From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

Uprooted

Naomi Novik

Start date: December 17, 2015

Finish date: December 31, 2015

Discussion: Books of the Month

Why we're reading this: Young Adult BOM
Click here to get to the discussion…more
[close] Young Adult BOM
Click here to get to the discussion

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 163 topics — 23,363 comments total

Books of the Month

* The Names by Florence Knapp - Sep 25 Adult / Non-Fiction BOM (starts 16 Sep)
By Moderators of… , Challenger-in-Chief · 11 posts · 69 views

last updated Sep 05, 2025 04:38PM

* The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese - Sep 25 Theme BOM - South and South East Asia (Starts 5 September)
By Moderators of… , Challenger-in-Chief · 31 posts · 66 views

last updated 18 hours, 20 min ago

showing 10 of 232 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jan 16, 2016 Haze rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-books-read

Full disclosure, I dnf this book, not because I didn't like it but because I listened to it on audiobook and I didn't like the narrator at all. The reading is boring, choppy, and I couldn't understand a lot of her pronunciation. Normally, I would give up on the book, but I've heard so many good things about it that I feel I shouldn't let a bad audiobook stop me from enjoying a good story. So I'll dnf for now, but when I find a print copy, I'll definitely give it another try.

Update Feb 28, 2021:
I Full disclosure, I dnf this book, not because I didn't like it but because I listened to it on audiobook and I didn't like the narrator at all. The reading is boring, choppy, and I couldn't understand a lot of her pronunciation. Normally, I would give up on the book, but I've heard so many good things about it that I feel I shouldn't let a bad audiobook stop me from enjoying a good story. So I'll dnf for now, but when I find a print copy, I'll definitely give it another try.

Update Feb 28, 2021:
I finally got a print copy of the book and read it, and yes, I absolutely loved it! Agnieszka is such a flawed and unique character, and so is the Dragon. It was interesting watching the dynamics of their relationship play out. I loved seeing how she learned magic and how magic worked "differently" for her as compared to him. The result of the early cantrips were funny as well.

The story itself was magical in and of itself, which is important. I love fairytales, I love fairytale retellings, I love myths and mystical things, and I love how so many different magical things were woven into the story. Reading this book took me to another world, and that is the whole point of reading, and also the reason why fairytales are still one of my favorite stories in the world.

Agnieszka and the Dragon were incredibly flawed as characters, and to be honest, sometimes annoying as hell. But they were also interesting, and that's what kept me reading. Agnieszka disregarded orders many times, and made some very dangerous and reckless decisions, but it also makes me wonder if I was in her place, if I would've made any other choice when it comes to the people I love. Sometimes you have to take risks because the alternative is more abhorrent to you. The Dragon is surly and disagreeable, but his actions speak louder than his words (and expression). I also really liked Kasia as a character, not just because she was a good friend and ally to Agnieszka, but also because of the tension she adds to the story. I never stopped wondering about her the whole time.

It was just a wholly charming and enchanting experience. Loved it! ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 24, 2017 Gremlin rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-group, think-galactic, fantasy

As I started reading this, I was reminded that I do really enjoy well-written and well-imagined fantasy - which this was. Specifically, the magic styles (as you can see in all the reviews) are just fantastic and each magic wielder seems to have their own unique spin. There is a great juxtaposition between the main character (intuitive, earthy, creative) and the man who is teaching her (educated, formulaic, rigid). The eventual blending of their wills can work wonders and it's great to see that p As I started reading this, I was reminded that I do really enjoy well-written and well-imagined fantasy - which this was. Specifically, the magic styles (as you can see in all the reviews) are just fantastic and each magic wielder seems to have their own unique spin. There is a great juxtaposition between the main character (intuitive, earthy, creative) and the man who is teaching her (educated, formulaic, rigid). The eventual blending of their wills can work wonders and it's great to see that play out.

I also really enjoyed the way that corruption worked in this - super, effectively creepy (not to mention, the villainy that is the location of "The Wood"). And the characterization of Baba Yaga, though small and historical, was also a delight.

For all the good, that didn't mean there weren't flaws or things I had a hard time loving. (view spoiler)

Worth the read. This was a 3.5. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 01, 2020 Amanda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: retelling, nebula-award-previous, locus-award-previous, 4-stars

I meant to write so much about this book, but then the world of 2020 swallowed me whole. I'm deeply saddened by it, too, because there was a lot that I deeply liked/loved/was mleh about. I liked how this one, unlike Spinning Silver, didn't automatically turn itself straight into its love story only.

I remember loving the ending, where we get the inference of where the couple is going, but we don't see it yet. I remember most being disappointed by the fact we never met the earlier girls who were ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 29, 2015 Beth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, foolscap-club, tower8

This is as good as I remembered. This time I paid attention to the romance, and found it more believable. It's a deeds-not-words kind of thing. I'm still with the dragon on the age issue. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2018 Joyce rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult

An Eastern European fantasy story about a wizard who chooses a young woman to live with him every few years. The valley where the wizard lives must give up one of its daughters but it is not what you might think and that is where the fun begins. The chosen young woman outsmarts everyone from the wizard to kings and queens and takes care of her people, too. A lovely winter diversion, recommended by a friend.

Like · see review