Overall, this was a really cute, sweet read. If you can imagine the Great British Bake Off and Dungeons & Dragons having a baby, it would be this book. The premise is adorable and I enjoyed the various characters, the cute storyline, and the epilogue was great!

There were a few things I didn’t love - namely the FMC. At first, her frazzled lack of efficacy was cute and left room for growth. However, as the book progresses, the FMC, Arleta, is absolutely fixated on being non-magic and it gets to be annoying. She is one of the very few characters that cares about her not being magic, but she pushes that belief on everyone else. It becomes whiny and pedantic, after a while, and you lose sympathy for her. The majority of the characters around Arleta are supportive of her, going out of their way to make sure she succeeds. It’s just a little too drawn out to make her relatable.

The MMC, Theo, is adorable and dare I say, perfect? He’s sweet, wonderful, and just does what needs to be done. He’s so sweet.

The baking competition is fun to read about and makes me want to try my own bakes!

This book is like a chocolate chip cookie, maybe not the greatest baking piece of all, but definitely delicious and something you eat in one sitting.

Arleta, our FMC, is a magicked human who goes to compete in a magical baking contest, that can be described as something with The Great British bake-off. And as someone who loves to see that show with my mom, this definitely lived up to the expectations.

I loved Ervash the orc and his attitude towards Arletta, and their family like relationship is heart warming. I love how this relationship develops in the book, we all need something like that. But in general all the side characters in this story are just so nice!

The MMC, Theo is a massive green flag, not a morally grey bone in him, so that was definelty a fun thing to read for me for a change again. No hidden goodness, just Theo being a cinnamon bun that respects the wishes of Arletta completely.

The stakes in the books weren’t that high, but I don’t feel as if they were meant to be that at all so that was completely acceptable. All in all this book was such a cozy read for me, but it made me hungry for sure so don’t read it without proper snacks.

Thank you so much netgalley and poisonedpenpress for granting me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

In the heart of Adenashire, where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, human baker Arleta Starstone works twice as hard at perfecting her unique blend of baking with apothecary herbs. So, when her orc neighbor (and biggest fan) secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma. Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, she'll need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.

This was a sweet, cozy read that I knocked over in a matter of hours. The characters were enjoyable and took part in a Great British Bake Off style competition. There isn't a huge amount of conflict or drama, there's some found family elements, a cute little romance with a will they, won't they theme. The setting was described nicely and had a lovely magical feel, like a little town (and then later a castle) that you could picture fitting in on Gilmore Girls (if they had elves, orcs and dwarves), which I loved!

This was a great little palate cleanser between more serious stories for me and I'd say I'll go on to read the next books in the series when I'm ready for a little cozy read.

So I actually thought this was a sapphic novel when I started it. I guess that's what I get for not paying attention. However, I enjoyed this book just the same. I really loved the story and world it's set in. There were a few instances where the writing seemed a bit elementary, but it was easily overlooked by how much I found myself wanting to continue reading to find out what happened next.

J. Penner's Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is the ultimate cozy fantasy that left me drooling for all the food in this story. Cozy fantasies often leave me snoring due to the slow pacing and minor conflicts but I zoomed through this novel. I loved the characters that we met and the universe they inhabited. I could have done away with all of the self doubt of our FMC, Arleta. In the beginning it was fine but by the midpoint I wanted to throttle her like GIRL JUST BAKE!! Overall this is a sweet, cozy book that left me hungry for more (in this universe, please give me a sequel).

A great cozy fantasy for fans of the genre. In fact, this book has everything: a great baking competition, orcs and elves sharing recipes with humans and dwarfs. A story in which the relationships are made and confirmed, love and friendship walking together.

Arleta is a human with no magical power who dreams of building her own baking shop. Helped by her orc neighbors and the great elf Theo, she finally accepts to participate in the great competition. Besides all her doubts and lack of confidence, bounds are made, and Arleta will have the chance to show her baking talents to a larger audience.

The narrative is light and the reader is taken into the different steps of candy making, always experiencing a sprinkle of magic throughout the story. I can't wait for the next books!

This was such a cute and cozy fantasy read! If you love the Great British Baking show you’ll adore this first in its series. I read the deluxe edition which included some beautiful art work at the beginning. A great read for any romance/fantasy lover. I teared up at the end and can’t wait to read more in this series!

What an adorable, wholesome book about magic and baking. This was such a great read, I wish it came out in fall. The characters were great and it’s nice to actually like everyone in the book.

*4.5 Stars*
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic was everything I want in a cozy fantasy with a baking competition. Honestly, it’s most of what I want in any book. It has drama, adventure, romance, friendship, delicious baked goods, and more!

The plot kept me reading and the cast of characters had me wanting to read even more! Arleta and Theo were lovely and Verdreth and Ervash are my favorite orcs of all time! Also, I can’t wait to read more about Jez and Doli and Taenya!

The only thing that kept me from giving a full five stars was that sometimes the writing got a bit repetitive, but honestly, that’s more of a personal preference and can be very easily overlooked by another reader.

All in all, this was a wonderfully, delightful read that I would suggest to any cozy fantasy enjoyer!

Thank you so much to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book. The characters were great, and I’m always a sucker for a found family. The main character Arleta had me hooked from page one. I related to her struggles with keeping to herself to avoid getting hurt, and watching her gain confidence in herself was inspiring.

I did have a few issues with the pacing of the book, but that was my own personal preferences, and not any fault of the author.

All in all, this is a series I will be continuing. Very interested to see what happens with the other characters in their own books. Reading this book was like a warm hug.

What a perfectly adorable fantasy. Cozy vibes, fellowship among friends, and the most gorgeous descriptions of baked goods! I loved Arleta. The magical creatures were so delightful. I loved Nimbus the horse, and the friendships that Arleta forged amidst the baking competition.

There is something in this for everyone and it made for a feel-good cozy fantasy with a splash of romance and a sprinkle of magic. I have fallen under J Penner’s spell and eagerly await more in this series!

I’ve had this book on my wishlist for a while and the rerelease with a special edition was a perfect time for me to grab the ARC!

I’ve been a little burnt out by cozy fantasy recently so I was a little skeptical and almost didn’t pick this one up, but I’m so glad I did! The author marketed it as a fantasy British Bake Off and I felt like I was there in the studio filming the show with them. It was so fantastic and made me want to go bake something!

All of the characters were so precious and had such beautiful growth throughout the book. Arleta seems so sweet and adorable and Theo is absolutely to die for! Swoon-worthy slow burn to the max! I definitely recommend this for any and all cozy fantasy lovers!

This feels like the start of something great
🧝🏻✨💖🌈 🍄
If your thing is cozy fantasy, baking, whimsy goth, cottagecore, grandmacore, fantasy, faeries, and so on… please please keep reading. This book is a 4.25 rounded to 5 for me. Here’s why:

🍁 Do I find the FMC a tiny bit overshadowed by some of the side characters… kinda. I feel like she sometimes is a bit too in her head. HOWEVER- I felt important to remind myself that she ‘is’ human. If I was human surrounded by elven royalty, beautiful dwarves, etc. perhaps I’d feel kinda like an outlier too lol plus with her history, and all… it kinda made me be more understanding of Arleta.

🍄 This book succeeds in creating the perfect ambiance. It makes me finish book one to jump straight to book two. I want more!!! I felt like some of the issues with it feeling ‘rushed’ could be because so many good things were packed on book one. Which I’m hoping is only a sign that all these things will be explored in books to come.

🧁 Despite some of the minor cons, it’s an automatic 5 star for me overall because I can’t really think of anything like it… THIS is what cozy fantasy needed. The fact it’ll and has become a full on series makes me want for 10 of these books! They’re so so cozy and the way Penner writes is almost like biting on a soft cinnamon roll. The feeling you get wrapping yourself like a burrito in your warm blankets. Smelling brewed coffeeee. Idk - all that to say is… great job!!

This was a good, low-stakes, cozy fantasy! I loved the different creatures, humor, found-family, and baking. The pacing was a bit off balance (slow, fast, slow, fast) for me, but overall I enjoyed this read. Excited to read the future Adenashire books!

The side characters were great, but the main character fell a bit flat to me. She was supposed to be a heroine, a strong independent woman making her way in a land where she was at a disadvantage so her negativity made sense for a bit, but after a while she just seemed very woe is me and not very independent.

In this charming cozy fantasy, Arleta Starstone is a magic-less human baker who makes elegant and excellent confections. However she struggles to make a living because humans without magic are looked down upon in a world where most of the beings possess some type of magical ability. When her well meaning orc neighbors enter her into a prestigious baking contest, she must decide if she wants to risk ridicule for the chance to establish her culinary reputation.

This was a lovely read, a fun weekend read. I enjoyed Arleta's and Theo's journey to the baking battle, the mishaps they encounter, and the cooking battle itself. The secondary characters, the orc couple, Dilo, Jez, and fabulous Faylan added to this warm fantasy. I did not expect the slow romance, which was a tasty addition. And I have to try the recipes in the back because reading about them made me run to the kitchen for a brownie-in-a-mug treat.

My only complaint is with the main character, Arleta. Her lack of confidence was sometimes annoying, especially given how many people told her she was a superb baker or that a certain someone was in love with her. That second-guessing almost made me stop reading. I like confident, go-for-it characters who fall flat on their faces, get up, dust themselves off, and keep going despite the odds. Despite the many hands extended to help Arleta get up, she couldn't, and I wish I could slap some sense into her.

Excluding Arleta's second-guessing, I enjoyed the orcs, Theo, Dilo, and Jez a lot. All in all a fun read.

Arleta, a human rather stuck in a magical world, she finds herself getting by with the help from friends and neighbors. Knowing she has what it takes and that her pastries are imaculate, her neighboring orc enters her into the Elving Baking Contest only to find she has been accepted on the merits of her last name (many believing her to be magical). Arleta wants to prove her talent, but knowing the odds are stacked against her she must decide if the risk is worth more than the reward.

I loved this book so much! A cozy little bake off amongst elfs, dwarfs, and a human thrown into the mix brought me right back to my childhood playing fairies in the backyard. I loved the inclusion of the recipes she makes in the back of the book and just the gentleness of this book was so warming and has me placing an request at the library for the next book imediately!

This book was sweet and cozy. I wanted to love it, but I thought it was just okay. The concept is fabulous and was generally executed well. Unfortunately, I think a lot of the problems came from the scope and pacing. Penner tried to do a lot, which meant that many things ended up feeling rushed or like they didn’t have adequate depth. It was cute and cozy - it hit the vibes, but not the plot.

This was a really cute, cozy fantasy. It was light-hearted, had a good mix of characters and personality, minor conflicts, and good personal growth and revelations. The romance felt a little wonky and honestly unnecessary for the story, but I understand the coupling. Overall, it was a very sweet story of friendships and finding your purpose and confidence.