Synopsis
Return to the cosy and heartwarming world of The Spellshop in The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst, a world brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes and honeyed love.
Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she is turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the Great Library of Alyssium.
When, years later, Terlu wakes up, she finds herself on a nearly deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. The only other human on the island is a grumpy – but surprisingly sweet – gardener. He offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes and freshly baked honey cakes – at least until she’s ready to sail home.
But Terlu can’t return, and doesn’t want to. And when she learns that the magic that sustains the greenhouses is failing – causing the death of everything within them – Terlu knows she must stay and help. Even if that means breaking the law again. Assisted by the gardener, a sentient rose, and a winged cat, Terlu must uncover the spell that will save the island – and possibly also find herself a fresh chance at love and happiness along the way.
Funny, kind and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst is a story about giving second chances – to others and to yourself.
Review
For those of you that know me, you’ll know that my preferred genre of books involve blood, guts, horror, nasty villains, and a good old body count. However, this year I said to myself that I need to read more outside of my comfort zone, so what better way to do that than to read… well, something comfortable!
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst is the second book set in the world first established in The Spell Shop (spoilers for my thoughts on that book, I liked it!), however, much like Legends & Lattes – the only other cosy fantasy novel I have had experience with to compare to – this acts an indirect sequel of sorts, and more of a standalone, to the first book. Basically, if you read this one first without any prior knowledge of the outcome of the first book, your enjoyment won’t be affected!
The Enchanted Greenhouse follows Terlu, who, after receiving punishment for the crime of creating a sentient plant, is turned into a wooden statue and locked away. Years later, she awakes on a deserted island filled with magical greenhouses that are slowly failing and it is up to her to fix this problem, along with a cast of unlikely friends.
First things first, I really enjoyed Terlu as a character and her journey throughout this story. She was relatable as, although she is good at the tasks she faces, she had her inner insecurities on display. Her arc of overcoming these and empowering herself was delightful to follow and satisfying in conclusion. She was also a very empathic character, and her relationship with Yarrow, the grumpy gardener she first meets upon awaking on the island, was so heartwarming. Her ability to understand Yarrow’s needs, closed off as he is to start, especially during a particularly emotional point in his arc, was nice to see. I have been used to characters maybe being a little emotionally unavailable or stunted, so seeing this very mature and healthy approach to character work and interactions was great!
I also enjoyed the sense of wonderment that I think cosy fantasy (at least the little I have had interaction with!) does brilliantly, as there are quirky things in this book that really had me smiling. For example, the talking rose – which is a novel idea, again the last sentient plant I read about liked eating people – was just a lovely thing to be around and truly joyous in its colourful nature. There wasn’t much world building here on offer – not that I was expecting Wheel of Time levels of lore – because a majority takes place in the greenhouses. The sense of discovery and adventure when going through and finding out all about each new greenhouse was so much fun. Each biome, ecosystem, creatures, and the plants that inhabit them was truly the epitome of wonderment. I also really enjoyed the sense of community that permeates throughout the novel. Maybe because it is so different from what I normally read, I found it very touching and inspiring. How the characters and those they meet along the way bond together to solve the problems of the greenhouses and rejuvenate the magic within them gave me the warm fuzzes.
The exploration throughout surrounding themes of forgiveness, of repenting for past dues, and of family – found or otherwise – were satisfying to read. I especially appreciate how the magic and the tasks that need completing by the characters, the greenhouses themselves and various other elements all come together to reflect these themes in a way that, while sometimes maybe a little heavy handed, I didn’t mind ultimately because this story was just so damn wonderful!
In short, if you are looking for a story that has a deep sense of exploration, of heartwarming whimsy and discovery, the kind of things that only truly magical fantasy can accomplish – with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure – then pick up The Enchanted Greenhouse! Sarah Beth Durst does a great job with both the first book (The Spell Shop) and its sequel, and what’s more is that The Enchanted Greenhouse releases tomorrow in the UK – July 17th! A cosy fantasy hit!
With thanks to Pan Macmillan Tor UK for the ARC!
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