Uprooted

Image credit: Book Depository

So many people appreciate literature and everyone, whether they say it or not, appreciates stories. Stories tie people together, they open new doors and avenues that one might not have discovered on their own, and they are a wondrous way to network. Case in point, I was recently recommended a work of fantasy by a writer whom I’d never heard of by a friend because I was telling her about my struggles with a character my co-author and I were working on and my descriptions reminded her of it. This is how I came to read Uprooted.

The book tells the story of young Agnieszka, a village girl living in a forest village threatened by an evil and corrupting Wood. Every so often the village pays tribute to the Dragon, a powerful wizard, to keep the Wood at bay. The Wizard chooses a girl and then takes her from her family to live with him for ten years. Agnieszka and her village is convinced that this year the Dragon will choose her best friend Kasia; smart, brave, and beautiful, but a spanner is thrown in the works when he chooses Agnieszka instead. Suddenly Agnieszka is thrust into a world of magic and corruption and she must find power deep within her to save her village from being devoured by the Wood.

While it did not necessarily help me with my problems with our character, Uprooted proved to be an engaging and fascinating fantasy novel nonetheless. While some of the character development, general storyline, tropes and themes are quite generic and a tad clichéd, the tale in its entirety is unique and quite enjoyable.

Novik has an interesting heroine in the protagonist in that’s she’s neither a damsel in distress nor is she a strong-willed literary badass and that’s rather refreshing. Despite some of the events that happen that cause the reader to burst into exclamations of ‘oh come on,’ Agnieszka proves to be a hero that many people can relate to; there’s a genuineness about her that is quite lovely.

Image credit: Goodreads

As far as fantasy goes Uprooted is a successful exhibition of world-building, with just enough tropes being recognisable that the reader can visualize the entire world without Novik having to explain its landscapes, characters, and histories. While a fair portion of the beginning is devoted to the sound establishment of the world and its inhabitants, the book is not oversaturated in description and exposition, which allows the story and adventure itself to flourish and take some truly exciting and unique twists and turns.

Unique characters and a wholly original story set against such a recognisble and beloved literary genre makes Uprooted a familiar, but engaging read that took me some time to get into; but once I was immersed, there was no way out until the last page.

Uprooted is a standalone fantasy novel written by Naomi Novik and published by Del Rey in 2015. Apparently, there is a film adaptation in the works.