I’m pretty sure I would have loved A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking a lot more if I’d picked it up when I was younger, because it really does feel geared toward a younger audience. I still had fun with it as an adult, but I could clearly picture my 13–14-year-old self being completely obsessed with this book.

It’s a shorter, slow paced read with a very quirky, charming premise: baking magic, a magical sourdough starter, and a gingerbread man who refuses to stay still. The tone is light and playful for most of the book, and I appreciated that it never tried to be something it wasn’t. It knows it’s a fun, magical adventure and leans into that.

One of the strongest parts for me was Mona herself. She actually feels like a 14-year-old. T. Kingfisher doesn’t try to write her as a mini-adult with perfect logic and endless bravery. She’s scared, overwhelmed, confused at times, and very much figuring things out on the go. That made her really relatable, especially for younger readers who might see themselves in her. I loved that the book doesn’t pretend kids suddenly become wise, stoic heroes just because the plot needs them to.

Bob the sourdough starter and the gingerbread man were definite highlights. They add a lot of humour and whimsy to the story, and the way baking magic is used in practical (and sometimes ridiculous) ways was really creative. Those little floury, food-magic details are where the book truly shines.

The reason this is a 3.5 star read for me rather than a higher rating is mostly down to my own reading taste now. At times, the plot and emotional beats felt a bit on the simpler side, and I found myself wishing for just a bit more depth and complexity in certain moments. The stakes are there, but they didn’t always land as hard for me, even though I can see how impactful they would be for the intended age group.

Overall, this was a fun, clever, and charming story with a genuinely age-appropriate heroine, lots of heart, and some very memorable baked goods. I didn’t fall head over heels for it, but I’m really glad I read it and I’d happily recommend it to younger readers, or to anyone in the mood for a light, quirky fantasy where magic smells faintly of warm bread.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to leave behind political turmoil to start over on a little island with a charming town... This might be the book for you. I think at its core this is a story about learning to have hope and exist in community, and the magic is there to deliver a little helping of whimsy too. I definitely left the read feeling a sense of hope and loveliness, which is certainly needed in these times.

The atmosphere created was lovely, there was certainly a good amount of creativity in the concept to make this story stand out from other cozy fantasy books, but I do think it could use a little of a heavier edit. Some extraneous elements felt thrown in and distracting from the story (dark backstories, contrived romances), and there was a degree of repetitiveness with some character and plot elements that I frankly found a little annoying.

For other cozy fantasy readers: I would describe this book as Legends and Lattes if it took place in the The Honey Witch setting with some A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking vibes in the background.