A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors and one of my favorite things about her work is her versatility. Her ability to write stories for people of all ages is unsurpassed.
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, which follows 14-year old Mona, won prizes in both the Young Adult and Children’s Literature categories. I honestly couldn’t tell you which age group this would be more fitting for, as I truly feel it can be enjoyed by Readers of all ages.
I have had this delightful little novel quietly lurking on my TBR for years, but recently was urged to pick it up when it was selected as the monthly read for a Book Club I participate in. I’m so glad it was chosen.
Our discussion was on a Saturday afternoon and I had no problem getting through the audiobook that morning just prior. It read so quickly, and kept me fully-engaged while doing my Saturday deep house clean.
I loved meeting Mona and, surprising me not for a moment, her narrative voice was quirky, witty and fun. I also enjoyed the journey her character went on over the course of the story, as she goes from mere baker’s aid to the magical girl with the power to save a kingdom.
As usual, Kingfisher infused this story with her humor and heart. She has such a fantastic ability for creating lovable and memorable characters, including some of the best animal, and inanimate object, characters that I’ve ever read.
I feel like there is some great messages in here for younger readers as well. I can see how this could feel like an empowering story for them, where they’re shown they can do big things, and important things.
Mona’s baking magic was super cute and I liked watching her confidence grow throughout the story. Her differences, which once made her self-conscious, ended up being what qualified her to succeed where others couldn’t.
I laughed, stressed when characters were in danger and I fell in love with Mona and friends. Overall, this is a lovely read. Fast-paced, funny, wildly-entertaining, pure Kingfisher joy.
I’m so glad that I finally made time for this one. I definitely recommend it to anyone, of any age, who loves a fun and magical fairy tale-feeling romp!