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Uprooted
RECOMMENDED: Uprooted by Naomi Novik is $2.99! This is part of an awesome group of Kindle Daily Deals and it’s being price-matched. A lot of people have recommended this book and Novik’s writing, but some readers did mention on Goodreads that the book is a bit slow at times. Are you an Uprooted fan?
“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.
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.
But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.
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Six of Crows
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is $2.99! This is another Kindle Daily Deal. This was described to me as a fantasy YA Ocean’s Eleven with heist hijinks. I’ve also heard that the audiobook is really good. A lot of readers say the book lived up to its hype. Some say it takes a while to get invested, but that it’s so worth it.
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
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My Lady Jane
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton is $1.99! Another Kindle Daily Deal! This is a YA fantasy novel that many readers find clever and really entertaining. However, others didn’t find it very memorable. It has a 4.1-star rating on Goodreads.
The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.
At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.
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In Bed with a Rogue
In Bed with a Rogue by Samantha Grace is $1.99! This is the second book in the Rival Rogues series, but can be read as a standalone. Some felt the romance was a bit unconvincing, but others recommend this if you’re looking for a light Regency romance. It has a 3.8-star rating on Goodreads.
He’s the Talk of the Town
The whole town is tittering about Baron Sebastian Thorne having been jilted at the altar. Every move he makes ends up in the gossip columns. Tired of being the butt of everyone’s jokes, Sebastian vows to restore his family’s reputation no matter what it takes.
She’s the Toast of the Ton
Feted by the crème of society, the beautiful widow Lady Prestwick is a vision of all that is proper. But Helena is no angel, and when Sebastian uncovers her dark secret, he’s quick to press his advantage. In order to keep her hard-won good name, Helen will have to make a deal with the devil. But she’s got some tricks up her sleeves to keep this notorious rogue on his toes…
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“Six of Crows” was so, so good. Both audio and book. I do have to say upfront, there is a cliffhanger and a suspension of belief problem with the age of the characters bring criminal masterminds, but it’s worth it.
I really liked it was a fully built YA fantasy world that wasn’t set in a dystopia and there wasn’t a “one person saves the universe” story. I’m a bit burned out on that, personally. The characters are diverse and it’s very much a “found family” story and there’s some great love story subplots too (not all happy though). Sequel is great too.
Sorry to gush but this turned from impulse buy to an unexpected favorite read of 2016.
Also, Catherynne M. Valente’s The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden is $1.99 on kindle. It’s described as “A Book of Wonders for Grown-Up Readers.”
The Lawrence Brown Affair by Cat Sebastian is currently $0.99, but I’m not clear on if that is the regular or sale price. It’s a historical m/m by an author I’ve heard of but not read.
Uprooted was great, kind of reminded me of Diana Wynne Jones, which means ultimately it skews too YA for me, but I still really enjoyed it.
I got Six of Crows this morning but didn’t even look at Uprooted because that cover is so uninspiring. Now that I’ve read the description, I’ll have to give that a closer look.
Under the heading of not a sale but only $3.99: River of Teeth, an “alternate-history hippo western” that’s “more than gunslingers riding hippos into danger,” is out today. My hesitation because it’s short with a rapidly forthcoming sequel (I’m so sick of novels chopped in half to squeeze more money out of me) is no defense against the onslaught of GUNSLINGERS ON BATTLE HIPPOS.
I adored “Uprooted” and could not put it down. It’s not my normal type of reading material but I was looking for something out of my oeuvre and this one really did the trick. It’s the kind of book that most publishers would try to split into two – there’s so much story. I tried to read “Six of Crows” but couldn’t get into it, though I seem to be the only one who feels that way.
@ Ren Benton: Not on sale, but if you love the idea of gunslingers on battle hippos (it’s on my tbr list) you should probably check out the Dinosaur Lords series by Victor Milan: a world like 14th century Europe, where the knights ride into battle on *dinosaurs*.
I love Six of Crows and its sequel, Crooked Kingdom. I love them so much. As someone with chronic pain issues (very different ones than those presented in the novels, but still there), it was amazing to see evil geniuses *with chronic pain* and physical issues. It was amazing to see someone I, as a dyslexic, recognized as a fellow dyslexic. I mean, I cried.
These books mean a ridiculous amount to me, basically. Also, fwiw, there are romance subplots but these are definitely not romances. They’re more action-heist-social commentary, I guess. Tons going on, large casts. Which works for me but probably not for everyone.
“Fingersmith” by Sarah Waters is $1.99 on Kindle.
Seconding the comment about River of Teeth. I’m super excited about this novella. The author also wrote Tor.com’s excellent Women of Harry Potter series and the except was excellent. Also, hippos in the Mississippi River!
I loved Six of Crows and it’s sequel so much, I bought them in hardcover right after I returned them to the library. (Full disclosure, the hardcovers are pretty.)
I also loved The Orphan’s Tales and Uprooted.
@Katie Lynn: “The Lawrence Browne Affair” is a sort of “Beauty and the Beast” story. Lawrence is a reclusive inventor who, from my understanding, suffers from anxiety (in no small part because he doesn’t understand human interaction or social cues very well). Georgie is a London thief who looks like a dandy.
I would highly recommend reading “The Soldier’s Scoundrel” first. I love Cat’s books.
I love, love, love Uprooted! It’s different in story and Agnieska is plucky, smart, and strong, yet human. The story is engaging and interesting and if you know any of the mythology of eastern Europe you can recognize several aspects of it woven into the story. The world building is beautifully done, too. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
I loved Uprooted and Nick’s Temperaire series. What I do miss though is a bit more depth to characters and their interactions to match the detailed world building (I guess that is what makes it YA-ish). I think it still shows that she used to write for RPG computer games (Baldur’s Gate). That said, I’d totally play games adapted from her novels and hope she will write more books.
Joining the people who loved Uprooted, though some of it was so grim that I struggled to read it. The resolution makes it all worth while, however.
Uprooted is great and on my list to buy for impressionable young girls so they can see great female characters with agency. It is YA, but it’s the good kind that adults can love, not the kind that just makes you glad to be an adult!
YOU GUYS. You guys. Uprooted is fucking phenomenal. I don’t feel that it’s really YA–parts of it were gruesome enough that I had to walk away for an hour. I do have a fairly low tolerance, though, so take that with a block of salt. But it’s amazing and beautifully written with a kickass, unique female protagonist and a fabulous take on so many classic fairy tales, particularly Eastern European ones. Go read it.
Uprooted is wonderful! It packs a ton of worldbuilding, characterization and plot in a single standalone book. Quite a refreshment, with some amazing ideas (that forest!)
It also hit all the right emotional buttons. 🙂
I was waffling a bit on Uprooted but with so many glowing recommendations I’m going to give it a whirl.
@Jenn and @Ren Benton.
Gunslingers on hippoes. I was valiantly resisting, and then Jenn mentions it’s by the author of “Women of Harry Potter”?
As if I ever stood a chance. Gunslingers on Hippoes.
And since I’d already been convinced to buy Uprooted…
Squee! I’ve had Uprooted on my wish list for ages since I stubbornly refused to pay more for the digital version than the paper version. So glad my patience was finally rewarded.
Thanks to the recommendations of the excellent readership here, I snagged Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom for DD from the library. They are her favorites, and I’ve since bought her copies for her keeper shelf since she reads and re-reads them constantly 🙂
Another vote for Uprooted being AWESOME and also maybe a little intense for younger YA readers. I liked that the heroine isn’t OMGTHEBESTATEVERYTHING and finds her own way to do magic, esp a way that’s based on the women who’ve come before her. I literally sat in my car in the parking lot to read a chapter when I stopped for groceries on the way home from work with this book in my bag. That’s how engrossing it is.