Uprooted

The world building is deep and impactful - I love the historical connection. The magic system and training of an apprentice, plus the differences between wizard and witch, really make the story. The writing is beautiful and pungent. The individual characters are fairly flat, and the sporadic "romance" didn't help.

Found this on worlds without end and connected the dots to an audiobook version. The reader does a great job - Agnieszka has a challenging accent. Will want to check out some more of author Novik in the future.

While reading this, I couldn't help thinking (repeatedly) that it would be a fantastic role playing campaign. Apprentice, gaining some skill but also learning a whole new style. A world that seems normal at first, until you hear more and more about the "wood" being outright evil, targeting children and then challenging the main character, through her friend and then more directly. The confrontation at the end (no spoilers) is also a great culmination for a game and adventure.

Any book that you enjoy AND makes you think is pretty good!