Ratings48
Average rating4
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.
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz―a magically sentient spider plant―have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.
When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy―and very handsome―neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.
In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.
But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.
Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was a solid cozy fantasy and I thought it was absolutely adorable. It was engaging throughout and I felt very invested in Caltrey’s wellbeing. Caz was a great sidekick and has certainly set the standards bar high for my houseplants to live up to now.
Honestly, I'm speechless. This is probably the exact kind of cosy, magical fantasy that anyone interested in the genres would be looking for.
It has adorable talking plants, it has books, it has a man that will willingly suggest and offer to build bookshelves for said books and most importantly it has a mer-baby. Adorable, tiny tail mer-baby.
This is one of the best cottagecore, cosy fantasies that I have read. It was all very wholesome, with the main character opening up to people and settling down when she once came from. This will definitely be a treat for those with a sweet tooth, since there's so much of it around.
Rating Description:
1.0 - DNF/Despise
1.5 - Almost DNFed and wish I had
2.0 - Almost DNFed but had redeeming qualities/just boring
2.5 - Alright with lots of notes
3.0 - Alright with notes but I'm not raving about it
3.5 - Technically good but I'm not raving about it
4.0 - Love but with notes
4.5 - Love it so much I want to highlight the book but still with notes
5.0 - Love it so much I want to highlight the book and notes are very positive
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I have not read anything that was described as “Cosy Fantasy”. This is probably the 1st book I’ve read tagged as such.
It’s a good representative of its genre. It was light, easy to read, and relatively small-stakes. It’s very feel-good.
There is a specific thing that I have an issue with. Had it been fixed; I would have liked this a whole lot more. It’s the timeline.
The bulk of the story happened within a week or two. While it made sense that the protagonist starts to experiment with magic almost immediately due to need, it would have been better if suspicion and the fall out from her actions were delayed. Let her worry about it, settle into the possibility that she got away with it, and then have suspicion build up slowly. But there was basically the worry phase and then someone immediately got suspicious and started a ruckus. There was no suspense. No build up.
It’s the same with the relationships that formed. In that short time, she developed tight friendships and a love interest. I am not a fan of that kind of pacing. I know this is a fantasy but I still find that unbelievable.
So, is this exactly what I want to read in a fantasy book? Not really. I have to be in a certain mood for it. But I won’t say no to reading more of it. In fact, I just saw a second book for this. It’s not a sequel from the looks of it, more of an off-shoot of a character that was mentioned in this book. And I am already thinking of getting it.
When I started out, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book but as soon as Kiela and her assistant Caz, a talking walking spider plant, flee the library while it is underseige and they get on the boat and go to the island that Kiela was born and raised on, I was hooked.
The go to find safety in the home that Kiela lived in as a child. It's in disrepair after her family left it and the island isnt the place it once was. Everyone is hurting and the storms that come, full of magic, are no longer control the way they used to. Kiela uses the magical spell books that she liberated when she left to open a secret magic shop in hopes of helping the island balance itself out, while not drawing attention to the fact she is not supposed to do magic or have these books.
It was so good. I loved the dialogue and the plot was phenomenal. I want to buy a copy of the book if it comes out in a special edition hardcover because it is magnificent. Beautifully written and it will suck you into a world of greed but with the humility of people who have nothing but they will give you the shirt off your back. The protect Kiela when the revolutionists come looking for someone else who fled.
I was blown away by how much I loved this book
5 stars
Featured Prompt
33 booksYour favorite cozy fantasy, low stakes story that made you feel content or warm and fuzzy