The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is a 384 page standalone novel published in 2024. (I saw it labeled as “Librarians of Alyssium #1” somewhere, but I can’t find where – but either way, this story can stand by itself.)
Genre:
Fantasy
Subgenres:
Cozy Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance
Opening Line
Kiela never thought the flames would reach the library.
My Thoughts
When revolution makes the city of Alyssium a dangerous place to be, librarian Kiela and her sentient spider plant assistant flee to the outer island of Caltrey. There they meet caring neighbors, winged cats, merhorses, and more, while also growing their own ingredients to make and sell jam. If anyone from the city ever learns that Kiela is illegally using spells to heal the island’s ecosystem, there could be dire consequences. Also there is a gentle romance.
This book was intended to be like a warm hug, eliciting the coziness of drinking hot cocoa and eating pastries. In this regard, it is a success. My preferred reads tend to be darker, grittier, and more dramatic, so based purely on my personal enjoyment I would say this was a 3 star read. But I knew to expect a warm cozy fantasy with sweet relationships, and that’s exactly what I got, so taking that into account it’s a 4.
🌿🍓🧜🥧❤️🌈
Jessica Crawford 