Synopsis
The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.
Join Kiela the librarian and her assistant, Caz the sentient spider plant, as they navigate the low stakes market of illegal spellmaking and the high risk business of starting over.
“Sarah Beth Durst is the hidden gem of the fantasy world.” —Book Riot
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.
She and her assistant, Caz, a magically sentient spider plant, have spent the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. But when a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz save as many books as they can carry and flee to a faraway island Kiela was sure she’d never return to: her childhood home. Kiela hopes to lay low in the overgrown and rundown cottage her late parents left her and figure out a way to survive without drawing the attention of either the empire or the revolutionaries. Much to her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town neglected and in a state of disrepair.
The empire, for all its magic and power, has been neglecting for years the people who depend on magical intervention to maintain healthy livestock and crops. Not only that, but the very magic that should be helping them has been creating destructive storms that have taken a toll on the island. Due to her past role at the library, Kiela feels partially responsible for this, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right: by opening the island’s first-ever secret spellshop.
Her plan comes with risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the kind and quirky townspeople of her former home, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must learn to break down the walls she has built up so high.
Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.
Review
The Spellshop is snuggling up in your favorite chair with a cozy blanket, a mug of hot chocolate, and a beloved pet sleeping on your lap. Every fan of cozy fantasy should give it a read.
Kiera, a blue-skinned blue-haired librarian, and Caz, a magical sentient spider plant, flee political unrest in the capital. They’ve rescued several crates of books but most contain forbidden knowledge of magic so they need to lie low. They head to Kiera’s home island, where her parents still owned a home.
There are elements of a Hallmark movie – gal from the big city returns to her home town and learns how to live again. There’s even a tall neighbor guy who helps with handyman stuff. There’s also a bit of Tea Dragon Society mixed in. The island is populated by many fantasy creatures: centaurs, goat-horned people, mer-creatures, and I’m not sure what to call some of them. The island is doing poorly due magical environmental damage and storms.
The spells of Kiera’s definitely-not-magic shop are made from plants and other natural reagents, along with magic words. Not everything is native to the island, so they need to improvise, and Kiera has no training in magic. There are some hiccups as she figures things out.
The pacing is very slow and everything is richly described with all five senses. You can smell the salt water, taste the cinnamon buns, hear the birds, and feel the worn quilts left in the cottage by Kiera’s parents. It’s not pure vibes; there are conflicts and worries to overcome. Even at its most stressful moments, The Spellshop left me more relaxed and optimistic than when I started reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy. The Spellshop is set for publication July 9, 2024.
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