The Spellshop — Sarah Beth Durst
Combine D&D, Jane Austen, and jam, and you might just get a sense of this story. Yet, like many things in life, The Spellshop is much more than these roots. It’s about a librarian forced to choose which books she likes the best, then flee from the largest library in the whole of her country after revolutionaries set it ablaze, and, finally, use magic (which is strictly forbidden if you’re not authorized by the government), to keep body & soul together…..and help those who need it.
Not since Brandon Sanderson’s Tess and the Emerald Sea have I enjoyed a book so thoroughly. Reading about a woman who loves books as much as I do and is willing to do what she can to save them was terrific. Moreover, I understood her grief upon realizing the repository of books she called home would never be her home again. Plus, the magic, with its unanticipated side effects, the unexpectedly sentient creatures, and jam-making, made me add The Spellshop to the ‘My Favorite Books’ list. (As I’m a sucker for any book which manages to add cooking and/or baking seamlessly into the narrative, which Durst does in aces without tipping the story into a culinary themed direction.)
The Spellshop is a well written, cozy adjacent, light fantasy novel that contains a bit of mystery, political intrigue, and community. There is a touch of romance, but only just a touch, as extra flavor text. Plus, as a bonus, the book itself is just pretty, which is what prompted my husband to point it out to me in the first place.
I would recommend The Spellshop to anyone looking for a light Sunday afternoon or snowy afternoon in front of the fire book. And I absolutely cannot wait for The Enchanted Greenhouse, set in the same world, coming out this July!!!!!!
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