Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet

A good read if you want some light hearted escapism. I enjoyed the dark fairy tale elements: the building of the gingerbread house that we recognise as the witch’s cottage in Hansel and Gretel, size altering cakes like in Alice in Wonderland. The world of Raea itself was fairly simple but the world building becomes more impressive when you realise that Raea is just one of many worlds, and that there are beings who can live between worlds. The mystery of Maire’s heritage kept my interest, though the conclusion is, of course, far fetched. More shocking was the discovery of who Allemas is; suddenly all of his odd speech and behaviour makes sense. He was actually my favourite character, as he was the most complex; neither good or bad, not kind to Maire but didn’t seem to take pleasure in cruelty either, controlling but uncertain and vulnerable. By the end I really wanted him to have a happy ending. The main character, Maire, was slightly bland and reminded me of a lot of other heroines of post-apocalyptic novels. A fun read but I think the Paper Magician series is much better.

Having read The Paper Magician trilogy, I was really looking forward to reading this book, especially as it described the main character as baking cakes with magic in them. Well really the story couldn't be more different to what I was expecting. A really grim story and quite confusing I found. We are not given much background to begin with and are left in the dark throughout most of the story, wondering what is going on, who these people are and what is the purpose of it all? Only right at the very end is it all explained and you feel you need to go back and read it again with that knowledge.

I picked up magic bitter magic sweet because I enjoyed Holmberg's Paper Magician trilogy, although I did not find it as enjoyable as that series the book was still good.The magic system in this book was interesting with the use of making baked goods to give people different personality traits, however Maire's murky past was more confusing than interesting at times. Maire is a likeable character as she would do anything to help people no matter what the consequence would be for her.The opening and first half of the book was interesting, however I feel that the second half and ending leaves me wanting. The ending feels rushed and is quite confusing.

This is my favourite of Charlie's books so far. Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet is the story of Maire, a baker with no memory of who she is or why she has the power to bake emotions into cakes and sweets. The story of her journey back to herself is gripping, evocative, and highly imaginative. I really enjoyed this book; the world-building was rich, the characters were finely drawn, and I felt every breath of Maire's emotions. It's difficult to talk about the finer points without involving spoilers, but I loved the fantastical elements, and one character in particular just tugged at my heartstrings so much. It's been weeks since I finished this book, but I'm still thinking about it.

Absolutely enchanting story. Maire is a baker but also a mystery. She has gifts that even the great Mary Berry cannot emulate. She can infuse emotion into everything she makes. She doesn't know how she can do this or even who she really is. Then her life changes as she is abducted and sold as a 'slave'This is a totally different take on magic, alternative lives and lots of other aspects.Charlie Holmberg is a very talented writer who seems to come up with new ideas and scenarios

This is the first book for a long time, and I read every day, that I have been unable to put down until I finished it, beginning to end in one go. Gripping, catching my thoughts and imagination as none before. Thank you Charlie Holmberg.

I have enjoyed the Magician series by the same author and I’m very happy to see another of her books coming up trumps again. Perhaps a little slow in places, but intriguing and not at all obvious to me where it was going until the very end. The epilogue is a decent resolution as well. Like the central character, my need to know more drove me through this book, and probably contributed to the feeling of it being a little slow in places, so I had a healthy taste of Maire’s frustration!

My jaw dropped a couple of times during this book. Really good read and fascinating twists. I've read quite a bit from this author so I knew I was in good hands no matter what although I never read with story expectations. Highly recommend.