Uprooted

2017 Longlist

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows-everyone knows-that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

(from publisher)

About the Author

Naomi Novik is the acclaimed author of the first eight volumes of the Temeraire series. She has been nominated for the Hugo Award and has won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, as well as the Locus Award for Best New Writer and the Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel. She is also the author of the graphic novel Will Supervillains be on the Final? Fascinated with both history and legends, Novik is a first-generation American raised on Polish fairy tales and stories of Baba Yaga. Novik is a co-founder of the Organization for Transformative Works.

Librarian’s Comments

I really enjoyed Naomi Novik’s Uprooted. It mixes Polish fairy tales, a mythical time of kings and queens and magic, plus a strong female protagonist, into a fun and singular story (it isn’t the start of a series), which, at its heart, has important things to say about environmentalism, human fallibility, war, and womens’ rights – Emmaline Massagia.