Where Harry Potter comes in, of course, is that Mona is just 14 and she’s expected to save the city. The setting is a medieval city state where most of the subjects are just about coping, though there is widespread poverty. It felt like Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City because to a certain extent Mona and Orhan are in the same position. Or real life and any number of groups who can be used to focus attention away from whatever an administration doesn’t want people to look at. die and those adults who should be in charge are fallible, this is still ultimately an uplifting and empowering tale.

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking is a 2020 young adult fantasy novel by Ursula Vernon, under her pseudonym T. I caught myself holding my breath during moments of danger, I found myself smiling at the Duchess, fearing for Spindle (Mona’s new friend from the more unsavory parts of town), and almost crying when Mona was faced with decisions and responsibilities no 14-year-old girl should have to face. She accidentally made a sourdough starter familiar when she was terrified and now it is sorta alive, burbles at her when she comes to feed it or grab some material off it to make bread and she has named it Bob.Determined to save her city and also just wanting to go back to normal so she can be an apprentice baker in her aunt’s bakery again. It's ethics and world-building are probably geared a little simply compared to some of her other works, which may be why it feels a little younger.

Mona of course is in the middle of it, discovering more and more about her power, and what it can do. It should never have come down to a kid like her having to be the one to make people aware of the dangers against the magicas or be forced to save the day.She was the one who found the body of the girl in her aunt’s bakery, but because Mina is a wizard (does being able to magic bread even count ? The story is abominably fluffy at times, but it is quite marvellously darkly dark for the most part. A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking reminds me of three really different things; Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, Harry Potter, and Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Kids should not be saving the world and fixing mistakes of careless adults, and yet sometimes life does not care what you think, and adults make stupid choices and let you down — even if you are young and careful and try your best to be sensible and follow the rules.

The ending felt a little abrupt, but was meaningful and in keeping with the messages and themes throughout.There are other wizards in the city of Riverbraid but they are similar to Mona with specific abilities or not that powerful at all.