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k_fry's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Death, Confinement, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, War, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore
Moderate: Miscarriage
asahome's review against another edition
4.25
A woman befriends the woman who will be taken by the wizard, only he takes her instead. She's mad at him for taking her and also mad at him for not taking the other girl.
I like how they handled theconflict resolution at the end. It was a very realistic approach to what happens in my opinion after war if you want their to be peace and not just a pause in the physical conflict .
I like how they handled the
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, War, Blood, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Kidnapping, Torture, Confinement, Gore, and Sexual content
Minor: Medical trauma, Rape, Genocide, Death of parent, Grief, and Pregnancy
Possession: the Woods possesses people, the book calls it corrupting themsehenry20's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Sexual assault
theintrovertsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, War, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Confinement, Child death, Body horror, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol, Rape, and Murder
eleanora's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent
julesadventurezone's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Murder, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content, Drug use, Confinement, Death of parent, Vomit, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Blood, Animal death, Medical content, Body horror, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Genocide, Child death, Rape, Slavery, and Colonisation
lizzie24601's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
For the vast majority of it, this book was a slog to get through. Until Agnieshka flees the capital , the book is written very episodically. Agnieshka is hanging out at the tower, learning magic, until someone arrives! And they do something. Then she goes back to her studies until... someone arrives! The plot doesn't progress evenly forward - it moves in fits and starts like this, and it's hard to tell what the story is supposed to be about. (Especially when the description on the back of the book only describes half of the first chapter.)
I did not find any of the characters to be particularly well-developed, and there isn't much character growth. Sure, Agnieshka's skills and power grow, but her personal character doesn't change much from the beginning to the end.
I was most upset by Kasia in this vein: she is hyped up at the beginning as being such a charming, brave, and wonderful person, but despite being by Agnieshka's side for the majority of the book, she is largely silent. In so many scenes she just serves as a tool to silently protect Agnieshka from some danger. The book emphasizes their friendship over and over again, but they never even really have a conversation.
The characters all felt so flat that the pace felt even slower, because there was no one I wanted to root for. And don't get me started on the romance... (Theteenager + centuries old magical being romances either work or they don't, and this one just didn't for me.)
All that being said, the pace and excitement picks up immensely in the final third of the book, and the ending really is so good. I finally got what the author was going for, and what the book was about. Sure, there are other scenes that stand out (whenKasia and Agnieshka have to deal with their unspoken animosity toward each other and any scene with Alosha - loved her). I just wish the first 2/3 of the book had been as enjoyable!
I did not find any of the characters to be particularly well-developed, and there isn't much character growth. Sure, Agnieshka's skills and power grow, but her personal character doesn't change much from the beginning to the end.
I was most upset by Kasia in this vein: she is hyped up at the beginning as being such a charming, brave, and wonderful person, but despite being by Agnieshka's side for the majority of the book, she is largely silent. In so many scenes she just serves as a tool to silently protect Agnieshka from some danger. The book emphasizes their friendship over and over again, but they never even really have a conversation.
The characters all felt so flat that the pace felt even slower, because there was no one I wanted to root for. And don't get me started on the romance... (The
All that being said, the pace and excitement picks up immensely in the final third of the book, and the ending really is so good. I finally got what the author was going for, and what the book was about. Sure, there are other scenes that stand out (when
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, and Death
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Sexual content, War, Body horror, and Confinement
the_bees_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
If you like creepy forests, grumpy wizards, and female characters who are just a general hot mess, then you should totally read this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
renpuspita's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Reading reviews for Uprooted , I can see that the opinion of this book is pretty much polarized. Either you love and praise it or you hate it with a passion of thousand burning suns (okay, this is exaggerate). As for myself, I really liked it. Uprooted remind me of time when I read Elantris and Gods of Jade and Shadows, two standalone novels that I always recommend to everyone that want to read stand alone novels. However, Uprooted also have some glaring weakness that make me don't want to rate it more than 4 stars.
In her notes, Novik said that the idea of Uprooted come from Polish folklore, titled Agnieszka Skrawek Neiba, and because of it, the titular heroine of Uprooted also have name Agnieszka. In the first glimpse and also the blurb, Uprooted start with a single, simple premise. There's a wizard called the Dragon that lived in the Tower. For every 10 years, he will demand people from the village to give a girl age 17 years to live with him, in exchange of his protection from the malicious evil forest called the Wood. After 10 years, he will release the girl, but that girl herself will come out change, no longer want to live in the village. This year, it's Agnieszka and her friends turn. Agnieszka dread the time when the Dragon come, because she's so sure that he will choose Kasia. Kasia is the brightest girl in Dvernik village, she's beautiful, kind and brave, everything that Agnieszka not. Yet, it's not Kasia that the Dragon choose, because he choose Agnieszka instead.
Bewildered, confused, and angry -also Agnieszka already hate the Dragon because he will snatch her beloved friend Kasia at first-, Agnieszka find life in the Tower at first is difficult. The Dragon not only aloof and indifference, but also quick to anger and chastised Agnieszka because that girl is so clumsy. I understand that the first 5-6 chapters or so is slogging to read. Too mundane perhaps. Add it with the way Novik write Uprooted which told from Agnieszka's first PoV. We read she grunt, hate and whining. It can be tedious to read at first, yet I understand that Agnieszka is still 17, she is homesick already and scared because of the Dragon's treatment. When the Dragon realized that Agnieszka has affinity with magic, he reluctantly teach her the art of magic only to find that rather than healing magic, Agnieszka is more attuned to Jaga's magic that very much different from the Dragon's.
The story pick up the pace when Agnieszka decide to defend her village from the Wood attack. That's when the story finally shines. That's when I finally can enjoy this book. I see that Novik have a way with words. Sure, that Agnieszka's narrative can be too hyperbole, too flowery and exaggerating, but I can feel Agnieszka's emotion as my own. Her confusion, her eagerness to learn magic, her worry for her village and especially her beloved friend, Kasia. Novik's writing can evoke those emotions from me, merely just from reading her passage. Just like reading a story that need a sacrifice of my time sleep. I think that Agnieszka's driving force in this story mostly come from her friendship with Kasia. How she will move to Heaven and Earth to protect her, especially after Kasia got taken by the Wood and end up change. But, I also liked that despite their friendship, Novik manage to also write the frustration between both characters. How they also hate each other condition, although the friendship overriding those hate.
I read in some article that Uprooted is like a story that can be told in trilogy, but just condensed into one volume. I do agree, because there's so much happen in this book after a dragging and sloughing first part. There's a fight between the Dragon and Agnieszka against the Wood in order to free Kasia. Then, we will get introduced to the Kingdom of Polyan, in which their queen already taken by the Wood 20 years ago, and her son, Prince Marek together with his wizard companion, the Falcon want the Dragon and Agnieszka to save the Queen. Yet, The Wood is malice, cunning and its spread its seeds of corruption in everywhere Agnieszka turn and bidding its time to strike in order to destroy everything. This is when I hold my breath, because wow, the story is told in a high octane that make me want to devour the book in a whole but in the same time I don't want it to end. Agnieszka and the Dragon try to fight the Wood with their magics, but the Wood always have aces in its sleeve and always ready to face both Agnieszka and the Dragon. Not only just fight, battle and siege with the Wood, Novik also write about court & magician politic, especially when Agnieszka go to Kralia, Polyan's capital in order to become a witch and warned the Polyan King of the lurking danger from the Wood.
However, for the last 2-3 chapters, the tension seems to lower and kinda lost some of the momentum after the intense siege between the Wood and combined force of the Dragon and Agnieszka. I feel like the ending feel open, like Novik tell the reader to how to interpreter it. I see a question where people ask if Novik will write the continuation of Uprooted and she answer that she don't have plan yet. I think that as a story, Uprooted can be read as a stand alone, yet some things are still left unresolved. This is why I didn't give it 5 stars despite in the middle toward the end part that make me don't want to finish this book quickly.
Another is the romance aspect. I'm a hardcore romance reader and I appreciate that Novik also incorporated the romance element. But, sadly I don't see the Dragon (aka Sarkan) as the love interest of Agnieszka, because I feel that he's too grumpy, aloof and although he relent when Agnieszka pursued him, he's also still running away from his feeling. I think maybe the first part when Agnieszka come to the Tower feel like Beauty and the Beast, but to read how Agnieszka's feeling toward the Dragon that changed from hate to want/need is weird. I can't said it's Stockholm Syndrome per se, and maybe Agnieszka feeling to Dragon come from when they try to intertwined their magic. Mind you, I read so much insta-lust and insta-love stories, but the insta-feeling that Agnieszka has for the Dragon in Uprooted left me dumbfounded. Although I praised Novik to write Agnieszka to pursue the Dragon first and didn't shy away from her sexuality. There's one sex scene, but modestly written and can be skipped if you prefer your fantasy to be clean from any sexual content (well, I'm not!!) Sadly, since Uprooted is told from Agnieszka's PoV, it's like the romantic feeling feel one-sided although the Dragon himself kind of reciprocated it.
One big question while reading Uprooted is why the Dragon took girls to his tower? With the story unfold, we will get the reason, and nope, the Dragon didn't rape or laying finger to them. Maybe he just want company but too proud to admit it and maybe there's a bigger reason for that. That reason is why I understand how the title Uprooted come. How the term "uprooted" is connected with the main plot in this book, not only with how the The Woods rooted in the place but also with the people of the Polyan Kingdom especially the Dvernik village. Some of reviews stated that Agnieszka is Mary Sue, however I don't feel it and I see that her emotion are valid although the narration can be too hyperbole. I also see that the magic system is sketchy at best and feel like Agnieszka can do many thing with her magic that seems endless. I do feel like the magic system is not explained thoroughly like with how Sanderson write, but well, this is the way Novik write her magic system for her Uprooted world. I liked her description of magic, and how the spell-tongue for the Wizard's real name when spelled by Agnieszka describe why the Wizard called by their moniker (like for the Falcon and the Dragon). I liked that Agnieszka's magic just a single or simple spell and cantrips but she wield it with song or telling a story. My favorite is when Agnieszka and the Dragon chant the Summoning spell, it's really feel magical.
I spent almost a week to read Uprooted because of my busy schedule, and find that with the dragging and slow first part, the story pace pick up in the second and third part although lost some momentum in the end. But, I still like Uprooted nonetheless, and will always recommend it if you search for a standalone fantasy that is magical and can evoke your emotions (in a good way) while read it.
PS: The Indonesian edition have dragon on the cover. But, nope, there's no dragon. There's monster like chimaera, hydra, the Wood's monster such as wolves, walkers and mantises, and some abomination from the Wood's trap. But no dragon, and well the Dragon is just the wizard's epithet. He won't suddenly change into dragon, lel.
In her notes, Novik said that the idea of Uprooted come from Polish folklore, titled Agnieszka Skrawek Neiba, and because of it, the titular heroine of Uprooted also have name Agnieszka. In the first glimpse and also the blurb, Uprooted start with a single, simple premise. There's a wizard called the Dragon that lived in the Tower. For every 10 years, he will demand people from the village to give a girl age 17 years to live with him, in exchange of his protection from the malicious evil forest called the Wood. After 10 years, he will release the girl, but that girl herself will come out change, no longer want to live in the village. This year, it's Agnieszka and her friends turn. Agnieszka dread the time when the Dragon come, because she's so sure that he will choose Kasia. Kasia is the brightest girl in Dvernik village, she's beautiful, kind and brave, everything that Agnieszka not. Yet, it's not Kasia that the Dragon choose, because he choose Agnieszka instead.
Bewildered, confused, and angry -also Agnieszka already hate the Dragon because he will snatch her beloved friend Kasia at first-, Agnieszka find life in the Tower at first is difficult. The Dragon not only aloof and indifference, but also quick to anger and chastised Agnieszka because that girl is so clumsy. I understand that the first 5-6 chapters or so is slogging to read. Too mundane perhaps. Add it with the way Novik write Uprooted which told from Agnieszka's first PoV. We read she grunt, hate and whining. It can be tedious to read at first, yet I understand that Agnieszka is still 17, she is homesick already and scared because of the Dragon's treatment. When the Dragon realized that Agnieszka has affinity with magic, he reluctantly teach her the art of magic only to find that rather than healing magic, Agnieszka is more attuned to Jaga's magic that very much different from the Dragon's.
The story pick up the pace when Agnieszka decide to defend her village from the Wood attack. That's when the story finally shines. That's when I finally can enjoy this book. I see that Novik have a way with words. Sure, that Agnieszka's narrative can be too hyperbole, too flowery and exaggerating, but I can feel Agnieszka's emotion as my own. Her confusion, her eagerness to learn magic, her worry for her village and especially her beloved friend, Kasia. Novik's writing can evoke those emotions from me, merely just from reading her passage. Just like reading a story that need a sacrifice of my time sleep. I think that Agnieszka's driving force in this story mostly come from her friendship with Kasia. How she will move to Heaven and Earth to protect her, especially after Kasia got taken by the Wood and end up change. But, I also liked that despite their friendship, Novik manage to also write the frustration between both characters. How they also hate each other condition, although the friendship overriding those hate.
I read in some article that Uprooted is like a story that can be told in trilogy, but just condensed into one volume. I do agree, because there's so much happen in this book after a dragging and sloughing first part. There's a fight between the Dragon and Agnieszka against the Wood in order to free Kasia. Then, we will get introduced to the Kingdom of Polyan, in which their queen already taken by the Wood 20 years ago, and her son, Prince Marek together with his wizard companion, the Falcon want the Dragon and Agnieszka to save the Queen. Yet, The Wood is malice, cunning and its spread its seeds of corruption in everywhere Agnieszka turn and bidding its time to strike in order to destroy everything. This is when I hold my breath, because wow, the story is told in a high octane that make me want to devour the book in a whole but in the same time I don't want it to end. Agnieszka and the Dragon try to fight the Wood with their magics, but the Wood always have aces in its sleeve and always ready to face both Agnieszka and the Dragon. Not only just fight, battle and siege with the Wood, Novik also write about court & magician politic, especially when Agnieszka go to Kralia, Polyan's capital in order to become a witch and warned the Polyan King of the lurking danger from the Wood.
However, for the last 2-3 chapters, the tension seems to lower and kinda lost some of the momentum after the intense siege between the Wood and combined force of the Dragon and Agnieszka. I feel like the ending feel open, like Novik tell the reader to how to interpreter it. I see a question where people ask if Novik will write the continuation of Uprooted and she answer that she don't have plan yet. I think that as a story, Uprooted can be read as a stand alone, yet some things are still left unresolved. This is why I didn't give it 5 stars despite in the middle toward the end part that make me don't want to finish this book quickly.
Another is the romance aspect. I'm a hardcore romance reader and I appreciate that Novik also incorporated the romance element. But, sadly I don't see the Dragon (aka Sarkan) as the love interest of Agnieszka, because I feel that he's too grumpy, aloof and although he relent when Agnieszka pursued him, he's also still running away from his feeling. I think maybe the first part when Agnieszka come to the Tower feel like Beauty and the Beast, but to read how Agnieszka's feeling toward the Dragon that changed from hate to want/need is weird. I can't said it's Stockholm Syndrome per se, and maybe Agnieszka feeling to Dragon come from when they try to intertwined their magic. Mind you, I read so much insta-lust and insta-love stories, but the insta-feeling that Agnieszka has for the Dragon in Uprooted left me dumbfounded. Although I praised Novik to write Agnieszka to pursue the Dragon first and didn't shy away from her sexuality. There's one sex scene, but modestly written and can be skipped if you prefer your fantasy to be clean from any sexual content (well, I'm not!!) Sadly, since Uprooted is told from Agnieszka's PoV, it's like the romantic feeling feel one-sided although the Dragon himself kind of reciprocated it.
One big question while reading Uprooted is why the Dragon took girls to his tower? With the story unfold, we will get the reason, and nope, the Dragon didn't rape or laying finger to them. Maybe he just want company but too proud to admit it and maybe there's a bigger reason for that. That reason is why I understand how the title Uprooted come. How the term "uprooted" is connected with the main plot in this book, not only with how the The Woods rooted in the place but also with the people of the Polyan Kingdom especially the Dvernik village. Some of reviews stated that Agnieszka is Mary Sue, however I don't feel it and I see that her emotion are valid although the narration can be too hyperbole. I also see that the magic system is sketchy at best and feel like Agnieszka can do many thing with her magic that seems endless. I do feel like the magic system is not explained thoroughly like with how Sanderson write, but well, this is the way Novik write her magic system for her Uprooted world. I liked her description of magic, and how the spell-tongue for the Wizard's real name when spelled by Agnieszka describe why the Wizard called by their moniker (like for the Falcon and the Dragon). I liked that Agnieszka's magic just a single or simple spell and cantrips but she wield it with song or telling a story. My favorite is when Agnieszka and the Dragon chant the Summoning spell, it's really feel magical.
I spent almost a week to read Uprooted because of my busy schedule, and find that with the dragging and slow first part, the story pace pick up in the second and third part although lost some momentum in the end. But, I still like Uprooted nonetheless, and will always recommend it if you search for a standalone fantasy that is magical and can evoke your emotions (in a good way) while read it.
PS: The Indonesian edition have dragon on the cover. But, nope, there's no dragon. There's monster like chimaera, hydra, the Wood's monster such as wolves, walkers and mantises, and some abomination from the Wood's trap. But no dragon, and well the Dragon is just the wizard's epithet. He won't suddenly change into dragon, lel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent and Vomit
lauramcc7's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual content