A Magical Tale

I continue with a heavy dose of fantasy in my reading. Uprooted by Naomi Novik was recommended in my NPR Book Notes email in May.

The story is set in Poland in the time of most fairytales, and I believe it draws on some Polish traditional tales. Each year The Dragon (an immortal wizard) selects a village girl to live in his tower for 10 years. The book follows the first year of Agnieszka’s apprenticeship.

Reviews likened it to Beauty and the Beast and, of course, Harry Potter. Hmmm.

Here’s what I liked. Agnieszka is a 17-year old, intelligent, caring, ingenious, and powerful woman wizard. She’s resolute and unafraid and loyal. So, yeah, a strong female character. There are also strong female friendships. And, the main evil force in the book is female. Then, there’s the crotchety, likeable, at times vulnerable Dragon, Sarkan. Finally, there’s a bit of romance.

Here’s what disappointed: You know the saying ‘there’s an app for that’? Well, in this book, there’s a spell for that. That’s about the extent of the magic. Need a pair of oxen to pull a cart? Mash together some mud and straw while reciting a spell. Need a change of clothes? There’s a one-word spell for that. And, the evil, known as The Wood, is about vines and trees and corruption that invades people. That was probably the most imaginative (and symbolic) part of it.

Back to what I liked. In the end (I don’t think I’m ruining anything) Agnieszka, rather than vanquishing The Wood, makes peace and healing with it. And, Agnieszka doesn’t go following after Sarkan because she thinks that her healing stuff is important and she loves her village. I really liked that.