Review | A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Review of ‘A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking‘ by T. Kingfisher. Discover the charming cozy fantasy full of warm pies, gentle magic, and headstrong heroines. In A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, T. Kingfisher blends her signature humor with a hearty dose of heart and a sprinkle of chaos. If you love fantasy with a cozy feel, mischievous spells, and characters who wield rolling pins just as well as magic, this book is the perfect recipe for a relaxing evening read.

‘A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking’ by T. Kingfisher is a delightful cozy fantasy full of magic, baking (mis)adventures, and a surprisingly clever heroine

Synopsis

Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance.

But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries…

Review

Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t your typical hero. Her magic doesn’t control fire or water, it only works on baked goods. Her most loyal companion? A cranky sourdough starter named Bob. When she stumbles upon a dead body in her aunt’s bakery and becomes tangled in a plot to defend her city, she has no choice but to rise (pun intended) to the occasion with enchanted gingerbread men and exploding bread loaves as her main weapons.

In A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, T. Kingfisher delivers a cozy fantasy that’s full of heart, humor, and just the right amount of chaos. If you’re in the mood for something whimsical, warm, and wonderfully weird, you’ll want to add this to your TBR immediately.

When I started this book, I immediately felt like I was holding something light and cozy. And that’s exactly what it was. From the first page, it felt like stepping into a world that’s a little odd, a little magical, and completely charming. The magic in this book isn’t overwhelming or grand—and that’s exactly what makes it so fun. It’s all about the little things: bread that can explode, spells that backfire in quirky ways, and a main character who’d rather bake cookies than go on heroic quests.

I kind of wish I had read this book in autumn with a cup of hot cocoa and freshly baked cookies. That would’ve brought out the cozy vibes even more and made the story feel just a little more magical.

The characters sparkled. Truly, what a fun cast. Everyone had their own quirks, and it constantly felt like I was hanging out with friends. It’s the kind of book you don’t necessarily read for the suspense, but for the comfort of its characters and atmosphere. And while it stayed mostly whimsical and warm, there were plenty of clever and funny moments to keep the reading experience engaging.

That said, I sometimes felt a little too old for this story. Not in a way that bothered me, but I did feel like it might be a better fit for a slightly younger audience or readers looking for a lighter fantasy experience. And that’s totally fine. It didn’t make the book any less enjoyable, but I didn’t quite feel at home in it. If that makes sense.

Final thoughts

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking is a cozy, magical reading experience with a warm heart and a good dose of humor. If you’re in the mood for a book that feels like being wrapped in a blanket with a cup of tea and something sweet in the oven, this one belongs on your TBR. It’s not an epic adventure, but that small, homey atmosphere is exactly what makes it so charming. Not a perfect fit for me personally, but definitely a great pick for cozy fantasy lovers.

Rating

7,5/10

Details

• Trigger warnings: Mild suspense, threat, loss of a loved one (mentioned, not explicit), magical violence (light tone)
• Themes: Friendship, self-reliance, trust, blending ordinary life with magic, dealing with loss
• Representation: The main character is a 14-year-old girl, curious, brave, and sometimes unsure. The supporting cast is diverse in age and background. There is no explicit queer representation.
• Genre: Fantasy (middle grade)
• Pages: 306
• Publication date: July 21, 2020
• Publisher: Argyll Productions
• About the author:
  T. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children’s books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections. This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups. When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.