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Tales From the Pint & Portal #1
Flour & Forge: A Cozy Fantasy Side Quest Adventure
A weary warrior. A restless baker. A magical side quest neither of them asked for, but both might need.
Rudy had hoped that setting up shop in a new town would quiet his restless spirit, but something inside him still longs for more. He’s a quiet baker with a kind heart, a trusty rolling pin, and an uncanny knack for pastries.
When a hidden portal tucked inside a local pub opens into the dwarven realm of Hybarn, Rudy is pulled from his flour-dusted routine and dropped into a fantastical world filled with dwarves, dragons, and dire wolves.
Before he can make sense of where he is or why, he’s swept up in a mission with a ragtag band of dwarves sent to find a witch deep in the mountains—a witch rumored to possess a lost magic that might be able to send him home.
Leading the expedition is Tarvo, a wounded warrior with more grit than patience, who would rather be back on the battlefield than babysitting a human baker in the wilderness.
But what begins as an inconvenient detour slowly becomes something more: a healing journey shaped by hard-won trust, quiet courage, and the unexpected magic of fresh bread, shared meals, and the bonds we build when we least expect them.
Flour & Forge is perfect for anyone who believes that while a pastry might not save the world, it can help make it a world worth saving.
“It’s The Hobbit meets The Wizard of Oz in this charming, feel-good fantasy adventure.”
Rudy had hoped that setting up shop in a new town would quiet his restless spirit, but something inside him still longs for more. He’s a quiet baker with a kind heart, a trusty rolling pin, and an uncanny knack for pastries.
When a hidden portal tucked inside a local pub opens into the dwarven realm of Hybarn, Rudy is pulled from his flour-dusted routine and dropped into a fantastical world filled with dwarves, dragons, and dire wolves.
Before he can make sense of where he is or why, he’s swept up in a mission with a ragtag band of dwarves sent to find a witch deep in the mountains—a witch rumored to possess a lost magic that might be able to send him home.
Leading the expedition is Tarvo, a wounded warrior with more grit than patience, who would rather be back on the battlefield than babysitting a human baker in the wilderness.
But what begins as an inconvenient detour slowly becomes something more: a healing journey shaped by hard-won trust, quiet courage, and the unexpected magic of fresh bread, shared meals, and the bonds we build when we least expect them.
Flour & Forge is perfect for anyone who believes that while a pastry might not save the world, it can help make it a world worth saving.
“It’s The Hobbit meets The Wizard of Oz in this charming, feel-good fantasy adventure.”
510 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2026
About the author
Herman Steuernagel
19 books145 followersHerman Steuernagel is a Barnes & Noble Bestselling author best known for his cozy fantasy novels, blending immersive worlds with character-driven storytelling.
Across multiple series, his work ranges from warm, low-stakes fantasy settings to science fiction that explores life among the stars and dystopian futures. His books have been featured by Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and have appeared on the Barnes & Noble Top 100 and reached #104 in the Amazon Kindle Store.
Herman lives in British Columbia, Canada, While he’s not working on a new book he can be found cycling, running and dreaming up new worlds.
You can keep up with Herman on his website:
https://www.hermansteuernagel.com
Across multiple series, his work ranges from warm, low-stakes fantasy settings to science fiction that explores life among the stars and dystopian futures. His books have been featured by Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and have appeared on the Barnes & Noble Top 100 and reached #104 in the Amazon Kindle Store.
Herman lives in British Columbia, Canada, While he’s not working on a new book he can be found cycling, running and dreaming up new worlds.
You can keep up with Herman on his website:
https://www.hermansteuernagel.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
my rating 4.25
I loved this!
Adventure, found family, a portal fantasy and characters to fall in love with!
I would say this isn't a pure cozy fantasy as the stakes feel a bit higher than low, but it definitely has cozy vibes and gorgeous relationships. A very slow burn m/m romance is the cherry on top of this lovely story.
Dwarves are my favourite so having a book full of them is excellent for me, I especially loved Tarvo.
Rudy, as the token Human and gentle main character, brings a modern bent to the old school world of Hybarn. The added benefit of Dire Wolves, dragons and delicious baked goods is a bonus.
This has all the feels...and the calories! Be prepared to be hungry!
Thank you to the author for the ARC to review. My thoughts are my own
I loved this!
Adventure, found family, a portal fantasy and characters to fall in love with!
I would say this isn't a pure cozy fantasy as the stakes feel a bit higher than low, but it definitely has cozy vibes and gorgeous relationships. A very slow burn m/m romance is the cherry on top of this lovely story.
Dwarves are my favourite so having a book full of them is excellent for me, I especially loved Tarvo.
Rudy, as the token Human and gentle main character, brings a modern bent to the old school world of Hybarn. The added benefit of Dire Wolves, dragons and delicious baked goods is a bonus.
This has all the feels...and the calories! Be prepared to be hungry!
Thank you to the author for the ARC to review. My thoughts are my own
March 26, 2026
I LOVED this cozy adventure (and it was just the thing I needed during a very difficult time, tbh)
I would definitely classify it as Cozy Epic, and it has the length to prove it! But the story NEEDS it. There's fantastic worldbuilding. There's incredible side characters. There's a charming romance. And the character development is perfect!
It's giving The Hobbit but with a traveler from the modern world mixed up in this cozy side quest.
This is the first of Steuernagel's books I've read-so I haven't read any of the other tales from the Pint and Portal, but I didn't need to, it's a perfect standalone.
Highly recommend!
I would definitely classify it as Cozy Epic, and it has the length to prove it! But the story NEEDS it. There's fantastic worldbuilding. There's incredible side characters. There's a charming romance. And the character development is perfect!
It's giving The Hobbit but with a traveler from the modern world mixed up in this cozy side quest.
This is the first of Steuernagel's books I've read-so I haven't read any of the other tales from the Pint and Portal, but I didn't need to, it's a perfect standalone.
Highly recommend!
March 9, 2026
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Flour & Forge is a fantasy adventure built around warmth, companionship, and the simple comfort of good food.
The story follows Rudy, a quiet German baker living in Ireland, whose life takes an unexpected turn after a drunken night leads him through a mysterious portal and into the fantasy world of Hybarn. Suddenly, far from the familiarity of his bakery, Rudy finds himself traveling with a band of dwarven rebels on a quest to find a mountain witch who might hold the power to send him home.
While the premise leans into classic portal fantasy territory, the heart of the story lies in its characters. The group Rudy joins quickly develops into the emotional center of the novel. Their shared journey creates a strong sense of found family, and the camaraderie between them gives the book much of its charm.
Rudy works well as the gentle outsider in this unfamiliar world. His background as a baker adds a refreshing softness to the story, especially in a genre often dominated by warriors and kings. The dwarven companions bring personality and humor to the adventure, with characters like Tarvo standing out as particularly memorable members of the group.
Food also plays an unexpectedly important role throughout the story. Rudy’s baking background becomes part of the book’s atmosphere, with descriptions of strudel, baked goods, and shared meals adding a cozy layer to the adventure. It’s the kind of fantasy that might leave you thinking about pastries as often as swords.
The novel also includes a slow burn M/M romance that unfolds naturally over the course of the journey. It never overwhelms the adventure, instead growing alongside the relationships between the characters.
Tonally, Flour & Forge sits somewhere between cozy fantasy and traditional adventure. The stakes are present, but the story remains focused on connection, acceptance, and the idea that belonging sometimes appears in the most unexpected places.
A few moments in the plot rely on coincidence, and the middle portion of the journey slows slightly as the group travels. Still, the warmth of the characters and the inviting tone of the story make it an easy and enjoyable read.
By the end, Flour & Forge feels less like a sweeping epic and more like a campfire tale. The kind built around friendship, shared meals, and the discovery of where you truly belong.
Flour & Forge is a fantasy adventure built around warmth, companionship, and the simple comfort of good food.
The story follows Rudy, a quiet German baker living in Ireland, whose life takes an unexpected turn after a drunken night leads him through a mysterious portal and into the fantasy world of Hybarn. Suddenly, far from the familiarity of his bakery, Rudy finds himself traveling with a band of dwarven rebels on a quest to find a mountain witch who might hold the power to send him home.
While the premise leans into classic portal fantasy territory, the heart of the story lies in its characters. The group Rudy joins quickly develops into the emotional center of the novel. Their shared journey creates a strong sense of found family, and the camaraderie between them gives the book much of its charm.
Rudy works well as the gentle outsider in this unfamiliar world. His background as a baker adds a refreshing softness to the story, especially in a genre often dominated by warriors and kings. The dwarven companions bring personality and humor to the adventure, with characters like Tarvo standing out as particularly memorable members of the group.
Food also plays an unexpectedly important role throughout the story. Rudy’s baking background becomes part of the book’s atmosphere, with descriptions of strudel, baked goods, and shared meals adding a cozy layer to the adventure. It’s the kind of fantasy that might leave you thinking about pastries as often as swords.
The novel also includes a slow burn M/M romance that unfolds naturally over the course of the journey. It never overwhelms the adventure, instead growing alongside the relationships between the characters.
Tonally, Flour & Forge sits somewhere between cozy fantasy and traditional adventure. The stakes are present, but the story remains focused on connection, acceptance, and the idea that belonging sometimes appears in the most unexpected places.
A few moments in the plot rely on coincidence, and the middle portion of the journey slows slightly as the group travels. Still, the warmth of the characters and the inviting tone of the story make it an easy and enjoyable read.
By the end, Flour & Forge feels less like a sweeping epic and more like a campfire tale. The kind built around friendship, shared meals, and the discovery of where you truly belong.
March 6, 2026
This was a solid good time.
This is a low-stakes portal fantasy about a strudel baker who drunkenly wanders into a portal and finds himself in a village of dwarven rebels. This story has cozy food descriptions, found family, magic, and a fun adventure to find the witch who may possess the ability to send our human home.
A long the way there is a sweet M-M romance that occurs - and its sweet though admittedly I was not expecting it going in. I thought this was well done. I thought the team of characters was well done. My favorite of the group being Peaches.
There were two scenes that kinda made my eyes roll - without spoilers one was related to a riddle and the other was related to a rather stunning coincidence. But when taken at face value- this story was about accepting yourself, and others. Its about looking beyond your implicit and explicit biases. It is about strudel. It is about warrior dwarves. It is about finding where you belong and those things make this story worth it.
Also there is a campfire story telling scene that is probably one of my favorite scenes in the book.
If you like cozy low stakes adventures, this will be for you.
This is a low-stakes portal fantasy about a strudel baker who drunkenly wanders into a portal and finds himself in a village of dwarven rebels. This story has cozy food descriptions, found family, magic, and a fun adventure to find the witch who may possess the ability to send our human home.
A long the way there is a sweet M-M romance that occurs - and its sweet though admittedly I was not expecting it going in. I thought this was well done. I thought the team of characters was well done. My favorite of the group being Peaches.
There were two scenes that kinda made my eyes roll - without spoilers one was related to a riddle and the other was related to a rather stunning coincidence. But when taken at face value- this story was about accepting yourself, and others. Its about looking beyond your implicit and explicit biases. It is about strudel. It is about warrior dwarves. It is about finding where you belong and those things make this story worth it.
Also there is a campfire story telling scene that is probably one of my favorite scenes in the book.
If you like cozy low stakes adventures, this will be for you.
Review of advance copy received from Autorin bzw. Autor
This was a cute cozy fantasy centered around a german baker living in a small town in Ireland.
I loved the beginning and the small town bakery with the german baked goods, the exploring of the town. The middle was cute and I enjoyed the side quest of the dwarfs our main character gets roped into. The side plot romance felt fine and mostly realistic. I did struggle with the pacing in the middle part a little. There was some tension to the cozy fantasy that kept me going.
The scenes and world are set well, I enjoyed the plot centered around baking and food. There could have been even more baking here, these were my favourite part of the book.
Cozy fantasy has been a hit or miss for me in the past, but I had a great time with this one.
I recived an ARC copy of the book by the author and I'm leaving an honest review.
I loved the beginning and the small town bakery with the german baked goods, the exploring of the town. The middle was cute and I enjoyed the side quest of the dwarfs our main character gets roped into. The side plot romance felt fine and mostly realistic. I did struggle with the pacing in the middle part a little. There was some tension to the cozy fantasy that kept me going.
The scenes and world are set well, I enjoyed the plot centered around baking and food. There could have been even more baking here, these were my favourite part of the book.
Cozy fantasy has been a hit or miss for me in the past, but I had a great time with this one.
I recived an ARC copy of the book by the author and I'm leaving an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
While on a drunken networking attempt, Rudy, a good hearted introvert baker, stumbles through a portal and finds himself part of a rag-tag team tasked to find the mountain witch. Herman Steuernagel weaves a cozy story, full of heart, emotional growth, and found family. Flour and Forage is a slow-burn cozy, perfect for anybody looking for a beautifully written story with characters you enjoy getting to know, and a vivid world that will keep you reading to the end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 9, 2026
I really enjoyed the other books set in this same world by this author, but this one just really didn't grab me like I expected it to. It was a pretty good story, but I didn't really connect with the characters, and just rarely felt compelled to choose this to read over my other reads. I do like that it was a cozy adventure sort of story (cozy adventures are always fun!), though. Sometimes I just don't connect with a book, and that's okay. It doesn't mean you won't! If you love cozy adventures with a good plot and fun characters, give it a try!
May 28, 2026
This was such a fun low stakes read! I really loved the journey they went on and the side plots along the way.
The characters were enjoyable and easy to like.
Loved the bakery/baking theme from Rudy too!
The characters were enjoyable and easy to like.
Loved the bakery/baking theme from Rudy too!
July 3, 2026
Unexpected travel to a different world brings adventure and mystery.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews