#BookReview: A Thousand Recipes for Revenge by Beth Cato

Synopsis: A world on the brink of war and a mother and daughter on the run, in a thrilling novel of swashbuckling adventure, culinary magic, and just desserts.

Adamantine “Ada” Garland has an empathic connection to food and wine, a magical perception of aromas, flavors, and ingredients. Invaluable property of the royal court, Ada was in service to the Five Gods and to the Gods-ordained rulers of Verdania—until she had enough of injustice and bloodshed and deserted, seeking to chart her own destiny. When mysterious assassins ferret her out after sixteen years in hiding, Ada, now a rogue Chef, and her beloved Grand-mère run for their lives, only to find themselves on a path toward an unexpected ally.

A foreign princess in a strange court, Solenn unknowingly shares more with Ada than an epicurean gift. They share blood. With her newfound magical perception, she becomes aware of a plot to kill her fiancé, the prince. It’s part of a ploy by adversarial forces in the rival country of Albion to sow conflict, and Solenn is set up to take the blame.

As Ada’s and Solenn’s paths converge, a mother and her long-lost daughter reunite toward a common goal, and against a shadowy enemy from Ada’s past who is out for revenge. But what sacrifices must be made? What hope is there when powerful Gods pick sides in a war simmering to eruption?



Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: 2 Stars
My Review: This one started out well. And I even snagged it from Amazon First Reads.  But once I really got reading into it. It is another book that I should have just DNFed it.  But I held out hoping it was going to be amazing.  Sadly it was not.  What I got was a book with unlikeable characters and a story that had no real ending.  It felt like I had half the story and the other part just wasn't there.  

Review

“Readers will enjoy the rich lore…” —Publishers Weekly

“Cato’s latest is an intriguing story filled with gods, magic, and enough culinary references to please any fan of epicurean magic.” —Library Journal

“The characters and action of A Thousand Recipes for Revenge are exciting and compelling. Cato has a gift for plot twists and suspense that bring the cast of characters and their world to vivid life and make it difficult to put her book down. The ending will have readers craving a sequel.” —Booklist

“A Thousand Recipes for Revenge takes the reader on a thrilling journey to a place where every alley has surprises and every character has secrets. Beth Cato has created a wondrous feast of delights, astonishing and yet, somehow, utterly believable. Every sentence made me smile, or gasp, or fall a little more in love with Ada and Solenn and their world.” —Kate Heartfield, author of The Embroidered Book

“Both deliciously political and politically delicious, Beth Cato’s A Thousand Recipes for Revenge will have you tasting magic!” —Juliette Wade, author of Mazes of Power

“Food magic! A Thousand Recipes for Revenge brings epic fantasy tropes to the table and serves them up with zesty new magic in the form of magical foods. It gives you the gods of food you never knew you wanted along with fast-paced adventure, intriguing characters, and the black market in epicurea. Beth’s love of baking and of cheese shine through on almost every page. By turns delightful and serious, the novel will both make you hungry and fill you up. Chef’s kiss!” —Lisbeth Campbell, author of The Vanished Queen

From the Publisher

Award-nominated author Beth Cato’s latest fantasy, A Thousand Recipes for Revenge, is The Three Musketeers meets The Great British Bake Off. With its historical French flair and utterly unique culinary magic, it is quite literally a marriage of my favorite TV show and my favorite genre.

In this epic novel of swashbuckling adventure set in a reimagined Grand Siècle France, Cato introduces us to a world where the gods interact with humans via the preparation of enchanted food. And two women who don’t seem to know each other at all, one a Chef and the other destined for something even greater, realize their connection goes far deeper than either imagined. They must ultimately work together to mete out justice and bring their country back from the brink of war.

Whether you pair this book with a glass of red, the creamiest Brie, or a slice of bread warm from the oven, you are in for a treat.

—Adrienne Procaccini, Editor

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Posted in: 2 Stars, 47North, Adult, Netgalley, Review