All We Hunger For

New
81Xotag9uFL
Author(s)
Age Range
14+
Release Date
June 23, 2026
ISBN
978-1250416681
Buy This Book
     
This limited deluxe edition is printed with stenciled edges and designed endpapers!

A young woman sneaks her way into a magical baking contest but gets pulled into an elusive aristocrat's lavish world and his nefarious plan as rebellion brews in their city―for fans of
This Woven Kingdom.

"Anna Mercier’s debut is your next obsession.” ―Emily J. Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of Hotel Magnifique

In Anespérer, where magic comes alive through artistic skill, Elara Rousseau knows she'll never be selected for the Objet d’Art. The high-stakes baking competition will elect a new Souverain to join the ruling council, and someone from the slums would never be considered. But when a brooding figure from her past sneaks her into the Objet, Elara has the chance to compete for a better future... as long as no one uncovers her traitorous secret.

Nikolas Dupont will do whatever it takes to impress his powerful father, a Souverain who hasn't officially recognized his son―like handpick a contestant to win and become his father's political pawn. But Elara is more than he bargained for, and she ignites his own subdued passions.

Against all odds, Elara excels and becomes a hero to the city's poor, all while Nik’s faith in his father crumbles and the sparks between them burn brighter. As the competition heats up, Elara and Nik must choose: fight to win the competition and secure a future of safety for them both, or use the power of Elara’s art to spark a revolution.

A Cozy Romantasy for readers who love:
● For fans of Chloe Gong, Judy I. Lin, and Stephanie Garber
● Forbidden Romance & Brooding Love Interests
● Slow-Burn Tension & Stolen Moments
● Secrets, Betrayal, and Rivalry
● Rebellion, Food Magic, and Fighting for Love

Editor review

1 review
Bakeoff Meets Revolution
Overall rating
 
3.3
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
3.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Revolutions and bread go hand in hand, but what if we considered weaponizing the bread? O_O

Welcome to the baking show. I mean, the revolution. I mean, Elara doesn’t really want to be involved, but when old acquaintances come knocking, her only option is to seize the proverbial golden ticket to compete as one of the select candidates to replace the recently and definitely not suspiciously deceased Souverain des Arts Culinaires. Cue stress baking, fancy fancy ingredients, tricky magic, baking challenges with scathing commentary, the Slums Which the Rich People Despise, and one boy who backs Elara betting on her being a puppet candidate but boy oh boy was he wrong.

I enjoyed the baking bits, and the magic, and Elara’s bold nature. It can be tricky to put a fresh spin on Down With the Regime plots, and while the general plot progresses as expected (no way, the politician is lyyyying?), this one carves a place for itself with a focus on what happens to the survivors of a failed revolution, how an elitist system manipulates individual success stories to excuse oppression, and of course, bread and tasty good things.

As it neared the end though, I had questions. Sinister figures become straight up evil and don’t get pushback. A respected leader drops a comeback I’d expect from a twelve year old. Elara and her new friends finally reach a position of trust but of course the moment the Bad Guy accuses them of being less than truthful, she still considers this a valid source of information.

I got a bit lost on characters’ motivations, but I guess I’d recommend for a standalone fantasy read with flawed heroes, reality TV style moments, and bittersweet decisions where characters face the consequences of their actions.

Content corner: The evil overlords can be shockingly violent. Otherwise, mild. Can count the swears on one hand; fade to black.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC**
Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0

User reviews

There are no user reviews for this listing.
Already have an account? or Create an account