The Prince of Polnya, with his own wizard and an army wants the wizards to lead an expedition to the Wood, to save his mother, the Queen, who has been lost for decades. The following is bloody, and harrowing, and lets us see that the Wood is fearful indeed. Agnieszka becomes entangled in the intrigues of the Court, and war threatens to ravage the land. Worst of all is that every victory may only be a feint on the part of The Wood, whose patience is as long as the life of a tree.
Ms. Novik is a skilled plotter, and she did a good job of keeping me off balance. What made it work really well is the characters of Agnieszka and Sarkan. They both fulfill their roles as Sorcerer and Apprentice, but their characters are layered, and deep. I found myself applauding Agnieszka’s impulsiveness, and booing at Sarkan’s imperious behavior. Until Agnieszka realizes that each victory she achieves may hold a kernel inside that will guarantee that the Wood will win. Then each character seems to grow and fit together, the way that their magic does in some earlier scenes. Kasia is well-drawn,tragic and heroic, and Ms. Novik makes The Wood a character in it’s own right, as deep and sinister as any villain could be. Uprooted is a fantasy that has a fairy-tale feel to it, and I mean that in the very best way. I have been a big fan of Ms. Novik and her Temeraire series, and this book is as every bit as good, which is high praise indeed. |
Follow US:Archives
July 2020
|