The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst Published by Tor on July 11, 2024
Source: Publisher
Genres: Adult Fantasy Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction
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The Spellshop is a cottagecore cosy fantasy following a woman's unexpected journey through the low-stakes market of illegal spell-selling and the high-risk business of starting over . . .
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, she and Caz steal whatever books they can and flee to the faraway island where she grew up. She’s hoping to lay low and figure out a way to survive before the revolution comes looking for her. To her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town in disarray.
The empire with its magic spellbooks has slowly been draining power from the island, something that Kiela is indirectly responsible for, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right. Opening up a spell shop comes with its own risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the quirky townspeople, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must break down the walls she has kept so high.
Perfect for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune, The Spellshop is a romantic and cosy fantasy.
Featuring a librarian with a plant companion, a jam shop and a spell that makes trees grow, The Spellshop is a cozy fantasy that left me with many warm and fuzzy vibes. It was nice just relaxing and reading about Kiela’s life as she moves to an island to take refuge.
At first, Kiela takes a while to open up to the townspeople, as she wants to keep to herself after escaping from a traumatic past. However, she’s intrigued with Larran, a boy who welcomes her and opens her up to the world of friendship and companionship. What results is a soft romance between the two as we see them get to know each other, which just feels really innocent and lovely.’
As more of a slice of life read, The Spellshop doesn’t attempt to break any grounds when it comes to action-packed fantasy plot. Instead, it offers a peaceful, feel-good read that gives us many magical moments – from the joy of opening up a spellshop which helps people, to tending to plants, to getting your first customers through the door. There’s a magical small town feel about it, as Kiela gets to know all the townspeople and how she ends up with a found family.
There’s also all of the magical creatures, from unicorns, mermaids and an unexpected runaway who is also taking refuge. Some of the moments just felt really magical to read about.
All in all, The Spellshop is about spreading kindness and performing good deeds, even to those that you don’t know well. Because everyone is dealing with their own issues, and you never know what traumas live in their past. I really enjoyed this cozy fantasy read and could definitely do with more of them!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for sending me a review copy!
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