Practical Guide for a Magical Baker

In Pont-Aulacs, there are powerful sorcerers capable of commanding lightning and weather, and then there are the others.

Like Mona, for example. She can talk to bread dough, animate sourdough, or make little cakes dance. In the bakery where she's an apprentice, her magic works wonders!

When Mona finds herself suspected of a terrible crime she didn't commit and then chased by the real assassin, she has no choice: she'll have to use her powers for something other than tarts!

But she promises: she'll still make some gingerbread men.

✨ Review from the Librairie du Grimoire Ancien

With "A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking," T. Kingfisher signs a young adult work that brilliantly reinvents fantasy tropes by celebrating the magic of everyday life and artisanal knowledge. The author subversively overturns traditional magical hierarchies: in a world where powerful sorcerers command the elements, Mona embodies a humble yet profoundly vibrant magic – one that animates dough, converses with sourdough, and makes cakes dance. This valorization of domestic arts and craftsmanship as legitimate forms of power particularly resonates with contemporary concerns about the rehabilitation of manual skills and slow living. Kingfisher skillfully weaves a criminal mystery plot that propels Mona out of her comfort zone, forcing her to discover that her "minor" magic has unsuspected applications. The character of Mona embodies this atypical heroine who shuns grand, spectacular gestures in favor of ingenuity, patience, and a deep understanding of her art. Kingfisher's writing, both tender and humorous, creates a warm atmosphere that evokes the smell of fresh bread and the heat of the oven. The novel subtly explores themes of legitimacy, self-confidence, and the discovery that true power often lies in what society considers ordinary. The culinary dimension adds a delicious sensory layer that makes the narrative particularly immersive. A young adult novel that speaks as much to young readers as to adults, offering a subtle reflection on the value of different forms of knowledge and power. An ideal read for all who believe in the magic of simple gestures and the power of transmitted knowledge. This book naturally finds its place at the Grimoire Ancien, where everyday magic and ancestral knowledge are honored as authentic forms of wisdom.