3.75/5 stars

This is a story with a fascinating premise - recipes can be magic. I've wanted to read this since I first heard of it.

In a world where certain great recipes can give people powers, a society oppressed by its king finds the inspiration to rise up thanks to an unlikely commoner boy.

The narration was incredible. The writing is great and I love the concept. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the characters and that affected my overall enjoyment, hence the reduced rating.

Do not listen do audiobooks that actively describe recipes and meals when grocery shopping. Having "Seven Recipes for Revolution" by Ryan Rose going had me ravenous by the time I hit the register. Out 22 July 2025, thanks for the arc Bolinda Audio.

It's nice to have a passion, and cooking is a noble one to persue. But in a world where recipes containing meat from the giant monsters that are a threat to humanity grant power that field is a bit hazardous and knowledge is controlled by the rich. Paprick is a butcher of such creatures, attempting (and somehow failing) to work of his indenture, sneaking pieces out to practice recipes. Least until one gets loose, but because of who he is Paprick wants to help, in his attempt to he makes a new recipe one that skyrocket him in size and into the frying pan.

Narrated by Shaun Mendum, the snap from jocular to serious threw me several times, great stuff.

Reasons to read:
-For fans of Monster Hunter, Attack on Titan, Pacific Rim, Kaiju
-The desire to do good getting you into trouble until it pushes someone just a bit too far
-Knew there was a reason medium rare is the best
-The unreliable narrator
-The food

Cons:
-I cooked so much food during this, it's a problem

The audiobook narrator was great! Unfortunately, it could not save the story for me. I just could not connect well to it even with the super exciting kaiju type notes which I usually love. The premise sounded really good overall but it did not work for me. I thought the whole food system being woven in, would help, but no luck.

This will absolutely find its audience, so please give it a go if it sounds up your alley. I am going to give it a 3 as I think this is a me problem and not necessarily the book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for a review!

First of all I got a good laugh with the warning at the beginning to not try to make the recipes written in this book. Very wise, especially with some of the more exotic ingredients (aka human bits)! I enjoyed this storyline as it had an interesting twist with the Greater Recipes that give people special abilities, most commonly endurance but also possible to even control others.

The format, with Paprik, the Butcher telling his story to the Archivist to get out of being executed for regicide, among other things, hooked me right away because I knew it would be quite the journey! You have the Rares in control, with a power hungry king, and then there are the Commons with some rebelling which Paprik ends up with after creating a Greater recipe and put into the Rare group because they want that recipe. Lots of violence, cooking, learning recipes, turncoats, death of loved ones, and vows of vengeance of course. It makes for a fascinating world and seeing Paprik's journey was interesting, especially with the jumps from past to the present when he is regaling his story which may or may not all be true. Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger after much awesomeness and I hope I get the chance to see what Paprik does next on his search for the Source and all the powers he has amassed!

This was an awesome audiobook to listen to and the narrator, Shaun Mendum, did a good job of bringing this world of giant monsters, powerful chefs, and rebelling of the Commons to life. I hope they eat the Rare!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to listen to this audiobook!

I really liked the whole ‘eat the rich’ concept in this book, and how the politics within the Rares and Commons played a part in the Commons rising up. The end was quite rushed which is partly what brought it down from a 5 star to a 4 star but overall I really enjoyed the book and would be interested to see how things play out in book two.

I really enjoyed how the narrator for the audiobook told the story and would definitely listen to books by that narrator in the future

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

A book inspired by cooking shows, anime, and YA revolution stories? Seven Recipes for Revolution absolutely delivers!

Told in a story telling format from the viewpoint of the MC Paprick, it chronicles his early years and his path in becoming the Butcher - the enemy of the crown. I really liked Papricks journey and that he acted like a teenager - he was moody, insecure, but also driven by his dreams and want to help others.

The worldbuilding is one of the most unique I’ve come across—everything revolves around food and ingredients, from character names to the magical powers only a few can access.

Read this if you're craving a story packed with flavor, heart, and unexpected twists. It’ll leave you hungry for more—in every way.

The blurb name-drops Pierce Brown and Jay Kristoff, which made me hesitate, since I haven’t really clicked with either of them (yet; I’m hopeful for Empire of the Vampire). But Seven Recipes for Revolution went beyond the buzzwords and thankfully offered more. It’s a solid, often surprising story that blends monster butchery, culinary magic, and class war in a way that feels fresh—even if some parts work better than others.

Paprick, a seventeen-year-old butcher scraping by on the lower rungs of society, suddenly finds himself invited into the elite world of the Rares when he discovers a powerful new recipe. From there, he’s swept into a world of monstrous magic, privileged politics, and brewing revolution. The entire story is framed as his confession to an archivist while awaiting execution, which gives the narrative a constant hum of fatalism and tension.

The worldbuilding is where this book really shines. The culinary magic system (eating monster meat to gain power) might not be brand new if you’re an RPG nerd, but the culinary school + monster-butchery combo, layered with class commentary and academic scheming? Chef’s kiss. The themes are strong, especially around elitism, propaganda, and revolution, and the plot carries momentum throughout with a few sharp twists.

Paprick himself is easy to root for. His arc is full of heart, sacrifice, and grit. That said, the supporting cast didn’t leave as strong an impression. Some major moments hit hard in concept, but lacked the emotional shrapnel I was hoping for. Still, the plot doesn’t lose steam, and some of the twists are genuinely excellent.

The pacing started strong enough. It gave the world time to unfold, raised interesting questions, and didn’t feel rushed early on. But near the end of the middle section, it slows down a little too much and starts to feel repetitive, like it's circling the same ideas instead of moving forward. Then the final act hits and it goes from simmer to full boil almost instantly. It feels like we skipped a few steps getting there. It’s explosive and dramatic, sure, but it would’ve hit harder with a smoother transition and a little more time to build toward that climax.

The audiobook, provided to me by Bolinda Audio and NetGalley, was a strong experience overall. Narrated by Shaun Mendum (Scratch from Baldur’s Gate 3! My best boy!), the performance was great. His delivery suits the tone. Wry when it needs to be, heartfelt when it counts. The pace is a bit slow at default, but 1.5x to 1.75x was perfect. I flew through it in two days, and that should tell you everything.

This isn’t a flawless debut, but it’s ambitious, thoughtful, and full of bold ideas. I’ll absolutely check out the sequel and probably grab the physical copy too, since I heard there’s some monster art worth drooling over.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is like an anime in book form- utterly devourable, tasteful, and fun.

Paprick is a common butcher, carving slabs of meat from gargantuan monsters so chefs can prepare magic-granting meals for the rich. When he discovers a new recipe that makes him grow tall, he is invited to train in the culinary school of the Rares - the elite. Paprick dreams of liberating his people and sharing the monsters’ magic with the world.

This was like a high strung, tense cooking show meets over the top fantasy like One Piece or Attack on Titan.

This also uses a narrative framing device I love - told from Paprick when he is an adult known as the infamous Butcher. He is set to be executed but is first telling his story to the archivist. But is he embellishing, misleading? Is he really telling the truth? I always love an unreliable narrator.

<b>“We’re all tools, stage. The only meaningful choice in life is to determine what tool we become. I chose to be a chef’s tool, a knife. If I teach you anything, let it be this: be a knife. The rest are worthless.”
I nodded. I could be a knife. A sharp one.
</b>
This had some fascinating things to say on propaganda. The Rares keep the Commons down through rhetoric and lies for the benefit of the royals and their preferred religion. However, Paprick is turned into an idol built on tall (get it?) tales to further the rebellion.

The ending felt slightly rushed and I was not keen on the change in pacing and abrupt end. This is obviously the first in an explosive new series, yet I felt there needed to be a stronger end to book one.

Arc gifted by Black Crow.