Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted @ Pen to Paper where we get to feature a book that’s been on our wishlist for a long time that we want to buy/read! I have a hugely extensive list that I keep updated over on The Book Depository so I’m never short of books that I’m wishing on.
Where do I make my lists? First and foremost I use my “sound good” shelf on Goodreads where I basically keep track of all the books I’ve encountered that tickle my fancy. BUT, The Book Depository has my most concise list of all the books that I so dearly want to throw my money at and look at one my shelf.
This week I’m wishing on . . .
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Genre: Fantasy
Author: Naomi Novik
Published: May 2016
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Pages: 448 {paperback}
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. Uprooted is a hugely imaginative, engrossing and vivid fantasy novel, inspired by folk and fairy tales by Naomi Novik, the author of the Temeraire series. It is perfect reading for fans of Robin Hobb and Trudi Canavan.
Now what is terribly, terrifically, tantalisingly exciting about this book is its cover. Yes that’s right. You’re probably giving your fellow peer/train companion/dog a strange look because you don’t believe me – it’s quite a plain cover if we’re being serious. But it is exciting because, and you can stop getting your knickers in a twist now, this edition has only just been released! *sounds of wilted party poppers going off*. Yes alright I suppose you were hoping for something better than that. But you should see this in person. This is the UK (maybe?) paperback edition and it’s beautiful and sheik and clean and soft and everything you ever wanted from a book. I really am appreciative of the number of covers this book has now because I can choose which one will look best with my Tardis teapot and and Peter Pan mug, which is nice.
But I’m not wishing on this book just for its cover, I’m not that shallow (I am). I think this one sounds wonderfully magical and awesome and I love the whole mysterious tower business we’ve got going on. But the most important thing, IS THAT THERE IS A DRAGON IN IT, *grabs inhaler*. I’m so excited because the dragon is destructive and big and clearly going to shake this plot around like a cocktail. I can’t wait and I don’t need to know anything more than a good cover, magic, and DRAGONS.
Actually to top this whole thing off, it took me about 6 months to realise that Novik was also the author of His Majesty’s Dragon (which I have but have not read – I know) which made me flail around like an excited sausage in a frypan. As you can imagine.
Other books by Novik . . .
Novik is actually a bit of an avid contributor to short story compilations, it would seem. The Temeraire series is her other major work of fiction but I’ve included below all the short story contributions that she has done. Be warned: there are many.
His Majesty’s Dragon
book one in the Temeraire series
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy (dragons)
Author: Naomi Novik
Published: March 2006
Publisher: Del Rey
Pages: 353 {mass market paperback}
Zombies vs. Unicorns
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Short Stories
Author: Naomi Novik (and others),
Holly Black (ed), Justine Larbalestier (ed)
Published: September 2010
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 415 {hardback}
// GOODREADS //
Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy
book 1.6 in The World of Riverside series
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Short Stories
Author: Naomi Novik (and others), Ellen Datlow (ed)
Published: July 2011 {1st pub. January 2011}
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 539 {paperback}
// GOODREADS //
Unfettered
book 2.4 in The Kingkiller Chronicle
Genre: Fantasy, Short Stories
Author: Naomi Novik (and others), Shawn Speakman (ed)
Published: June 2013
Publisher: Grim Oak Press
Pages: 574 {hardback}
// GOODREADS //
Warriors
a short story to the Warriors series
Genre: Fantasy, Short Stories
Author: Naomi Novik (and others), George R. R. Martin (ed)
Published: March 2010
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 736 {hardback}
// GOODREADS //
The Dragon Books: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy
a short story to the Lord Ermenwyr series
Genre: Fantasy (dragons), Short Stories)
Author: Naomi Novik (and others),
Jack Dann (ed), Gardner R. Dozois (ed)
Published: November 2009
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 433 {hardback}
// GOODREADS //
The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius
Genre: Science Fiction, Short Stories
Author: Naomi Novik (and others), John Joseph Adams (ed)
Published: February 2013
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 368 {paperback}
// GOODREADS //
The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities
Genre: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Short Stories
Author: Naomi Novik (and others), Ann VanderMeer (ed), Jeff VanderMeer (ed)
Published: July 2011
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Pages: 320 {hardback}
// GOODREADS //
Fast Ships, Black Sails
Genre: Fantasy, Short Stories
Author: Naomi Novik (and others),
Ann VanderMeer (ed), Jeff VanderMeer (ed)
Published: October 2008 {1st pub. January 2008}
Publisher: Night Shade Books
Pages: 272 {paperback}
// GOODREADS //
The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales
THIS IS BEING RELEASED THIS YEAR
Genre: Fantasy (fairy tales), Short Stories
Author: Naomi Novik (and others),
Dominik Parisien (ed), Navah Wolfe (ed)
Published: October 2016
Publisher: Saga Press
// GOODREADS //
The Mammoth Book of Warriors and Wizardry
Genre: Fantasy, Short Stories
Author: Naomi Novik (and others), Sean Wallace (ed)
Published: November 2014
Publisher: Running Press
Pages: 512 {paperback}
// GOODREADS //
Will Supervillains Be on the Final?
Liberty Vocational Volume 1
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Fantasy
Author: Naomi Novik, Yishan Li (illustrator)
Published: April 2011
Publisher: Del Rey
Pages: 192 {paperback}
// GOODREADS //
Wings of Fire
Genre: Fantasy (dragons), Short Stories
Author: Naomi Novik (and others),
Jonathan Strahan (ed), Marianne S. Jablon (ed)
Published: June 2010
Publisher: Night Shade Books
Page: 499 {paperback}
// GOODREADS //
Have you read this? What did you think of it?
Let me know in the comments below!
Upside-Down Books 
I’ve been debating about whether I want to read this or not. Some of the covers I’ve seen have been so gorgeous though. I hope you can get your hands on it soon!
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I think it’s got to be worth reading, right? I mean, dragons, come on. Haha, I haven’t heard really any bad things about it yet so hopefully it meets expectations!!
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Haha, you have a point there 😂 I’ve heard it’s a bit slower paced though so I’m just worried about my (non existent) attention span!
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Uprooted is SOOO good!!! You’ll love it!
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Yay! That’s awesome to hear – now I’m even more excited!!
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Yes, you should read Uprooted! I will be reading it for sure because I love fantasy and dragons. And also because it won the Nebula Award for Best Novel. That’s reason enough for me to read it 🙂
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Yay!! It really does sound like an epic book 🙂
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Books are just awesome lol! There I said it hah!
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