A review by eharms3
Uprooted by Naomi Novik

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I liked it, overall, as a fan of fairy tales and fantasy. Novik can write a page turner, and is expansive in the way she communicates the logic of the magic in her books, without being prescriptive. Selfish wish:
I wish the relationship between Agniezka and Kasia were the romantic one, rather than between Agniezka and Sarkan. It felt almost forced, with the age difference, and Sarkan’s dismissive and even cruel attitude toward Agnieszka for 95% of the story. Until he realized she had true magical power, that rivaled his own. Eye roll.  And… it was clear from beginning to end how much Agniezka and Kasia cared for one another! Maybe Novik or the editor thought the intended audience wasn’t ready for the obvious queer power couple of witch and warrior (but I definitely am always ready for the representation). 
 
I read a review on GoodReads that was highly critical of the tale in that it wasn’t necessarily rooted in actual Polish fairy tales, though, as a Polish-American who grew up with very little regional folklore (outside of the traditions of the Catholic Church), I appreciated the setting and nod to names of real places in Poland. As a result of reading this, my plan is to dig deeper into actual fairy tales and folklore, starting with The Glass Mountain (recommended by the above mentioned GoodReads reviewer). 
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