A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
Ratings198
Average rating4.2
This is the 2nd middle grade novel I read by Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon. Her adult books I read were fine but her middle grade is excellent, I hope she writes more for this demographic.
Very fun little read! Not a whole lot of depth but just a fun, whimsy little read that will leave you in a good mood.
★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
—
If you have ever prepared for a siege in two days, then you know what the next few days were like. If you haven't, then you probably don't. Well...a big formal wedding is about the same (and because we do cakes, I've been on the periphery of a few), except that if things go wrong in a siege you'll all die horribly, and in formal weddings, the stakes are much higher.
A WIZARD'S GUIDE TO DEFENSIVE BAKING
The very best thing about being a baker is watching somebody bite into a blueberry muffin or a fresh slice of sourdough dripping with butter and seeing them close their eyes and savor the taste. You're making their lives better, just a little tiny bit.
A WIZARD'S GUIDE TO DEFENSIVE BAKING
really
A Wizard's Guide
4.5 stars! I thoroughly enjoyed this lighthearted little adventure that just had so much creativity behind it. I was honestly shocked to read in the Acknowledgments that the author had had issues finding a publisher who would publish it, saying it was “too dark” for a children's book. I can't say much about children at large but I think I would absolutely love something like this back when I was a kid.
It's about a young 14 year old wizard and baker's apprentice. Mona whose only magical talent had to do with bread of all things. She can only manipulate bread and only by trying to persuade it to do things, like not burn in the oven. The book opens engagingly when Mona trips over a dead body in her bakery, which then leads her against her will into the heart of a treacherous plot. At some point, she really gets into some very serious defensive baking. You might expect that she has a stale gingerbread man sidekick, but what I particularly liked was her familiar: a feisty carnivorous sourdough starter named Bob. Isn't that just amazing?!
The world in this one is reminiscent of Diana Wynne Jones - whimsical, sparkling with wit, a child-like black and white perspective on people that's still sprinkled with touches of harsh reality. It's perfect for its target middle grade audience who are just starting on that tough transition from the overly ideal world of children's fairy tales to the jaded adult world.
Mona is herself a relatable protagonist. She's just a 14 year old girl who just wanted to do the right thing but then continued to find herself being pulled into more and more complex plots agaisnt her will just to make up for the incompetence or malignancies of adults. She isn't a Mary Sue or finding a deeper true purpose or calling. She just does what needed to be done because there was no one else to, and so that she could keep her loved ones safe.
I also never thought I would feel any kind of empathy for gingerbread men or a bucket of sourdough starter in my life, but here we are.
For fans of light fantasy with humour, Diana Wynne Jones, and/or baking, this is a must read.
Mona is a young baker with magical talent who suddenly finds herself with the fate of her entire cities (and an animated gingerbread man) on her shoulder. Fun YA fantasy novel from an author I hadn't read before, but definitely will seek out more.
A great book. parts a little unbelievable within the story but nothing i'd choose to hold against it. I was very impressed with the knowledge about bread/breakmaking and the Magic system in general.
The characters were good and likeable, Spindle felt older than 10 after a few pages
CAWPILE SCORE
C-7
A-7
W-8
P-7
I-8
L-8
E-9
TOTAL-7.71/10
Only T. Kingfisher could create familiars who are 1) a violent lump of sourdough starter and 2) a stale gingerbread man, and make them as wonderful as the snarky armadillo in [b:Minor Mage 52369824 Minor Mage T. Kingfisher https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564247851l/52369824.SX50_SY75.jpg 72399665] without either familiar saying a single word.