Her people rely on the cold, ambitious wizard, known only as the Dragon, to keep the wood's powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman must be handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as being lost 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 no one can predict how or why the Dragon chooses a girl. And when he comes, it is not Kasia he will take with him.
From the author of the Temeraire series comes this hugely imaginative, engrossing and vivid fantasy novel, inspired by folk and fairy tales. It is perfect reading for fans of Robin Hobb and Trudi Canavan.
Hey! Here's my review.
I picked this book up mainly to be part of a book club discussion, then was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I would describe it more as influenced by fairy tales, rather than a fairy tale retelling. It had the feel of a fairy tale, without being totally predictable.
Although one of the main characters is called Dragon, there aren't any real dragons in the story. There are plenty of other strange beasts though. I loved the world building and how the author was able to make me change my opinions of some characters when deeper layers were revealed. I enjoyed the fact that this is a stand alone novel and didn't leave me hanging, waiting for a sequel.
★★★★
- Where: Borrowbox
- Format: ebook
Purchase link
Amazon
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