Ve stínu Hvozdu – Noviková Naomi (2019)

In the fantasy novel "In the Shadow of the Forest," the author received the Nebula Award. Agnieszka loves her home valley, the quiet village, the forests, and the clear river. But at the border stands the sinister Forest, full of malicious power, whose shadow weighs heavily on her life. To keep the evil forces in the Forest, Agnieszka's people rely on a cold and calculating wizard known as the Dragon. However, for his help, he demands a terrible price: every ten years, one young woman must go to serve him, a fate almost as dreadful as falling into the Forest. Another choice is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. Everyone knows that this time the Dragon will take Kasia — beautiful, kind, brave Kasia, Agnieszka's dearest friend, who is everything Agnieszka is not. And there is no way to save her. But when the Dragon finally comes, surprisingly, he chooses someone else.