Uprooted, by Naomi Novik

Agnieszka lives in a small village near the ominous wood housing dark creatures that threaten all the villages in the district. The Dragon is a wizard who protects the region and every 10 years selects a young woman from the local villages to be his companion in his remote tower. Everyone knows he will choose her best friend Kasia this time, because she is the brightest and most beautiful, so it is a shock to all when Agnieszka shows signs that she is a witch and must take precedence. Despite its elements of Beauty and the Beast and Rapunzel, Novik subverts the classic fairy tale tropes with this tale of strong women battling a malevolent force and educating all around them while they do it. Agnieszka and Kasia grow, change and adapt, supporting each other through thick and thin. The Dragon learns to share and work with others and the leaders of the kingdom pays a heavy price for failing to curb their ambition and arrogance. Eastern European folk tales underly the narrative, enlivened by delightfully different characters and exciting magic that is deeply entwined with the natural world.