Finlay Ashowan, a secretive witch turned royal cook, has just snagged a job in the chaotic kitchens of Daxaria’s palace. Naturally, it doesn’t take long before his magical talents start bubbling over. With his feline sidekick, Kraken, Fin finds himself navigating palace intrigues, dodging shifty knights, tripping over potential romances, and unraveling mysteries from his past.

Cozy fantasy might not be the current “it” genre, but it’s my ultimate comfort genre. Low stakes, lovable misfits, a found family, mouthwatering food, and a cute animal sidekick, what’s not to love? This book delivers all that and then some, so of course, I devoured it like a warm croissant on a rainy day.

I mean, who wouldn’t fall for a witchy chef finding his place, healing old emotional wounds, settling into a safe home with his eccentric cat familiar, and maybe even discovering a dash of romance? Fin is sweet, protective, and so easygoing that it’s no wonder everyone, knights, princes, maids, and even royalty, ends up smitten with him.

While cozy, the stakes are a bit higher than your usual fare, with plenty of political intrigue and some surprisingly heavy emotional threads. Definitely worth checking the trigger warnings before diving in.

The only downside? It’s a bit longer than it needs to be, and some parts feel a little repetitive. But even with those hiccups, I devoured this book and loved every second. And, like everyone else in the palace, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Fin.