The Spellshop The cosiest of cosy fantasy novels
Reviews
3.75 ⭐️ - she’s a cute and cozy moment
I liked this, but didn't necessarily love it. I found the protagonist unrelatable (I think I'm quite different from her), and so I couldn't really understand her until towards the end of the book. The last third of the story definitely drew me back in, however. (Thank you for not including my least favourite trope!)
Perfect for the cozy vibes I needed, but the actual plot and world building were quite weak.
It's hatd to find such an entirely comforting story. It really felt like eating a warm cinnamon roll. Following Kiela was incredible she was such a relatable and wonderful character. When I had 100 pages left it was already past midnight but I had to stay up because I needed to know the ending and was totally in love woth all of it. Definitely recommended for cottage loving magic fans!
A book that feels like a hug. A medium paced cosy cottage fantasy romance that just makes the heart happy. Caz the sentient spider plant and Meep the Sentient Cactus are my new best friends. Worth the read for all the happy feels.
Cute, definitely cosy reading. I was not so much into the romance here. What I liked best was the world building, the storms and the magic characters like Caz (my favourite), the treebears, Meep and others. Surely could deliver a good anime!
A lovely comforting book - magical, soft and cosy. Redemption, friendship and jam - what more could you want?
If you’re looking for an easy, slice-of-life fantasy book this is the perfect book for you.
Super cozy and perfect 8 straight days of rainy weather.
Cozy, comforting fall read. Fast read!
The author in her note said something akin to “I don’t write what I know, I write what I love.” This book practically drips coziness and love, and it’s so evident she did just that! It’s such a sweet book with romance and personal growth, fantasy and sassy companions. Reading this book was the same feeling as sinking into the coziest blanket with a cup of tea and a cinnamon roll - nights spent by the fire in a cabin in the woods - and I absolutely loved every minute of it. What a perfect comfort read.
Cozy, comforting, fun. Exactly what I was looking for a needed 🥹❤️
cute & sweet & not too deep. the writing wasn't that great but the story was cozy and comforting!
Cosy fantasy with low grade angst, a side order of slow-burn romance subplot and a hiding in plain sight FMC. And can I just say sentient, talking spider plant as a bestie???? Best match up ever!
Kiela loves being a librarian, she can hide out in the library with her books and rarely has to see anyone except the odd student or academic. But when a change in power leads to a revolt, she and her assistant/friend/plant Caz save as many books as they can and make for the only place she thinks they will be safe - her small, out of the way home village.
The house she inherited is more run down than she thought and she has to make a living somehow so she decides to use some of her mothers recipes and open a Jam Shop. But the locals need a helping hand, they are being left to deal with rogue magic which is causing more harm than good.
So she may or may not be doing some magic spells on the sly!
Then there's the slightly grumpy but very handy neighbour. He's fixing up her shop and generally being irritatingly helpful! They also have a connection from Kiela's past and she is feeling oddly ...not irritated by his presence!
This cosy fantasy is everything I wanted. Friendly, witty and engaging characters, diverse and welcoming islanders, talking spider plants and many other magical creatures. It's fantasy that reminds me an awful lot of Terry Pratchett's DiscWorld - fantasy with a huge dollop of humour and irreverence for itself! I cannot wait for more!
Highlights
“You don't know me. So Im telling you about me. So youll know me and why it's better if I leave. I read and I forget anything else exists. And Idon't forgive anyone who isn't careful with books. I hate people who tear out pages, who bend corners, who break the spines."
Unforgivable" he agreed
Opening the notebook, she stroked the smooth, crisp, blank page. There was something so very beautiful about a notebook without a single note in it. It felt like touching pure potential.
Thank you," Caz said. "You know, plants aren't nearly as emotionally exhausting as humans. You should try to be more plant .”
She laughed. "Good advice. All I need is some chlorophyll.”
“Excellent. You’d look great in green.”
Caz climbed onto the table.I have many surprising skills--for Example, I play the harp but construction is not one of them." He waved his leaves. "I’m too floppy to wield a hammer." "I don't think we have a hammer. Or wood, though there is a forest right on the other side of the garden. ButI have no idea how to make boards out of a tree. I imagine it's quite a bit of work... You can play the harp?" He demonstrated plucking imaginary strings. "A small one.' "Where in the world did you learn to play the harp? And when?" "I had a life before I met you." "You literally did not," Kiela said. "There were a few weeks before I met you, thank you very much."
“Because knowledge is power, and the powerful want- -wanted-to keep it all to themselves." Their greed had brought about their downfall.
“Not because it's dangerous?"
"Of course knowledge is dangerous." Kiela felt herself grinning. She'd never done anything the least bit dangerous before. It felt like a deep breath of sea air. Maybe the taste of the breeze is going to my bead. "But ignorance is even more dangerous. In this case, ignorance means failure, and failure means no food, no way to stay here, and nowhere else to go.”
"So, tell me what's a weed and what isn't," Kiela said.
“There's no such thing as a weed," Caz said. “That's a cruel term made up by people who label some plants as unwanted' and some as valuable, as if the worth of a living thing is measured by hoy useful it is to another living thing. As if a plant can't have its own intrinsic worth." He was so worked up that he raised his leaves high and shook them. It was the longest, most passionate speech she'd ever heard the spider plant make.
It wasn't that she didn't like people. It was only that she liked books more. They didn't fuss or judge or mock or reject. They invited you in, fluffed up the pillows on the couch, offered you tea and toast, and shared their hearts with no expectation that you'd do anything more than absorb what they had to give.