Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of May

Naomi Novik’s Uprooted (Del Rey, $25) is an enchanting twist on a tale from Polish folklore: A century-old wizard called the Dragon comes to a village to choose a young woman who will stay with him for a decade before being set free. In exchange, the dragon will protect the village and surrounding valley from the living Wood, a forest that’s come to life and can imprison anyone. Surprisingly, the dragon picks 17-year-old Agnieszka, who is not known for either beauty or social graces. It turns out she is also a powerful witch. When the Wood becomes aggressive and steals Agnieszka’s best friend, Agnieszka sets off a chain of events that stirs old wars and brings in wizards and long-lost queens. In time, she discovers the terrible crime that corrupted the Wood, and she must find a way to purify it. Also the author of the best-selling Temeraire series, Novik here delivers a tale that is funny and fast-paced, laced with hair-raising battle scenes and conspiracies; it also touches on deeper ecological concerns we grapple with today.