While looking for a book to read, I stumbled on a book with a really curious premise. An empire falls and a lone librarian is forced to escape with crates of spellbooks lest they be lost in the fires of revolution. Now reading this, one would assume this could become a harrowing tale of loss, rebellion, and rising up against an oppressive empire. But interestingly enough, it’s quite the opposite. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst was a surprisingly pleasant and cozy fantasy novel that, while slow at times, tells a very sweet and heartwarming story.
Character Development
8/10
The fleeing librarian, Kiela, was a rather curious protagonist to follow as our only point of view character. A reclusive librarian who didn’t feel the need to or want to ever interact with others. She preferred her solitude and losing herself in her studies, though that life was thrown for a loop after she was forced to flee her home. She was a very clever character in how her mind went through so many scenarios and, eventually, determining what was best for her. But despite how she’s presented, she’s actually quite a caring and considerate person and it was very heart warming seeing how her interactions changed as the story progressed. She wasn’t likeable at first, but eventually I found myself happy and interested to see how she grew in her new home.
While Kiela turned out to be a fascinating and interesting character, the others were ok at best I found. They weren’t unlikeable characters, rather they were quite endearing in their own right. The issue, however, came closer to the end of the story very important information that should have been mentioned earlier was suddenly dumped for the reader to quickly absorb. There was one character who felt very strange and confusing why they’re backstory was suddenly revealed in a moment that doing so put everyone at risk. Despite the odd choice, the islanders of Caltrey were a loveable cast of characters that added a lot of life to the story.
Plot
7/10
This is a very cozy, heartwarming, and touching story of finding oneself after everything’s collapsed and starting anew. That being said, It’s also a very slowly paced story. There is a lot of setting up of Kiela’s situation and the characters involved, especially Larran, but it all goes at a rather sluggish pace. It’s only about sixty percent of the way through the book that any real tangible tension comes from the beginning set up of the story. The whole aspect of an empire falling doesn’t really come into play yet is always referenced and comes into play in the later half that feels almost at odds with the tone of the beginning half.
Worldbuilding
7/10
I’ve never read such a whimsical fantasy novel where the worldbuilding was all over the place yet never ruined the story. In a traditional fantasy story, often there’s some time to give and explanation of the world, the magic system, hierarchy, etc, that helps the reader understand the stakes. There is some worldbuilding done to explain the magic and how spells are viewed by the populous but that was the extent of explanations as a lot was rather on the fly descriptions. It was especially disorienting when sudden facts about characters were revealed so casually, like one being a centaur and another being a spider person (I think?). It didn’t necessarily ruin the story or the flow, but it was quite strange.
Writing Style
8/10
Durst’s writing style is quite easy to get lost in how whimsical and silly it can be while still maintaining a serious focus on the story. There’s a lot that’s illustrated not just by what Kiela describes around her but also how she views her environment. The gradual change in her tone as she starts to feel more comfortable in her new home and with the island dwellers. The chapter lengths do feel like they drag on a bit longer than they should as it feels like a lot is condensed in each one. The flow of the story is already incredibly slow and with the chapters quite dense, it can be difficult to stay focused. But the way Durst keeps the story feeling cozy and heartwarming with her use of language makes it a nice and comfy read to enjoy.
Score
7.5/10
Raph's Cozy Musings 