Sarah Beth Durst — The Enchanted Greenhouse

Hope is a four-letter word. 

Found at the bottom of Pandora’s box, it gives a reason not to give up, to persevere, to keep going — even in the face of insurmountable odds. Orpheus defeated Lucifer with hope in their duel (in season one of Sandman). Yet, hope can be just as cruel as its fellow curses that it existed amongst in that (in)famous box, especially when a desperate plea for help goes unanswered.

In this case, the plea comes from the lone gardener on the island of Bedle who tends to the extensive and extraordinary greenhouses on Bedle.

And they are dying.

One by one, the magic that’s meant to keep these rooms of exotic plants, pedestrian vegetables, and magical herbage thriving is now failing, turning, and destroying what it once kept safe. Compounding the problem, the mage who created the magical menagerie of chlorophyll based life forms died, and, even worse, with revolution in the capital city, no one seems interested in saving this breathtaking creation.

Well, almost no one.

Enter the wooden statue that once graced the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alysium. Once, a cautionary tale told to new librarians who might find themselves tempted to dabble in magics forbidden to all save a select few. 

Now, she’s Bedle’s singular hope of survival.

The follow-up book to The Spellshop did not disappoint. Not only do you learn more about Caz’s (the sentient spider plant and main character in The Spellshop) history, but you also get a much better sense of why the revolutionaries defenestrated the Emperor of the Crescent Island Empire. 

Moreover, the snow-capped trees, wondrous rooms of impossible plants, and a cozy cottage filled with the aromas of freshly baked bread, cake, and quiche make this a genuinely snug as a bug in a rug, fantasy book. However, lurking within the warm heart is mystery, corruption, and cruelty that needs weeding out lest they destroy the aforementioned coziness. And it’s this tension betwixt these two polar opposites which Sarah Beth Durst deftly weaves together to create The Enchanted Greenhouse.

Admittedly, when I originally read The Enchanted Greenhouse, I judged The Spellshop the better of the two books. 

However, on subsequent readings (yes, plural), I think this initial opinion arose due to the anxiety and internal conflict felt by one of the main characters over doing what’s right, despite their very real fears. As this conflict hits close to home, as my brain’s a real jerk sometimes, I think this is what spawned my original opinion. One that I’ve since revised, obviously, viewing both books as equally fantastic reads!

Though you don’t have to read The Spellshop prior to picking up The Enchanted Greenhouse, I suggest you do. Not only will you get the absolute most out of both books, you’ll have a few hours, days, or weeks (depending on how fast you read) of happiness, joy, magic, jam, and bread.