Rating: 
Summary: Being generous
Review: I had a difficult time getting interested in this book. Many of the characters seemed too one-dimensional. Most notably the (main?) character, Jack.
The plot and setting seemed to be 'make up as you go'. The most interesting character was Tawl the knight. His angst kept me interested for 2/3rds of the book.
If you're looking for intrigue and depth, I'd recommmend the 'Wheel of Time' books.
I'll not buy any other books in this series, because there was nothing in it to hook me.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Characters!
Review: I'd seen this book on bookstore shelves for some years, and frequently gave it a once over....before actually purchasing some other book. Well, I finally picked this book up a few weeks ago. I loved it. Yes, the storyline was standard high fantasy fare, but the CHARACTERS WERE WHAT MADE THIS BOOK GREAT!
Too often in Fantasy, we are given black and white, good or evil, brave or cowardly characters. Rarely are we given characters who dwell somewhere in between these extremes. Not so in the "Baker's Boy"!
We have a gluttonous, greedy, sociopath archbishop (whose comically petty mistreatments of his servant, along with the servants thinly veiled hatred for his master are the highlight of the book), we have the haughty, violent, apple farm magnate/satyr Lord Maybor, we have the magical manipulator of thrones, a confirmed rapist, a potential child molester, who is still capable of offering thanks to his loyal, idiot servant, we have the two guards, whose lascivious, streetwise, but half-informed gossip provide fun and necessary enlightentment to the rest of the story.The author deserved praise for venturing outside of the standard fantasy restrictions on character types! Bravo!
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