This is a book that *might be* about a girl named Mona who works in a bakery and whose magic allows her to animate dough. Upon finding the dead body on her bakery floor, of a girl not much older than herself, Mona is charged with murder based on the facts that she found the body and she is a "magicker." Her city, normally friendly to magic users, suddenly has fewer and fewer wizards, as they disappear or leave in fear of "the Spring Green Man" who mysteriously hunts them down. As Mona repeats throughout the story, the only thing she can magic is dough - how can she be dangerous? If you read this book, you'll find out if she can be.

This book might also be about how heroes don't necessarily want to be heroes (and often aren't), but are made heroes by unfair and painful circumstances forced upon them. Likewise, monarchs don't want to be monarchs (nor are they cut out to be in some cases), but are forced into their positions by birth or other circumstance beyond their control. Everyone is just doing the best they can with what life has thrown at them.

It might also be a fun ride with Wizard Mona of the Bakery, with her familiar: a gingerbread man who, though very stale, is steadfast and loyal; and her family and the friends she makes on her journey as she bakes her way into the history books.

Fans of baking, sourdough, and wizardry.

I love T. Kingfisher's stories. I think this would generally be considered a young adult story, but that it includes some darker elements that push it into the adult genre of fantasy.

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Created May 28, 2022 at 12:19pm • Submit your own review...