had high expectations for Uprooted. For the first 150 pages, I was totally captivated by the Wood, the magic, and the banter between Agnieszka and the Dragon. Novik is really good at not just building fantasy worlds but answering all the questions I have and tying up all the loose ends, something I canāt say about all fantasy authors. But this all came crumbling down with the first sexual scene (kissing and graphic touching, p. 158-159).
Sexual Content
I didnāt even think to check this book for sexual content because Spinning Silver barely had any. I kept reading thinking that was the end of it until the full blown sex scene on pages 353-355. Not to mention, sheās 17 and heās approximately 150 years old. This didnāt bother me at first because I can excuse an age gap in a fantasy world. He doesnāt age normally so I assumed itās not weird in this world, but that assumption was shattered when he, the Dragon, says āIām a century and more older than you-ā and protests Agnieszkaās advances (p. 353). That tells me it is in fact taboo, even in Novikās fantasy world, ew. After I finished that specific chapter, I closed the book in frustration and almost dnf.
There is a sexual assault scene on pages 43-44 that I would not consider graphic.
Romance
Personally, I donāt like sexual content (kisses only, please). It completely ruins the fairytale vibe for me, but putting that aside, it just didnāt make any sense. There was no slow burn- barely any build up. The romance between Agnieszka and the Dragon was flat and didnāt feel believable. It felt like Novik only put it in there to fit the Beauty and The Beast trope and I found myself having to insert my own imaginings of emotions and dialogue to make it believable. Again, it was so different from Spinning Silver where the romance was subtle, yet beautifully done, and made me want to cry tears of joy in the end. I expected more! So. Much. More.
Plot and World
I did enjoy the magic system in this book and I loved the clash between the Dragonās magic and Agnieszkaās- one methodical and one driven by pure instinct. Being methodical and logical myself, I could feel the Dragonās frustration as he tried to teach her. And I could easily imagine how the two of them working together would create something truly, well, magical.
I got bored around page 250 and didnāt get back into it until about 50 pages from the end, but I really appreciated that I wasnāt able to guess the plot.
Character Development
Character development was really lacking. [ Spoiler: The only time I noticed any real growth in characters was when the Dragon apologized to Kasia and said he would never take another girl.] Speaking of Kasia, her character was so flat. We only really got a glimpse of her during the Summoning, yet she had a pretty large role in the story. She just felt like a pawn, only useful for the plot, not a meaningful character at all, but maybe thatās because she became more wood than human?
I really enjoyed the Dragon as a character and wished we could have learned more about him! Agnieszka, however, was just meh. I honestly donāt really have any thoughts about her.
Final Thoughts
Putting aside my high expectations for a moment, I really did enjoy the plot and the magic in this novel. I loved learning about the mysterious Wood and its connection to the people in the valley. However, this was ruined by the flat and awkward romance and completely unnecessary, and out of place, sex scene. I was also bored in the middle and as another reviewer suggested, this would have been better if it stayed in the tower and the valley.
Overall, not a terrible book, but it left me frustrated and disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Sexual content, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Sexual assault
dcdc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, and Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Rape
camiclarkbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It reminded me of an adult version of Hannah Whittenās āFor the Wolf,ā but I did find that book more enjoyable.
Itās clear Nokik is a talented writer, her descriptions are lovely and evocative. However, I was uncomfortable with the attempted sexual assault near the beginning of the book and couldnāt really move past that since it was unnecessary to the plot.
Her characters were well written but were boring and took their sweet time to do anything.
Itās clear Nokik is a talented writer, her descriptions are lovely and evocative. However, I was uncomfortable with the attempted sexual assault near the beginning of the book and couldnāt really move past that since it was unnecessary to the plot.
Her characters were well written but were boring and took their sweet time to do anything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, and War
beanaroni's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, and Confinement
Minor: Sexual assault
pizzasprite's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault