A perfect cozy fantasy, The Spellshop delivers a spellbinding story about adventure, love, and personal growth.

As a librarian in the Great Library of Alyssium in the ruling city of her world, Kiela’s life is complete with just her books and her assistant, the talking spider plant Caz. But when the Great Library is set to flames amidst a revolution, Kiela and Caz have to flee from the city and bring whatever books they can manage to find refuge at her childhood home on a remote island. To survive, Kiela will not only need to talk to other people (including an annoyingly handsome neighbor who keeps dropping by) but use a touch of illegal magic in the books she saved to get her new business selling her family’s jam off the ground. As Kiela gets to know the community, she begins to understand how the island’s inhabitants have been abandoned by the empire and face increasingly worrying natural disasters. She has to decide how much to risk helping out—can she share the great knowledge from her books to help the town, without anyone realizing she’s using illegal magic?

❤️ What I loved: The Spellshop delivers in the cozy fantasy genre—lovable characters, a fantastical setting, and sweet romance. I would definitely say this is a romantic comedy, with many humorous moments to balance out the emotional ones. The characters are so endearing, with some great character development throughout for Kiela in particular. Our main romance is very innocent and sweet in its development and feels very realistic in its cute awkwardness. The story does have some high stakes as it goes on, but the tone of the writing keeps things from feeling too dire, ultimately creating a hopeful story of self-discovery, love, and friendship.

💔 What I didn’t love: A bit of a slow start in the early part of this book detracted a bit from the overall strength of the book, but in general, this was a lovely read!

I would highly recommend this book to fans of cozy fantasy looking to escape to a unique world full of funny and lovable characters. I would love to see more in this world from Sarah Beth Durst in the future!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4-4.5)

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Beth Durst, and Tor Publishing/Bramble, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Charming book. A very sheltered librarian flees the city with several boxes of spell books when the library is set on fire during a revolution that is bringing about the downfall of an empire. She ends up at the island where she had lived as a young child, through chance (or mis-chance) opening up a jam shop and dealing in small spells for the betterment of her community. Of course, making spells is illegal for her, so she has to hide that and it becomes the major source of conflict in this book. Lots of interesting folks and species and creatures to give the book even more flavor.

I think I have come to the realization, that for now, cozy fantasy isn't really for me. I really wanted to like this but I found it a bit slow. I loved the premise, especially the talking spider plant, but found it a bit too slow for me.

The back blurb for Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop says it is “Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic.” That is pretty much a perfect descriptor, since this charming novel is a lovely, magic-infused delight.

Kiela and her sentient spider plant friend/assistant, Caz, have spent the past eleven years managing the spellbooks section at the Great Library of Alyssium. It’s been a fabulous job for them. Caz, created by illegal magic, finds safety sequestered among these highly restricted volumes, and Kiela loves the solitude of working in a closed, confined section of space. Scholars send her lists of what they need, and if their request gets approved, she delivers the volumes to them. It’s a quiet, peaceful life.

Until it’s not. When whispers of revolution first reach her, Kiela is unconcerned. She is confident no one would burn books and that both sides of whatever fighting takes place will show respect to the librarians and the tomes they care for. Caz is less sanguine and urges her to prepare for the worst. Very reluctantly, she places emergency provisions in one of the ships the library uses to transport books across the canals of the city to those who request them. Kiela also begins sorting through her inventory, setting aside any duplications and making sure she places in crates those volumes she thinks are most rare, most valuable, and most powerful. So she is semi-ready when an angry mob storms through the building, burning and pillaging as they sweep through the many floors of the structure. Because Kiela and Caz are in one of the upper stories, closed to the public, they have extra time to take the crates and themselves to the back of the building, board a boat, and sail towards safety. At first, Kiela is unsure where to go, but lacking clear direction and ill-equipped to be out at sea indefinitely, she heads to the faraway island home she and her parents left long ago. Her folks have died, so their old house technically belongs to her.

The good news is that the dock her family used to moor a boat to is still standing. So is the house. The bad news is that both are in need of the kinds of repairs Kiela doesn’t know how to do, and nor does she have the funds for major renovations. But those are problems for the future; for the present, she needs rest. She spends the night in a very dusty abode after consuming a dinner of the limited provisions she’s brought. She awakes to see an extremely handsome man wielding a scythe standing in her doorway. His name is Larran, he’s her neighbor, and he claims he knew her as a child. Kiela has limited memories of living in the outer islands - she left when she was nine - but she accepts his word for all of it, assures him she has a legitimate claim to the cabin, and sends him on his way.

Kiela and Caz’s initial goal is simple: to build a decent shelter for themselves and the precious cargo they are preserving until the rightful government returns to power. But as Kiela settles into this surprisingly satisfying new life, she comes to a startling realization. The empire hasn’t been protecting magic, they’ve been hoarding it. By limiting the number of people who can practice wizardry, they have harnessed the power of sorcery for the benefit of only the rich and powerful. The end result has been magic run amok, with crops and livestock failing due to magical malnourishment and destructive storms caused by residual enchantments raging across the seas. As the gatekeeper of the magical volumes of their land, Kiela has played a role - albeit unknowingly - in creating this messy situation. Determined to right this unintentional wrong, she begins to use the knowledge in the books surreptitiously. She doesn’t dare sell spelled items or potions outright, but labeling certain goods as “home remedies” that heal trees and speed crop production seems like a doable alternative. It has the added benefit of bringing in some necessary income so she can pay for repairs and other necessities. But it’s risky. Extremely risky. The consequences of the unauthorized use of spells are often far more agonizing than mere death. Yet Kiela is determined not to let fear keep her from doing the right thing. Of course, that’s easy to say now while the war rages far from her bucolic new home. Will she still feel that way when whoever wins arrives at her door?

As mentioned above, this little meringue of a book is saccharinely sweet. Kiela is all the things a heroine should be - honest, earnest, clever, caring, and politically correct. Larran is the hero equivalent - brave, handsome, loyal, supportive, loving, and open-minded. While both are initially a bit wary of each other and unsure how to go about building a relationship - Larran is taciturn by nature, and Kiela is keeping some big secrets - they soon settle into a rhythm of neighborly camaraderie that blossoms into something more.

While Kiela is initially described as a pretty intense introvert, the story uses the ‘finding your tribe’ trope to bring her out of her shell. The village is full of quirky, kindly denizens eager to embrace the recently (reluctantly) returned Kiela and her surprisingly effective “home remedies”. The vast bulk of people she meets on the island are welcoming and go out of their way to be helpful and accepting. They are so nice, you can’t help but fall in love with them.

In addition to the terrific characters, I appreciated the world-building and the view of magic as a tool - anyone can do it; it just takes training, patience, and courage (spells can go dangerously awry) to pursue it. The writing is excellent, the plot intriguing, and the romance handled with deft balance. It doesn’t overshadow the initial storyline, but it isn’t just tacked on to the narrative, either.

This leads me to my one and only complaint about this book; like a diet comprised only of sweet baked goods, the fact that the story doesn’t give us a nuanced look at how good people can differ or how small towns rarely accept outsiders, even those born there, makes it impossible to see this as anything but light, fluffy and ultimately inconsequential. Even though the entire tale begins with people dying, buildings burning, and necessities being hoarded, the removal to a remote location allows the reader to focus on a dream world where everyone is working to make things as they ought to be - and they all agree on what that is!

The Spellshop is a wonderful read, appropriate for everyone who loves fantasy, whether they are 12 or 120. It is, however, a cinnamon roll - sweet, warm, and uplifting but totally lacking nutritional value. Pick it up, savor it, and love it. But don’t expect a whole lot of depth.

Well isn't this just the cutest! What an adorable cozy fantasy! After reading a ton of heavy lot this is just the escape I was looking for. Found family is one of my favorite themes and the Spellshop explores it wonderfully.

The Spell Shop

When I saw the cover of this book I knew I needed to read it! It’s so pretty!
I did an immersive read with this one and it was WONDERFUL!
This was THE BEST cozy fantasy! I really enjoyed Kiela’s character and her assistant, Caz, who is a snake plant! I mean, who wouldn’t want a snake plant as a sidekick?!?!
The world building was so fun and the small town neighborhood was endearing. You also get to meet a ton of magical characters and I am still trying to figure out which are my favorite.

The narration by Caitlin Davies really brought the story to life and I just love when a story feels like a nice, big, warm hug!

This was the book that got me out of my reading slump. Adorable. Magical. Cozy. Thank you for the advance copy. Have recommended to several customers in my store already

First of all I wanted to thank you for a chance to read an advance reader copy of this book.
This book was so November with hot chocolate cozy.

The story is about a librarian and her friend the spider plant who are escaping their city to her childhood home. When they get there they have to learn how to survive with little to nothing. They open a jam shop to make ends meet. What she didn't expect was the people she would meet along the way and doing illegal magic to help save the town.

I have to say I loved the characters. As an introvert myself, Kiela, I thought was written true to how a lot of introverts are. I also was constantly laughing at Caz the spider plant. He was definitely my favorite character. There are many more characters you meet along the way that are just so loveable or you can't stand them (in a good way). There is someone for everyone in this book.

The story itself is very intriguing and very cozy. It isn't overly deep in its worldbuilding, but it is very entertaining. It moves at a slow to medium pace and keeps you wanting more.

I think this book is a perfect book when you just want something nice and cozy to read, whether that's on a beach in the summer or when it's snowing outside and you want some hot chocolate and a book.

This was a cute novel. A breath of fresh air, and such a calming, cozy fantasy. It was just so fun to read.

The characterizations were so much fun. Especially the sidekicks - Caz and Meep. They were cute additions, and made the story that much more magical!

I also loved that it wasn’t a cozy in a magical setting. It actually used the magic system for the betterment of the story. It gave it more depth, and was a vital role.

The romance element was fun. I expected it almost from meeting both characters, but even so. I found it a hair rushed, but that just may be me. But, even so, it was cute!

All in all, I really enjoyed it! A fresh take on cozy stories!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, received from the publisher and author through NetGalley. However, all thoughts and views reflected are strictly my own opinions.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is about Kiela, a librarian, who escapes the capital as a rebellion sets fire to the royal library. With crates of books on her small boat, she travels back to the island she was born on with her sentient spider plant Caz. There, she reunites with friends from her childhood and sparks a romance with the local merhorse rancher, while also starting her own jam and charm shop.

Unfortunately, while this book had plenty of cozy vibes, it was sadly, a little boring. The chapters are short and quick and the book is set at a medium pace, but this all still wasn't enough to hold my attention. The romance was a little shallow, while it wasn't insta-love, it didn't feel developed enough. The author hoped that by making them sort of childhood friends, this would be enough to move the romance quickly, but it didn't work for me.

I also felt the world was underbaked. We knew there was a revolution in the capital, but we didn't know what started it, who was revolting, etc. There wasn't much explanation into the magic system. Why could Kiela use magic? Could anyone use magic? Why are only certain people trained in wind magic? Why was magic banned? I had so many questions!

The characters also felt underdeveloped and similar to one another. Besides their race and occupation, just about everyone had the same cheerful, welcoming personality (with only a couple of exceptions). Later on also, some side characters behave absolutely irrationally and it was hard for me to go on with how it continued to be non-sensical.

Overall, if you the reader are looking for a cute, cozy fantasy without much depth, this might be the perfect choice. If you want more worldbuilding in your fantasy or you want more romance in your romantasy, this will not be your cup of tea.

THIS REVIEW WILL RUN IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS
The back blurb for Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop says it is “Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic.” That is pretty much a perfect descriptor since this charming novel is a lovely, magic-infused delight.

Kiela and her sentient spider plant friend/assistant Caz have spent the past eleven years managing the spellbooks section at the Great Library of Alyssium. It’s been a fabulous job for them. Caz, created by illegal magic, finds safety sequestered among these highly restricted volumes, and Kiela loves the solitude of working in a closed, confined section of space. Scholars send her lists of what they need, and if their request gets approved, she delivers the volumes to them. It’s a quiet, peaceful life.

Until it’s not. When whispers of revolution first reach her, Kiela is unconcerned. She is confident no one would burn books and that both sides of whatever fighting takes place will show respect to the librarians and the tomes they care for. Caz is less sanguine and urges her to prepare for the worst. Very reluctantly, she places emergency provisions in one of the ships the library uses to transport books across the canals of the city to those who request them. Kiela also begins sorting through her inventory, setting aside any duplications and making sure she places in crates those volumes she thinks are most rare, most valuable, and most powerful. So she is semi-ready when an angry mob storms through the building, burning and pillaging as they sweep through the many floors of the structure. Because Kiela and Caz are in one of the upper stories, closed to the public, they have extra time to take the crates and themselves to the back of the building, board a boat, and sail towards safety. At first, Kiela is unsure where to go, but lacking clear direction and ill-equipped to be out at sea indefinitely, she heads to the faraway island home she and her parents left long ago. Her folks have died, so their old house technically belongs to her.

The good news is that the dock her family used to moor a boat to is still standing. So is the house. The bad news is that both are in need of the kinds of repairs Kiela doesn’t know how to do. Nor does she have the funds for major renovations. But those are problems for the future; for the present, she needs rest. She spends the night in a very dusty abode after consuming a dinner of the limited provisions she’s brought. She awakes to see an extremely handsome man wielding a scythe in her doorway. His name is Larran, he’s her neighbor, and he claims he knew her as a child. Kiela has limited memories of living in the outer islands - she left when she was nine - but she accepts his word for all of it, assures him she has a legitimate claim to the cabin, and sends him on his way.

Kiela and Caz’s initial goal is simple: To build a decent shelter for themselves and the precious cargo they are preserving until the rightful government returns to power. But as Kiela settles into this surprisingly satisfying new life, she comes to a startling realization. The empire hasn’t been protecting magic, they’ve been hoarding it. By limiting the number of people who can practice wizardry, they have harnessed the power of sorcery for the benefit of only the rich and powerful. The end result has been magic run amok, with crops and livestock failing due to magical malnourishment and destructive storms caused by residual enchantments raging across the seas. As the gatekeeper of the magical volumes of their land, Kiela has played a role - albeit unknowingly - in creating this messy situation. Determined to right this unintentional wrong, she begins to use the knowledge in the books surreptitiously. She doesn’t dare sell spelled items or potions outright, but labeling certain goods as “home remedies” that heal trees and speed crop production seems like a doable alternative. It has the added benefit of bringing in some necessary income so she can pay for repairs and other necessities. But it’s risky. Extremely risky. The consequences of the unauthorized use of spells are often far more agonizing than mere death. Yet Kiela is determined not to let fear keep her from doing the right thing. Of course, that’s easy to say now while the war rages far from her bucolic new home. Will she still feel that way when whoever wins arrives at her door?

As mentioned above, this little meringue of a book is saccharinely sweet. Kiela is all the things a heroine should be - honest, earnest, clever, caring, and politically correct. Larran is the hero equivalent- brave, handsome, loyal, supportive, loving, and open-minded. While both are initially a bit wary of each other and unsure how to go about building a relationship - Larran is taciturn by nature, and Kiela is keeping some big secrets - they soon settle into a rhythm of neighborly camaraderie that blossoms into something more.

While Kiela is initially described as a pretty intense introvert, the story uses the “finding your tribe” trope to bring her out of her shell. The village is full of quirky, kindly denizens eager to embrace the recently (reluctantly) returned Kiela and her surprisingly effective “home remedies.” The vast bulk of people she meets on the island are welcoming and go out of their way to be helpful and accepting. They are so nice, you can’t help but fall in love with them.

In addition to the terrific characters, I appreciated the world-building and the view of magic as a tool - anyone could do it; it just took training, patience, and courage (spells can go dangerously awry) to pursue it. The writing is excellent, the plot intriguing, and the romance handled with deft balance. It didn’t overshadow the initial storyline, but it wasn’t just tacked on to the narrative either.

This leads me to my one and only complaint about this book: like a diet comprised only of sweet baked goods, the fact that the story didn’t give us a nuanced look at how good people can differ or how small towns rarely accept outsiders, even those born there, made it impossible to see this as anything but light, fluffy and ultimately inconsequential. Even though the entire tale begins with people dying, buildings burning, and necessities being hoarded, the removal to a remote location allows the reader to focus on a dream world where everyone is working to make things as they ought to be - and they all agree on what that is!

The Spellshop is a wonderful read, appropriate for everyone who loves fantasy, whether they are 12 or 120. It is, however, a cinnamon roll—sweet, warm, uplifting but totally lacking nutritional value. Pick it up, savor it, and love it. But don’t expect a whole lot of depth.

This one took me a little while to get into as Kiela established herself on an island her family had a cottage on. After a fire in a library in a nearby city she had fled from.

I really enjoyed all the magic experimentation and the awkward young love of her with her neighbor Larren. She was pretty sheltered as a librarian in the city but he had remembered her from when she was younger. So they get pretty close but not like courting since there is a lot of danger.

I always appreciate a found family and in this small town especially when a threat happens they band together. The magical spirits and all the results of the experiments were unique. I would love a talking plant!

This is such a charming cozy romantasy with a sentient plant you will absolutely fall in love with!!!

The perfect cottagecore, slow-living, magical vibes. Perfect for the cozy reader, fantasy genre-related or otherwise. Sweet and fun with lovely atmosphere. Can't wait to recommend to all my friends and customers!

Here I sit in the dead heat of summer, wishing for a fall day to curl up with a cozy mystery with a nip of chill in the air.
Alas, we can't always get what we want.
While I appreciate the very Disney-esque imagery, it felt a little heavy handed on the romance. I didn't feel like there were enough tasks to settle into a repetition, the plot points of cozy fantasy that I enjoy the most.

The author said in her acknowledgements “I wanted to write a book that felt like a warm hug.” Well done! This is a beautiful cozy fantasy about found family and a magical island. I loved this book so much.

The Spellshop was the perfect combination of cozy, whimsical fantasy and wholesome romance. Kiela is living my dream - opening a jam shop on a small island with her best friend, a sentient plant, and running a secret spellshop on the side. I identified a lot with Kiela, as she’s very introverted and prefers the company of books and long bouts of comfortable silence. I absolutely loved the story Sarah wrote; everything stayed cozy but the plot had enough I was never bored. If I could go exist in this magical world featured in The Spellshop, I wouldn’t hesitate. This has been one of the best cozy fantasies I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bramble, and the author for sending me an early copy!

Sarah Beth Durst said in the afterword that she wanted to write ‘a warm hug of a book’ and she knocked it out of the park.

Librarian Kiela flees the Great Library of Alyssium with her assistant Caz (who is hilarious and unexpected) when revolutionaries take control of the city and set fire to the Library. (NGL, did not approve of this bit, but plot, so whaddya gonna do?) With crates of spellbooks she managed to save, she and Caz sail to the only place of safety she can think of – her childhood home.

This is absolutely lovely. It’s sweet without being twee, romantic without cloying. Cozy fantasy at its best! Halfway through reading this, I realized that it was now on my list of ‘books to read when things are not going well in my world and I need comfort’.

Recommended for everyone (some tweens would love this, I would think), go read it, you’ll love it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Dnf at 50%

I’ll start off this review by saying I’m a very big mood reader, so I think this may have just been right book wrong time and I may be revisiting this one someday. The writing was great and the characters had heart, it was just a little too slow paced for me at the moment. I would still highly recommend this to anyone who is looking a cozy fantasy set in a magical world that has a unique premise.

Thank you so much to the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cozy fantasy story at it's core. It will warm your heart, make you believe in love and magic. If you are. a cozy fantasy person you don't want to miss this. I loved the beginning, I felt completely entranced with the story, writing, world building and the characters. However, I think this is a me problem, I started to feel bored around 25 percent in. I just think that comes with cozy fantasy not being my favorite though I hoped that this would keep my attention. There is a fabulous talking plant who is our main characters companion, I loved him. The world itself is very fantastical and I didn't love that, which sounds odd but there are a lot of different creatures and people and for some reason that just lost me. Overall, I think if you like very fantastical stories and cozy fantasy you will enjoy this.