[Review] A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic: Deluxe Edition by J. Penner

Beautiful, magical, emotional, and deeply layered. I really loved this book.

It is character driven, with diverse and lovable characters. It's well-paced. I never felt bogged down with superfluous details. And I loved the world-building, which felt new, but still familiar.

There is also some great subtext in this book. Nothing is particularly overt, but the story does an elegant job of mirroring the isolating influence of bigotry—the you'll-never-be-good-enough judgment of others.

In the end, I cried. Before the end, I cried. This is a beautifully moving and life-affirming story. It is a book about embracing your truth and following your passions. And it is a story of self-discovery, found family, friendship, community, and love. The world needs more books like this.

Note: I received this Deluxe Edition book as an ARC. The book was originally released in 2023. This version is scheduled to be released April 15, 2025.

5 stars