Uprooted

Starred review from March 16, 2015
In this breathtaking departure from her Temeraire alternate history series, Novik drops readers into an instantly immersive Polish fairy tale. The so-called Dragon is actually a man—a wizard who takes young women from a rural village as payment for protecting the region from the poisonous influence of the evil Wood. When Agnieszka is chosen to serve the Dragon for 10 years, she finds within herself a rare and incredible talent for magic. She is disaster prone and homesick, but nonetheless steps up to the role of heroine when the situation demands it. Soon, Agnieszka's fabulous journey expands to encompass a deadly quest, the terrible glamor of a royal court, a true and unbreakable friendship, and just a touch of romance. Novik's use of language is supremely skillful as she weaves a tale that is both elegantly grand and earthily humble, familiar as a Grimm fairy tale yet fresh, original, and totally irresistible. This will be a must-read for fantasy fans for years to come.

Novik's sure-footed fantasy about a young woman and a mysterious magician is destined to become a classic of the genre. However, Julia Emelin's narration, while not without its highlights, is not equal to the book. Emelin employs a thick Eastern European accent that helps solidify the setting, and she does an excellent job pronouncing the Russian- and Polish-influenced character names as well as the magical language used by witches and wizards. But her delivery ranges from expressive to wooden, and her character voices blend together to the point of indistinguishability. Also, mispronunciations marr the performance, included repeated mispronunciations of the words "iron" and "drawing." Dedicated fantasy fans will stick around for the wonderful story, but other listeners may be put off by the performance. E.C. � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Starred review from August 1, 2015

Aside from her propensity for getting dirty, there is nothing obviously remarkable about Agnieszka, so no one is more surprised than she when it is Agnieszka, not her beautiful and accomplished friend Kasia, who is selected by the local wizard. Rumors abound about the Dragon, and although the villagers don't know why the he chooses one of their 17-year-old girls every ten years, they're sure it's not for anything proper. Agnieszka's timid presence in the Dragon's castle and attempts to learn magic are by turns cringe-worthy, hilarious, and touching. Although the premise of the seemingly ordinary protagonist who is really a formidable magician is quite familiar, Novik's modern fairy tale is much more than a coming-of-age novel; its richly imagined world, unflinching look at human nature, and underlying thread of humor make for a wholly compelling listening experience. Julia Emelin's expressive voice and multiaccented narration perfectly capture the novel's large cast of characters and Eastern European setting. VERDICT Highly recommended. ["This exceptional fantasy for adult and teen readers should appeal to those who love fairy tale-influenced stories": LJ 4/15/15 starred review of the Del Rey: Ballantine hc.]--Nicole Williams, Sharjah Inst. of Applied Technology, United Arab Emirates

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