A review by philososquid
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

What a joyful concept -- a young wizard who can enchant bread, cookies, and all sorts of baked goods. The concept was just so sweet and magical.

However, I felt disappointed with the plot. I thought this was going to be a murder mystery, and it turned out differently. Which wouldn't matter so much, if the plot was done well. But I felt it was lacking. I don't feel the story deserved the ending battle, nor did some of the characters. 

Most of all, I felt the author did a lot of telling, instead of showing. The main character explicitly stated a lot of her thoughts -- instead of the author showing the reader how she felt in different situations. Overall, I wasn't able to envision the events in this book so well. When an author is able to show, not tell, I can always envision the story better. 

Overall, there are some loveable characters and a cool idea. A great ending battle, even if it felt a little undeserved. 
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