The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst's romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.
Join Kiela the librarian and her assistant, Caz the sentient spider plant, as they navigate the low stakes market of illegal spellmaking and the high risk business of starting over.
"Sarah Beth Durst is the hidden gem of the fantasy world." —Book Riot
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn't had to.
She and her assistant, Caz, a magically sentient spider plant, have spent the last eleven years sequestered among the empire's most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city's elite. But when a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz save as many books as they can carry and flee to a faraway island Kiela was sure she'd never return to: her childhood home. Kiela hopes to lay low in the overgrown and rundown cottage her late parents left her and figure out a way to survive without drawing the attention of either the empire or the revolutionaries. Much to her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town neglected and in a state of disrepair.
The empire, for all its magic and power, has been neglecting for years the people who depend on magical intervention to maintain healthy livestock and crops. Not only that, but the very magic that should be helping them has been creating destructive storms that have taken a toll on the island. Due to her past role at the library, Kiela feels partially responsible for this, and now she's determined to find a way to make things right: by opening the island's first-ever secret spellshop.
Her plan comes with risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the kind and quirky townspeople of her former home, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must learn to break down the walls she has built up so high.
Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, Sarah Beth Durst's The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

May 6, 2024
Durst (The Lies Among Us) celebrates the power of community in this whimsical cottagecore romantasy. Introverted librarian Kiela Orobidan and her sentient spider plant assistant, Caz, escape a populist revolution–fueled fire in the the Great Library of Alyssium by sailing to Kiela’s abandoned family cottage on the small island of Caltrey with only a few crates of irreplaceable spell books in tow. Imperial law restricts the use of magic to scholars, but when she sees the island’s residents struggling with harsh environmental conditions and poverty without assistance from the empire’s sorcerers, Kiela quietly uses her spell books to help the locals, claiming the charms she sells in her new jam shop are “family remedies”. Meanwhile, her handsome new neighbor Larran Maver helps restore her cottage and becomes a friend—with a spark of something more. Durst packs her cozy and colorful tale full of sweet magical creatures, including unicorns, winged cats, and friendly tree sprits that manifest as bears, and her diverse supporting cast exudes a near-uniform air of kindness. The political plot is largely background noise after serving its purpose of getting Kiela home and on a path to using magic, which may frustrate readers looking for more comprehensive worldbuilding. Those who come for the cheery aesthetic and celebration of everyday successes, however, will find this utterly delightful.

June 1, 2024
Romantic fantasy authored by women had a heyday in the 1970s and 80s, and now, the magical storytelling genre of romantasy is increasingly popular. In this romantasy, blue-skinned, magenta-freckled imperial librarian Kiela must escape the literal fires of revolution in order to save her life, her sentient spider-plant assistant Caz, and a small selection of precious spellbooks. Kiela plans to hide out alone back at her childhood home. All she truly wishes is for people to leave her alone so she can read and plant more berries to grow. But soon she's embroiled in setting up a jam shop and healing trees, and is drawn into a charmingly awkward romance with her handsome neighbor. But is the cottagecore-aesthetic town of Caltrey truly remote enough for Kiela to practice illegal magic without repercussions? It's a story full of love, magic, plants, books, and mutual aid, for those who love to see heroes fight for a gentle life and a cozy corner of the world to call their own.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 15, 2024
As the city of Alyssium and its vast library crumble and burn around her, a young librarian who's spent 11 years sequestered among dusty bookshelves--with only a sentient, research-loving spider plant to keep her company--finds herself on the run. After leaving the ruins of Alyssium's great library behind--keen-eyed readers might notice the distinct parallels with the ill-fated Library of Alexandria--Keila makes her way across the open ocean to Caltrey, the picturesque island where she grew up, carrying Caz the spider plant and a boatful of spellbooks she could be punished for having taken. Hoping to lay low for a while and keep out of the locals' hair, Keila moves into the long-abandoned cottage where her late parents raised her. What she doesn't expect is to be welcomed by the locals with open arms; to meet her kind--and incredibly handsome--merhorse-riding neighbor, Larran; or to learn that the empire she left behind is draining the magic from her new home. The use of magic is strictly prohibited by the empire and is a punishable offense if you're a member of the general population caught using it, but, determined to return some of the kindness that's been shown to her, Keila decides to utilize her rescued spellbooks and opens a secret spellshop under the guise of making different berry jams. She proceeds to use the spells herself to help slowly return the island to its much more magical state. While Durst's novel boasts a wide array of fantastic characters of both the human and nonhuman variety--Keila is described early on as having blue skin and hair--if readers are looking for any high-stakes conflict, intense political intrigue, or action-packed battle scenes in their fantasy novels, they won't find them here. Similarly, the romance in this book is sweet but somewhat shallow. With this in mind, it's a delightful, easily digestible palate cleanser with a story that feels like a whimsical, warm hug. Kindness is king in this soft and breezy low-stakes cottagecore fantasy.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 7, 2024

When revolutionaries set fire to the library where Kiela lives and works, she and her friend Caz, a sentient plant, pack up spell books and quickly leave the capital island. With nowhere to go, Kiela decides to return to her childhood home island of Caltrey, where she has inherited her parents' old house. Once there, Kiela and Caz must keep the stolen spell books hidden because magic is restricted to trained wizards only. However, the longer both stay on the island, the more they realize magic is needed to keep the island and its inhabitants thriving, so they come up with remedies to sell to the local population, secretly sharing their illicit spells. Eventually, magic is reported to the emperor's guards, who arrive on Caltrey to inspect the community of any magical wrongdoing. Can Kiela, Caz, and their newfound friends fool the guards and evade punishment? VERDICT Durst's (The Bone Maker) cottagecore romantasy takes place on an island of fantastical creatures and people, with romances among found family and friends and illicit spellcasting adding a dash of suspense to the mix. An excellent match for fans looking to take a break from epic fantasy for some feel-good humor and happiness.--Eve Stano

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