Here is another fun deviation! Aside from loving to read, one of my favorite hobbies is going through Pinterest and finding beautiful artworks. Today I can combine two of my hobbies into one post by focusing on beautiful book covers! After seeing so many wonderful book blogs with beautiful new book covers, I wanted to showcase a few beautiful book covers from my Goodreads account.
Sometimes I just like to go to book stores and look at all the new book covers. It’s like going to an art gallery with a bonus story hidden inside eat piece!
So without further ado, here are 10 beautiful book covers and their artists. (Some don’t have artist names because I couldn’t find them.)
In the middle of the Pennsylvania hinterlands lies a peculiar farm that s played host to lonely souls each summer for more than three hundred years. Genevieve Patterson has been dispatched by her magazine to interview Ruby Swarovski, the illustrious matchmaker of Niederbipp, for the November issue.
But it quickly becomes clear that the interview she was promised, and which would finally give her the renown she deserves, is not going to go the way she expected. With more than five hundred successful matches in her fifty-six-year career, Ruby along with her husband, Lorenzo have invited six lucky women, and six even luckier men, to spend the summer working the land in exchange for a little help in the love department. The first in a series, Authentically Ruby is a fun, thoughtful, and delightful read for anyone who is interested in strengthening the most important relationships we form in life.
Ben Behunin is not an author by trade but a potter. About ten years ago, my sister-in-law showed me his first Potter of Neiderbipp series. I fell in love with the wise Neiderbipp potter Isaac and his quiet little town disconnected from the world. Last summer, I learned Behunin had started a new series based on a matchmaker Ruby, who lives outside of Neiderbipp. This new series matched my current life situation and struggles.
Picture of Ben Behunin with his pottery
The Narration
Over the last ten years, Behunin has really refined his writing style. Even before he started his Potter of Neiderbipp, he kept feeling he needed to write books. This confused Behunin because he had no real background in writing. So, he put these feelings and book ideas aside to focus on his career in artistic pottery. Due to various injuries on his hands, he couldn’t make pottery the way he used to. With too much empty time, he gave in and started a tentative career as an author.
I’m grateful he did. Behunin’s writing doesn’t have the polish of well-seasoned authors like Stephen King or Brandon Sanderson, but it is heartfelt. His unique voice, attention to important spiritual truths, and compassionate characters make his stories shine. Beautiful stories don’t need to scream about how great they are.
That said, Authentically Ruby has become one of my favorite reads of 2020. I don’t know how Behunin knew there would be people like me who need advice on developing good relationships. But after reading this book and its sequel, I felt like a great weight lifted off my chest because he addressed many of my fears and insecurities and reaffirmed important truths I hold dear about marriage and God. As for the writing style, it flowed really well because it felt like the characters had unstaged conversations and genuine life-like experiences.
For a better look at his pottery, check out his website Potteryboy.com!
The Characters
The characters didn’t talk like characters in a story or play. They spoke like real people, at least that was how it seemed to me. They change because they participate in wholesome activities and build sincere relationships with each other. Genevieve does start as a somewhat spoiled, rude young woman and she does have problems living on a farm disconnected from the internet and the outside world. However, I liked seeing her gradually change and open up to others. The character I felt I resembled the most was Matt. (We both overthink things). As for Ruby, I would love to meet her.
Who is this for?
If there is anyone who wants a deeper connection to God, the earth, and themselves. I would recommend this book to you. There were several times I felt chastened because of my expectations and thoughts on marriage and relationships. But I also felt a lot of love and hope.
Arriman the Awful, feared Wizard of the North, has decided to marry. But his wife must be a witch of the darkest powers . . .
A sorcery competition is held to discover which witch is the most potent and fiendish, and glamorous Madame Olympia conjures up a thousand plague-bearing rats Belladonna, the white witch, desperately wants to be a wicked enchantress, but her magic produces flowers instead of snakes. How can she become more devilish than all the other witches?
Which Witch is another one of my childhood favorites! While I was going through my Harry Potter phase (which I haven’t quite grown out of. 🙂 ), I needed other books to fill my time. My mother insisted. I might have read the first four Harry Potter books ten or more times each. I found Ibbotson’s quirky, witch romance when I was eleven or so, and I’ve loved it ever since!
The Narrative
Ibbotson has a similar writing style to Diana Wynne Jones, but without as much sass. The whole premise of Which Witch is Arriman needs to marry to keep the balance of evil. But he doesn’t want to marry a witch. . . because they are ugly and have weird habits. His somewhat arrogant personality, mixed in with brilliant prose and sarcastic banter makes this book just as charming for adults as it does for children.
Ibbotson has a magical way of writing children’s stories. When I was young, Ibbotson’s quirky characters happily danced along every page of the book. The tone in this story feels somewhat like Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl, where horrible things happen but they’re brushed off with dry, British humor.
The Characters
All the characters, except for Belladonna, are wonderfully strange and awful. Each witch has too much ambition for their own good and is ugly enough to make Arriman regret being talked into marrying anyone. Some of my favorite moments in the book were between Arriman and his butler Lester because Lester acts more like a lamentable teenager’s nanny than part of his staff.
I have nothing bad to say about any of the characters. They fit well within this delightfully, snarky Beauty Pageant esque love story. (Except the beauty contestants are ugly contestants.) I do like the good witch Belladonna and I’m glad she got her happy ending along with Terence.
Who is this book for?
Lovers of Roald Dahl’s many charming children’s books, Diana Wynne Jones’ book Howl’s Moving Castle, or Philip Ardagh‘s Eddie Dickens Trilogy will really enjoy this book’s delightfully disgusting witches and reluctant, whiney groom.
Favorite Quotes
Arriman could not see Belladonna, who was hidden behind a thorn tree, but he could see Mabel Wrack, whose sea slug had fallen over one eye, and Ethel Feedbag, a burnt jackdaw feather sticking to her chin. He cuold see Mother Bloodwort and he could see the Shouter twins, and when he’d seen them he turned and tried to scramble down the rock.
Belladonna: ‘Tell me, is he really . . . as marvelous as he looks?’
Mr. Leadbetter thought. Pictures came to mind. Arriman shrieking with rage when he lost his suspenders. Arriman filling the bath with electric eels and giggling. Arriman ordering twelve stinking emus for the zoo and leaving his secretary to unpack them . . .
Arriman was as happy as a lark. Whatever else happened, he wouldn’t have to marry the with with the Wellies. all through supper he laughed and joked until he went upstairs, heard the steady drip-drip of water, and found that the kraken had climbed onto his bed.
Elena Rudina lives in the impoverished Russian countryside. Her father has been dead for years. One of her brothers has been conscripted into the Tsar’s army, the other taken as a servant in the house of the local landowner. Her mother is dying, slowly, in their tiny cabin. And there is no food. But then a train arrives in the village, a train carrying untold wealth, a cornucopia of food, and a noble family destined to visit the Tsar in Saint Petersburg — a family that includes Ekaterina, a girl of Elena’s age. When the two girls’ lives collide, an adventure is set in motion, an escapade that includes mistaken identity, a monk locked in a tower, a prince traveling incognito, and — in a starring role only Gregory Maguire could have conjured — Baba Yaga, witch of Russian folklore, in her ambulatory house perched on chicken legs.
I lived in Russia for 1.5 years so whenever I find books on Russian fairytales I snatch them up as fast as I can! Я люблю Россию! Despite my love for all things Russian, I don’t have too much to say about this story. I feel somewhat. . . sad about this. That isn’t to say Gregory Maguire didn’t write a fascinating story! Egg & Spoon was simply a little underwhelming for me.
The Narrative
One of my favorite series is Katherine Arden’s The Winternight Trilogy. Ever since I read her books, my opinion of other novels based on Russian history or folktales is a little biased. If Arden’s Trilogy is the three-course meal of books, Egg & Spoon is like a burger from Five Guys, better than fast food but not the best I’ve ever read.
Maguire’s story had somewhat haphazard pacing, but that fits in well with Baba Yaga’s crazy chicken leg house and skull fence. The only thing that threw me off while reading was the lack of logical conversations and decisions at times. Maguire pointed out common problems certain characters faced because of poverty or loneliness. But these issues never had a lot of impact because his narrator lacked true empathy.
What I did love was his colorful descriptions of St. Petersburg and other settings. He descriptions of such beautiful places kept me reading till the book’s end.
The Characters
Hum hum hum. I didn’t understand most of the character’s personalities. Elena was understandably driven by desperation because of her family’s situation, but I never felt like I got to know her as a person. Her personality seemed locked away, almost numb. Then again, hunger has a way of driving people’s personalities away.
My favorite character was either Baba Yaga or Ekaterina. Baba Yaga just made me laugh because she talked crazy all the time but took the world by storm. Ekaterina, more than any other character, had the most individuality. I also liked the looney horse doctor because of his kindness and optimism.
Who is this book for?
This would be the perfect introduction to Russian Fairytales for kids. Its creative, has colorful writing, and interesting characters.
Favorite Quotes
A Firebird flying across Russia in the strength of a noonday sun does indeed cast a shadow. Nothing that is spiritual can fail to shine. Of course we can’t see it directly, because the shadow it casts is just another kind of light. You have to look sideways to see it, but once you see it, you can never un-see it.
It is the light you see in the faces of children.
Something too few of us know while we are alive, he told her. We are all crowned with glory. Peasants no less than kings.
Seventeen-year-old Smitha has the wealth, status, and beauty that make her the envy of her town—until she rejects a strange man’s marriage proposal and disastrous consequences follow. Smitha becomes cursed, and frost begins to encompass everything she touches. Banished to the hills, hunted by villagers, and chilled to the very core of her soul, she finds companionship with Death, who longs to coax her into his isolated world. But Smitha’s desire for life proves stronger than despair, and a newfound purpose gives her renewed hope. Will regrets over the past and an unexpected desire for a man she cannot touch be enough to warm Smitha’s heart, or will Death forever still it?
Charlie Holmberg’s writing is constantly evolving. I’ve read a number of her books including The Paper Magician and The Fifth Doll and I think her ideas are fresh and thought-provoking. So many times I’ve been hooked by her creative book descriptions alone! Since her style is constantly improving and evolving, her earlier works aren’t quite as refined as they could be.
Of all her books, Followed By Frost seems the most fleshed out. Reading it the first time, I felt great empathy for Smitha’s plight and paid great attention to her interactions with Death and her internal battles.
The Narrative
Holmberg’s idea for this book is brilliant. It brings new meaning to old fairytales like The Snow Queen, whose characters also suffered because of cold magic. Holmberg is admirable at establishing her characters and story through worldbuilding. Her only issue is fleshing out her ideas. Sometimes her writing is so concise she fails to fully flesh out important moments in the story.
That aside, I don’t want to be too hard on Holmberg. Because she is concise, reading her story was refreshing and eady. I enjoyed following Smitha through her internal battles. She and other characters don’t make nonsensical decisions, which I also appreciate.
The Characters
Several characters like Smitha, Lo, and Death had ample personality and relevance to the story. A lot of others didn’t get enough page time to pop out for me. But I didn’t mind very much because the most interesting and relevant interactions happen between the three characters I mentioned above.
Smitha’s curse was such a burden but her attitude towards it and its spell caster Morgan shifted as she matured. Followed By Frost is one of those books that illustrate how though some curses can twist their victims till they give up their humanity, there is always a way to overcome them and grow because of them. Smitha evolved and overcame her curse because she grew to care for others and cast aside her selfishness.
What I especially like in this story was the love story between Smitha and Lo. As I pondered their growing relationship, I thought about the nature of love and marriage. I also wondered how much I would be willing to sacrifice for another person with special circumstances.
Some of the most poignant conversations happen between Smitha and Death. I appreciated how Holmberg pointed out Smitha always had the choice to give in to Death. He could never take her will or force her to give in to him. Because Smitha knew Death’s face, she matured and understood more about life than she did before. She also obtained a better understanding of her self-worth and valued human beings better.
Who is this book for?
If you’ve read Holmberg’s books before but have never had the chance to read Followed By Frost, I would definitely recommend it. It has a few heavier themes, but overall it is an insightful book about overcoming selfishness, sacrifice and believing in our self-worth despite past mistakes.
Favorite Quotes
“At first I felt angry with the bid fate had made for me, angry at the injustice of it all. Then shame swept over me for thinking such selfish thoughts. Finally came clarity, and with clarity came a sorrow that spun itself like wool around me.”
Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.
In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.
As I said in my review for Uprooted, I love fairytale-like stories that take place in an enchanted wood. I also have a soft spot for books that create new and beautiful possible ways to read books. Luckily, Echo North has both of these things and more! I picked this book up by accident while perusing a locally owned bookstore in Salt Lake City. I read it twice in a row so I could inhale as much of its magic as I possibly could.
This story is based on the Nordic fairytale East of the Sun West of the Moon. It has some similarities to other tales like Beauty and the Beast and Cupid and Psyche but varies mid-story from saving a beast in a castle to the main girl embarking on a redemptive quest. Joanna Ruth Meyer gave special credit to Edith Patou’s novel East as one of her inspirations for writing her retelling of this famous Nordic tale. As I read Echo North, I noticed reverberating themes from the original fairytale, but Meyer surprised me with her creativity and beautiful innovations.
The Narrative
Meyer’s writing style is simply beautiful. Echo North sucked me in from the first sentence. To keep balance between interlocking plot twists and settings, she anchored her story on reoccurring imagery and themes. It felt like every sentence and conversation served a purpose to the story’s mystery and resolution. The story also flowed so well. I never felt bogged down by unnecessary dialogue or drama.
It was the kind of story which lifted me on its shoulders and carried me on a magical and touching journey. The scenery Meyer illustrated throughout her story, from the forest, woven house, and in the North, set my imagination aflame. The library of mirror books alone made me want to step into the story! I will say, I have never thought of a forest being so sinister until this book.
Another side note, I also loved how Meyer wove in music and playing the piano into the narrative.
The Characters
I loved all the characters down to the main villain of the story. Echo had so much love and compassion. I admired her integrity and desire to help those she loved. It is ironic because rather than being a character fated to be loved by everyone, people bullied and mocked her because of her facial deformity. It took a long time for her to see beyond her scars and accept her family’s love and confidence.
I can’t say too much about the characters because it will ruin the overall experience. I will say, I appreciated how the man Echo comes to love and marry was someone with flaws. Forgiveness and compassion also play an important part in their relationship and growth. All the characters also had understandable motivations and reactions. I know that sounds crazy, but I’ve read plenty of fairytale retellings whose characters make strangely nonsensical decisions.
Who is this book for?
Fans of novels like Edith Patou’s East, Sally Gardner’s I, Coriander, or Beauty and the Beast retellings will most likely connect to this book the best. Music and book lovers will also love how Meyer included richer ways to experience these arts. (I now want to experience a book mirror. Someone smart should make that happen for me).
Favorite Quotes
Light streamed in through the window; dust motes swirled. The wolf leaned his head against my knee. ‘I do not deserve you. Your kindness. Your goodness. Your beauty.’
‘Wolf, I’m not beautiful.’
He lifted his head and peered straight into my eyes. ‘You are wrong, Echo. You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen.’
Something inside me cracked. Tears leaked from my eyes.
The wolf tugged gently on my skirt and I knelt on the floor and wrapped my arms around his neck. ‘Do not cry. My beautiful beautiful girl. Please do not cry.’
I held him like the world had spun away beneath me, and I was left to dance with the stars, not mortal any longer but a creature made of moonlight and magic.
No one had ever called me beautiful before.
‘It isn’t about deserving, (Blank Name). It never was.’ I long to pull him close. I ache for him. ‘The old magic is stronger than guilt or betrayal. Stronger than everything she did to you, and to me. It’s stronger than time.’
‘Is it . . . is it strong enough to mend us?’ His eyes pierce through me.
I touch his face where the oil burned him, where a tiny half-moon scar shows white against his skin. ‘Yes.’ My throat catches. ‘It is. It is.’
This was the boy’s mantra as he plodded through the desert alone, left to die by his vengeful grandfather. Johannes Verne was soon to be rescued by outlaws, but no one could save him from the lasting memory of his grandfather’s eyes, full of impenetrable hatred. Raised in part by Indians, then befriended by a mysterious woman, Johannes grew up to become a rugged adventurer and an educated man. But even now, strengthened by the love of a golden-haired girl and well on his way to making a fortune in bustling early-day Los Angeles, the past may rise up to threaten his future once more. And this time only the ancient gods of the desert can save him.
Storytime: Sometimes, I judge a book without ever reading it. For The Lonesome Gods my reasoning was simple. I don’t like Westerns that much, probably because I have lived in the West for most of my life, and its history and culture don’t interest me. Because of this weird bias, I never read any of Louis L’Amour’s books. My Dad LOVES L’Amour novels, whether he reads a physical copy or listens to prerecorded audiobooks.
When my Dad got out a L’Amour CD for a seven-hour car ride six or so years ago, I plugged in my headphones and tuned out. After a good thirty minutes, I lost my phone signal and couldn’t read the book I brought, so I gave up and listened to David Strathairn narrate The Lonesome Gods. I fell in love with it.
The Narration
Louis L’Amour is an author who can paint for his audience a story’s look and feel with only words. The style reminds me of old epic films like Lawrence of Arabia or Ben Hur. He does not rely on dialogue to illustrate how his characters fit into their environment. Rather, he gives a detailed description of his character’s actions and interactions with the environment and people. The effect this writing style has is staggering. For me, it felt almost as if I could see, feel, and live with the characters, especially when listening to the audiobook.
Louis L’Amour was a well-traveled historian. Any of the places he wrote about he personally went to, cataloged, and researched. Since this book took place almost primarily in California, L’Amour made sure to do his research on its settling and exploration. I learned so much about Los Angeles’s history as a trade city, immigrants from Russia, China, Spain, and Japan who came to settle there, and even the Native American tribes who lived in the mountains of Northern California.
The Characters
The Lonesome Gods is Johannes Verne’s coming of age story and a tribute to his father, Zachery Verne, who spent his last days teaching Johannes how to study and learn from others. Johannes’s journey was one I couldn’t forget. It could have become a revenge story like L’Amour’s Comstock Lode or a seafaring adventure like Sackett’s Land. Instead, it evolved into a Californian Western about a young man who took his father’s teachings and developed connections with good, intelligent people. It also showed his relationship and respect for the land in which he dwells and travels.
If the narration wasn’t enough to suck me in, the characters definitely were. L’Amour knows how to write relevant and resourceful characters. They feel like people. L’Amour always goes out of his way to establish characters who possess great intelligence, moral character, and integrity. Through his novels, he emphasizes understanding and honoring one’s family history, being self-reliant, and acquiring many types of skills. All the characters in The Lonesome Gods feel needed and natural to L’Amour’s story.
Who is this book for?
It’s a shame I didn’t pick up this book sooner because I love studying and writing about history. This book will suck you in with its fascinating prose and dynamic setting, but it will do it in a subtle, quiet way. Sometimes there are gunfights or other intense scenes. However, the most powerful moments in The Lonesome Gods and L’Amour’s other books are when characters stop and ponder their journey and teach each other.
I recommend this book to lovers of American history, historical fiction, or Westerns. Honestly, though, I can picture anyone enjoying this book if they take the time to sit down and drink in its story. It is a novel for “those who prefer the solitude of a good story” (Amazon Reviewer).
Favorite Quotes
‘Much of what I say may be nonsense, but a few things I have learned, and the most important is that he who ceases to learn is already a half-dead man. And do not be like an oyster who rests on the sea bottom waiting for the good things to come by. Search for them, find them.
But read. There are books here, read them, all of them. Find others. Many a man has done well with no more of an education than what he can have by reading.’
Zachary Verne
Men need stories to lead them to create, to build, to conquer, even to survive, and without them the human race would have vanished long ago. Men strive for peace, but it is their enemies that give them strength, and I think if man no longer had enemies, he would have to invent them, for his strength only grows from struggle.
Zachary Verne
Long ago, before the Indians who live here now, there were other people. Perhaps they went away, or maybe they died or were driven out by these Indians’ ancestors, but they are gone. yet sometimes I am not sure they are gone. I think sometimes their spirits are still around, in the land they loved.
Each people has its gods, or the spirits in which they believe. It may be their god is the same as ours, only clothed in different stories, different ideas, but a god can only be strong, Hannes, if he is worshipped, and the gods of those ancient people are lonesome gods now.
They are out there in the desert and mountains, and perhaps their strength has waned because nobody lights fires on their altars anymore. but they are there, Hannes, and sometimes I think they know me and remember me.
It is a foolish little idea of my own, but in my own way I pay them respect.
Sometimes, when crossing a pass in the mountains, one will see a pile of loose stones, even several piles. Foolish people have dug into them, thinking treasure is buried there. It is a stupid idea, to think a treasure would be marked so obviously.
It is an old custom of these people to pick up a stone and toss it on the pile. Perhaps it is a symbolical lightening of the load they carry, perhaps a small offering to the gods of the trails. I never fail to toss a stone on the pile, Hannes. In my own way, it is a small offering to those lonesome gods. A man told me they do the same thing in Tibet, and some of our ancient people may have come from there, or near there. Regardless of that, I like to think those ancient gods are out there waiting, and that they are, because of my offerings, a little less lonely.
A broken man. A fiery young woman. Neither one’s heart will come away unscathed.
Juliet Graham fervently counts the days until her twenty-first birthday, when she can claim the inheritance that will grant her the freedom she has always craved and the guardianship of her younger brother. Until then, she is trapped under her aunt Agnes’s domineering will. When forced to accompany the family to a house party at Shaldorn Castle, Juliet’s only objective is to keep to herself. That is, until a chance encounter with a boorish stranger stirs up an unexpected whirlwind of emotions in her. Thrown off-balance, Juliet does the unthinkable: loses her temper and insults the man—who turns out to be her unwilling host, the Duke of Halstead. Fully expecting to be sent away, Juliet is surprised when the brusque and callous duke instead takes an interest in her.
Drawn to the duke in unguarded moments, Juliet finds herself more and more intrigued by the man who shuns Society’s rules as completely as she does, and over the next few weeks, their unlikely friendship deepens into a connection neither expected.
But even as Juliet comes to recognize her true feelings, her scheming aunt issues an ultimatum that threatens the future she was just beginning to hope for. Juliet must choose: either break the promise she made to herself years ago, or lose the man who has captured her heart and soul.
Every once in a while, I like to pick up and read Regency-style romance novels. I’m no Austenite by any means, but I do enjoy clearer love stories without confusing ideals and ambiguous morals. Thankfully, many like-minded individuals in this world also think this way.
This particular novel is one of many Regency themed books by Heidi Kimball. I enjoy revisiting this book every once in awhile partially because of the setting and pacing. It isn’t the best romance I’ve ever read, but it has a great setup and happy ending.
The Narrative
Where the Stars Meet the Sea develops really fast. The one criticism I have against Kimball’s writing style is she tells before she shows. Anthony Elhers described visual storytellng this way.
If you can show the world of your characters, the story becomes relatable and you create empathy in the reader.
The story world that you have created becomes realistic and believable to the reader. Similes, metaphors, and other imagery can make the story less complex and more fascinating.
Many times throughout her book, Kimball struggled to portray pivotal emotional moments because her narrative lacked imagery in her writing. There are so many ways to show emotions in a story other than having the characters simply talk about them.
Other than this, I found this story very sweet and the romance emotionally mature.
The Characters
The heroine Juliet Graham’s story arc is a fairly familiar one. She is fiery, opinionated, and values honesty. There were times I didn’t quite understand her reasoning or reactions. Oftentimes, she expected too much of the Duke of Halstead emotionally, especially considering they had only known each other maybe two weeks. Her temper also got the better of her a few times and created unnecessary drama between her and the Duke. Then again, this just means she was human. Other than that, I think she is an interesting character.
I liked how Kimball also illustrated Juliet didn’t have to choose her cousin Robert just because he had romantic feelings for her. It didn’t mean he wasn’t important to her or he was a bad person. He was just not right for her. That is how it turns out in everyday life. Sometimes we fall in love with someone who doesn’t reciprocate. Other times others have feelings for us, but we don’t feel the same.
The Duke was your typical male lead, physically and emotionally hurt in need of a strong push in the right direction. I did like how Kimball pointed out what physical pain and trauma are like. Sometimes needed healing doesn’t come for characters like Halstead. Several times he pointed out he was in constant emotional or physical pain in varying degrees. Because of this, he did not want to marry and burden another person with that kind of pain.
I am not a man, but I can understand why this must have been hard for Halstead. Opening up emotionally is especially hard for men sometimes because our culture promotes stoicism over sensitivity.
Juliet Graham: ‘Your Grandmother is right. The accident has taken enough from you. Why have you resigned yourself to being alone?’ A slight tremor shook my voice.
He gave me a hard look. ‘What woman would want to marry a man with such an injury? And why would I subject her to a life full of my pain, my limitations?’
. . . I swallowed against the ache forming in my throat. ‘Perhaps if the burden of pain were shared, it might ease.’
Heidi Kimball, Where the Stars Meet the Sea
Thinking about it, if I name any of my favorite quotes I’ll ruin the story. So that is it for today! See you tomorrow!
“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.
I dislike writing scathing reviews of books, partially because I know there will be readers who won’t like what I have to say. However, there are some books I can’t support even through my silence. Naomi Novik’s Uprooted is one of those books. I looked through Goodreads’ reviews for half an hour and realized most of the readers were female. Also, most of these readers gave this book 5/5 stars. I’ve concluded our culture has a twisted and toxic view of love.
The Narrative
Any good story has the same primary parts; dynamic characters, an immersive setting, an alluring plot, a relevant conflict, and a profound resolution. Uprooted had an appealing setting. I decided to read Uprooted in the first place because I love stories about mysterious forests and castles. The plot started well but became Hodge-podged by hard-to-follow pacing and prose. The central conflict . . . what was it again? I don’t remember. That’s a bad sign. The story’s resolution fell flat because of how angry I was with the characters. In fact, I was just glad the book was over. If the forest had eaten the protaganists, it would have been all the same to me.
Uprooted was hard to follow. Novik had trouble balancing her character’s development and her magic system with her narrative. Actually, I don’t think I ever fully understood how the magic system worked. The story’s fundamental premise focused on a girl, taken against her will to a castle to face a mysterious fate. As intriguing as this idea is, it lost all flavor because of the confusing final arc in the forest and the forced romance.
The Characters
It’s been a few years, but I still remember how horrified I felt while reading this book. It is one thing to have characters that are boring or wooden. It is a whole other thing altogether if authors use these types of characters to promote potentially dangerous portrayals of relationships. The central relationship between the ‘dragon’ and heroine Agnieszka is one of the worst examples of toxic attraction I’ve been unfortunate enough to read.
Let me clear, how the Dragon treats Agnieszka is horrendous. He was constantly angry and annoyed at her for no reason. He verbally abuses her from the moment he meets her, calling her an astonishing amount of cruel names. He physically abuses her in his lessons during sudden spurts of anger. He mocks how she looks, calling her ‘horse-faced’ and ‘dirty,’ and makes her change her appearance to conform to his tastes. When Agnieszka defends herself when a prince attempts to rape her, he screams at her, asserting her virtue is not worth the price of an angered prince.
I could talk about the moments he works her till she is emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted, or the many times she breaks down in tears because of things he’s said or done to her. I could also talk about how terrified she was in the first half of the book because she thought he would rape her. He never apologizes. He barely gets better. Not to mention, he starts a sexual relationship with her near the end of the book when he is almost 130 years older than her. This relationship is acceptable because he looks young and handsome. Just thinking about this book’s ridiculous and pernicious “love” story is making me angry. So I’ll stop.
The real issue is some readers buy that this is a romantic and healthy love story. It’s not. It’s incredibly dangerous. Those who have suffered through abusive situations similar to those illustrated in this book wouldn’t find this story so sensational.
The other characters don’t have enough meat to their personalities for me to mention them. I think her friend got trapped in a tree, but I’m not sure why. I was really confused when I read that part.
Who is this book for?
Apparently, this book is a romance novel fit for young adults. It’s not. However, readers who enjoyed books like Mercedes Lackey’s The Black Swan might like this book. Beyond that, I don’t have the heart to recommend a story that I hate so passionately.
Examples of Abusive Behavior Directly From the Book
He was irritated with me every time I came into his library, even on the few days that I managed to keep myself in good order: as though I were coming to annoy and interrupt him, instead of him tormenting and using me. And when he had finished working his magic through me and left me crumpled on the floor, he would scowl down at me and call me useless.
I froze in surprise and stopped reading, my mouth hanging open. He was furiously angry: his eyes were glittering and terrible…
He gaped at me and grew even more wildly angry; he stormed across the tiny chamber, while I belatedly tried to scramble up and back, but there was nowhere for me to go. He was on me in an instant, thrusting me flat down against my pillows.
“So,” he said, silkily, his hand pressed down upon my collarbone, pinning me easily to the bed. It felt as though my heart was thumping back and forth between my breastbone and my back…
“Agnieszka,” he murmured, bending low towards me, and I realised he meant to kiss me. I was terrified, and yet half-wanting him to do it and have it over with, so I wouldn’t have to be so afraid, and then he didn’t at all. “Tell me, dear Agnieszka, where are you really from? Did the Falcon send you? Or perhaps even the king himself?”
“Don’t dare lie to me!” he hissed. “I will tear the truth out of your throat-” his fingers were resting on my neck; his leg was on the bed, between mine.”
…I saw the tray discarded on the floor, the knife lying bare and gleaming. Oh. Oh, what a fool I’d been, even to think about it. He was my lord: if by some horrible chance I had killed him, I would surely be put to death for it, and like as not my parents along with me. Murder was no escape at all; better to just throw myself out the window.
I even turned and looked out the window, miserably…
He roared at me furiously for ten minutes after he finally managed to put out the sulky and determined fire, calling me a witless muttonheaded spawn of pig farmers – “My father’s a woodcutter,” I said – “Of axe-swinging lummocks!” he snarled. But even so, I wasn’t afraid anymore. He only spluttered himself into exhaustion and then sent me away, and I didn’t mind his shouting at all, now that I knew there were no teeth in it to rend me.
I was almost sorry not to be better, for now I could tell his frustration was that of the lover of beauty and perfection. He hadn’t wanted a student, but, having been saddled with me, he wanted to make a great and skillful witch of me, to teach me his art…
It maddened him to no end, not without some justice. I know I was being foolish.
I made a monumental discovery today. Meditation is more than sitting on a pillow with my eyes closed while concentrating on deep breathing. Not that I don’t love doing this! But I have an eclectic mind and thrive on variety and exploration. So today, on my third day off from intensive yoga practices, I meditated on different ways I mediate off my yoga mat and pillow.
Honestly, yoga teaches how to practice mindfulness in all aspects of our life, even during activities and habits usually not associated with meditation or spiritualism. Here’s a small list I’ve made for myself.
Reading Familiar Books
Rereading favorite books creates a safe space for the mind. The more I read a story, the better I understand its meanings and life applications.
Reading New Books
Discovering new and wonderful books is one of my life’s joys! I believe attaining knowledge through reading is one of the most beneficial medicines we can find.
Re-watching Favorite Movies
Much like revisiting favorite books, re-watching my favorite movies has a medicinal effect on me. Many of them remind me of the things that are most important to me.
Watching Children’s Shows
Watching old cartoons or children’s shows brings me a lot of joy. I don’t feel myself opposing, sorting, and relabeling what I see. Nor do I have to switch on my language in my brain.
Walking Outside
I am empathic, so going outside, breathing in fresh air, and walking is one of my favorite ways to sort and quiet my thoughts.
Cleaning
Clean rooms are happy rooms. Clean minds are happy minds. Cleaning my space helps me simultaneously clear my mind of anxiety and turbulent thoughts.
Researching and Writing
I love research projects! I love sharing what I learn! Research and writing taught me to FOCUS and connect my thoughts.
Playing and Listening to Music
I’ve loved music since I was young. When I need to unwind in a very personal way, sometimes I sit and play the piano or sing. I can’t list all the times beautiful music has uplifted and enlightened me.
Riding Transport
Riding in cars, buses, trains, or airplanes sometimes brings me wonderful enlightenment. I especially love to look out the window and ponder the scenery and people I see.
So Many Thoughts 