Changes

|title=Uprooted

|author=Naomi Novik

|publisher=Macmillan

|date=May 2015

|website=

|video=

|summary=In ''Uprooted'', Naomi Novik creates a dark fairy tale with strong characters, a plot that grips, and magic so real you could almost do the spells yourself. An enchanting, spellbinding tale, prepare to be swept away into the world of Agnieszka, the Dragon, and Kasia. Just make sure to steer clear of the Wood...

}}

Many years ago, in a village deep in Eastern Europe, the locals live a life of relative peace and happiness - knowing to always avoid the wood that borders their land, and safe in the knowledge that they are guarded by a powerful wizard - the Dragon. Aware that he is the one thing keeping them safe from the dangers of the wood, the villagers take part in a ritual called 'The Choosing' every ten years - when a young girl is sent to serve the wizard for a decade.

''Uprooted'' is slightly lighter in terms of tone - but this is certainly a book for adults, late teens at a push. Agnieszka is a very real character - thoughtful, heroic, yet messy, prone to fits of temper, and unable to ignore the growing desires inside of her. Likewise, despite the magic that surrounds this book, and the supernatural threats that are forever encroaching on our heroes, this world feels relatively gritty and real. Characters die unexpectedly, soldiers and horses are killed in terrible, haunting ways, and characters who you may have felt some sense of affinity for make dreadful decisions to save their own skin.

It's fantastic to see a lead in a fairy tale who, whilst kept in a tower by a powerful wizard, has no issue leaving the tower to protect the ones she loves - and equally it is clear that the Dragon, despite his disparaging tone and misanthropic nature, clearly cares deeply about the kingdom he has chosen to protect - and, as the book goes on, comes to care deeply for Agnieszka.

For more dark folk tales, Angela Carter was an astonishing writer, and one who is very sadly missed by those who love her wonderfully deep, dark, and funny tales. [[Burning Your Boats by Angela Carter|Burning Your Boats]] is a collection of her short tales - curl up by the fire with a glass of something dark and red for these.

{{amazontext|amazon=1447294130}}