From the Bookshelf of Into the Forest…

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking

T. Kingfisher

Start date: November 6, 2021

Finish date: January 30, 2022

Discussion: Mythopoeic Award Group Read

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 5 topics — 75 comments total

Mythopoeic Award Group Read

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, Spoilers
By Margaret · 13 posts · 39 views

last updated Feb 25, 2022 07:59AM

A Game of Fox and Squirrels, No Spoilers
By Margaret · 7 posts · 17 views

last updated Jan 07, 2022 06:30PM

showing 5 of 5 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Oct 23, 2021 Christine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle, diverse-and-women-authors, young-and-new-adult, fantasy

You will never look at bread, especially sourdough, the same way again after reading this.

Mona is a wizard who works bread. She can get bread to do things, like become a semi-aware sourdough starter that has cravings. Gingerbread men dance and so on. But then there is a murder, and things really take care off.

This book was supposedly considered too dark, and I can see certain parental groups and units agreeing with that assessment (stares at Tennessee and it's parental group that doesn't want ki ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Apr 01, 2021 Mir rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

The main character here is 14, and it's totally suitable for kids to read, but I think it's just as appealing for adults.

A note: it's a bit darker than the cover and title suggest, although also humorous. But there are serious stakes and dangers. ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Sep 20, 2023 ¸.•*¨*•Gina *A Bookwyrm in Belgium*•*¨*•.¸ rated it it was amazing

I loved this combination of baking and fantasy.

4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 27, 2024 Sally Felt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I liked so much about this book. It matters that Mona is fourteen. She looks to grownups to take responsibility for making smart decisions and keeping the town out of the hands of evil-minded folks, and as things fall apart around her on a grand scale, her feelings of disappointment—even rage—represent a perspective it’s easy to root for, even as her own sense of right and wrong see her doing her very best, pressing the limits of her magic in service to the city she loves.

I liked the deceptively I liked so much about this book. It matters that Mona is fourteen. She looks to grownups to take responsibility for making smart decisions and keeping the town out of the hands of evil-minded folks, and as things fall apart around her on a grand scale, her feelings of disappointment—even rage—represent a perspective it’s easy to root for, even as her own sense of right and wrong see her doing her very best, pressing the limits of her magic in service to the city she loves.

I liked the deceptively small scope of the world building. Most magickers’ talents are pretty specific, like Mona and bread. And Knackering Molly, whose talent is animating dead horses. There are no schools of wizardry—you find out you’ve got magic when you discover you’ve done something impossible, and figure it out from there. Nor does magic run in families. In other cities, magickers are feared and “othered”, but our walled city of Riverbraid is more tolerant than that, at least until the murders start and curfews are set and the government starts demanding magickers be registered “for their own safety.” I say “deceptively small scope,” because it turns out with a little creativity, even pretty specific magical gifts can yield spectacular results.

I liked the tone of this book. We’re in Mona’s POV, and she’s funny. The humor helps to balance the darker elements of the story. And I liked how the author kept surprising me, like when Mona and her pickpocket pal Spindle break into the palace and climb the garderobe to warn the Duchess, and far from not believing the poop-covered children, the Duchess bursts out in tears. And who couldn’t love Bob the sourdough starter, who could maybe qualify as superhero (because Bob certainly has an origin story to rival Spiderman’s).

I choose this book for two reasons. One, last year I devoured another highly original fantasy from T. Kingfisher, Nettle & Bone, so I knew the quality of her storytelling. The other reason is it was described as Cozy Fantasy—one of the challenges from the Read Harder list. ...more

Like · see review

Mar 24, 2022 Chelsea rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, middle-grade

This one is just plain fun. It feels like Upper middle grade/ Lower YA age range. Perfect for 10-14 year olds. Reminiscent of my favorite era of YA: late 90s and early 2000s. I think T. Kingfisher is officially the Heir Apparent to my favorite fantasy YA author, Diane Wynne Jones: fun innovative ideas, low to no romance, but doesn't speak down to young readers or sugar coat the hard parts.

The sour dough starter was my favorite character by far.

The book isn't perfect. There are some inconsistenc ...more

Like · see review

Jul 10, 2024 JS rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, ya, middle-grade-ish, loved-it

So delightful, while having a bit of depth to it as well. Reminded me of Tiffany Aching (Terry Pratchett series) a little bit. Same vibe of kind of wacky adventures with a hint of a moral to the story that doesn't feel pat and easy. Also: there's sentient sourdough. So ... awesome. ...more

Like · see review

Oct 08, 2021 Tam G rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, fantasy, coming-of-age

I think I would consider this more a late elementary novel (10-13), than a teen novel, but it definitely does the job with humor and speed. Fun ideas. Enjoyable.

Like · see review