A Hint of Hydra

Written by Heidi Lang and Kati Bartkowski

Part of the Mystic Cooking Chronicles series

A young chef must prevent war between elves and scientists after a murder is discovered.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 117 ratings

320 pages· 68,557 words· Est. 9.5 hour read

$17.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Thirteen-year-old chef Lailu Loganberry faces a simmering conflict between elves and scientists. During the Week of Masks, she must prepare a feast for Lord Elister while grappling with the unsettling invention of automatons. When a scientist is found dead, suspicion falls on the elves. With tensions rising, Lailu, alongside her friend Greg and spy Ryon, must uncover the truth before war erupts. Can she solve the mystery and keep the peace, or will her culinary skills be overshadowed by chaos?

From the publisher

Thirteen-year-old chef Lailu Loganberry must stop a war between the elves and scientists in this follow-up to A Dash of Dragon, which Kirkus Reviews calls “a recipe for success.” It’s the Week of Masks, a festival held to chase away evil spirits. But Lailu doesn’t have time to worry about demons. She has bigger fish to fry—or rather, griffons, now that she’s been asked to prepare a mystical feast for the king’s executioner, Lord Elister. Unfortunately Lailu’s meal is overshadowed by the scientists’ latest invention: automatons, human-shaped machines that will respond to their masters’ every order. Most people are excited by the possibilities, but the mechanical men leave Lailu with a bad taste in her mouth. Even worse, the elves still blame the scientists for the attacks on them weeks ago, and Lailu worries that the elves might be cooking up revenge. So when she and her sorta-rival-turned-almost-friend Greg stumble across the body of a scientist, the elves are the prime suspects. With help from Greg, her best friend Hannah, and the sneaky, winking spy Ryon, Lailu has to discover the truth behind the murder, and soon—because hostilities between the elves and the scientists are about to boil over faster than hydra stew. And just ask any chef: war is bad for business.

At a glance