A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking explained

Author:	T. Kingfisher
Isbn:	978-1-614-50524-2
Pub Date:	July 21, 2020
Publisher:	Argyll Productions

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking is a 2020 young adult fantasy novel by Ursula Vernon, under her pseudonym T. Kingfisher. It was first published by Argyll Productions.

Synopsis

When teenage bread wizard Mona discovers a corpse in her family's bakery, it triggers a chain of events that leads to her managing the city's defense against military assault, with the aid of animate gingerbread men and her familiar — a sourdough starter.

Reception

James Nicoll called A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking "an entertaining YA diversion that will encourage younger readers to consider just how easily they might be scapegoated by an ambitious politician," and emphasized that he would "enjoy" reading a sequel.^[1] Locus commended Vernon's "ability to craft engagingly quirky characters", and her portrayal of "a Pratchettian world where magic makes for a mostly amusing background, except when it doesn't."^[2]

In 2020, Locus named A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking among the best young adult novels of the year.^[3]

Awards for A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking!Year!Award!Result!

2020	Andre Norton Nebula Award for Young Adult Fiction		^[4] ^[5]
	Cóyotl Award for Best Novel		^[6]
2021	Dragon Award for Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel		^[7]
			^[8] ^[9]
	Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book		^[10] ^[11]
	Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature		^[12]

Notes and References

1. https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/bake-me-a-cake-as-fast-as-you-can Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can
2. https://locusmag.com/2020/11/adrienne-martini-reviews-random-sht-flying-through-the-air-by-jackson-ford-and-a-wizards-guide-to-defensive-baking-by-t-kingfisher/ Adrienne Martini Reviews Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air by Jackson Ford and A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
3. Web site: 2021-02-01 . 2020 Locus Recommended Reading List . 2024-08-10 . . en-US . April 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230401193504/https://locusmag.com/2021/02/2020-locus-recommended-reading-list/ . live .
4. Web site: A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking . 2024-08-10 . . en-US . August 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240810022621/https://nebulas.sfwa.org/nominated-work/a-wizards-guide-to-defensive-baking/ . live .
5. Web site: 2021-06-06 . 2020 Nebula Awards Winners . 2024-08-10 . . en-US . January 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230105003232/https://locusmag.com/2021/06/2020-nebula-awards-winners/ . live .
6. Web site: 2021-05-10 . 2020 Cóyotl Award Winners . 2024-08-10 . The Cóyotl Awards . en . August 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240810022622/https://coyotlawards.com/2020-coyotl-award-winners/ . live .
7. Web site: 2021-09-07 . 2021 Dragon Awards Winners . 2024-08-10 . . en-US . June 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230623230620/https://locusmag.com/2021/09/2021-dragon-awards-winners/ . live .
8. Web site: WRAL . 2021-06-28 . Locus Award Winners 2021 . 2024-08-10 . WRAL.com . en . August 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240810022700/https://www.wral.com/locus-award-winners-2021/19747471/ . live .
9. Web site: 2021-07-29 . 2021 Locus Awards Online Report . 2024-08-10 . . en-US . July 11, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240711014934/https://locusmag.com/2021/07/2021-locus-awards-online-report/ . live .
10. Web site: Kevin . 2021-12-19 . 2021 Hugo Awards Announced . 2024-08-10 . . en-US . September 24, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220924062336/https://www.thehugoawards.org/2021/12/2021-hugo-awards-announced/ . live .
11. Web site: 2021-12-19 . 2021 Hugo, Astounding, and Lodestar Awards Winners . 2024-08-10 . . en-US . December 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221202083725/https://locusmag.com/2021/12/2021-hugo-astounding-and-lodestar-awards-winners/ . live .
12. Web site: Mythopoeic Awards 2021 - Winners' Remarks . 2024-08-10 . The Mythopoeic Society .