Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

A Taste Of Magic by J. Elle

1 review

emily_mh's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Let’s start talking about my love for this book by talking about how great the MC, Kyana, was. Her narrative voice was so engaging, as was getting to learn about the magical world alongside her. I love that she had so much love for her friends, family and community, and that she was a talented baker. She just felt very real to read about. Her character development was done so well, in her gaining confidence in her abilities and also learning that it’s not possible to try to help everyone and everything all at once - at least, not without someone helping YOU. The side characters were also fantastic. All of them were fleshed out and many had their own character development too, especially Ash and Russ, but also Nae and Kyana’s Meemaw. 

In terms of plot, it was perfectly paced. The events of the synopsis don’t actually occur until around 50% of the way through, but this actually worked really well as there was PLENTY to keep the reader occupied with leading up to this point. I had forgotten that this story was about a baking competition, which was such a pleasant surprise! I loved the descriptions of baking and all the treats Kyana made (I appreciated the recipes included at the back of the book!), and adding in a baking competition made this even better. The competition was worked really well into the story, and not quite in the way that I expected! That’s actually a great way to describe the plot generally: I never really knew what was coming next. 

Of course, the magic was excellent. Elle clearly put lots of thought into the original and intriguing magic system and world, and I can’t wait to see more of both in the sequel. I loved the potion magic that was fore-fronted , especially how instinct tied into it, and how potions played into the plot. 

The theme of community centred in the book was absolutely excellent. The story stresses the importance of looking out for your own, and having your own look after you. It shows how community is love, support, understanding, and home; it is utterly indispensable and worth fighting for. 

Overall, I clearly loved this book and am eagerly anticipating the next instalment in the series. 

As a side note, I listened to the audiobook for this one and while it was not my fave, it was by no means bad. 
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