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A review by almondcookies
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
1.0
A couple weeks ago I read Spinning Silver, and it was beautiful beyond words, I'd even go so far to say it was one of the best books I think i've ever read. So logically, I check out Naomi Novik's other works, and I am promptly introduced to Uprooted, another fairy tale retelling, this time of Beauty and the Beast.
"Great!!" I think, "I'm going to love this just as much as Spinning Silver!" I think. Oh how wrong I was. Alright, let's take a look at all the reasons this book could have been amazing (and wasn't): -
Because there's a badass female character?
Her decisions would be much more badass if she didn't have Special Snowflake Syndrome, whereby she seems to start out as a underdog, everyone looking down at her and her abilities but somehow everything she does, magically turns out amazing.
"Look at all this evidence that clearly states Corruption cannot be cured! It's impossible!"
"YOLO I haven't been studying magic for a year but I'ma try anyway. Oh hey, look what I did!"
At first, this is a point of intrigue, but it gets very old, very fast. I would have loved a story where the first 50% of the story was her slow progression in magic, how difficult she found it and all the mistakes she made. That would really make all the people underestimating her more irritating, and her amazing feats of power more believable and deserved, in short, more badass.
Because there's amazing, believable magic?
In this book, the cost of magic is that it just tires you out a little bit. What ever happened to all magic comes with a price? Nope, let's keep turning little drops of water into a giant rain storm. We have plot armour anyway!
Eventually we learn our Main is so powerful because she was born and raised in the Valley, but it is never addressed why the Valley-born witches/wizards have this special power, and why there don't seem to be any other witches/wizards of the Valley (although there is evidence they exist via the books she found in the capital).
It is also implied our main character has such powerful magic because she has a connection with Baba Yaga. Is it because they're they both from the Valley? Is it because there's a personal, special connection? We will never know.
Speaking of Baba Yaga - I was extremely disappointed Novik gave us an Easter Egg but never followed through on it. She was supposedly hundreds of years dead, but she popped up 40 years ago at the King's coronation, stating she was in the wrong point in time. I thought maybe at the end of the book Baba Yaga would appear again, helping to guide our Main in a Yoda mentorship sort of situation, or maybe at the new King's coronation. Nope. In researching for this review, I've learnt Baba Yaga is part of Slavic Folklore, so I'm assuming, she was thrown as a name drop, not because she had real connections with this story.
Because there's political intrigue with the capital subplot?
I asked for magic, not political games in the capital. There are many types of YA, and this was not the type I signed up for. Good thing too, as it was done so poorly, I'd probably be even more disappointed if I was looking for it.
A young and foolish Prince with little to no understanding of the friendships and connections he should and shouldn't make, somehow manages to out manoeuvre his father to avoid the execution of his mother. Believable? No. Happened because the plot needed it to? Yes.
The minor storyline about our Main becoming one of the King's Mages was half baked too. At first having a title seemed necessary for the trial, but it wasn't needed at all, because she was asked to testify under the pretext of being at the scene (not because of her title). It just seemed like something that was added in so she would have scenes with the witches and wizards of the capital. I'm sure there are other ways this could have been done without dragging us around on an endless goose chase.
Because there's a beautiful romance?
Uhhhh no. This is one of the points I'm most upset and disappointed by to be honest.
I love a good enemies to lovers story, but this was not one of them. Throughout the whole story, right up to the final scene, the wizard remains abusive to our Main. Telling her that she's stupid, or messy or clumsy, that she doesn't look good and that she lacks refinery. So, despite all this verbal abuse, she still ends up falling in love with him. Why? Because of prolonged proximity? Because of Stockholm syndrome?
The scene that struck me the most heart break was when our Main really needed emotional support, she somehow managed to call him (via unexplainable Special Snowflake magic) from the capital. Instead of being glad to see her, the first thing he says is "Well, whatever you're doing isn't going to hold long, so hurry up." Excuse me, but if I was apart from my SO, really missed them and was craving emotional support, then made a very expensive phone call to them, that response would put a proverbial knife through me.
Let's talk about the smut. Oooh there's smut! I hear you say. Yes, there is smut. Very unnecessary, random smut that came out of nowhere and did not improve the book at all. Was their romance not believable enough? OKAY HERE'S SOME SMUT TO SHOW THAT THEY LOVE EACH OTHER, GREAT, JOB DONE. Urgh.
Because it's a new spin on a classic fairy tale?
This I can agree on! There is something awfully refreshing about the start of this book (before all the disappointment kicks in) The premise of a girl being taken every 10 years by The Dragon, needing to live out her days in the tower, whilst he does who knows what to her is horrifying! And exciting! So much potential, so much build up! But here is where the big downfall happens - there's so much anticipation and expectations that the book just fails to deliver on. For example, after the 10 years, what happens to the girl? She's freed, comes back filthy rich and usually ends up becoming a merchant in another town or going to university. Really? Is that the worst that happens to them?
I feel like if this book stuck to one or two plots (The tower/the magic/the forrest/the romance/the capital) it could have been brilliant, but trying to cram so many things into one book means it delivers on none of them and we're left with a bunch of could have and would haves.
Because Spinning Silver was a work of art and Novik's other books must be amazing too?
Spare yourself the pain and just reread Spinning Silver.
"Great!!" I think, "I'm going to love this just as much as Spinning Silver!" I think. Oh how wrong I was. Alright, let's take a look at all the reasons this book could have been amazing (and wasn't): -
Because there's a badass female character?
Her decisions would be much more badass if she didn't have Special Snowflake Syndrome, whereby she seems to start out as a underdog, everyone looking down at her and her abilities but somehow everything she does, magically turns out amazing.
"Look at all this evidence that clearly states Corruption cannot be cured! It's impossible!"
"YOLO I haven't been studying magic for a year but I'ma try anyway. Oh hey, look what I did!"
At first, this is a point of intrigue, but it gets very old, very fast. I would have loved a story where the first 50% of the story was her slow progression in magic, how difficult she found it and all the mistakes she made. That would really make all the people underestimating her more irritating, and her amazing feats of power more believable and deserved, in short, more badass.
Because there's amazing, believable magic?
In this book, the cost of magic is that it just tires you out a little bit. What ever happened to all magic comes with a price? Nope, let's keep turning little drops of water into a giant rain storm. We have plot armour anyway!
Eventually we learn our Main is so powerful because she was born and raised in the Valley, but it is never addressed why the Valley-born witches/wizards have this special power, and why there don't seem to be any other witches/wizards of the Valley (although there is evidence they exist via the books she found in the capital).
It is also implied our main character has such powerful magic because she has a connection with Baba Yaga. Is it because they're they both from the Valley? Is it because there's a personal, special connection? We will never know.
Speaking of Baba Yaga - I was extremely disappointed Novik gave us an Easter Egg but never followed through on it. She was supposedly hundreds of years dead, but she popped up 40 years ago at the King's coronation, stating she was in the wrong point in time. I thought maybe at the end of the book Baba Yaga would appear again, helping to guide our Main in a Yoda mentorship sort of situation, or maybe at the new King's coronation. Nope. In researching for this review, I've learnt Baba Yaga is part of Slavic Folklore, so I'm assuming, she was thrown as a name drop, not because she had real connections with this story.
Because there's political intrigue with the capital subplot?
I asked for magic, not political games in the capital. There are many types of YA, and this was not the type I signed up for. Good thing too, as it was done so poorly, I'd probably be even more disappointed if I was looking for it.
A young and foolish Prince with little to no understanding of the friendships and connections he should and shouldn't make, somehow manages to out manoeuvre his father to avoid the execution of his mother. Believable? No. Happened because the plot needed it to? Yes.
The minor storyline about our Main becoming one of the King's Mages was half baked too. At first having a title seemed necessary for the trial, but it wasn't needed at all, because she was asked to testify under the pretext of being at the scene (not because of her title). It just seemed like something that was added in so she would have scenes with the witches and wizards of the capital. I'm sure there are other ways this could have been done without dragging us around on an endless goose chase.
Because there's a beautiful romance?
Uhhhh no. This is one of the points I'm most upset and disappointed by to be honest.
I love a good enemies to lovers story, but this was not one of them. Throughout the whole story, right up to the final scene, the wizard remains abusive to our Main. Telling her that she's stupid, or messy or clumsy, that she doesn't look good and that she lacks refinery. So, despite all this verbal abuse, she still ends up falling in love with him. Why? Because of prolonged proximity? Because of Stockholm syndrome?
The scene that struck me the most heart break was when our Main really needed emotional support, she somehow managed to call him (via unexplainable Special Snowflake magic) from the capital. Instead of being glad to see her, the first thing he says is "Well, whatever you're doing isn't going to hold long, so hurry up." Excuse me, but if I was apart from my SO, really missed them and was craving emotional support, then made a very expensive phone call to them, that response would put a proverbial knife through me.
Let's talk about the smut. Oooh there's smut! I hear you say. Yes, there is smut. Very unnecessary, random smut that came out of nowhere and did not improve the book at all. Was their romance not believable enough? OKAY HERE'S SOME SMUT TO SHOW THAT THEY LOVE EACH OTHER, GREAT, JOB DONE. Urgh.
Because it's a new spin on a classic fairy tale?
This I can agree on! There is something awfully refreshing about the start of this book (before all the disappointment kicks in) The premise of a girl being taken every 10 years by The Dragon, needing to live out her days in the tower, whilst he does who knows what to her is horrifying! And exciting! So much potential, so much build up! But here is where the big downfall happens - there's so much anticipation and expectations that the book just fails to deliver on. For example, after the 10 years, what happens to the girl? She's freed, comes back filthy rich and usually ends up becoming a merchant in another town or going to university. Really? Is that the worst that happens to them?
I feel like if this book stuck to one or two plots (The tower/the magic/the forrest/the romance/the capital) it could have been brilliant, but trying to cram so many things into one book means it delivers on none of them and we're left with a bunch of could have and would haves.
Because Spinning Silver was a work of art and Novik's other books must be amazing too?
Spare yourself the pain and just reread Spinning Silver.