tl;dr
A fantasy adventure in a whimsical world featuring a colorful cast of characters, and a playful narrative.

Thoughts
The author describes her work as whimsical, and I am inclined to agree. There's a playfulness to the narrative, with several tongue-in-cheek descriptions of this Very Serious World, and plenty of subverted expectations. The guide to plants in particular speaks with a dry humor that I really enjoy. World-building is a little wibbly, but this feels largely on purpose. It's a fun ride, and it's easier not to ask toooo many questions about what's going on with all the magic. From what I can tell, this book was originally written for Kindle Vella, which means chapters were released one at a time. You can feel this a little bit with chapters feeling more like short episodes rather than connected scenes, as it bounces between two separate story threads that eventually come together. Florian's arc feels more adventure-like in nature, and I found myself really liking the motley bunch of characters he fell in with. Growina's story starts more cozy fantasy-like, with a larger cast of slightly less endearing folks as she navigates things like making friends or trying to convince people to try new food. If you're looking for an adventure with bright characters and less baggage than your average fantasy, give this book a look.

Thanks to NetGalley and Naughtobelus Books LLC for the review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.