Uprooted by Naomi Novik

This book had some great reviews on the cover, and at the bookstore, but I felt the book was never as great as it could have been.  This was an OK read, but nothing that made it so compelling to turn the page.  It was an easy book to put down and I didn’t really feel attached to any of the characters.

Dragon Born means that you were a female born 17 years prior to the Dragon picking a girl from the local villages.  Agniezka never had a background that explained why she suddenly had magic and was so great at it.  Dragon had a shifting personality the entire time, and it made it hard to root for him.  The Woods ending seemed like it was rushed and only explained in the last few chapters, without anything that lead up to the explanation given for who was responsible.  Adding a new character at the very end seemed odd.  Maybe I missed the hints or just had too high expectations.  It is not a bad book it just isn’t a great one either.

Character List/Book Summary:

Agniezka = clumsy, is chosen by Dragon, youngest witch ever named, not a typical witch

Kasia = best in the village, gets taken by the Woods, everyone thinks she will be picked by Dragon, Agniezka and Dragon save her from the Woods and corruption

Dragon = wizard, real name Sarkan, takes a girl every ten years, lets her go with a bag of silver, owes the king his magic, has an ego

Wansa = Kasia’s mother, comes to Agniezka for help when Kasia is taken

Danka = headwomen at the time of the taking

Crown Prince Sigmund = King of Polya’s son, married with a son and daughter, goes off to fight

Prince Marek = many tales are told about his heroic feats, comes to Dragon to ask for help saving his mother who was taken 20 years ago, realizes his father is looking for a new wife

Queen Hanna = ranaway or was kidnapped by Prince Vasily, Polya’s king blamed Roya and war started, eaten by a heart tree, empty when rescued

Jerzy = cow’s had taken ill with sickness from the woods, only had 3 cows and tried to save them, it didn’t work and he got sick too

Raven = wizard, was in the tower before Dragon, died trying to save the town of Porosna, begged Dragon to stay and take her place

Falcon = wizard from court, real name Solya, doesn’t like Dragon, comes when he hears about Kasia being taken from corruption

Owl = wizard, Father Ballo, archbishop’s delight, placed relics on the Queen to show she was free from corruption, one of the wizards trying to test Agneizka

Willow = healer in the castle

Sword = wizard, real name Alosha, one of the wizards trying Agneizka, wants to send the Queen  away for 10 years, realizes the Woods are clever and plots a long game plan

White Lark = Count’s witch in Gidna, by the ocean, inimical to corruption because she is by the ocean