"Uprooted" by Naomi Novik

Uprooted is a very atmospheric standalone fantasy novel that reads more like a Slavic fairy tale. The story takes place in a remote village located at the border of an old and dangerous Wood. Villagers who venture too close to the Wood tend to disappear and those who return are corrupted and serve the Wood in sowing evil. The lord of the land is a wizard named the Dragon. He lives in a tower at the edge of the Wood and keeps the surrounding villages safe. In return, every ten years he takes a young girl into his tower. No one ever knows what exactly happens to the young maidens there, but at the end of 10 years none of them return home. Instead, having been transformed into cultured and wealthy young women, they choose to settle in big cities.

The story is told from the point of view of Agnieszka, a young village girl who is chosen by the Dragon to spend the next 10 years in his tower. We learn early in the story, that the Dragon chooses her not because of her beauty or talents, but because magic runs deep in her blood. Agnieszka is a witch and is in need of training.

I really liked the writing in this book. The narrative is slow and very poetic. Despite that the story is also very gripping and unpredictable. I also really enjoyed the magic in this book. Agnieszka relies on her own intuition rather than formulaic spells. She is also very attached to her homeland and draws on the power of nature rather than complex incantations. No wonder she connects so deeply with stories of Baba Jaga, a legendary witch who roamed surrounding forests and used spells no one (until Agnieszka came along) had been able to replicate.

This was a five star read for me. I highly recommend it.