{Put This One on Your TBR List} Review of Children's Book Selections by T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon or Ode to Sourdough by Karen S. Wiesner

 

{Put This One on Your TBR List}

Review of Children's Book Selections by T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon

 or

Ode to Sourdough

by Karen S. Wiesner 

  Ursula Vernon aka T. Kingfisher 

Back on December 5, 2025, I posted my first review on the Alien Romances blog featuring four young adult fantasy stories by T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon, who is one and the same--a talented author, illustrator/artist, and gardener (which I really appreciate, as I aspire to someday call myself the same). The first book I ever read by her was A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, in which 14-year-old Mona accidentally creates a sourdough starter "familiar" and later purposely animates gingerbread men and doughboy golem soldiers for an army in her quest to save the city from a corrupt wizard. 

From there, I went on to read and review nearly every book she's written under these two names--and pretty close to back-to-back, which, in retrospect, may have been a bit of a mistake (more on that later). As I've said many times before in my weekly posts, readers can enjoy any level of book they choose. I like children's stories just as much as I do young adult and adult fiction. There's everything to love about this author's children's book selections, regardless of whether they're written under her real name Ursula Vernon or her pen name T. Kingfisher. 

  Recently, I read the ebook of Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher. I found that there are two separate editions available (one published by Sofawolf Press with illustrations done by Lauren Henderson instead of the author herself; and another published as free web serial by the author's Red Wombat Tea Company--I'm not sure if Vernon did the illustrations herself for that one but I think she did). Both came out in 2017. This massive children's story (some editions have 386 pages!) features the fabled witch Baba Yaga. Summer is eleven years old and has little in her life that causes her joy, in part because her mother is so overly protective, Summer feels suffocated by her mom's overwhelming fear--of everything. She wants to do something--something unexpected and worthy. For good or ill, the witch sends her to the fascinating world of Orcus to do just that. I loved how bumbling but good-hearted Summer was. She's not quite sure she wanted an actual adventure, but she never wavered in wanting to help those less fortunate than herself--and, ultimately, she doesn't want her mom to worry about her too much (just like Dorothy realizes she doesn't want Auntie Em, who may not understand her but loves her all the same, to suffer without her). 

 Prior to that, I checked out the audiobook of Nine Goblins (manageable at only 161 pages, released in 2013), another Kingfisher children's story, in which a party of goblin warriors, commanded by Nessilka, are trapped behind enemy lines. One way or the other, the sergeant intends to get her people home. The tagline of "low fantasy, high mischief" was fun and captivating, as was the story itself. I expect I would have loved it more when I was younger, as a few of my eclectic favorites included How to Care for Your Monster (Norman Bridwell of Clifford fame); William Steig's one-of-a-kind Shrek!; and anything by Ruth Chew, who wrote about witches instead of the usual array of spoiled princesses, adorable mice who rode motorcycles, giant peaches, or mischievous monkeys--all of which, let's face it, I loved just as well.

Under her real name Ursula Vernon, she's published a whole slew of hybrid children's books/graphic novels/comics she both writes and illustrates: 

  Digger (series) is a wombat engineer trapped in a fantasy world. 

  Dragonbreath (series) features a dragon Danny, who's fielding and figuring out life at a school for reptiles and amphibians. 

  Hamster Princess (series) is a hamster that sits atop her battle quail (in lieu of a white horse, I guess) in twisted fairytale retellings.

 

  Nurk (standalone novel with 145 pages) highlights the (mis?)adventures of an anything-but-brave shrew who nevertheless puts on big-boy-panties and does the best job he's capable of in saving a kidnapped dragonfly prince. 

You quickly learn after you've read a few of this author's books that, regardless of whether she's writing children's or adult fiction, she has distinctive trademarks, namely:

1)    Off-the-wall humor and angsting.

2)    Never-read-anything-like-it-before unique perspectives and secondary characters.

3)    Heartfelt heroism that stems not (necessarily) from skill but from heaps of unflagging determination capable of saving the day (luckily but I'm not entirely sure it's a realistic sentiment).

4)    POV characters (usually female but not always) that are cut from the same cookie cutter--you meet one, you've met them all, and I believe all are based on the author herself. Names, settings, and skills have been altered, sure, but basically the main character "cookie" almost never changes from one book to the next. This author does like that character type almost to the point of it getting overwhelming sometimes because I’ve been reading them all back-to-back. Despite that I love her work, I highly recommend reading a book of hers here and there instead of binge-reading them all at once in the space of a couple weeks or months (as I have and mildly regret).

As a general rule, if you like this author, as I most certainly do, you'll like the majority of her work. If you don't, well, I'm sorry for you, and farewell, there are other writers in the sea. For my part, I became an instant fan with A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking. On that note, a little aside of my own in what I hope is true Kingfisher/Vernon style: 

Ode to Sourdough 

My husband, who's on the cusp of retiring in mid-2026, has decided that now is the perfect time for him to learn how to capture wild yeast, a.k.a. make bread from sourdough starter. We'll be living on a budget soon and bread is cheap. We're both lifelong fans of it. Can't hardly go wrong, right? Well… 

Apparently, this whole sourdough craze became a big trend during the height of the COVID pandemic, but many that started it then have since lost interest. (The luxury of being out and about in the world again is probably a contributing factor there. Who has time?) We didn't get on board then, instead waiting until now. Honestly, I thought I knew what sourdough was but, once I found out it's a way to ferment bread naturally, without commercial, industrially produced baker's yeast, just using the "wild yeast" in the air, I was amazed…and, admittedly, a little grossed out. I couldn't help thinking, "Soylent green is people!", or, more aptly, "Wild yeast is people!", as this lactobacillus bacteria is essentially made up of anything and everything in the natural environment of a household--you guessed it, bacteria, plant, animal, even human stuff. Eww! I just lost my appetite. Seriously. But it's also fascinating. The wild yeast element is what gives sourdough its unique tang. (Does that mean my husband and I have tang? I suppose it does. I repeat myself: Eww.) No two sourdoughs are ever the same, even from one loaf to the next. 

On December 30, 2025, my husband began experimenting and journaling his progress in the art of making sourdough. That night, he asked me what we should name our sourdough. My first thought was, "Ursula Vernon". (T. Kingfisher just doesn't have the same ring in becoming the personality of a sourdough starter--don't ask me why not.) He wrote in his journal that first night that we'd named our baby sourdough starter "Ursula Vernon" and wondered whether it was Ursula's birthday or conception day. He ultimately decided that line of thinking was a bit disturbing and backed way off. 

  Our healthy and happy little Ursula Vernon Sourdough Starter. Isn't she sweet with her belt around her waist, her little cap on? 

There have been a few misstarts, but, as of this writing in late January 2026, Ursula is thriving in her new home in the warmest nook of our dining room. She's produced several very tasty loaves of sourdough bread. My husband has determined that she likes to eat in the morning, and she much prefers to do her rising overnight, baking the next morning in a very rigid and sturdy, tall bread loaf pan rather than any proofing banneton or free-form sheet pan, as she's still much too delicate to be jostled around too much. (We still want to try a Dutch oven though.) 

  Ursula Vernon, Tall and Proud, Caught Loafing, as she should be 

Sourdough starter discards have also become a staple in our household, providing pancakes, muffins, rolls, pizza dough--you name it! My husband likes to say proudly, "If I feed Ursula Vernon, she feeds me." 

Somehow, I think this quirky author who's made herself very much at home at the top of my "to buy" and "to be read" piles would approve. That is my Ode to Sourdough and Ursula Vernon. 

~*~ 

Here both at the end of the author's current selection (which I've mostly read at this point) and at the beginning of a future in which I look forward to reading her new selections, the bottom line is that, whatever you read by T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon, whether for children, adults, or somewhere in-between, you'll find wacky, character-driven adventures that are entertaining, incredibly well written, and engaging. Can't hardly go wrong, I'd say. 

Karen Wiesner is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over 150 titles and 16 series.

Visit her website and blog here: https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/

and https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/karens-quill-blog

Visit her publisher here: https://www.writers-exchange.com/Karen-Wiesner/

Oldies But Goodies {Put This One on Your TBR List} Book Review of Four Young Adult Children's Fantasy Selections by T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon by Karen S. Wiesner

Oldies But Goodies

{Put This One on Your TBR List}

Book Review of Four Young Adult Children's Fantasy Selections by

T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon

by Karen S. Wiesner 

Beware: May contain unintended spoilers! 

 

Finding A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking was rapturous serendipity for me! T. Kingfisher (the pen name of Ursula Vernon) is a versatile author, illustrator, and artist. Unbelievably, I'd never heard of her before reading this book, despite all the awards she's won for her eclectic body of work. She came to my attention when I bought an immaculate (used) hardcover book by her called "What Feasts at Night" (which I'll review in the coming weeks). I wasn't very far along before I decided to look up the author on my Libby library app and see what else she had to offer. One of the few audiobooks of hers available immediately was something called A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking. Literally, this one had me at the title. 

In this 2020 young adult fantasy novel, a 14-year-old named Mona, who possesses a sly, dry wit and "bread magic", discovers a dead body in her aunt's bakery. It isn't long before she realizes those who possess magic in her town are being targeted. There are other wizards set in this unique fantasy world, but none quite like Mona. When she was younger, she'd created (accidentally in the first case) 1) a sourdough starter "familiar" that eats mice when it can't get flour (really, what bread eaters don't know won't kill them) and 2) animated gingerbread men for the customers to fawn over (move over Shrek's Gingy!). Little did Mona realize her most loyal gingerbread man would soon become the commander-in-chief of a gingerbread army Mona has to bake up in order to save the city from a corrupt wizard and his invading army. And that doesn't even get into having to concoct the right kind of shoes for doughboy golem soldiers. 

One of the selling points of this story for me was the realistic portrayal of those in power who shouldn't necessarily be. In this case, the ruler meant well and was willing to do anything to help her people. Also, the heroine is the last person who might be considered a champion. By virtue of the fact that she had the skills (though she didn't realize it at first, of course) and stepped up to use them, she was able to save the day. I'm probably in the minority as one with no interest in reading about a superhero flying in just in time to rescue the entire city. I tend to root for worthy underdogs, and Mona is appealingly that. 

 

Illuminations was a 2022 release. Ten-year-old Rosa comes from a family of illuminators who are the greatest magic painters in the city, but their fortunes have fallen on hard times. Rosa excels at painting fanged radishes. Unfortunately, this art doesn't seem particularly useful when their studio is known for paintings that keep the city safe and running smoothly. Wanting to find a way to be useful to her relatives, she instead accidently releases a vicious monster and then has to figure out how to put it back in the box she foolishly opened. 

I assume the author, who's also a skilled artist, wondered what it would be like for her work to come to life, just as authors wonder what it would be like to step into a world created within a story. This was a cute and very fun story with a hilarious, three-dimensional heroine searching for her place in the world she's been born into and wanting very badly to join with her own legitimate skill. 

 

I'm reviewing A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and Illuminations along with Minor Mage. Though all three of these books have like covers, they aren't part of a series. They do, however, share a similar subject matter hinging on young adult protagonists that possess some form of magic they use to change their own world (and possibly the world at large, or at least their section of it). Also, of course, all the books in this trio are written in Ursula Vernon's pseudonym T. Kingfisher. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and Illuminations wonderfully lended themselves to audiobook "readings"--I'm not sure I would have enjoyed them quite as much as I did if I'd read them as ebooks or paperbacks. Both were available as audiobooks through my two library apps (either Libby or Hoopla); Minor Mage wasn't immediately accessible from either at the time I was writing this review. A month or so later, I managed to gain access to the ebook of Minor Mage. I wish I'd been able to get an audiobook copy. It would have been a bit easier to get through. This isn't saying Minor Mage is bad--not in the least. I just enjoyed the way the previous voice actors read Kingfisher's always off-the-cuff, fun stories so much, it was hard not to miss that aspect in my quiet, uninspired reading of it via ebook. 

In the 2019 Minor Mage, 12-year-old Oliver only knows three spells that he taught himself. His training was sporadic and dicey, to say the least, as his predecessor was very old and decidedly senile and had taken to wearing underwear on his head in his final days. Nevertheless, after the former mage passed a few years ago, the village has mainly accepted Oliver as their community magician. Oliver's managed to find what he needs in books to perform the tasks required of him in the time since then. However, when rain isn't forthcoming at a critical point in the season, he's called upon to fetch rain from the Rainblade Mountains. This is certainly nothing he's had to deal with before and he hasn't received the slightest bit of training in this regard from his mentor. Accompanied by his snarky armadillo familiar (who also has a few point of view scenes), he sets off, hoping he can find a way to do what his duty requires of him, with all those in the village counting on him. No pressure, right? Naturally, the journey is fraught with dangers and unforeseen challenges like ghuls (zombies) and bandits for one with very little practical knowledge of magic combined with frequent self-doubt. 

Along the way, Oliver meets up with a bard mage with the questionable ability to make harps (and the occasional fiddle) from the bones of murder victims. While he's actually had a few grieving people request his services in order to discover who murdered their loved one, even those lacking forethought soon regret it once they're forced to endure the screaming, shrieking harp seeking justice for crimes endured in life. Not surprisingly, Trebastian has few friends and is almost always chased out of every town with pitchforks and threats. Before long, Trebastian becomes Oliver's companion and, later, an unexpected friend. 

Kingfisher's trademark blend of heartfelt humor and grave predicaments buoy every page of this book. As in the previous stories in this set, the underlying theme is that heroism is about much more than possessing extraordinary supernatural powers. Instead, it's in the choices, creativity, determination, and moral fiber of the ones wielding, perhaps, less than spectacular gifts. 

 

Another story written under T. Kingfisher's real name, Ursula Vernon, Castle Hangnail, was instantly obtainable as an audiobook, and it fit the basic motif of this review with a young adult magic user as the protagonist. I suppose Castle Hangnail is intended for children (that assessment is directly from the author on her website) because of the author's amazing illustrations filling the pages. At a whopping 372 pages, it's not what I'd generally consider a children's book. It is, gratefully, presented in the same loquacious, verbose writing style that I've come to love from this author's protagonists. This book would appeal to young adults (8 to 12 years is the recommendation though most reading kids, including those younger, would also be smitten). Like with Shriek, I can't imagine adults enjoying it just as much. 

Twelve-year-old Molly is a witch and she needs a job. Castle Hangnail requires a wicked witch, and, though the staff at the castle is uncertain that polite Molly is right for the job, they agree to give her a shot. What a hoot this story is! When I was very young, my favorite author was Ruth Chew. I loved all her good, useful witch stories. I wish Castle Hangnail had been available then. I would have adored this unique, merry, tongue-in-cheek story with a lively cast of characters you can't help but love and champion. Though the audiobook was fantastic, I did miss seeing Vernon's own amazing illustrations accompanying the story, which I previewed on a book distributor's site. Oh, and there were rumors that Disney with Ellen DeGeneres might be making this into a movie, but I couldn't find any follow-up on the initial announcement. The first thing I was reminded of when I started listening to Castle Hangnail were the Hotel Transylvania movies. Like those, this would make a hilarious, not-necessarily-just-for-kids film. 

~*~

All four of these stories were nothing less than nonstop delight. The voice actors for the first two and Castle Hangnail were exemplary, adding so much to the reading, in retrospect it would have been unimaginable to partake without their talent. It only took me a couple days to finish the audiobooks because I didn't want to turn them off. The ebook of Minor Mage wasn't quite as easy to get through yet proved to be extremely enjoyable. 

You certainly don't need to be a child or young adult to enjoy these entertaining, incredibly well written, and engaging, character-driven adventures. As I hadn't, I doubt too many will have read anything else quite like these irresistible tales. So, that about does it--sign me up! I'm a fan of this author and artist regardless of what the genre is. I expect to post many more reviews of T. Kingfisher (and Ursula Vernon's) selections in the future. 

Karen Wiesner is an award-winning, multi-genre author of over 150 titles and 16 series.

Visit her website and blog here: https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/

and https://karenwiesner.weebly.com/karens-quill-blog

Visit her publisher here: https://www.writers-exchange.com/Karen-Wiesner/