The peculiar tale of an enchanted
baker who creates fairy tales’ darkest and most magical confections.
Maire is a baker with an extraordinary
gift: she can infuse her treats with emotions and abilities, which are then
passed on to those who eat them. She doesn’t know why she can do this and
remembers nothing of who she is or where she came from.
When marauders raid her town, Maire is
captured and sold to the eccentric Allemas, who enslaves her and demands that
she produce sinister confections, including a witch’s gingerbread cottage, a
living cookie boy, and size-altering cakes.
During her captivity, Maire is visited
by Fyel, a ghostly being who is reluctant to reveal his connection to her. The
more often they meet, the more her memories return, and she begins to piece
together who and what she really is—as well as past mistakes that yield cosmic
consequences.
One might think from the description and cover that this novel might be
light and whimsical – like the author’s Paper Magician series. Though it
started with the sweet, soon the narrative turned to the dark and bitter, with
poignant revelations. In fact, the unlikely comparison of Frankenstein came to
mind, as did the more overt references to classic fairy tales (think
gingerbread). While some elements sound familiar, others are completely
original, leading me to marvel at Holmberg’s range.
Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet is ultimately a more adult fantasy than I was
expecting, but nevertheless had me turning the pages quickly to find out what
was Maire’s destiny … or origin. The
answer may surprise you as it surprised me. And the epilogue left me with more
questions than understanding.
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