A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic (Adenashire, #1) by J. Penner 
Published by Self Published on November 13, 2023
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 313
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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A human, a dwarf and an elf walk into a bake-off…
In the heart of Adenashire, where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, Arleta Starstone, a human confectionist works twice as hard perfecting her unique blend of baking and apothecary herbs.
So when an orc neighbor secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Elven Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma.
Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, this human will need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.
While competing, she'll set off on a journey of mouthwatering pastries, self-discovery, heartwarming friendships and romance, while questioning whether winning the Baking Battle is the true prize.
Escape to for a delightful cozy fantasy where every twist is a treat and every turn a step closer to home.
Underwhelming.
I enjoy when authors mix up themes especially when we mix fantasy with the mundane, and while the ending wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, there really was no doubt that this was a debut novel in that the story and the characters lacked any real substance.
Arleta Starstone is a mundane human who uses usual spices in her baking to make unique and sublime treats. She dreams of taking over an old empty café in town but for now has to settle for renting a booth way in the back of the market. Sadly, she will never earn enough if she has to keep negotiating her prices but such is life for a non-magical in the world of baking. No one believes her wares located in the back corner of the market should be getting full price.
Arleta is shocked when a fae messenger arrives with an invitation to the Bake Off, especially since non-magicals are never invited to compete. But her messenger, Theodmon Brylar, insists that the judges have tasted her submission and have agreed that she should receive the invite. It seems Arleta’s neighbor submitted for her when she refused to even try. Theo insists on accompanying Arleta to the competition although they barely make it in time before the gates close in the Capital.
Arleta makes friends with a few of the other contestants and has a rivalry with the current two-time champion–all while finding out that Theo believes Arleta is his lifemate who he has been dreaming of for years.
THOUGHTS:
When I read a story and I can really envision the characters as real people, those are the stories I enjoy the most. This story seemed to lack depth right from the beginning and what I found odd is that I kept envisioning this as an animated story. I don’t think I have ever visualized a story in an animated format.
It would be a cozy novel rather than a serious fantasy story and not just because it was a baking competition. The delays that kept them from the competition weren’t dire. They weren’t attacked by marauders on the road, fighting a bloody battle for their lives. They stopped to help a merchant right his tipped over goat.
Arleta has problems first with grief, as she still hasn’t gotten past the loss of her parents and has a problem believing that Theo will be there for her. She also has a problem believing in herself, and no matter how many people tell her how delicious her baking is, she is certain that her lack of magic makes her less than everyone else.
Arleta’s new friends were a cheery dwarf, who didn’t want a life in the mines, and a rabbit-creature who was grumpy, but still managed to earned their friendship.
I would actually say this would make a great Young Adult novel about friendships and believing in yourself.
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