The first book in a new series called The Dell Chronicles, HL Bernabe’s Cooking Up Magick sets out to be a cozier fantasy version of The Lord of the Rings. And in many ways, it does pull directly from J.R.R. Tolkien’s world. The main character, Paisley, is a halfling who gets swept up on an adventure with a pair of dwarves, but unbeknownst to her, there’s also an evil overlord that has just returned after centuries – and she’s the only hope the world has to actually stop him.
The similarities to The Hobbit and LOTR pretty much end there though, and you don’t get nearly enough detail in the first book to effectively flesh out this alternate version of Middle-earth. What you do get is a lovable main character who is surrounded by an interesting cast of characters. There’s cooking, there’s magic, and there’s even a bit of romantasy thrown in here, but Cooking Up Magick doesn’t serve up enough of any of it to fully bring its story to life.
Cooking Up Magick shines brightest whenever the core characters are interacting with each other. Paisley is a bubbly bright spot among the crew, capable of immense courage and compassion. She has a sort of magnetism that rubs off on her friends and which helps shine a light on each of their individual personalities. Her conversations and moments with her newfound friends (and her Half-Orc love interest) really help to ground the story’s core concept of found family.
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