Hardcover, 435 pages
Published Aug. 7, 2015 by Del Rey.
"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 use every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we're grateful, but not that grateful."
Initially took me a few days to get started (probably too tired), but then finished it in a couple of days. Really fun inner dialog of main character, nice pace and very nice first encounter with this author (I know, I know, I'm late to the party and now have to read all her other books..)
It's been many years since I read this book, although I remember really enjoying it and the somewhat fractured fairy tale in which the damsels are not in distress and the evil is not what it seems like.
Ever 10 years the local wizard comes into the valley to choose a girl to live with him. Usually he chooses the most beautiful or talented. But this year, instead of taking Kasia who everyone knew was going to be the chosen one, he takes her friend Agnieszka because he recognizes her latent magical talent. He isn't happy about having a student especially when Agnieszka can't seem to master any spells.There is a Wood at the end of the Valley. Monsters live in the wood. The wizard is supposed to protect the people in the valley from the Wood but there isn't really much he can do. If anyone is taken by the monsters, they are dead.When the Wood attacks Agnieszka's home village and then takes someone that she cares for, she decides to use whatever magic she has to fight back.
The Good
Ever 10 years the local wizard comes into the valley to choose a girl to live with him. Usually he chooses the most beautiful or talented. But this year, instead of taking Kasia who everyone knew was going to be the chosen one, he takes her friend Agnieszka because he recognizes her latent magical talent. He isn't happy about having a student especially when Agnieszka can't seem to master any spells.There is a Wood at the end of the Valley. Monsters live in the wood. The wizard is supposed to protect the people in the valley from the Wood but there isn't really much he can do. If anyone is taken by the monsters, they are dead.When the Wood attacks Agnieszka's home village and then takes someone that she cares for, she decides to use whatever magic she has to fight back.
The Good
The Bad
Bottom Line
I liked it but it drug on audio. Maybe read this one instead so you can go faster. That's sad because the narration was really well done.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
