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The Spellshop
Sep. 12th, 2024 04:03 pmThe Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is a cosy fantasy novel in the style of Legends and Lattes - even down to the importance of cinnamon buns - and I'm totally here for it.
The story follows an imperial librarian who flees the capital city with a bunch of spellbooks when revolutionaries defenestrate the emperor and set the library on fire. She seeks refuge on the remote island where she was born, hoping she can avoid the other inhabitants and hide out until it's safe to return to the city. Her only companion is a wonderfully quirky sentient spider plant, but she soon discovers it's impossible not to get involved in the lives of the other islanders.
There's a lovely romance (only slightly marred by the 'giant man, tiny woman' trope and the protagonist's refusal to believe she can be desirable), lots of jam, cloud bears, unexpected consequences of magic going awry, merhorses, glorious found family vibes, and just enough threat to keep things interesting.
I'm loving the current cosy fantasy trend, even with the apparently ubiquitous over-emphasis on baking - long may it continue, if this is the kind of reading experience I can expect. Really lovely.
The story follows an imperial librarian who flees the capital city with a bunch of spellbooks when revolutionaries defenestrate the emperor and set the library on fire. She seeks refuge on the remote island where she was born, hoping she can avoid the other inhabitants and hide out until it's safe to return to the city. Her only companion is a wonderfully quirky sentient spider plant, but she soon discovers it's impossible not to get involved in the lives of the other islanders.
There's a lovely romance (only slightly marred by the 'giant man, tiny woman' trope and the protagonist's refusal to believe she can be desirable), lots of jam, cloud bears, unexpected consequences of magic going awry, merhorses, glorious found family vibes, and just enough threat to keep things interesting.
I'm loving the current cosy fantasy trend, even with the apparently ubiquitous over-emphasis on baking - long may it continue, if this is the kind of reading experience I can expect. Really lovely.
