#BookReview: A Fellowship of Games and Fables by J. Penner

A Fellowship of Games & Fables (Adenashire, #3) by J. Penner
Format: eARC
Source: supplied by publisher via Edelweiss
Formats available: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook
Genres: cozy fantasy, fantasy, fantasy romance, foodie fiction, romantasy
Series: Adenashire #3
Pages: 295
Published by Poisoned Pen Press on September 9, 2025
Purchasing Info: Author's Website, Publisher's Website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Better World Books
Goodreads

From cold rivalry to hot cocoa and warm hearts.
Jez, a grumpy fennex, wants nothing to do with the cold, snow or bustling winter games descending on the charming town of Adenashire. She’d rather curl up for a nap. But a drunken boast lands her smack in the middle of the festivities and, even worse, fake dating her friend, Taenya, a woodland elf.
Plagued by chronic fatigue and past heartbreak, Jez has long guarded her heart. Not to mention she has a secret she’d rather not share. Yet, Taenya’s warmth and patience begin to melt her icy exterior. Together, the two women tackle challenges (from ice sculpting to scavenger hunts) and their pretend relationship sparks genuine feelings.
With the unwavering support of her friends, and amidst the cozy, festive cheer of winter, Jez discovers that love and acceptance are within reach, even for those who would rather hibernate in the shadows.
Escape to Adenashire for a heartwarming tale of friendship, romance, resilience, and the magical spirit of the season.

My Review:

The Adenashire series has been cozying up to each of the friends who ‘conquered’ the legendary Langheim Baking Battle since the first delightful book in the series, A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic.

At the delicious end of the Baking Battle, although Taenya won the competition, it was the fellowship of Arleta, Doli, Taenya and Jez that collectively walked away with the real prize in that contest – each other’s lifelong friendship.

So they all followed Arleta back to her home in Adenashire. Both because it sounded charming, AND because each of them – except Arleta of course – had a strong desire to make a fresh start somewhere far away from the homes they sorta/kinda ran away from to enter the Baking Battle in the first place.

They’re all adults, so they didn’t EXACTLY run away from home. But they didn’t exactly not, either. They each wanted to start over, on their own, outside the influence of well-meaning but overbearing and VERY influential families who loved them but had made it entirely too clear that they’d be more acceptable if they followed in the family footsteps and remained under the family thumb.

The second book in the series, A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons, is the dwarf Doli Butterbuckle’s discovery of her happily ever after. That the dwarf falls in love with a librarian who happens to be a gargoyle just added to the story’s charm – especially for this reader.

This third story circles back around to the actual winner of the Baking Battle, the elf Taenya, and the other remaining unmatched member of the Baking Battle fellowship, grumpy fennex Jez. Who begins this entry in the series even grumpier than she usually is.

It’s not merely winter, but it’s winter in Adenashire and the Yule Games are just about to begin – much to Jez’ EXTREME consternation.

As a desert creature, Jez simply hates winter. It’s cold. It’s really, really cold. It snows. The paths ice over. And did I – or rather Jez – mention that it’s COLD?

As if that’s not enough to make a fennex grumpier than usual, Adenashire’s Yule Games are a really big deal, drawing vast numbers of visitors to the cozy little town to either participate or spectate – or speculate – on which team will win the Games this year.

Jez has made very firm plans for this year’s Yule Games. She’s planning to hide her antisocial self inside the bookstore for the entire length of the Games, staying out of the way of the crowds that have invaded her sanctuary, clogging up every street and all of her usual haunts.

That the increased crowds are making her secret and oversensitive ‘scent magic’ so reactive that she’s constantly bombarded with headaches and chronic exhaustion couldn’t possibly be influencing her mood. At all.

Which is why it’s a complete, not so much surprise as outright shock, when a drunken Jez refuses to back down from the challenge of some blowhard, out-of-town Games participants to not just participate but actually win at the side of the elf she’s trying to pretend doesn’t make her feel better just by entering the room.

And that’s how Jez and Taenya decide to take that bet, not just to participate in the Games, but to fake-date their way through the competition. They’ll still be friends – just friends – when the games are over, won’t they?

Sure they will.

Escape Rating B: It may be a bit early for OUR holiday season, but I couldn’t resist the coziness of Adenashire this week. The earlier books this week had plenty of dark moments – although not the same kind of dark – and I was looking for something light and cozy. Places don’t come much lighter and cozier than Adenashire.

(Although Thune in Legends & Lattes and Tawney in Tomes & Tea absolutely are right up there with it, along with Shady Hollow. Also, we’re just at the beginning of fall, and it got hot again around here. The descriptions of Adenashire’s picture perfect chilly winter sounded delightful in comparison.)

The thing I enjoy about series like Adenashire is that it’s a nice visit with friends. I start out wanting to see how everyone is doing. The chance to catch up with the ‘gang’ is ALWAYS worthwhile no matter what else is happening around them. That there’s a lovely story to sink into while catching up is the icing on a very tasty cake. (They’re all bakers. ALL the cakes are tasty. Do NOT read this series while hungry. It comes with recipes!)

The romance this time around is a bit low-key. It takes Taenya and Jez the whole story to admit that they’re in love with each other. Jez has a bit of a case of the “I’m not worthies” of the “I screw up all my relationships” variety, so her part in that is figuring out that her friends accept her as she is – and that Taenya loves her as she is. Also that nobody’s perfect, no matter how together they appear.

Jez’ variety of this particular romantic tangle was interesting in its own way, as she’s suffering from the magical equivalent of chronic fatigue syndrome. Her magic is overwhelming when she uses it (everybody smells all the time, after all) and painful and debilitating when she suppresses it. Her attempts at self-medication have had their own consequences, which is how she gets herself into this mess in the first place.

The games were cute and very winter-appropriate, but what gave the story that extra bit of zing was the little touch of infuriating irritation at the blowhards that tempted her into that bet. Jez was sure that they were cheating the whole way – but she’s naturally suspicious to begin with. Because cozy fantasy tends to be refreshingly light on violence and other forms of criminality, the discovery of what those ‘blowhards’ really were manipulating turned out in the end to be a surprising and delightful bit of business after all of Jez’ signature grumpiness.

Of course the story ends in a happy ever after for all concerned, as well as a marvelous bit of news that is sure to be at the heart of the next book in the series, A Fellowship of Curses & Cats. Arleta’s ‘Fated’, Theo, is planning to open a cat cafe next door to Arleta’s bakery – under the ‘supurrvision’ of his magical feline friend Faylin. What could possibly go wrong?

We’ll certainly see later this season!

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