Uprooted by Naomi Novik

"Our Dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that's not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he's still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of use every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we're grateful, but not that grateful."

A good story in concept, just poorly executed with hollow world building, a poorly designed magic system, and an obnoxiously rude and abusive love interest who shows no character depth or growth even until the very end.

4.5 stars. This book is so good! Novik writes really great action scenes, and the character development and world-building is on point in this book. I felt breathless at times reading this because of the action, but it's completely worth it.

Full Review: http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2015/06/review-of-uprooted-by-naomi-novik/

I hate, hate, hate when I don't know how to talk about a book. It just drives me crazy. Uprooted is one of those books. It really needs to be experienced, rather than described. It's completely familiar, but doesn't do what you expect. It's traditional, yet subversive. It deals with timeless stories, but feels contemporary. Utterly fantastic, but so often, feels real.In short, Uprooted is magical.I saw someone describe the protagonist and narrator, Agnieszka, as a mix of Katniss Everdeen and Jane Eyre. I like that – not only is it catchy, but it's pretty accurate. She also reminds me a bit of Belle (especially the Disney version) and Julia from Grossman's The Magicians.Uprooted doesn't grab you like a suspense novel, where you're glued to the action, the adrenaline. It's actually more effective and thorough – it draws you in and won't let you go through the depth of storytelling, Agnieszka's voice, the people and the world. You just want to live in those words.On the one hand, I want to gush about this one. But it feels like this one needs to toot its own horn. Read the [b:Uprooted 22544764 Uprooted Naomi Novik https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420795060s/22544764.jpg 41876730] description, if it appeals to you at all, get your hands on it. It'll be one of your favorite reads of the year.