The main characters and their romance were some of the worst problems for me in this book. Kasia, the side character, would’ve been a much better choice for a protagonist compared to Agnieszka; I’ll dub her as Agony because it captured my feeling towards her. Agony is a Mary Sue, and she’s the epitome of Special Snowflake Syndrome. To make things worse, the Dragon, Skunk, Skank, or whatever his real name is was an ultimate asshole just for the sake of being one. From the beginning to the end, no organic development to these characters occurred. The flatness of their characterizations was even worse than a skateboard.

Uprooted is influenced by Polish folklore: Novik was brought up on Polish fairytales. [4] [5] [6] The protagonist's name references a story, Agnieszka Skrawek Nieba (Agnieszka Piece of Sky) by the Polish children's author and translator Natalia Gałczyńska [ pl]; Novik specially liked the story as a child. [7] Baba Jaga is a common bogeyman in Slavic folklore, including in the Polish stories that Novik used to hear at bedtime. [4] [8] [9] The "birthday song about living a hundred years", to whose melody Agnieszka chants the spell which cures the Dragon of corruption, is the Polish birthday song Sto lat, meaning literally "[May you live] one hundred years". [10] The lyrics of another song quoted in the book, "about the spark on the hearth, telling its long stories", are a translation of a part of the Polish bedtime song Bajka iskierki [ pl] (or, Z popielnika na Wojtusia) by Janina Porazińska [ pl]. [11] At the final feast, Agnieszka tastes zhurek, a phonetic spelling of an Eastern European sour rye soup known in Poland as żur or żurek. [12] Critical reception [ edit ] Tanjeem, Namera (December 3, 2020). "A Response to Claims of Racism in Naomi Novik's A Deadly Education". Book Riot . Retrieved May 23, 2021. 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. A perfect tale . . . A big and meaty novel, rich in both ideas and people,with the vastness of Tolkien and the empathy and joy in daily life of Le Guin.” — The New York Times Book ReviewI wrote this review 5 years ago at the age of 17. I don't think my opinion of this book has ever changed. I still do maintain my stance as to why I thoroughly disliked reading this book, but now that I'm at a much older age than I was before, I'd like to give a disclaimer to not let the extreme profanities my 17-year-old self had wrote to translate through your opinion of the story, characters, etc.

Her people rely on the cold, ambitious wizard, known only as the Dragon, to keep the wood’s powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman must be handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as being lost to the wood. The writing style for me was below average. It was mediocre, tiresome and there was absolutely nothing special about it. There were so many unnecessary paragraphs in the book, mainly consisting of pointless descriptions that I quite easily could have done without reading.A very enjoyable fantasy with the air of a modern classic . . . Naomi Novik skillfully takes the fairy-tale-turned-bildungsroman structure of her premise . . . and builds enough flesh on those bones to make a very different animal. . . . The vivid characters around her also echo their fairy-tale forebears, but are grounded in real-world ambivalence that makes this book feel quietly mature, its world lived-in." -- The New York Times Book Review His name tasted of fire and wings, of curling smoke, of subtlety and strength and the rasping whisper of scales. He eyed me and said stiffly, "Don't land yourself into a boiling-pot, and as difficult as you may find it, try and present a respectable appearance.” ONE STAR to the non-existent chemistry between the Dragon and Agnieszka. It was bullshit. ZERO STAR to the love interest. If there's one thing I really hate, it's romance revolving around verbal and physical abuses. I swear, verbal abusing Agnieszka is the only language the Dragon knows how to speak in. Agnieszka is a 17-year-old girl who lives in the village of Dvernik under the rule of wizard Sarkan, known as the Dragon. Every ten years, Sarkan chooses a girl from the region who will live with him for a decade. Then, the next choosing occurs. No one knows what happens to the girls, or what duties they are expected to perform, but none of them remain in the village once they are released. Agnieszka and everyone else in the region fully expects Sarkan to choose Kasia, Agnieszka's best friend. Kasia is everything Agnieszka is not – brave, elegant, and skilled – partly because her mother is among those who believe Kasia will be chosen and has prepared her for the role her entire life. On the day of the choosing, Agnieszka is heartbroken at the thought of losing Kasia but also feels a secret relief that she has never had to fear the choosing day. However, Sarkan takes a look at all the girls of the correct age and chooses Agnieszka. He whisks her away to his tower before she has a chance to think about what has happened or even say good-bye.

What an incredible fairy tale. This book is a lot like the The Wood that dominates this story, luring you close, whispering in your ear, offering you the most tantalizing temptations, if only you'll be persuaded into it. The difference between the two is that where The Wood is a dark, twisted creation that speaks only lies, this book delivers on its promises.Speakman, Shawn (August 13, 2013). "New Release Interview: Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik". Suvudu. Random House. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013 . Retrieved December 23, 2013. Novik here delivers a tale that is funny and fast-paced, laced with hair-raising battle scenes and conspiracies; it also touches on deeper ecological concerns we grapple with today.” — The Washington Post Also, one of my favourite things was the creepy Wood - a literally evil forest that is alive with a dark corruption that will claim you if you ever enter it, or get touched by one of the monstrous beings that come out of the Wood. How weird and creative and scary... I LOVED it. a b DJangi, Taraneh (March 5, 2019). "Congratulations to Our 2019 Audie Award Winners". Books on Tape . Retrieved May 22, 2021.