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Breadknives and Boomsticks: A Sapphic Cozy Fantasy about Terrible Baking
Not yet published
Expected 1 Oct 26Runa is meant to be ferrying heroes to their next adventure, not fighting a tiny fire lizard over stolen scones.When a magical catastrophe leaves half-troll Runa stranded far from her adventuring party, she holes up in the nearest shelter she can an abandoned bakery in Pothollow, a town whose quirky inhabitants jump at the chance to have someone else do their doughy work... despite the fact that Runa can't tell a croissant from a crossbow.
Runa has spent most of her life avoiding what she's meant to be. For the first time, she discovers what she wants to be, instead.
Even if she's really, really bad at it.
But when a knife-wielding priestess with the best hair she's ever seen appears in her basement, Runa's new life crumbles around her. Pothollow isn't just the coziest and most strangely welcoming place she's ever had the luck to stumble into - it's also home to a hive of secrets.
And Runa's own secrets might bring it all down in flames.
Breadknives and Boomsticks is a cozy fantasy for readers who love heroines whose domestic skills have always taken a back seat to their ability to hit monsters with a big stick, set in a world where half the wildlife is the result of wizardly experiments gone wrong, the geography has an attitude, and good customer service means not letting your clients get eaten by either.
Runa has spent most of her life avoiding what she's meant to be. For the first time, she discovers what she wants to be, instead.
Even if she's really, really bad at it.
But when a knife-wielding priestess with the best hair she's ever seen appears in her basement, Runa's new life crumbles around her. Pothollow isn't just the coziest and most strangely welcoming place she's ever had the luck to stumble into - it's also home to a hive of secrets.
And Runa's own secrets might bring it all down in flames.
Breadknives and Boomsticks is a cozy fantasy for readers who love heroines whose domestic skills have always taken a back seat to their ability to hit monsters with a big stick, set in a world where half the wildlife is the result of wizardly experiments gone wrong, the geography has an attitude, and good customer service means not letting your clients get eaten by either.
429 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 1, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Don't let the slightly shonky cover put you off. The writing is much better.
I'm used to cozy fantasy having extremely minimal worldbuilding, barely (or even not quite) enough to enable the story. This is a welcome exception; in fact, the worldbuilding is essential to the plot, which is what I feel should preferably be the case with any kind of speculative fiction. The setup is that there was a war between liches long ago, and after it was over, one of the survivors cast a spell which causes all cursed things to be drawn to a single place, a volcano crater known as the Cauldron. Our protagonist Runa is not a world-weary warrior or (conventional) adventurer, as in so many fantasy cozies, but a guide who takes people, mainly wizards, into the crater and protects them from the many deadly dangers there while they study whatever it is they're interested in, or try to take things from the crater that have got caught up and dragged along with some curse or other.
The inciting incident is that Runa is flung out of the crater and has to recuperate in a cozy village just outside the rim (which was dragged there by a passing curseland). Everyone is nice to her, and nothing is trying to kill her, which is an odd experience for her after so long as a crater guide. She keeps thinking about an attractive woman she'd rescued shortly before her ejection from the crater, and (about halfway through the book) that woman turns up through a portal, adding complication to Runa's life. She already has some complications, in that she's living in the abandoned bakery, which has a mysterious inhabitant most of the villagers are wary of, and in order to try to contribute to the village that's being so generous to her, she's trying to bake.
She's terrible at it, which is another welcome departure from the cozy formula. Realistically, unless you've been developing some skill as a hobby for years, you will be terrible at it when you start trying to do it. She does, very gradually, get better, despite not understanding most of the instructions in the recipe book she finds, which is directed at journeyman bakers who already understand the basics which she has no idea about.
The story is Runa getting to grips with who she is if she's not being a cauldron guide, and indeed who she is in general (she's half volcano nymph and half troll, and didn't fit in with either group), and where she belongs, and if she belongs there with the woman she keeps rescuing, who has her own secrets and conflicts going on. It's a gradual unfolding, where nothing is too easy, or reliant on coincidence, or on people being idiots or acting out of character, which is also refreshing.
Another thing I'm used to with cozy (and with books in general) is terrible copy editing, and again I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, the pre-publication version I had for review via Netgalley does have a very small number of minor errors - an excess apostrophe, a couple of missing periods, a typo. But that's vanishingly little compared with most books I see, and can easily be fixed before publication.
The writing isn't just tidy, it's capable, with a wry sense of humour and a knack for expression that doesn't draw too much attention to itself. Overall, it's at the standard I always hope for, and very seldom find, in books I pick up from contemporary authors. It's what I wish cozy fantasy was all the time.
One way in which this is like many other cozies is that it's full of queer people. That may be a plus or a minus for you; I just mention it, though the subtitle should have tipped you off already.
I'm used to cozy fantasy having extremely minimal worldbuilding, barely (or even not quite) enough to enable the story. This is a welcome exception; in fact, the worldbuilding is essential to the plot, which is what I feel should preferably be the case with any kind of speculative fiction. The setup is that there was a war between liches long ago, and after it was over, one of the survivors cast a spell which causes all cursed things to be drawn to a single place, a volcano crater known as the Cauldron. Our protagonist Runa is not a world-weary warrior or (conventional) adventurer, as in so many fantasy cozies, but a guide who takes people, mainly wizards, into the crater and protects them from the many deadly dangers there while they study whatever it is they're interested in, or try to take things from the crater that have got caught up and dragged along with some curse or other.
The inciting incident is that Runa is flung out of the crater and has to recuperate in a cozy village just outside the rim (which was dragged there by a passing curseland). Everyone is nice to her, and nothing is trying to kill her, which is an odd experience for her after so long as a crater guide. She keeps thinking about an attractive woman she'd rescued shortly before her ejection from the crater, and (about halfway through the book) that woman turns up through a portal, adding complication to Runa's life. She already has some complications, in that she's living in the abandoned bakery, which has a mysterious inhabitant most of the villagers are wary of, and in order to try to contribute to the village that's being so generous to her, she's trying to bake.
She's terrible at it, which is another welcome departure from the cozy formula. Realistically, unless you've been developing some skill as a hobby for years, you will be terrible at it when you start trying to do it. She does, very gradually, get better, despite not understanding most of the instructions in the recipe book she finds, which is directed at journeyman bakers who already understand the basics which she has no idea about.
The story is Runa getting to grips with who she is if she's not being a cauldron guide, and indeed who she is in general (she's half volcano nymph and half troll, and didn't fit in with either group), and where she belongs, and if she belongs there with the woman she keeps rescuing, who has her own secrets and conflicts going on. It's a gradual unfolding, where nothing is too easy, or reliant on coincidence, or on people being idiots or acting out of character, which is also refreshing.
Another thing I'm used to with cozy (and with books in general) is terrible copy editing, and again I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, the pre-publication version I had for review via Netgalley does have a very small number of minor errors - an excess apostrophe, a couple of missing periods, a typo. But that's vanishingly little compared with most books I see, and can easily be fixed before publication.
The writing isn't just tidy, it's capable, with a wry sense of humour and a knack for expression that doesn't draw too much attention to itself. Overall, it's at the standard I always hope for, and very seldom find, in books I pick up from contemporary authors. It's what I wish cozy fantasy was all the time.
One way in which this is like many other cozies is that it's full of queer people. That may be a plus or a minus for you; I just mention it, though the subtitle should have tipped you off already.
September 9, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Breadknives and Boomsticks is a super fun and cute fantasy romance that manages to be both cosy and to touch on darker themes, while giving the main characters a great arc each. The cosy fantasy vibes of this novel are immaculate! We have some cool action sequences in the Cauldron, the area of wild magic landscape through which our main character guides people, but for the most part the action centres on the bakery she stumbles into during a storm, and her attempts to create the perfect loaf of bread. It's genuinely impressive how Cardno manages to make repeated experiments (and failures) at doing the same thing interesting! I loved the fact that Runa and Severine found this accepting community where they could rest and heal. All the characters felt well-realised and unique, and I loved the MC and her love interest's character arcs, and their really interesting backstories.
The worldbuilding was also a real highlight of this novel. Cardno takes a fairly simple concept - a patch of cursed land contained in a caldera - and puts so much variety and interesting detail into building the weirdness of this place, and showing how it affects the people and towns around it, that this world really feels unique and alive.
My only minor quibble with this novel is that it feels a little odd that the love interest, Severine, is only properly introduced halfway through the book. Runa, the MC, briefly interacts with her at the beginning, but then she doesn't turn up again until the book is halfway done. This means the romance doesn't have much time to develop, and although Runa being pretty quick to be ride or die with Severine does make sense with how her character is presented, it definitely is on the edge of being an insta-love story. This makes the romance the least convincing part of the book, which is a bit of a shame.
Still, overall the romance is cute, the vibes are cosy, and the writing is really engaging on a technical level. And, most important, I had a huge amount of fun reading this book, and would highly recommend it!
Breadknives and Boomsticks is a super fun and cute fantasy romance that manages to be both cosy and to touch on darker themes, while giving the main characters a great arc each. The cosy fantasy vibes of this novel are immaculate! We have some cool action sequences in the Cauldron, the area of wild magic landscape through which our main character guides people, but for the most part the action centres on the bakery she stumbles into during a storm, and her attempts to create the perfect loaf of bread. It's genuinely impressive how Cardno manages to make repeated experiments (and failures) at doing the same thing interesting! I loved the fact that Runa and Severine found this accepting community where they could rest and heal. All the characters felt well-realised and unique, and I loved the MC and her love interest's character arcs, and their really interesting backstories.
The worldbuilding was also a real highlight of this novel. Cardno takes a fairly simple concept - a patch of cursed land contained in a caldera - and puts so much variety and interesting detail into building the weirdness of this place, and showing how it affects the people and towns around it, that this world really feels unique and alive.
My only minor quibble with this novel is that it feels a little odd that the love interest, Severine, is only properly introduced halfway through the book. Runa, the MC, briefly interacts with her at the beginning, but then she doesn't turn up again until the book is halfway done. This means the romance doesn't have much time to develop, and although Runa being pretty quick to be ride or die with Severine does make sense with how her character is presented, it definitely is on the edge of being an insta-love story. This makes the romance the least convincing part of the book, which is a bit of a shame.
Still, overall the romance is cute, the vibes are cosy, and the writing is really engaging on a technical level. And, most important, I had a huge amount of fun reading this book, and would highly recommend it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wish I could erase this book from my mind simply so I could experience reading it for the first time again.
Breadknives and Boomsticks hooked me immediately, and I genuinely could not stop reading. There wasn't a single character I didn't love. They felt like actual people rather than characters who existed just to move the story along, and the found-family dynamic was easily one of my favorite parts.
The entire premise was unique, intriguing, and incredibly well thought out. I loved the magic system, I loved the romance, and I especially loved Nobody. The pacing was perfect, the writing was fantastic, and there wasn't a point where I felt bored or wanted the story to move along faster.
There were some surprises along the way, but this is a cozy fantasy, so it doesn't rely on huge twists to keep you invested. It doesn't need to. I was completely invested in these characters and their story from beginning to end.
And that ending! It was the perfect cliffhanger—the kind that left me desperate for book two rather than frustrated that the story wasn't finished.
I genuinely don't have a complaint. This was such a fun, comforting, wonderfully written book, and I already want to read everything else Marie Cardno has written.
I'd recommend this to cozy fantasy lovers, anyone looking to dip their toes into fantasy for the first time, or really anyone who's just looking for a genuinely good read.
I wish I could erase this book from my mind simply so I could experience reading it for the first time again.
Breadknives and Boomsticks hooked me immediately, and I genuinely could not stop reading. There wasn't a single character I didn't love. They felt like actual people rather than characters who existed just to move the story along, and the found-family dynamic was easily one of my favorite parts.
The entire premise was unique, intriguing, and incredibly well thought out. I loved the magic system, I loved the romance, and I especially loved Nobody. The pacing was perfect, the writing was fantastic, and there wasn't a point where I felt bored or wanted the story to move along faster.
There were some surprises along the way, but this is a cozy fantasy, so it doesn't rely on huge twists to keep you invested. It doesn't need to. I was completely invested in these characters and their story from beginning to end.
And that ending! It was the perfect cliffhanger—the kind that left me desperate for book two rather than frustrated that the story wasn't finished.
I genuinely don't have a complaint. This was such a fun, comforting, wonderfully written book, and I already want to read everything else Marie Cardno has written.
I'd recommend this to cozy fantasy lovers, anyone looking to dip their toes into fantasy for the first time, or really anyone who's just looking for a genuinely good read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sapphic cozy fantasy reminiscent of Legends and Lattes, with more adventuring and a cursed caldera of land?
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the advance reader copy! All opinions are my own 🖤
My TBR is overflowing but I picked this up because reading through the reviews I saw a repeat of what happened to Legends and Lattes, people saying there was too much focus on cooking, baking, and mundane day to day running the shop. In a cozy fantasy, I eat that stuff up and I wasn’t disappointed! As a home baker who occasionally battles with bread, the numerous attempts to bake it and figure out how to use “mother of bread” were so relatable!
The romance was not the focal point of this and I didn’t mind. Ryan’s struggle to let herself feel at home and stay where she was welcomed and wanted even when she wanted to is well written and that theme wove throughout several characters. The secondary FMC didn’t appear again until halfway through, but knowing there is already a sequel in the works helps reassure me that what we missed seeing after the HEA will be shown later!
Also, a big shout out to the background characters! They all felt interesting and added to the ambience and charm of the town, pig moonshine and all! Tam, Dragon apothecary guy, and Nobody especially have my heart.
Eagerly awaiting the next one in the series and eyeing some of the sapphic monster romances from the authors backlog in the meantime, highly recommend this one to cozy fantasy fans!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the advance reader copy! All opinions are my own 🖤
My TBR is overflowing but I picked this up because reading through the reviews I saw a repeat of what happened to Legends and Lattes, people saying there was too much focus on cooking, baking, and mundane day to day running the shop. In a cozy fantasy, I eat that stuff up and I wasn’t disappointed! As a home baker who occasionally battles with bread, the numerous attempts to bake it and figure out how to use “mother of bread” were so relatable!
The romance was not the focal point of this and I didn’t mind. Ryan’s struggle to let herself feel at home and stay where she was welcomed and wanted even when she wanted to is well written and that theme wove throughout several characters. The secondary FMC didn’t appear again until halfway through, but knowing there is already a sequel in the works helps reassure me that what we missed seeing after the HEA will be shown later!
Also, a big shout out to the background characters! They all felt interesting and added to the ambience and charm of the town, pig moonshine and all! Tam, Dragon apothecary guy, and Nobody especially have my heart.
Eagerly awaiting the next one in the series and eyeing some of the sapphic monster romances from the authors backlog in the meantime, highly recommend this one to cozy fantasy fans!
Review of advance copy
Baffled at the review complaining this is a copy of Legends & Lattes. It takes inspiration ofc but I find all the cozy fantasies have done so. Finding your place and people in the world seems to be the consistent theming.
In terms of characters and world building though, this is significantly different and it's great.
Runa is a woman who is struggling to find her place in the world. She is a child of two different races who have significantly different cultures, and sadly it seems neither parent knew what to do with her as she wasn't enough like either.
For 20 years she made her living in the Cauldron which is where every curse in this world ends up. The curses constantly move around and battle against each other. This causes the cauldron to be a very dangerous place to travel but also very attractive to thrill seekers and knowledge hunters.
We follow Runa as she's turfed out of the cauldron by some kind of battle between curses. She ends up in an abandoned bakery and the possibility of finding her place and a new life opens up to her. If she will reach for it.
This was a breeze to read to read and seeing Runa grow and start thinking about what she wants, was awesome.
Severine was a delight. Girlie truly had her dreams come true at being saved by a BIG STRONG woman 😂
In terms of characters and world building though, this is significantly different and it's great.
Runa is a woman who is struggling to find her place in the world. She is a child of two different races who have significantly different cultures, and sadly it seems neither parent knew what to do with her as she wasn't enough like either.
For 20 years she made her living in the Cauldron which is where every curse in this world ends up. The curses constantly move around and battle against each other. This causes the cauldron to be a very dangerous place to travel but also very attractive to thrill seekers and knowledge hunters.
We follow Runa as she's turfed out of the cauldron by some kind of battle between curses. She ends up in an abandoned bakery and the possibility of finding her place and a new life opens up to her. If she will reach for it.
This was a breeze to read to read and seeing Runa grow and start thinking about what she wants, was awesome.
Severine was a delight. Girlie truly had her dreams come true at being saved by a BIG STRONG woman 😂
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I was really excited for this. I love cozy fantasies, so I was pumped to start reading Breadknives and Boomsticks. However, I was disappointed. I found it hard to keep up with the world and what happens in it. Runa is on a guide in the beginning of the story and up until about the halfway mark, she is stuck in a town and bakes horrible bread while waiting to be able to get to her clients. This was incredibly boring to me. I’m not going to lie, I skimmed through a lot of it because none of it was exciting or caught my attention. I actually thought of DNFing it around the 30% mark, but I hate doing that to ARCs.
I thought it would get better when the woman in the beginning returned, but it was more baking. I get that we have to build the world, the plot, etc but I think I could’ve done without half of the first 60% of this book. After the 60% it did get more interesting and I started to enjoy the characters and plot.
I’m glad there’s a sequel since there is a lot that was left unanswered. I don’t think I’ll read it though.
I was really excited for this. I love cozy fantasies, so I was pumped to start reading Breadknives and Boomsticks. However, I was disappointed. I found it hard to keep up with the world and what happens in it. Runa is on a guide in the beginning of the story and up until about the halfway mark, she is stuck in a town and bakes horrible bread while waiting to be able to get to her clients. This was incredibly boring to me. I’m not going to lie, I skimmed through a lot of it because none of it was exciting or caught my attention. I actually thought of DNFing it around the 30% mark, but I hate doing that to ARCs.
I thought it would get better when the woman in the beginning returned, but it was more baking. I get that we have to build the world, the plot, etc but I think I could’ve done without half of the first 60% of this book. After the 60% it did get more interesting and I started to enjoy the characters and plot.
I’m glad there’s a sequel since there is a lot that was left unanswered. I don’t think I’ll read it though.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this ebook ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.
What a fantastic cozy fantasy about finding your place in the world. Yes, there's romance and friendship and secrets... but the heart of the story is Runa and her resignation to never fit in and never belong somewhere in the same way her parents do.
I liked that Severine doesn't fully appear until about halfway through the book - though we get a glimpse of her in the beginning. This gives time for Runa to heal and slowly start to experiment with baking... since she landed in the bakery, anyway.
I thought the Cauldron and the backstory of it was really interesting, and how pieces of it shift around and break apart and come together. The Nobody in the bakery oven was so much fun, and the ending of the book was really pretty perfect. All the folks in the village were a lot of fun, hiding their own secrets yet coming together as neighbors to help each other at. Even grumpy Corvin.
Looking forward to seeing this series continue!
What a fantastic cozy fantasy about finding your place in the world. Yes, there's romance and friendship and secrets... but the heart of the story is Runa and her resignation to never fit in and never belong somewhere in the same way her parents do.
I liked that Severine doesn't fully appear until about halfway through the book - though we get a glimpse of her in the beginning. This gives time for Runa to heal and slowly start to experiment with baking... since she landed in the bakery, anyway.
I thought the Cauldron and the backstory of it was really interesting, and how pieces of it shift around and break apart and come together. The Nobody in the bakery oven was so much fun, and the ending of the book was really pretty perfect. All the folks in the village were a lot of fun, hiding their own secrets yet coming together as neighbors to help each other at. Even grumpy Corvin.
Looking forward to seeing this series continue!
Review of advance copy received from Author
What is an outcast to do?
A lifetime of being out of place leads to going to the one place thats always out of place: the cauldron
Runa is a troll and something else, navigating the curses and Cursed lands of the Cauldron for people who brave its depths- but what happens when even the cauldron rejects her?
Hurt, ashamed, and hopeless, she holes up in PotHollow, brimming with secrets and crazy characters.
But those eyes - the woman she saved from a cliff face before she got thrown out of the cauldron - and why are they in a circle of green fire on the bakery wall??
The found-est of family, the hardest won of emotional epiphanies, and so many truths tugged from deep inside people running from their past.
Packed with nerdy references like fire breathing fanged geese and dwarf bread, there is so much joy and heart packed into the pages you'll be surprised it doesnt leap right out of your hands!
For anyone who has felt out of place, or less than perfect, or needed a place to just exist.
A lifetime of being out of place leads to going to the one place thats always out of place: the cauldron
Runa is a troll and something else, navigating the curses and Cursed lands of the Cauldron for people who brave its depths- but what happens when even the cauldron rejects her?
Hurt, ashamed, and hopeless, she holes up in PotHollow, brimming with secrets and crazy characters.
But those eyes - the woman she saved from a cliff face before she got thrown out of the cauldron - and why are they in a circle of green fire on the bakery wall??
The found-est of family, the hardest won of emotional epiphanies, and so many truths tugged from deep inside people running from their past.
Packed with nerdy references like fire breathing fanged geese and dwarf bread, there is so much joy and heart packed into the pages you'll be surprised it doesnt leap right out of your hands!
For anyone who has felt out of place, or less than perfect, or needed a place to just exist.
Read
September 7, 2026Breadknives and Boomsticks is an excellent, and I daresay instant-classic, entry into the sapphic cozy fantasy canon!
It's got just the right balance of kooky, whimsical details and tender, heartwarming moments. I loved getting to know the Potshollow townspeople just as much as learning about all the wild and interesting things that happen in/around the Cauldron. The fall vibes are excellent, and the baking elements (read: struggles) are a real, and hilariously authentic, part of the plot. The lovely sapphic romance is a very slow burn, but that leaves plenty of time for baking, found family, and wacky adventure!
I really like Marie Cardno's Monster Girlfriend series but I love this even more, and I can't wait to see what she does with the series. I highly recommend Breadknives and Boomsticks for fans of D&D-inspired fantasy, cozy fantasy, and sapphic romance!
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!
It's got just the right balance of kooky, whimsical details and tender, heartwarming moments. I loved getting to know the Potshollow townspeople just as much as learning about all the wild and interesting things that happen in/around the Cauldron. The fall vibes are excellent, and the baking elements (read: struggles) are a real, and hilariously authentic, part of the plot. The lovely sapphic romance is a very slow burn, but that leaves plenty of time for baking, found family, and wacky adventure!
I really like Marie Cardno's Monster Girlfriend series but I love this even more, and I can't wait to see what she does with the series. I highly recommend Breadknives and Boomsticks for fans of D&D-inspired fantasy, cozy fantasy, and sapphic romance!
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Marie Cardno for this ARC!!
4.5 stars.
I’ll admit that I was not sure at first about this story. I found myself a little bored, yet interested in the beginning. I still enjoyed the world building and background characters. After finishing it, I understand the necessary world building elements in the beginning!! I love Runa’s character and I love how queer characters are normal within this world and no one questions it. The baking and village aspect where also huge highlights for me. The setting was just as important as the characters. Reading how Runa finds herself was relatable. I found the writing to be fun and interesting without being repetitive! The sapphic element does not show up until half way through the story. However, I was so invested in Runa’s life and the village that it did not bother me. The romance was cute!! Overall, I enjoyed myself more than I thought and glad I stuck with it!
4.5 stars.
I’ll admit that I was not sure at first about this story. I found myself a little bored, yet interested in the beginning. I still enjoyed the world building and background characters. After finishing it, I understand the necessary world building elements in the beginning!! I love Runa’s character and I love how queer characters are normal within this world and no one questions it. The baking and village aspect where also huge highlights for me. The setting was just as important as the characters. Reading how Runa finds herself was relatable. I found the writing to be fun and interesting without being repetitive! The sapphic element does not show up until half way through the story. However, I was so invested in Runa’s life and the village that it did not bother me. The romance was cute!! Overall, I enjoyed myself more than I thought and glad I stuck with it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was such a fun, quirky read that's is great for the fall season creeping in! I’m not going to lie though… I spent a good chunk of this book wondering if I’d somehow missed an entire chapter explaining the cursed land and the whole moving mountains situation. 😂 The world-building definitely had me scratching my head at times, and I found myself a little confused about what was actually going on for quite a lot of the story.
That being said, I still had a genuinely good time reading it! There were plenty of fun moments, some great girl-power energy, and enough chaos to keep me entertained. It might have left me with more questions than answers, but it was still an enjoyable and different read. Definitely worth giving a go if you enjoy quirky fantasy with a healthy dose of women kicking ass. 💕
That being said, I still had a genuinely good time reading it! There were plenty of fun moments, some great girl-power energy, and enough chaos to keep me entertained. It might have left me with more questions than answers, but it was still an enjoyable and different read. Definitely worth giving a go if you enjoy quirky fantasy with a healthy dose of women kicking ass. 💕
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you, Netgalley and Marie Cardno for the ARC!
I had a lot of fun reading this sapphic cozy fantasy! I think anyone who enjoys books like Legends and Lattes would love this story, which features found family, a world with a Cauldron (think magical area that rapidly shifts) that holds curses, magic, and shifting lands.
We follow Runa, a half-troll, after magic causes her to be stranded from those she was meant to protect. She takes up residence in a small town with peculiar people who look at her for who she is, not what she can do for them. With Nobody in Particular who really wants some bread, Runa may be bad at baking, but she will do what she needs to, and along the way learns what she really wants for herself (and maybe the perfect-hair woman who shows up in the basement).
I had a lot of fun reading this sapphic cozy fantasy! I think anyone who enjoys books like Legends and Lattes would love this story, which features found family, a world with a Cauldron (think magical area that rapidly shifts) that holds curses, magic, and shifting lands.
We follow Runa, a half-troll, after magic causes her to be stranded from those she was meant to protect. She takes up residence in a small town with peculiar people who look at her for who she is, not what she can do for them. With Nobody in Particular who really wants some bread, Runa may be bad at baking, but she will do what she needs to, and along the way learns what she really wants for herself (and maybe the perfect-hair woman who shows up in the basement).
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5 ★ Unfortunately I found this book to be boring, I don’t mind that the romance wasn’t the focal point but a lot of this book felt like world and plot building which was hard for me to get through because it was barely holding my attention. I did have trouble keeping up with the world and everything, I feel like if I understood stood it better in the beginning then it would be a very strong start for me.
I did find some moments funny and I liked the writing, I definitely think Runa’s struggles were well written, and I did also like her backstory.
The secondary fmc didn’t appear again until halfway through so the romance didn’t have a lot of time to develop but overall it was cute, there is going to be a second book which I have a lot of hope for because this did at least feel like a good set up for it!
I did find some moments funny and I liked the writing, I definitely think Runa’s struggles were well written, and I did also like her backstory.
The secondary fmc didn’t appear again until halfway through so the romance didn’t have a lot of time to develop but overall it was cute, there is going to be a second book which I have a lot of hope for because this did at least feel like a good set up for it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
This was a charming fantasy that takes a while before feeling cozy. The writing felt a little chaotic at times, so it took me some time to get into the hang of things, especially at the beginning when there's a lot to explain, but once we get to the cozier part it flowed more easily. I enjoyed reading this but at the same time I wish some things had been explained a bit more, maybe with more focus on less, more important characters. The romance was very cute as well (and the cover is stunning).
3.5 stars
This was a charming fantasy that takes a while before feeling cozy. The writing felt a little chaotic at times, so it took me some time to get into the hang of things, especially at the beginning when there's a lot to explain, but once we get to the cozier part it flowed more easily. I enjoyed reading this but at the same time I wish some things had been explained a bit more, maybe with more focus on less, more important characters. The romance was very cute as well (and the cover is stunning).
Review of advance copy
How is this not plagiarism on Travis Baldree’s series? All she did was tweak the names and places.
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