Synopsis
Adventurers flock to massive crypts brimming with riches…. Heroes storm the gates of dark fortresses… Gods clash over the fate of the realm itself….
Arek cooks lasagna, and tops it with a dash of finely chopped basil.
An orc who has seen more than his fair amount of fighting, Arek wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his days cooking and away from the chaos of combat.
However, when Ming and her group of adventurers hire him as their full-time chef, his plans of avoiding violence crumble. He longs to leave his blood-soaked mistakes in his past, but old friends and foes have different ideas.
Review
Note 1: This novel also contains real recipes, and author highly recommends giving them a taste, if you’re hungry!
Note 2: This novel is advertised as LitRPG-lite, but I consider this a slice-of-life fantasy as the game elements are so lite to be negligible.
Such a delightful read that always brings a smile and puts me in a happy (and slightly hungry) mood. I’ve read this cover to cover twice now and have browsed sections multiple times more and it still delivers!
The novel follows Arek an orc with a hidden past who loves cooking. He comes across a quirky band of adventurers (The Happy Sunflowers) and joins their team as chef. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement as it gets Arek access to recipes and ingredients and the team gets some sumptuous food. Obviously things don’t go as planned, and the book is all about their adventures both in against dungeons against monster’s and in kitchens against arrogant chefs.
Not just about cooking, there is also adventuring as they explore dungeons and hunt monsters, while solving a mystery. The plot moves at steady pace as we get to see the team dynamics settle and get to know more of the characters and their history. The way the team with the help of Arek develops not just in power, but also as individuals is just perfectly done. The characters are fleshed out really well, each with their own histories, aspirations and the interactions between them is simply a joy to read. If I was ever go adventuring, the Happy Sunflowers would be my go to team! Just like a perfect meal, the individual ingredients of action, humour, character and world building are in perfect proportions making this a wholesome read.
The books is delight to read with it’s fun and optimistic vibe, that runs all through guaranteed to life reader’s spirits. The prose is very down to earth flowing with with and humour and you’ll never realize when you start smiling. And that smile will last all the way till the end dropping only when you realize book 2 isn’t out yet.
As noted above, the books has detailed real recipes of some of the stuff Arek cooks. Now, being banned from Kitchen after causing multiple near disasters, I can’t attest to their efficacy, but even reading them got me craving for them!
Great story, fun prose and a cast that is eminently likeable, this book is a must for fans who are looking for a fun and uplifting read! Give this a read…and get cooking/eating!
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