Uprooted

Bookseller recommendation

“Uprooted by Naomi Novik is like every fairy tale you've ever heard turned on their head. You have the girl trapped in a tower, a dragon, and a prince. You've heard this story before, but this one isn't so simple. I mean, if it was, what fun would that be? Novik draws heavily on her Polish roots and it creates a story that feels like home. Warm, inviting, and full of secrets that don't leave the walls. The antagonist is written in such a way that you can almost feel the Wood staring at you while you read, but the fact that it doesn't outright speak makes it more menacing. With a rich cast of characters that follow their own moral compasses, a beautifully built world, and a magic system that feels authentic, this book will leave you wanting more.”

— Ash • Story on the Square

Bookseller recommendation

“Every ten years, a girl is chosen from the valley to live with the wizard in the tower, the Dragon. The villagers don't like it, but the Dragon is the only defense between them and the dangerous, vindictive forest on the edge of the valley, where every year, more and more people disappear, never to be heard from again. Or worse, returned to them, but an empty, violent version of the person who went into the forest. Agnieska knows this year, that girl will be her best friend, Kasia, because Kasia is perfect. But then it's...not. Agnieska is chosen and brought to the tower, only to discover that she, too, has a strange power. But all the while, the forest creeps steadily forward, consuming in its path. A riveting modern fairytale with loving female friendships, an ancient secret, and lots of magic. You'll love it!”

— Lafe • Oblong Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Some books are like a delicious, warm chocolate chip cookie, familiar and wonderfully exciting all at once. Novik’s entry into high fantasy is just such a book, paying homage to the classics while managing to make the (excellent and witty) heroine’s coming of age tale feel just as magical and interesting as any I have ever read. The heroes are engaging and the villains complex, with intrigue aplenty to question who is which. I loved it!”

— Jax • Bookshop Santa Cruz

Bookseller recommendation

“Your childhood fairytales and your grandmama’s folktales from the old country have grown up. Wild, earthy, sexy, smartly written, deeply satisfying, and, yes, magical, Uprooted is everything you ever wanted from a bedtime story. Don’t take it from me; it also won the Nebula Award for best novel. ”

— Megan • Underground Books