Published By: Wildfire
Pages: 256
Released On: 05/06/2025
Translated By: Jamie Chang
‘Don’t we all need a little magic in our lives sometimes?’
Open twenty-four hours a day, at first glance The Wizard’s Bakery seems like any ordinary bakery where you can buy bread, cakes, and cookies, with a somewhat grumpy man behind the counter.
At first glance, that is. Because when the young boy who is our protagonist chooses it as a refuge to escape a difficult family situation, the reality he finds is quite different. Baked with the help of a mysterious blue-haired shop assistant, are sweets and pastries with immense powers: madeleines to fix broken hearts, almond bars to unearth memories buried deep within, and cinnamon cookies for your worst enemies.
But each of these items comes with a warning, regardless of the positive or negative effect: the power contained in the treats inevitably alters the order of the world and sometimes produces dramatic consequences for those who consume them, consequences that need to be weighed carefully.
Follow along with our protagonist as he learns about the responsibility that comes with working at this bakery . . . and most of all, how much people need a little bit magic in their lives.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Wildfire for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I love Korean fiction; generally speaking, it’s so much fun and so whimsical and magical that I always jump at the chance to read some.
This was a heck of a lot more intense than I’ve come to expect from translated fiction. There are some very serious topics talking about that I wasn’t expecting. This made it less magical than I wanted. There’s still magic and supernatural elements etc. but it just felt a bit too dark for me to completely lose myself in. Topics include child abuse, sexual abuse, death, abandonment, and bulling.
I did love the descriptions of the bakery and the food. It’s so visual and it’s like you can smell the baked goods.
It is very easy to read, and I finished it within a few hours. The pacing was slightly off, some bits sped through too quickly and other bits are drawn out.
What I did love was the presence of one character. There are lots of different characters and customers, all with their own stories, but there is one boy who is constant throughout which brings the whole story together and shows this sense of community.
It ended a bit suddenly. I mean, there’s no real explanation for anything that happens in a magical fantasy story anyway, but the last few pages just seemed to happen without explanation and then it was done. If I’m correct, there are actually two endings to show what could happen if you do or do not change things, but instead of being a clever storytelling device, I found it confusing.
Whilst overall I’d say I did enjoy it, there are some issues and it didn’t have quite the magical feeling I’ve come to expect from Korean fiction.
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