The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst Review

Title: The Spellshop

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Genre: Cosy Fantasy

Publisher: Tor

Pages: 384

Release Date: 11 July 2024

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Hello fellow booklovers! Today I’m sharing my review for The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst—A whimsically cosy, slice of life fantasy that’s bursting with magic, lush island descriptions and a cast of heartfelt, magically diverse characters I couldn’t help but find endearing.

Synopsis

Every home needs a little magic . . .

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people, and as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a sentient spider plant, have spent most of the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s precious spellbooks, protecting the magic for the city’s elite. But a revolution is brewing and when the library goes up in flames, Kiela and Caz steal whatever books they can and flee to the faraway island where she grew up. But to her dismay, in addition to a nosy – and very handsome – neighbour, she finds the town in disarray.

The empire has slowly been draining power from the island, and now Kiela is determined to make things right. But opening up her own spellshop comes with its own risks – the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela starts to make a place for herself among the townspeople, she realises she must break down the walls she has kept so high . . .

Review

Merhorses, Unicorns and cloud bears oh my!

If you love cottagecore narratives then you’re almost certain to enjoy Sarah Beth Durst’s newest fantasy standalone. Which follows a Librarian and her sentient spider plant assistant, who after fleeing the danger of a revolution, decide to set up a Jam and (secret) magical remedy shop on the island of her birth.

I adored every second of this! The warm fuzzy, feel good vibes were fabulously strong, and the low stakes action made this such an easy to digest read. Firstly I just have to say, I absolutely adored Caz, the worrisome but protective (sentient) Spider Plant. His bond with Kiela was soo sweet and I enjoyed seeing him learn to thrive in such a vastly different environment to the one he’s become accustomed too (having only ever lived inside a library.)

Meep, the newly sentient, non-binary Cactus that Caz befriends was such a fun, endearingly energetic character as well, their dynamics with Caz was soo reminiscent of Baby Groot and Rocket Raccoon (from Guardians of The Galaxy) that I found myself eager to see what escapades they’d find themselves in next.

But, it was Kiela, our introverted librarian and protagonist that really stole the show for me. Her reclusive tendencies and preference for books over people was so relatable, and exploring her emotional development which sees her slowly grow in confidence and learn to open up to the caring, found family-esque community around her (and her cinnamon roll, merhorse herding love interest, Larran) had me feeling like a proud parent.

Kindness (something our own world sometimes feels like it need more of) is at the forefront of this heartfelt escapist fantasy, with themes of friendship and finding a place to belong taking centre stage. However, we do briefly touch upon deeper issues like magical resource hoarding by the elite (and their gatekeeping of knowledge) which I found surprisingly relevant to our own world’s issues.

The clever methods in which Kiela, Caz and the inhabitants of Caltrey manage to thwart the unjust system were delightfully entertaining and definitely made certain the cosy, lighthearted tone lasted until the very last page.

Overall, this was a cosy, feel good read that fans of Legends & Lattes or Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea don’t want to miss. But beware, you’re gonna crave tons of jam and baked goods —so do make sure to stock up beforehand.

Also, thank you to Olivia and Book Break UK for the incredible proof.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

About The Author 

Sarah Beth Durst is the award-winning author of over twenty-five books for adults, teens, and kids, including The Spellshop, The Lake House, and Spark. She won an American Library Association Alex Award and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for SFWA's Andre Norton Nebula Award three times. She is a graduate of Princeton University and lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat

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