The Spellshop

Perfect for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune, The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is a cosy fantasy tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams and even sweeter romance.


Every home needs a little magic . . .

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people, and as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a sentient spider plant, have spent most of the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s precious spellbooks, protecting the magic for the city’s elite. But a revolution is brewing and when the library goes up in flames, Kiela and Caz steal whatever books they can and flee to the faraway island where she grew up. But to her dismay, in addition to a nosy – and very handsome – neighbour, she finds the town in disarray.

The empire has slowly been draining power from the island, and now Kiela is determined to make things right. But opening up her own spellshop comes with its own risks – the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela starts to make a place for herself among the townspeople, she realizes she must break down the walls she has kept so high . . .

From award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst, The Spellshop is a cottagecore cosy fantasy following a woman's unexpected journey through the low-stakes market of illegal spell-selling and the high-risk business of starting over.

Review

Reading this book was like sitting in the sun, watching bees in the foxgloves; a warm, peaceful delight of a novel. You can almost smell the jam, and hear the ocean. I finished the book smiling -- Katherine Arden, New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale

The Spellshop is about believing in the kindness of people, even when you’ve seen nothing but cruelty. There is beauty in Kiela’s building of a new and brighter world. There is courage in the love of this found family -- J. R. Dawson, author of The First Bright Thing

The Spellshop sweeps readers into a world of merhorses, illegal spells, and first loves . . . it’s as comforting as homemade jam on a fresh baked muffin! -- Rebecca Thorne, author of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea

Thoroughly enchanting! The Spellshop is brimming with cozy charm, endearing characters, and reminders that sometimes the biggest risks lead to the sweetest rewards. I’m looking forward to reading more of Sarah Beth Durst’s magical books -- Heather Webber, USA Today bestselling author

A fairy-tale nightmare, and a romance all in one, unlike anything else and impossible to predict. I could not stop reading! -- Laini Taylor, author of Strange the Dreamer on Conjured

Witty and wonderful! I'm a Durst fan and have been from the beginning -- Tamora Pierce, author of the Beka Cooper series

Sarah Beth Durst is one of the most prolific authors I know, yet each of her beautiful stories is infused with exciting action and fully rounded characters whose struggles are both relatable and fantastical -- Peter V. Brett, author of The Demon Cycle

Durst is an expert world-builder -- The Washington Post

Sarah Beth Durst is the hidden gem of the fantasy world -- Book Riot

About the Author

Sarah Beth Durst is the author of over twenty-five fantasy books for adults, teens, and kids, including The Queens of Renthia series, Drink Slay Love, and Spark. She has won an American Library Association Alex Award and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and has been a finalist for the Andre Norton Nebula Award three times. She lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat.