4/5 stars
“Death by sourdough starter.
Not a good way to go.”
This book is a total delight! Mona, 14 years old, has been working in her aunt and uncle's bakery since her parents died from an illness. And it's a good thing too, because Mona is a wizard whose medium is bread. She can convince dough not to burn inside the oven and make gingerbread men dance, and she has a familiar named Bob, a moody sourdough starter living in the basement. Might not be as useful or grand as the wizards who work in the castle for the Dutchess or for the army (who control things like water and lightening), but Mona doesn't need to do anything fancy with her powers, anyway.
That is, until she shows up to work one morning to find a dead body on the bakery floor. The authorities are called, and when the inquisitor, Oberon, shows up, he takes Mona into custody on suspicion of murder. She manages to convince the Dutchess to release her, only to find herself being stalked by someone trying to kill her. Word on the street is that the mysterious "Spring Green Man" is hunting down and killing all magic-folk. Most are choosing to flee the city, but Mona can't leave her aunt and her bakery. Instead, with a new friend's help, she goes into hiding. Soon, though, she finds herself at the center of a full-out war, where she has to figure out how to repurpose her bread-dough-magic into something useful on the battlfield.
I could see this having a sequel at some point. It doesn't need one, but it has potential! It's very creative and totally entertaining. And funny! Especially the parts with Bob. Great for young readers who like a little darkness in their fantasy, and, of course, for adults who do too. And it's a great read for over the holidays!
UP NEXT: Woodworm, by Layla Martinez
