Image copied from Goodreads

In the cold winter months when the days are short and the nights are long, I often find myself drawn to books that offer romance and a cozy setting of some sort. In the midst of all the division and upheaval going on in the real world, disappearing into a cozy fantasy, for me, seems like the perfect escape. I was not at all disappointed in this latest cozy fantasy, The Spellshop, that I found by an author who is new to me, Sarah Beth Durst. Like the synopsis implies, this novel is a Hallmark version of a fantasy read and contains many of the same tropes, nosey, mostly well-meaning neighbors, a big city girl returning to small town life to start over, and a handsome and kind love interest. The spice level is also low similar to other cozy reads and also Hallmark movies.

All of this is incorporated into a story that also has a magical island as its story setting, flying cats, merhorses, and cloud bears to name a few magical and mythical creatures. The inhabitants of the town aren't all human either. From the moment main character Kiela escapes from the capital city after it falls into chaos from a bloody rebellion, we get to rediscover the magical island where she was born and the sweet cottage that still holds so many poignant reminders of her beloved parents along with Kiela. Many reviews of this book have mentioned that Kiela is an unlikeable main character. But to me she just seemed like an inordinately shy person who, as a librarian who lived and worked in the great magical library in the capitol city, did not have to develop social skills. Her being an only child with her parents as her only family in the capitol city, where they all settled when Kiela was very young, also played into her lack of social skills. Once they passed away, Kiela had no other motivation to leave the library. Instead, she is content to live and work there amongst the books she loves with her library assistant, a talking spider plant named Caz, as her only companion. (It must be said, I loved Caz her best friend!) Most introverts like Kiela could get a little rusty at interacting with others in a situation like that where they could easily retreat from the outside world. Add to that the fact that in leaving the city after the library is set ablaze by the rebellion, she makes off with several of the magical books she was a caretaker of, an act that if discovered by the magical police of the empire could cost her her life and Kiela's distrust of others is very plausible. Anyone in Kiela's position would be leery about who they could trust under those circumstances. All of this is to say that these things make Kiela complicated more than straight up unlikeable. 

I also loved her next-door neighbor, Larran. Part of this might have been because he is so helpful in a practical sense. The other reason might be because he raises merhorses. Handsome neighbor willing to build someone floor-to-ceiling bookshelves to repay a past kindness and who raises merhorses too, yes please. Negatives mentioned about this relationship were that some felt that Larran experiences insta-love for Kiela. Again, I would argue that their past history and Larran's crush that he has harbored all of these years might have more to do with his instant attraction to her than actual insta-love. I could buy into his interest in her under those circumstances. His past history, which I won't spoil here, could also make him more empathetic to her as a shy person who finds it hard to trust others as well. I will say that aside from the books and the magic that Kiela explores and learns to use for the betterment of the island, there isn't a whole lot that takes place for a few chapters there in the middle. That is a fair point in the cons list for this story. But that seems to be a part of the worldbuilding and plotline for the cozy fantasy genre in general. The conflict seems to be more internal for much of the book as the character learns to settle into their new place and new business and the external conflicts that come later are all usually neatly handled and wrapped up at the end with the help of the main character's newfound community and friends. I will say though that Kiela does a lot to help her found family in the book to warrant the aid given to her later in the story. Nevertheless, Kiela doesn't lack agency at the end. In fact, she is very clever at finding ways to save her friends, her books, and her new life in her own right. 

The Spellshop is a fun and light-hearted read, with a main character that is distrustful and prickly in the beginning, but who under her awkward exterior has a kind and generous heart. It does a very good job of weaving in some conflicts and perils that deal with hoarding resources by a few, issues with climate change, or in this case magical climate change, child abuse, and human environmental misdeeds that cause nature and animals to suffer. The fact that the magic used in this novel is nature based makes these perils an organic part of the plot and also adds some justification for a librarian stealing her books from an empire overthrown as a result of this resource hoarding in order to protect the knowledge contained in said books for future generations. All in all I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable read and a nice escape. If you love fantasy that also contains many Hallmark vibes in its plot, then you will likely love The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst.

Next month, my first book review will be of YA epic fantasy, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao. Check out the blurb and book cover for it below, both copied from NetGalley.

In a world at war with demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother's soul… before she loses her forever. From the New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night comes the beginning of a dark and opulent fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Throne of Glass.

Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.

Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.

Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.

The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.