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.

A novel that starts with quite the dark topic of child abuse with the young protagonist falsely accused of an act he didn't commit (sexually abusing his younger step sister), fleeing his family home he moves into the local wizard's bakery running their website that offers it's customers a chance to change their lives, with the caveat that the customer must ultimately pay the price that may lead to unwanted and unexpected outcomes. The novel splits into two endings with one showing the result of the young protagonist using a magical item to change the course of events that lead to him fleeing and another where he chance to use the item is lost and the events play out as intended. The overall moral of the tale is that people do not change, and regardless what you do things will still occur if you do not tackle the actual source of the issue.

It's definitely a very dark tale that tackles some incredibly uncomfortable topics (abuse) and that those delivering it are not capable of changing and that every action has it's consequence.

Many thanks to netgalley & headline for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐

ARC Review

This was a really interesting story and I really liked the split options at the end to see how the story could change.

At times it was confusing trying to understand who characters were but I did enjoy it overall.

This was incredibly disappointing.

There should have been content/trigger warnings on this and it’s definitely not marketed in the correct way.

TW: sexual assault, suicide, child abuse , paedophilia amongst other things - incredibly serious topics that in todays climate I’m surprised has not been flagged as an issue to tell people about beforehand rather than being ambushed with it and completely mispromoting the book.

I was expecting a cosy whimsical emotional magical realism book. It got dark fast and it came from very left field- paedophilia shouldn’t be something that just pops up in books when people aren’t expecting it.

I nearly stopped reading at the peadophila part but carried on then it had a very graphic depiction of child abuse- incredibly disturbing and uncomfortable scenes.

The translation is done really well and it was well written. Annoying that I now can’t continue with this book as it’s one of the best translations I’ve read in a while. Given it 2 stars rather than 1 because it was written well in the first 20% before the really disturbing content.

The Wizard’s Bakery by Gu Byeong-mo is a whimsical, imaginative novel with a unique premise and a beautifully surreal atmosphere. The concept of a magical bakery where wishes — and consequences — are baked into bread is both creative and charming. The writing style, even in translation, captures a dreamlike quality that fits the story’s tone perfectly.

However, while the world-building is rich and inventive, the pacing at times felt uneven. Some parts of the story moved slowly, and the emotional connection to the main character could have been deeper. I found myself wanting a bit more development in both character arcs and plot resolution. That said, readers who enjoy magical realism and allegorical storytelling will likely find a lot to appreciate here.

Overall, The Wizard’s Bakery is a sweet, quirky read with beautiful moments, though it may not fully resonate with everyone. A good choice for fans of offbeat, thoughtful fantasy.

I feel like this book was massively mispromoted. With the rise of cosy fantasy, it feels like this book was categorised purely on the title and to hit the zeitgeist.

But with such serious content, I did not find this book to be uplifting, cosy or whimsical.

It was a really hard read and I feel like in part, a lot of that is due to the confusion between the content and the marketing.

This is a retelling of a bestselling Korean story about a young boy who is struggling with his stepmother and he runs away. He finds himself in a magical bakery where he has a simply magical summer in more ways that one.

This is a lovely story that has, in my opinion, similarities to many traditional Disney movies - Snow White, Fantasia - and Grimm’s Fairy Tales and would suit those looking for that escapism. I found the pacing to be off and wasn’t convinced by the main character. He felt a little 2D. It took a while to get to the bakery but once there, pacing improved and I enjoyed it a lot more.

When I first selected this book to review, I was aiming to find a soft read, something similar to Pumpkin Spice Latte or Legends and Lattes. That was not the case. I do believe trigger warnings need to be added at the start of the book. I was expecting some levels of darkness but not to the extent that was covered. But I do think it’s sometimes difficult to know how much of the story to sell before a reader opens the book. However, saying that, this book still gets five stars. As an advanced reader, it’s my job to pick up on these improvements which can be made before mass publication date. Now, this book was originally published in 2009 and had done incredibly well in South Korea so I wasn’t too nervous if it was a well written book. The translation of the book was impeccable in keeping the story flowing gracefully. I didn’t want to stop reading, I still don’t want the story to be over.

The darker elements in the story allows us as a reader never to be safe. It’s a claustrophobic read, having me gaping at my mouth and my heart pounding. I wanted to protect the protagonist, I wanted to hide in that oven with them and let them have a life filled with magic where they forgot their trauma. But, healing doesn’t always work like that and this book captures that perfectly. Healing from trauma is messy, scary and otherworldly sometimes. This book balances the elegance of beautifully describing the soft beauty in life which is shown through sweetcakes, breads and cookies whilst reminding us that the world is such a dark and sinister place. Even when we’re blessed with the utmost beautiful and wonderful things, like magic, the world still harnesses hatred somewhere out there. The only thing I wanted was more. More story. More of these characters, of this world beyond the oven. The magic system was such a solid foundation and it makes me sad we didn’t get to see anymore of it. Though, part of me does wander - was it ever real? Like, the trauma that child goes through is horrific and in that moment our mind does anything to survive. But regardless of my conspiracies - it’s definitely one of my new favourite books.

This is not a book for younger readers or people sensitive to dark topics.

Content warnings: pedophilia, domestic violence, suicide, death of a parent, child abuse, abandonment, violence, sexual assault, physical abuse, rape, murder, suicide attempt, bullying.

The Wizards Bakery...where magic meets bread and sweet treats.

Childhood hasn't been easy for our main character, and now he's being accused of doing something he hasn't done. After running away from home, he finds temporary shelter in the magic back room of the Wizards Bakery, accessed through one of the ovens in the bakey kitchen. For the few weeks he's there, figuring things out, he helps out by managing the bakery's website, where people can buy various magical items. But using these items always comes at a cost, to the customer, the intended recipient and the world as a whole. And Baker's motivation for creating these items...money. While he provides warnings about using the items coming at a cost beyond the purchase price, he doesn't care when things go wrong and goes as far as to blame the customers for any unwanted or unexpected outcomes.

So, would you use magic to help you resolve an issue or to get someone back for something they've done? Many people do, but Baker warns our main character against ever using any of the items.

The book has two endings, one that shows what could happen when a magical item is used to change the course of events for the main character, and one where the chance to use a magical item is lost and events play out as the initial timeline intended.

From the description and cover of this book I was expecting a cosy story about a teen/ young adult learning to find their place in the world despite the hardships they faced growing up. It turned out to be anything but that, which is a big disappointment. The story was fine, but this book NEEDS a content warning at the start and should not be promoted as a cosy, healing story (as it isn't either of these) if the author and publisher want the correct audience to read it. This isn't a book I would feel comfortable recommending to others.

This book had me overcome with so many emotions of highs and lows and was such a beautifully profound story. Although this was packed full of lots of very difficult discussions but ultimately held a really important message. I felt although it might not come across as your typical whimsical 'healing fiction', it covered a lot of important topics that effect a lot of people and using the magical bakery as a means of 'healing' peoples problems was a really niche concept. Not only that it also shows that no matter what happens in life, every action has a reaction (good and bad). I think if people reading it have an open mind and can read between the lines they will see that it actually holds a very profound story with a lot to take away.

A interesting story about a young man with a horrible home life who, while attempting to run away, runs directly into a wizards Bakery.

This book is a lot darker than anticipated, generally with these translated novels they tend to stay lighthearted. But I think it works to The Wizards Bakery benefit, when you read the depictions of child abuse you can feel the main characters relief when the come to the sanctuary of the Bakery, even if the Wizards isn't the nicest person.

Id recommend this book, I really enjoyed it and it was an incredibly fast read.

I'm sorry but I cannot and will not read a book about child abuse or rape, ESPECIALLY where there are no trigger warnings for the book. DNF at 18%. Really disappointed at the misleading cover and quotes for this book.

Absolutely charming and unexpectedly poignant, The Wizard’s Bakery is a whimsical yet emotionally resonant tale. Gu Byeong-mo seamlessly blends magic, mystery, and human emotion, creating a story that is both heart warming and thought-provoking. The cosy setting of the bakery contrasts beautifully with the deeper themes of fate, regret, and self-discovery. Highly recommended for fans of magical realism and slice-of-life fantasy with an emotional core.

A beautiful coming of age story, translated fiction is fast becoming a favourite genre of mine. It is a fascinating blend of fantasy and psychological drama that explores themes of trauma, guilt, and second chances. Thank you for the arc

Giving this 3 stars as it was less "magic and whimsical" as I expected given the cover and description but I enjoyed the story and ending enough to finish.

This also needs to include a trigger warning statement at the start as this story has mentions of rape, suicide and assault.

Genre: Korean Magical Realism/ Fantasy Fiction
Mood: Dark, Emotional, Reflective
Seasonal read: Spring or Autumn
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

"Memories should be stuffed and preserved in a box. The box will gather dust and mould and moisture and be thrown out without a second glance someday. Fantasy is valuable only when it remains fantastical to the end."

WARNING!! ⚠️ Even if you don't read the rest of this review, please read this - Do not be fooled by the cozy cover or description of the book - this is NOT healing fiction! This story contains more trigger warnings than I think I have ever read in one story! 🫨

I was drawn into requesting this first based on the absolutely adorable cover and the fact it was described as "a dark twist on healing fiction"...DARK it absolutely is, but healing fiction it is not 🫤

In the story, our young protagonist seeks refuge in a seemingly normal bakery, only to discover that there is so much more than meets the eye. The owner, the wizard baker, creates and sells powerful magical goods to anyone willing to risk the consequences...

At first I was so unsettled as to the direction the book was taking and confused as to why it was marketed as any kind of healing fiction...I could easily see this as being a traumatic read for someone unprepared for it. I wondered if it was by design to draw you in and shock you? If so, I don't really support the concept 🫤

However, trigger warnings aside, I really quite enjoyed the book! It was dark and twisted, but almost in a nonchalant type of way! The stories of the customers who had purchased the goods were fascinating, and it did make me wonder how desperate people really would act given the options of these magical treats.

There characters are not the most well developed I have come across, but the plot was definitely unique enough to keep me coming back for more! Also, the ending was unusually satisfying. 🙂

If you looking for a cozy book that will make your mouth water at the description of baked good, look elsewhere! If you are open to a unique magical story filled will darkness, I say give it a go! 😊👍🏻

Thank you so much to @wildfiredoesbooks, @headlinebooks and @Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! Though the content was heavier than I first realised, it really added to the meaning of the story and made me so attached to the characters. I love the magic and its moral complexity, and I found myself really rooting for the protagonist! If you love cozy, meaningful fantasy, ideas about fate and possibility and found family, or a growing protagonist searching for a better future beyond his fear, you'll love The Wizard's Bakery. I especially enjoyed the ending--an unusual format that fit perfectly into the atmosphere and themes of the book overall, and a sweet message that will resonate with any fantasy fiction reader.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it.

3.5

The twist on healing fiction was so so dark but there are some tender and wholesome moments (they are few and far between)

I think the baker is a very firm but fair character and while he may come across as harsh but I think highlights owning the consequences of your actions.

The description of the food and aroma of the ingredients did make me want to pick up a sweet treat asap ( yes even when he lists his special ingredients).

Overall I love his take on the gener but I don't think this will be for everyone. I'd also encourage people to check the trigger warnings before reading this book.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read an early copy of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the premise and the execution of it was just as good. There is a lot of translated works fighting for the spotlight at the moment but they all seem to be the same. The Wizards Bakery is like no other book I have read and I really think it hits the gap in the market at the moment. I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to introducing this book to my friends both online and offline. Definitely one to look out for.