This book was thoroughly enjoyable and a delightful discovery! The storyline and world-building are fairly straightforward and not particularly complicated, but my oh my, the character and the concept is oh so charming. Mona, the protagonist, is a minor wizard and she is quite funny. Written in first person, the reader has a front row seat to Mona’s every thought–and Mona has a lot of entertaining dialogue going through her head. The author did an outstanding job of writing scenes so that the reader could envision every small and hilarious detail. Throw in a homicidal sourdough starter and some maniacal gingerbread men and you have pure gold.

Mona is 14-years-old, but she seemed a bit older than that. However, I don’t know if it was how she was written, or if, since I was listening to an audio version, it was the reader’s voice that gave that impression. Nevertheless, she is one capable young lady, baker, wizard, and creative problem solver. There is also the dash of a lesson in there for us all: sometimes the regular people need to be the ones to stand up and do something.

The audiobook is outstanding and highly recommended.

Review of the unabridged audiobook

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 10 religious exclamations; 5 religious profanities; 2 anatomical terms.

Violence/Gore: Reference to war; character finds a body, apparently murdered, with mention of blood and brief description–this murder is referred to multiple times; report that a magic-ed substance devoured rats and the bones were found; report that there have been a lot of murders; character is attacked with a knife and struggle ensued, magical object used to fight back; characters are pursued; scrapes and scratches; discussion of war magic; character tells how magician used a apparently harmless form of magic for spying, poisoning, etc.; brief scene in which character is stabbed in the back with a knife (resulting in death) and an attempt is made to kill another person by stabbing, character is knocked unconscious, tied up and held at knife point; verbal and implied threats; character is apprehended at weapon-point; a character’s magical talent is animating dead horses and she rides around on a skeletal horse; several discussions about war-tactics and planning strategies to fight off invaders; brief description of invading mercenaries and their tactics of burning and killing entire villages; animated objects try to destroy each other (somewhat humorous scene); wizard gives instructions to animated objects to destroy property, cause trouble and defend using force; extended battle scene between humans and humans+animated objects, with brief descriptions of arrows, swords, and general battle resulting in deaths, injuries, and destruction of property (not gory or bloody); character tries to stab and kill another; character is knocked over and knocked unconscious; skeletons fight human army, non-descriptive; death of a character and her steed.

Sex/Nudity: Character admires a handsome public figure; character makes passing reference to “getting her period”.

Mature Subject Matter:

Murder, exile, discrimination against a class of people, treason, death, war.

Alcohol/Drug Use:

Character remembers when she was 10 and she snuck out and drank the sacrifical wine from the church and subsequently became sick; mention of beer and that it is used in baking some of the bread.