I thought this was going to be a fantasy/YA murder mystery. But nope. There is so much more going on. It felt like a historical fiction/wartime story with some fantasy magic thrown in. I ended up really enjoying it.

This story has quite the fantasy setting. Unlike most fantasy novels, there’s no far-off wizard school for kids with magic to go to. Magical talents vary from the big (controlling water), the minor (controlling bread dough), the obscure (making dead horses walk), and the random (turning rocks into cheese).

Mona plays the part of the reluctant hero well. She says multiple times throughout the story that she’s only fourteen and that her magic only works on bread. Mona doesn’t have much self-confidence in herself or her magic. She’s just a young baker’s apprentice who gets mixed up in a world of politics and an unreliable government. I would go into this more, but I am incapable of explaining it.

While most wizards have animal sidekicks, Mona has a sentient sourdough starter and an animated gingerbread man. These two steal the show in every scene they are in. I cheered for them so many times!

Overall, this was an enjoyable fantasy with a solid, believable world and the important lesson that you can do a lot with the little that you have. I would have liked more magical talents and less warfare, though.