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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I tried really hard to keep myself from finding out too much about this book while I read it. I enjoyed being able to discover all the elements as I continued on. This book does have a lot of fantastic elements going for it. The world building was particularly wonderful and I enjoyed all of the fantasy aspects.
I will say that the one of the aspects about the book that I did not like, did sour a good portion of the ending for me.
I will say that the one of the aspects about the book that I did not like, did sour a good portion of the ending for me.
Spoiler
I almost wanted to throw my version of the book at the wall when the 17, maybe 18, year old and the 150+ year old sleep together. It didn't work for me because I didn't find it romantic, and was creeped out by the drastic age difference.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
Uprooted triggers strong opinions - you either love it or hate it. I loved it. There is little I like better than an author starting with a well known fairy tale, adding in a large helping of local folklore (eastern European I believe), and then going rogue. The writing style was a pleasure to read and every word felt as though it had been carefully chosen.
Overall the book gets 5 stars for the beautiful writing and unique plot - I read a LOT of fantasy and fairy tale-inspired stories and I didn't predict how everything would wrap up. I really enjoyed the journey of the main character especially, as she slowly grows into her unique style of magic. (Commentary on the biases in academia anyone?)
****SPOILER AHEAD*******
My primary issue is the romance. Frankly, the book would have lost nothing by removing it and while there was minimal character development shown at the end to justify them together, I will never root for a student/teacher romance pairing. Especially when there's that large of an age gap. It wasn't strongly foreshadowed from the beginning so I wasn't thinking about it until near the end of the book. I won't dock a star for it on this review, but I will watch the relationship dynamics all the way through on my next read to determine how problematic I think it actually is. I respect the element of sudden attachment due to the method of working magic they were doing, but I think it would have been a stronger story if they had separated back out to being friends instead of just kind of going 'might as well'.
Overall the book gets 5 stars for the beautiful writing and unique plot - I read a LOT of fantasy and fairy tale-inspired stories and I didn't predict how everything would wrap up. I really enjoyed the journey of the main character especially, as she slowly grows into her unique style of magic. (Commentary on the biases in academia anyone?)
****SPOILER AHEAD*******
My primary issue is the romance. Frankly, the book would have lost nothing by removing it and while there was minimal character development shown at the end to justify them together, I will never root for a student/teacher romance pairing. Especially when there's that large of an age gap. It wasn't strongly foreshadowed from the beginning so I wasn't thinking about it until near the end of the book. I won't dock a star for it on this review, but I will watch the relationship dynamics all the way through on my next read to determine how problematic I think it actually is. I respect the element of sudden attachment due to the method of working magic they were doing, but I think it would have been a stronger story if they had separated back out to being friends instead of just kind of going 'might as well'.
This was more than I expected it to be. It was proud and strong, and soft and heart-true. Great, strong women characters, and a traditional telling from a non-USian viewpoint. I would read it again if I didn't have promises to keep, and miles to go ...
deeply invested in the protag’s two intense relationships (three if you count the forest), deeply uninvested in the political/war plot. an enjoyable- if not particularly original - take on a fairytale.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It embraces and subverts nearly all the fantasy tropes, but is wonderfully fresh and beautifully written. It's a trilogy's worth of action and scenery and characters.
I really liked this. it wasn't your typical fantasy tale, but was very character-driven and had lots of twists. ONE NOTE: although the protagonist is a teenager, and I am no prude, I hesitate to classify this as YA because there's one quite graphic (and sexy!) sex scene that isn't the usual YA kissing+ swooning. [for those who are thinking of suggesting it to teens or tweens - use your judgment on an individual basis.]
Very engaging and satisfying. It's been awhile since I've read a good fantasy story that neither mocks the genre nor takes it too seriously, but this fit the bill. It's clearly a standalone tale, and I love it as such, but I enjoyed reading it so much I wish it were the beginning of a series.
i REALLY liked this. i liked the dragon and i really liked the dynamic between them (literally don't care at all about the age difference - there's MAGIC. calm down) and i liked the way the magic was set up. but the world building was maybe a bit loose, i barely could say what the actual plot of it was.