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Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t powerfully gifted like the wizards charged with defending the city. In fact, her magic is quite insignificant, because it only works on bread. Her familiar is a sourdough starter, and she amuses the customers at her aunt’s bakery by making gingerbread men dance.
But Mona’s comfortable life is suddenly overturned when she discovers a dead body on the bakery floor one morning. An assassin stalks the streets of the city, hunting down the magic folk, and it appears he’s set his sights on Mona.
However, in a weakened city suddenly bereft of wizards, an assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries. She’s a baker’s apprentice — not a hero — but when danger threatens, Mona and her meager magic might be her city’s only defense.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t read A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking because of the title alone. Though I didn’t know much about the plot, it still turned out to be everything I hoped it would be. It’s whimsical, comedic, atmospheric, imaginative, and generally a fantastic read! (The audiobook is great as well.)
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking toes the line of upper middle grade and young adult, with a younger protagonist placed in a somewhat darker plot. The elements of innocence mixed with the hard truths — such as, sometimes people (even the good ones) die, and even adults in positions of power are fallible — are what makes this coming of age story so poignant, uplifting, and empowering.
Mona isn’t your average hero. She’s 14. She’s still basically a kid, and that comes across in the story through the character’s snarky voice and the story’s lack of romance. Mona doesn’t want to be a hero and by all rights shouldn’t even have to be one, but she still chooses to rise to the occasion because she’s needed. In the end, though, despite the responsibilities thrust upon her, she’s still a kid a heart.
Overall, I loved the quirkiness of this book’s magical world, the atmosphere of the city, the snappy dialogue, and the memorable characters. A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking is the perfect fantasy book for younger readers looking to branch into YA and for older readers looking for a cozy fantasy with colorful magic.
Rated: Mild, for general violence and peril and some scenes featuring siege, battle, and death. Characters are found murdered and attempts are made on Mona’s life. There are around 6 uses of mild language.
