Just FUN! This book is simply put a fun read!!! It is so enjoyable that even looking back on it and typing this review I can't help but smile. This author has created a series that will be easy to re-read just because it is enjoyable and easy to fall into this world that has everything that you need in a fun fantasy read.

What a rich and fascinating world Beth Cato has created in A Thousand Recipes for Revenge! In her analog of Western Europe, Chefs have an empathic connection with food and wine, especially those elements called “epicurea,” harvested from magical beings (like unicorn “tonic”). In Verdania, such talented individuals are strictly controlled by the royal court. Ada Garland is one such, in hiding after deserting the army many years ago, when the toll of injustice and bloodshed became unbearable. Solenn, a foreign princess forced into betrothal to the Verdanian crown prince, has no idea what to expect when her epicurean gift suddenly arises. Political intrigue, fast-paced action, great characters who develop through their tribulations, weird and often selfish gods, and amazing plot twists make for an absorbing and highly satisfying read.

I had a slow start in the initial few pages in which I struggled to connect with Ada. Once Solenn appeared on the scene, dignified and determined but overwhelmed by her new destiny, I was utterly carried away. I loved Solenn’s quiet competence, her love of her homeland that she might never see again, and especially her passion for horses. The scene in which she protects a horse that’s being abused made me love her forever. After that, Ada’s situation, on the run from mysterious assassins, trying to find a safe haven for her dementia-ridden grandmother, and still grieving the separation from the love of her life, took on fresh color and urgency. I decided the problem was me, not the story, as I could not think of a better approach.

Cato’s depth and storytelling skill shine through as the elements of world-building, character, and story mesh together with dramatic flair.

The cover/plot of A Thousand Recipes for Revenge by Beth Cato sounds amazing. But it dragged and I could not connect with the characters.

I really love food so of course this book excited me. Revenge is also something that excites me so this is a winning combination.

En el primer episodio del podcast que comparto con el gran Borja Bilbao, él habló de Interstellar Megachef y la obra de Lavanya Lakshminarayan nos dio pie a comentar la tendencia actual a que la cocina tenga una importancia fundamental en la trama de algunos libros de género. Pues Beth Cato viene a elevar las apuestas en este sentido, ya que la idea sobre la que gira su obra A Thousand Recipes for Revenge es que la magia de este mundo se basa en la cocina y en el uso de ingredientes mágicos de controvertido origen.


Los magos de este mundo alternativo son chefs y sus habilidades son muy reconocidas por los gobernantes, de hecho en algunos de los reinos están obligados a servir en el ejército bajo pena de cortarles la lengua (la fuente de su poder).

Con esta interesante premisa, el libro se divide en dos puntos de vista femeninos, relacionados ambos como se verá más adelante. Lo que en principio parece una fantasía cozy y de intrigas palaciegas, se convierta más tarde en un relato más oscuro y reivindicativo, de una forma bastante sorprendente.

El primer tercio del libro quizá adolezca de un ritmo un poco lento, mientras se despliegan los personajes y sus relaciones interpersonales, pero resulta también interesante. Una de las protagonistas lleva años ocultando sus capacidades, pero tener que cuidar de su abuela con síntomas claros de demencia senil la obliga a huir de la posición más o menos acomodada que había encontrado. La otra protagonista es moneda de cambio en un casamiento político, pero sin comerlo ni beberlo (¡badum tchas!) verá como todo lo que había dado por sentado en su vida acaba siendo una farsa.

A Thousand Recipes for Revenge tiene también un alegato claro en favor del veganismo, pero creo que el mensaje es poco sutil, por no decir que insiste en él como martillo pilón en Forjado a Fuego. En cuanto al sistema mágico y el panteón de dioses, vamos descubriendo las posibilidades culinarias a golpe de infodump bien por los extractos que encabezan cada capítulo, bien por las propias capacidades de las protagonistas y su experiencia. Así, seremos testigos de cómo unas tortitas dotan de invisibilidad, o un veneno camuflado de manera magnífica en un manjar que luego te disolverá las entrañas.

Es de especial relevancia también el contrabando de estas sustancias mágicas, un lucrativo negocio que influirá también en la trama. Quizá me ha gustado menos el tremendo cliffhanger con el que acaba, sobre todo porque no sé cuándo tendremos disponible el siguiente libro.

A Thousand Recipes for Revenge es una novela que sorprende por su premisa y después por sus giros de guion. Es bastante recomendable, aunque tiene algunos problemas de ritmo y un final abrupto.

A really well thought out unique magic system based around food and gods sets the stage for this new series starter from Beth Cato. Told from two major viewpoints, A Thousand Recipes starts small and explodes into am intriguing fantasy.

Ada is a Chef, able to create amazing dishes seasoned with epicuria(a special magical ingredient), on the run from her past and avoiding being dragged back into royal service. And now it appears an old enemy from her past has returned to hunt down her and some of her fellow allies for some long planned revenge.

Solenn is a princess, on her way to an arranged marriage, not the best fate, but one she is willing to do for her family and her people, when her tongue awakens and she learns she too is a Chef and she can sense when food is poisoned. Not something that should be in her bloodline, and not a particularly expected skill for a princess.

Despite all these interesting plotlines, and some really surprising twists, I wasn't always as engaged as I would have liked. The story dragged a bit here and there. Overall a fun read, definitely something new and I look forward to seeing where it all goes in the next one!

A Thousand Recipes for Revenge by Beth Cato is a perfect fit for readers who crave epic fantasy adventures with a dash of culinary magic, a strong female protagonist, and a richly detailed world of gods, magic, and intrigue, where the lines between loyalty, power, and family are expertly woven together.

I am still new to NetGallery and didn't realize I could leave reviews here too! I left my review on Amazon, Goodreads and social media! Updating it now!

Thank you for an advanced copy and letting me get immersed in your world!

Didn’t have time to read it but it looks interesting and promising so I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually my to be read pile is just getting to big and I’m a mood reader so these arcs are getting hit. So maybe at a later date I’ll finally read it

This was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I have never heard of Beth Cato before but I am now looking forward to her future publications. I love anything magic and culinary so this was a wonderfully pleasant read!

An unusual book from start to finish but one to read and be swept away into a different world. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC

Didnt finish this book. I really wanted to like it. I loved the cover and the synopsis sounded promising... but I didnt like the characters and the pace.

There is so much that goes on and keeps you hooked the entirety of the book. I can honestly say I did not expect this story to take turns the way it did and I am pleasantly surprised.
The ending was a shock to me. It was pretty dense/complicated at the beginning as the world building is happening because it is kinda given to you in a big bundle rather than slowly, but once you get past that, the story was really well done and beautifully fleshed out.

I found the magic system really intriguing but overall the mood was jarring and it didnt quite hit for me

This book was surprising in so many ways, and all of them good. It has an original magical system, something unique, because in the universe this author creates the mages are chefs. They can conjure things up from nothing, they can't make fireballs or lightning or whatever, but they are the ones who possess magic. Their tongue is a gift from the Gods, they can perceive tastes in a unique manner, and they can use magical ingredients that contain epicurea to create food with somehow magical proprieties. I know, I am not doing the best job of explaining things here, but trust me, if this sounds even remotely interesting to you, try the book out! It is way less complicated when the author shows and explains it to you, and it is well worth your time.
Then we have the Gods, that are real. And I discovered lately that I appreciate books in which the Gods are real. I am not talking about books where the Gods are the main characters, but about books in wich the Gods are still real and influence the story. And sure, at one point here we have a couple of Gods that become characters but... my point still stands, it was a thing that I really appreciated.

And then we have the characters. And if it's true that I didn't love-love any of them, I can surely say that I really enjoyed their company, and Solenn was, by far, my favorite. She is a gem. And she is well worth meeting. I love that even if she is young, and in a really bad position, she always tries to do her best to be a decent person. Always, and with everyone. She surprised me more than once, and I really really liked her.
And we have some other pretty good characters to keep her company [and we have also magical people who can transform into horses, and we have a dragon!!!!

Usually, the characters are what make or break a book for me, and the characters here are pretty good, but the best part was the story itself. The author takes unexpected turn after unexpected turn, and the story keeps going in a direction that I didn't see coming. It was bliss!
We have also a couple of really gory scenes that I didn't see coming at all, toward the end of the book, because the book as a whole is pretty free of violence on the page (I mean, it is not all rainbows and unicorns, mind me, we have war, assassinations, attempted kidnapping and more, there are bad things happening all around, but you don't get the gory parts usually until you do. And it was unexpected. A lot! But in a good way, too).
It was really hard to predict what would happen next, and the book constantly kept me curious. I had a great time with it!

WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS

A Thousand Recipes for Revenge was, I found, a very interesting read. I absolutely adored the concept of the five Gods and their influence over food and, ultimately, magic.

My favourite part of the whole book had to be the lore behind how the Gods "operated", as in what they each represented and how even the most mundane of things like mould on cheese could be accredited to them. It made the faith and religion of the world feel much more grounded and real in the way that the Ancient Greeks would worship their own Gods, and honestly I loved that. It just made it feel real.

I enjoyed the characters for the most part - Ada's history in the military is spectacularly driven throughout and is shown in her attitude and drive. I love that the end of the book really showed how she was of a military background, as her circumstances throughout the book show her in a much more ordinary civilian light. The contrast here between the two really shone through -- showing her in a role that felt natural to her (the end fight) and one where she seemed unhappy and aimless (in an "ordinary" life).

I enjoyed the presentation of Grandemere too, but it was a shame that she was departed from the book so quickly. I would have loved to see how she fared in the whole scenario. My only hope is that in the subsequent books in the series she plays a greater role.

On the whole, whilst I really enjoyed the book, I don't think I was the intended audience. I felt like this book felt as though it were more aimed at a Young Adult audience, not an adult one, which is a shame considering how rare it is to find a book where the perspective is displayed mostly from that of a forty-something woman. I think the dual of perspective with Solenn is great, but I think that is also why and how it feels so much more like a Young Adult novel than an Adult one. Obviously, that's on me for not looking more into it, but I did think it was mean to be an adult novel.

That, perhaps, is my only gripe, but that doesn't mean I did not like the book overall. I am just not certain that I will continue with reading the series.

There is a bit of gore within the book, but not an awful lot.

So, overall: good book, excellent Lore and great characters, just definitely more for a Young Adult audience.

With thanks to the author, Netgalley, and 47th North for the ARC.

A tantalizing blend of magic, adventure, and culinary intrigue set against the backdrop of a world on the brink of war. While the premise and world-building are intriguing, I found the execution to be somewhat lacking, resulting in a mixed reading experience.

The characters, particularly Ada and Solenn, are well-developed and engaging, each with their own unique strengths and vulnerabilities. However, I felt that their motivations and relationships could have been explored more deeply, leaving me wanting a stronger emotional connection to their journey.

The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Yet, at times, it felt overly convoluted, with too many subplots competing for attention. As a result, the pacing felt uneven, and certain plot threads were left unresolved or underdeveloped.

Additionally, while the concept of culinary magic is undeniably inventive, I found that it was not fully realized within the story. The descriptions of Ada's cooking and magical abilities were vivid, but I wished for more exploration of the broader implications and limitations of this magic system.

Overall, "A Thousand Recipes for Revenge" is an entertaining read with an imaginative premise, but it falls short of reaching its full potential. Despite its flaws, fans of swashbuckling adventure and fantastical worlds may still find enjoyment in this novel.

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions formed are my own. Thank you again Netgalley for giving me a chance to review this book.

Unfortunately this got into my spam mail and never got to read it, I know I should have checked it but still I'd like to point it out.

This was a refreshing book that found me at the perfect time. I was overwhelmed by the fantasy books that I had been reading that seemed to mesh into one another when I found A Thousand Recipes for Revenge. It was unique in its plot and world building. Information about the setting did not read like a text book, rather it was seamlessly incorporated with the story. All characters managed to leave an impression and the witty writing made me smile more than once.

This is a fantasy where the magic system is surrounded by food which was an interesting take on a magic system!! I wasn’t in love with this book but also didn’t hate it!!