Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Kate’s rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really liked this book and more, I enjoyed the experience of reading it. It’s not breathtakingly original, perhaps, but I love fairy-tale retellings. On the other hand, it also didn’t head exactly where I expected it to go, nor did it arrive where I was planning, which I appreciated. Other reviewers pointed out that what romance there was definitely was not an example of a healthy relationship. I’d have to agree, but I would also argue that it wasn’t particularly meant to be. The Dragon was very flawed and that was no secret. What I enjoyed more about the book was the simple fact that it was one of those that made me want to go curl up with it until I could finish it, and ignore the adult responsibilities that I should be devoting the time to. I relished the Eastern European feel of the characters, language, and mythology. I reveled in her vivid world-building and juggling of a lot of different characters, their motivations and their interconnected places in her world. I found the ending far more satisfying than I had expected, and I loved the descriptions of how different users’ magics worked and interacted.