Doing a Literature Review

Doing a Literature Review: ReleIDg the Social Science Research Imagination (SAGE Study Skills Series)
Author: Christopher Hart ID: 0761959742

Review

`This book can provide an excellent framework for bolstering what is often an experiential process – doing a literature review. It is best seen alongside the supervisor, as a guide, through the multidimensional sea of academic literature’ – British Educational Research Journal

`I have been waiting for this book for five years. It sets out a number of important dimensions involved in the process of literature review and by clear signposting, diagrams, and examples will help the student to carry out her or his review more systematically. Learning how to carry out a literature review has always entailed the experiential. While this is a the best way of learning, it is only so providing that learning actually takes place during the experience (or by reflection afterwards). This book makes explicit those dimensions which could remain implicit or even missed by the student as they wade through all those books, papers, articles, and print-outs’ – Kevin Maguire, Nottingham Trent University

About the Author

Chris Hart is Senior Lecturer in Management and Organizational Studies at the University of Central England, Birmingham.

Series: SAGE Study Skills SeriesHardcover: 230 pagesPublisher: SAGE Publications Ltd (March 1, 1999)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0761959742ISBN-13: 978-0761959748 Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.6 x 10 inches Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds Best Sellers Rank: #3,584,053 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2419 in Books > Medical Books > Research #3417 in Books > Education & Teaching > Studying & Workbooks > Study Skills #4667 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Research

When I purchased this book, I was looking for a potential text for a short-course on writing the disseration I’m teaching. I really expected the standard "here’s how to search through the library and databases." This is simply much more that that. It’s less about how to do the review itself and more about how to think about your topic. In fact, Hart raises the questions I should have been asking myself–if only I had known–and my advisor wasn’t. How much better my work would have been if I’d had an understanding of how to analyze a text from various perspectives. Many texts offer advice on how to write but few talk about how to think about your question and how to fit it within the context of work in your discipline. Hart does this.

Hart, Chris. 1998. Doing a literature review. ReleIDg the social science imagination. London: Sage Publications.
Chris Hart’s guide to doing a literature review presents a comprehensive perspective on the literature review as a research tool. While it is addressed to scholars in the social sciences, this book is useful in most areas of design research. Hart discusses the role of literature in research. He explains how reviewing earlier work releases the imagination rather than constraining it. He shows how to classify and read research literature, how to analyze arguments, and how to organize and express ideas. He also teaches the reader useful ways to map and analyze the ideas that each body of literature reveals. Finally, he demonstrates in careful, clear stages how to develop and write the literature review. At each point, Hart develops a serious, well-reasoned explanation that helps the scholar to understand why each step is important and how to do it well.
Book review published in Design Research News, Volume 6, Number 5, May 2001 ISSN 1473-3862.

I have read several books on doing literature reviews. Except for this one, they were all about the quantitative style of review called meta-analysis.
This is a well-written and informative text, though it is a little too wordy for me to rate it excellent. It is the only book I could find that describes exactly how to produce the lit review section of a thesis. This is something that even books on dissertation writing tend to leave to your imagination.
Download Doing a Literature Review: ReleIDg the Social Science Research Imagination Pdf Download

Doing a Literature Review

Doing a Literature Review: ReleIDg the Social Science Research Imagination (SAGE Study Skills Series)
Author: Christopher Hart ID: 0761959742

Review

`This book can provide an excellent framework for bolstering what is often an experiential process – doing a literature review. It is best seen alongside the supervisor, as a guide, through the multidimensional sea of academic literature’ – British Educational Research Journal

`I have been waiting for this book for five years. It sets out a number of important dimensions involved in the process of literature review and by clear signposting, diagrams, and examples will help the student to carry out her or his review more systematically. Learning how to carry out a literature review has always entailed the experiential. While this is a the best way of learning, it is only so providing that learning actually takes place during the experience (or by reflection afterwards). This book makes explicit those dimensions which could remain implicit or even missed by the student as they wade through all those books, papers, articles, and print-outs’ – Kevin Maguire, Nottingham Trent University

About the Author

Chris Hart is Senior Lecturer in Management and Organizational Studies at the University of Central England, Birmingham.

Series: SAGE Study Skills SeriesHardcover: 230 pagesPublisher: SAGE Publications Ltd (March 1, 1999)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0761959742ISBN-13: 978-0761959748 Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.6 x 10 inches Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds Best Sellers Rank: #3,584,053 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2419 in Books > Medical Books > Research #3417 in Books > Education & Teaching > Studying & Workbooks > Study Skills #4667 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Research

When I purchased this book, I was looking for a potential text for a short-course on writing the disseration I’m teaching. I really expected the standard "here’s how to search through the library and databases." This is simply much more that that. It’s less about how to do the review itself and more about how to think about your topic. In fact, Hart raises the questions I should have been asking myself–if only I had known–and my advisor wasn’t. How much better my work would have been if I’d had an understanding of how to analyze a text from various perspectives. Many texts offer advice on how to write but few talk about how to think about your question and how to fit it within the context of work in your discipline. Hart does this.

Hart, Chris. 1998. Doing a literature review. ReleIDg the social science imagination. London: Sage Publications.
Chris Hart’s guide to doing a literature review presents a comprehensive perspective on the literature review as a research tool. While it is addressed to scholars in the social sciences, this book is useful in most areas of design research. Hart discusses the role of literature in research. He explains how reviewing earlier work releases the imagination rather than constraining it. He shows how to classify and read research literature, how to analyze arguments, and how to organize and express ideas. He also teaches the reader useful ways to map and analyze the ideas that each body of literature reveals. Finally, he demonstrates in careful, clear stages how to develop and write the literature review. At each point, Hart develops a serious, well-reasoned explanation that helps the scholar to understand why each step is important and how to do it well.
Book review published in Design Research News, Volume 6, Number 5, May 2001 ISSN 1473-3862.

I have read several books on doing literature reviews. Except for this one, they were all about the quantitative style of review called meta-analysis.
This is a well-written and informative text, though it is a little too wordy for me to rate it excellent. It is the only book I could find that describes exactly how to produce the lit review section of a thesis. This is something that even books on dissertation writing tend to leave to your imagination.
Download Doing a Literature Review: ReleIDg the Social Science Research Imagination Pdf Download

Download Securities Regulation: Cases and Materials, Seventh Edition Kindle Edition

Securities Regulation: Cases and Materials, Seventh Edition (Aspen Casebook) Kindle Edition
Author: Visit ‘s James D. Cox Page ID: B00C2D6UJI

Done.
File Size: 5998 KBPrint Length: 1216 pagesSimultaneous Device Usage: Up to 4 simultaneous devices, per publisher limitsPublisher: Aspen Publishers; 7 edition (March 27, 2013)Publication Date: March 27, 2013 Sold by:  Digital Services, Inc. Language: EnglishID: B00C2D6UJIText-to-Speech: Enabled X-Ray: Not Enabled Word Wise: Not EnabledLending: Not Enabled Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled Best Sellers Rank: #793,160 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #22 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Law > Business > Securities #156 in Books > Law > Business > Securities #3154 in Books > Law > Administrative Law

Students beware: the footnotes didn’t make it to this Kindle version (08/2014). Hope it gets updated soon!!

Book is very dense and somehow difficult to digest.

Prompt Shipping. What I love even more is that they included a free digital copy of this book. 5 Stars! Its tough enough having to lug around 800+ pg books to law school classes, the digital copy helps!

Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Seventh Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Seventh Edition Aspen Casebook James D Cox Start reading Securities Regulation on your Kindle in under a Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Seventh Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Seventh Edition Aspen Casebook Kindle edition by James D Cox Robert W Hillman Donald C Langevoort Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Seventh Edition and a highly teachable structure have all made Securities Regulation Cases and Materials the Kindle Edition Cases Materials Seventh Edition and Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Aspen Buy Securities Regulation Cases and Materials both an annual statutory and a case supplement The Seventh Edition pays close attention to Kindle Edition

Download Securities Regulation: Cases and Materials, Seventh Edition Kindle Edition Free PDF

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Download Securities Regulation: Cases and Materials, Seventh Edition Kindle Edition

Securities Regulation: Cases and Materials, Seventh Edition (Aspen Casebook) Kindle Edition
Author: Visit ‘s James D. Cox Page ID: B00C2D6UJI

Done.
File Size: 5998 KBPrint Length: 1216 pagesSimultaneous Device Usage: Up to 4 simultaneous devices, per publisher limitsPublisher: Aspen Publishers; 7 edition (March 27, 2013)Publication Date: March 27, 2013 Sold by:  Digital Services, Inc. Language: EnglishID: B00C2D6UJIText-to-Speech: Enabled X-Ray: Not Enabled Word Wise: Not EnabledLending: Not Enabled Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled Best Sellers Rank: #793,160 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #22 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Law > Business > Securities #156 in Books > Law > Business > Securities #3154 in Books > Law > Administrative Law

Students beware: the footnotes didn’t make it to this Kindle version (08/2014). Hope it gets updated soon!!

Book is very dense and somehow difficult to digest.

Prompt Shipping. What I love even more is that they included a free digital copy of this book. 5 Stars! Its tough enough having to lug around 800+ pg books to law school classes, the digital copy helps!

Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Seventh Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Seventh Edition Aspen Casebook James D Cox Start reading Securities Regulation on your Kindle in under a Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Seventh Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Seventh Edition Aspen Casebook Kindle edition by James D Cox Robert W Hillman Donald C Langevoort Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Seventh Edition and a highly teachable structure have all made Securities Regulation Cases and Materials the Kindle Edition Cases Materials Seventh Edition and Securities Regulation Cases and Materials Aspen Buy Securities Regulation Cases and Materials both an annual statutory and a case supplement The Seventh Edition pays close attention to Kindle Edition

Download Securities Regulation: Cases and Materials, Seventh Edition Kindle Edition Free PDF

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Download Dark Disciple

Dark Disciple: Star Wars Audio CD – Audiobook, Unabridged
Author: Visit ‘s Christie Golden Page ID: 0147526442

Review

“Reading Dark Disciple really feels like you’re watching some of the best episodes of The Clone Wars.”—Eucantina
 
“Emotionally charged . . . Christie Golden does a wonderful job of capturing the characters.”—Roqoo Depot
 
“A cool inclusion into the Star Wars mythos . . . Ventress and Vos have a cool and compelling dynamic, and are used to explore more of what it means to flirt with the Dark Side of the Force.”—IGN
 
“[The Clone Wars have been] a huge part of the Star Wars brand for years, and [Christie] Golden manages to craft a story worthy of the themes and characters that fans have come to relate to. . . . [She] uses this opportunity to craft Dark Disciple into a spy/espionage thriller.”—Tech Times
 
“Golden especially excelled at bringing Ventress’s biting but appealing personality to life. . . . She’s very much a woman trying to find her way, and Dark Disciple adds nuance.”—Nerdist
 
“Smart, captivating, and unforgettable . . . among the finest in Star Wars storytelling.”—Coffee with Kenobi

From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Christie Golden is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the Star Wars: Fate of the Jedinovels Omen, Allies, and Ascension. Her media tie-in works include launching the Ravenloft line in 1991 with Vampire of the Mists, Fable: Edge of the World, more than a dozen Star Trek novels, and multiple World of Warcraft and StarCraft novels, including World of Warcraft: War Crimes and StarCraft II: Devil’s Due.

From the Hardcover edition.

Series: Star WarsAudio CDPublisher: Random House Audio; Unabridged edition (July 7, 2015)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0147526442ISBN-13: 978-0147526441 Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.1 x 6 inches Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #382,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #124 in Books > Books on CD > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction #153 in Books > Books on CD > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy #821 in Books > Books on CD > Literature & Fiction > Unabridged
The latest canon Star Wars novel, Dark Disciple actually comes from a script written by Katie Lucas, Matt Michnovetz, and Dave Filoni for The Clone Wars animated TV show before it was canceled. In Dark Disciple, the Jedi Council sends Quinlan Vos on a mission to recruit Asajj Ventress to help assassinate Count Dooku. I’ll try not to reveal too many spoilers, which is especially difficult for this book, and will focus on plot developments that happen during the first quarter of the novel.

Although Quinlan Vos and Asajj Ventress are both fan favorites, I’d never imagined that they’d appear together, much less in a Clone Wars novel. Yet, after having read the novel, the pairing seems natural. They’re both strong, sexy – yes, sexy – characters who have touched the Dark Side. Dark Disciple is a character study of how these two learn to trust and respect one another.

Before I go on, I want to reassure readers about Quinlan Vos. Both Vos and Ventress initially appeared in DarkHorse’s Republic comic series (no longer considered canon). Ventress became a key character on The Clone Wars TV show, showing more depth and nuance than the comic version. By the end of Season 5, she had turned her back on Count Dooku and had become a bounty hunter who sometimes worked with the Jedi. By contrast, many fans were disheartened by Quinlan Vos’ single appearance in “Hunt for Ziro” because he came across as a shallow beach bum rather than the brooding, sensual Jedi who had flirted with the Dark Side.

Fortunately, Dark Disciple does much to rehabilitate Quinlan’s character. The Quinlan Vos in Dark Disciple isn’t an exact copy of the one from the Republic comics, but it’s clear that the comics inspired Katie Lucas and Christie Golden.
Vos has been one of my favorite characters in the EU when he first appeared in the Dark Horse comics. His story was already established; that is up until he disappeared into the universe after order 66. Even hints of children with the woman he loved in the Dark horse universe in the Legacy run. So when Disney destroyed everything that had been established in the previous twenty years and turned the EU into Legends I really tried to hate this novel. The other character in the novel Ventress in the Dark Horse universe just flew off into space and disappeared. The Clone Wars series developed her character more and brought her into the Canon of Star Wars for everyone to enjoy. In all her manipulative beautiful evil ways. The series giving her a deeper history and linking her with the Night Sisters. Again I tried to hate this novel, as a matter of fact, up until the last twenty pages I thought that Golden had taken one of my favorite characters and completely destroyed him. She had definitely taken Ventress and developed her into a richer character for us to enjoy. We really get into her character within this novel. Saying all that, this novel is still going to make a lot of fans of the old Canon completely furious. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I will leave it at that. The novel is based off of three Clone Wars episodes that never made it to air. The novel takes those episodes and expands them into a large epic that would of been great to actually see. Some stuff I wonder how it would of actually made it onto TV especially into cartoon network. You will understand once you read the novel. One of my favorite scenes in the book is how the bounty hunters are used in this novel and Golden references the Clone Wars episodes where Ventress humiliates Fett.

Dark Disciple Star Wars Christie Golden Marc Dark Disciple Star Wars Christie Golden Marc Thompson Audio CD Audiobook Unabridged Please retry 31 21 25 15 24 77 Kindle 13 99 Read on Any DeviceAmazon com Dark Disciple Star Wars Audible Audio Katie Lucas Foreword Marc Thompson Random House Audio Books Audio CD Audiobook Unabridged The latest canon Star Wars novel Dark Disciple star wars audio book cd eBay star wars audio book cd Audio CD Audiobook Unabridged 41 39 Star Wars Dark Disciple Star Wars by Christie Golden 2015 CD Download Star Wars Audio Books Audible com Download and listen to Star Wars audio books featuring best Dark Disciple Star Wars UNABRIDGED Five years after the Death Star was destroyed and

Download Dark Disciple: Star Wars Audio CD – Audiobook, Unabridged Free PDF

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Download Dark Disciple

Dark Disciple: Star Wars Audio CD – Audiobook, Unabridged
Author: Visit ‘s Christie Golden Page ID: 0147526442

Review

“Reading Dark Disciple really feels like you’re watching some of the best episodes of The Clone Wars.”—Eucantina
 
“Emotionally charged . . . Christie Golden does a wonderful job of capturing the characters.”—Roqoo Depot
 
“A cool inclusion into the Star Wars mythos . . . Ventress and Vos have a cool and compelling dynamic, and are used to explore more of what it means to flirt with the Dark Side of the Force.”—IGN
 
“[The Clone Wars have been] a huge part of the Star Wars brand for years, and [Christie] Golden manages to craft a story worthy of the themes and characters that fans have come to relate to. . . . [She] uses this opportunity to craft Dark Disciple into a spy/espionage thriller.”—Tech Times
 
“Golden especially excelled at bringing Ventress’s biting but appealing personality to life. . . . She’s very much a woman trying to find her way, and Dark Disciple adds nuance.”—Nerdist
 
“Smart, captivating, and unforgettable . . . among the finest in Star Wars storytelling.”—Coffee with Kenobi

From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Christie Golden is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the Star Wars: Fate of the Jedinovels Omen, Allies, and Ascension. Her media tie-in works include launching the Ravenloft line in 1991 with Vampire of the Mists, Fable: Edge of the World, more than a dozen Star Trek novels, and multiple World of Warcraft and StarCraft novels, including World of Warcraft: War Crimes and StarCraft II: Devil’s Due.

From the Hardcover edition.

Series: Star WarsAudio CDPublisher: Random House Audio; Unabridged edition (July 7, 2015)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0147526442ISBN-13: 978-0147526441 Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.1 x 6 inches Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Best Sellers Rank: #382,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #124 in Books > Books on CD > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction #153 in Books > Books on CD > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy #821 in Books > Books on CD > Literature & Fiction > Unabridged
The latest canon Star Wars novel, Dark Disciple actually comes from a script written by Katie Lucas, Matt Michnovetz, and Dave Filoni for The Clone Wars animated TV show before it was canceled. In Dark Disciple, the Jedi Council sends Quinlan Vos on a mission to recruit Asajj Ventress to help assassinate Count Dooku. I’ll try not to reveal too many spoilers, which is especially difficult for this book, and will focus on plot developments that happen during the first quarter of the novel.

Although Quinlan Vos and Asajj Ventress are both fan favorites, I’d never imagined that they’d appear together, much less in a Clone Wars novel. Yet, after having read the novel, the pairing seems natural. They’re both strong, sexy – yes, sexy – characters who have touched the Dark Side. Dark Disciple is a character study of how these two learn to trust and respect one another.

Before I go on, I want to reassure readers about Quinlan Vos. Both Vos and Ventress initially appeared in DarkHorse’s Republic comic series (no longer considered canon). Ventress became a key character on The Clone Wars TV show, showing more depth and nuance than the comic version. By the end of Season 5, she had turned her back on Count Dooku and had become a bounty hunter who sometimes worked with the Jedi. By contrast, many fans were disheartened by Quinlan Vos’ single appearance in “Hunt for Ziro” because he came across as a shallow beach bum rather than the brooding, sensual Jedi who had flirted with the Dark Side.

Fortunately, Dark Disciple does much to rehabilitate Quinlan’s character. The Quinlan Vos in Dark Disciple isn’t an exact copy of the one from the Republic comics, but it’s clear that the comics inspired Katie Lucas and Christie Golden.
Vos has been one of my favorite characters in the EU when he first appeared in the Dark Horse comics. His story was already established; that is up until he disappeared into the universe after order 66. Even hints of children with the woman he loved in the Dark horse universe in the Legacy run. So when Disney destroyed everything that had been established in the previous twenty years and turned the EU into Legends I really tried to hate this novel. The other character in the novel Ventress in the Dark Horse universe just flew off into space and disappeared. The Clone Wars series developed her character more and brought her into the Canon of Star Wars for everyone to enjoy. In all her manipulative beautiful evil ways. The series giving her a deeper history and linking her with the Night Sisters. Again I tried to hate this novel, as a matter of fact, up until the last twenty pages I thought that Golden had taken one of my favorite characters and completely destroyed him. She had definitely taken Ventress and developed her into a richer character for us to enjoy. We really get into her character within this novel. Saying all that, this novel is still going to make a lot of fans of the old Canon completely furious. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I will leave it at that. The novel is based off of three Clone Wars episodes that never made it to air. The novel takes those episodes and expands them into a large epic that would of been great to actually see. Some stuff I wonder how it would of actually made it onto TV especially into cartoon network. You will understand once you read the novel. One of my favorite scenes in the book is how the bounty hunters are used in this novel and Golden references the Clone Wars episodes where Ventress humiliates Fett.

Dark Disciple Star Wars Christie Golden Marc Dark Disciple Star Wars Christie Golden Marc Thompson Audio CD Audiobook Unabridged Please retry 31 21 25 15 24 77 Kindle 13 99 Read on Any DeviceAmazon com Dark Disciple Star Wars Audible Audio Katie Lucas Foreword Marc Thompson Random House Audio Books Audio CD Audiobook Unabridged The latest canon Star Wars novel Dark Disciple star wars audio book cd eBay star wars audio book cd Audio CD Audiobook Unabridged 41 39 Star Wars Dark Disciple Star Wars by Christie Golden 2015 CD Download Star Wars Audio Books Audible com Download and listen to Star Wars audio books featuring best Dark Disciple Star Wars UNABRIDGED Five years after the Death Star was destroyed and

Download Dark Disciple: Star Wars Audio CD – Audiobook, Unabridged Free PDF

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Download Uprooted Audible – Unabridged

Uprooted Audible – Unabridged ridged
Author: Naomi Novik ID: B00XQBBRQQ

Naomi Novik, author of the New York Times best-selling and critically acclaimed Temeraire novels, introduces a bold new world rooted in folk stories and legends, as elemental as a Grimm fairy tale. “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 10 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 10 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.
Done.
Audible Audio EditionListening Length: 17 hours and 43 minutesProgram Type: AudiobookVersion: UnabridgedPublisher: Random House AudioAudible.com Release Date: May 19, 2015Language: EnglishID: B00XQBBRQQ Best Sellers Rank: #106 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Science Fiction > Adventure #120 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Mythology & Folk Tales #135 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Fiction & Literature > Action & Adventure
Having been a fan of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series for many years, I have often wondered what she would do if she ever decided to write something else. After all, this is a woman who studied English Literature at Brown University, holds a degree in Computer Science from Columbia, and wasn’t afraid to show her geeky side as a game designer on Neverwinter Nights. That’s a pretty awesome combination in my book and when she chose to write the Temeraire series, a fantasy/historical mashup combining the concept of intelligent dragons working as a sort of Air Force with wartime forces in the Napoleonic era, well…I was hooked.

So now comes this new novel and my bottom line verdict is that it is fantastic. It’s straight fantasy but absolutely reminds one of that nostalgic feeling of fairy tales you read (or were read to you) from childhood. After reading the opening two chapters I thought I was on my way into just such a fairy tale, but it wasn’t long before any ideas I had about predicting where this was going were thrown out of the proverbial window. The plot begins as a twist in the age-old concept of a young maiden being picked every ten years by the village elders to sacrifice to the dragon in order to buy its protection. The twist is that this time it’s not an actual dragon but a renowned wizard who requires the sacrifice. And he doesn’t select the pretty young maiden that everybody was planning on but instead chooses Agneieszka, our protagonist, and it is though her eyes that we see the story unfold.

OK…interesting twist but I still thought I knew where the plot was going. I was wrong.

No spoilers from me but suffice it to say that this novel kept me turning the pages way past my bedtime. Ms.
Uprooted is a comfortable, homey YA fantasy, reminiscent of Patricia McKillip’s work. It’s predictable, but pleasantly so. The narrator/heroine Agnieszka lives in a vaguely Russian village at the edge of a sinister wood. Every ten years, the local sorcerer/lord known as the Dragon chooses a village girl to live in his tower. When their term is up, the girls come home educated and refined, with purses full of silver for their dowries. They briefly visit their parents, then move to larger cities that have better opportunities. The chosen girl is always a local belle. While Agnieszka was growing up, everyone expected her best friend Kasia to be the Dragon’s next choice. Kasia is the most beautiful girl, and the most skilled in all the domestic arts (her parents made sure she was trained to serve a nobleman). No one expects the Dragon to choose Agnieszka, who is perpetually muddy and untidy, and whose only skill seems to be finding the unexpected, whether fruit out of season or more often, trouble.

Of course, the Dragon’s choosing spell lands on Agnieszka. Once in the tower, Agnieszka discovers that the returning servants told the truth when they claimed the Dragon didn’t molest them. However, Agnieszka’s inability to cook, clean, or even dress neatly, coupled with her plain face and low social status, leads the fastidious Dragon to utter an endless stream of sarcastic comments typical of a certain kind of romance hero. Agnieszka also finds it very hard to learn even the simplest spells. (Interestingly, she’s already literate.) But Agnieszka does have magical ability. Lots of it. It’s just a *feminine* magical ability: Organic, intuitive, inconsistent, largely nonverbal, nurturing, and cooperative.
I picked this up on a lark because I was snatched by the premise. I could tell right away that the main relationship, the critical point of interest, was going to be between the Dragon and the protagonist. At least, that’s what I’d hoped for. Stories about two very different people who are forced to live and work together and then gradually come to understanding and affection as a result are my very favorites to read and write.
First, I want to explain that I found the actual writing, the turn of phrase in this book, to be FANTASTIC. Beautiful, detailed, living imagery; such creative and tactile uses for magic. The author makes a real world, with real history, and the Woods are absolutely chilling–a breathing, moving villain in the story, though faceless. One becomes very afraid of this Wood as one reads, feeling its darkness creep up in the shadows all around. That writing is what kept me reading for the majority of the book, nonstop, even past one red flag, and a plot detour I didn’t really feel like taking. (Spoilers ahead)
I must confess, as I was reading the first few chapters, a strange feeling came over me–one that I expressed to a friend of mine who is an avid reader of fanfiction. It almost seemed, at first, that this was a story that had been converted from a fanfiction about Marvel’s Loki. The Dragon just seemed so very like him in some respects. However, he didn’t develop. I kept waiting for him to do so–because he starts out as frightening and a little abusive, but then loses all his fangs and claws almost right away in two shows of startlement and clumsiness. Beyond that point, he’s just insulting, but none of his insults carried any sting for me, though they manage to frustrate the protagonist.
Download Uprooted Audible – Unabridged ridged Free PDF

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