Most of the stories I read are often epic fantasy adventures with high stakes and dramatic moments, but I have to admit that I do enjoy cute and cozy stories as well. There is a very nice and relaxing vibe that these stories provide even though moments of drama and action. It might be because the scale is so much smaller and more personal and emotional that gives it a more endearing feeling. Similar to her previous book, The Spellshop, Sarah Beth Durst’s book, The Enchanted Greenhouse, is an interestingly cute and cozy story written within the same world and expanding upon the consequences of a magic hating empire.
Character Development
8/10
While Terlu is not quite as strong or as interesting a character as Kiela from The Spellshop, she still has her own interesting qualities that make her a loveable protagonist. She is quite a shy and self-doubting character, but she slowly starts to find her footing and it’s rather sweet how she slowly started to grow more confident in herself and her abilities. There are some moments with her that felt rather tropey and forced that lend itself to a stereotypical romance plot that feels a bit rushed rather than slowly built up and feeling more natural. But really that’s more of a nitpick when factoring in how her growth as a character and the way she views magic develops as the story progresses. The cast of side characters are also quite good in their supporting roles and help further the story in a fun and cohesive way. Lotti is no Caz, but she’s still quite a delight.
Plot
7/10
The story has a very harrowing and dramatic start which lends itself to setting a rather dark and depressing tone. But there’s a really nice progression of emotion with the plot as things begin to unfold and Terlu finds her own footing in a new and strange environment. It’s quite a nice progression that lends itself to creating a rather optimistic, hopeful and whimsical feeling to the story as things slowly start to progress. And when I say slowly, I mean very slowly. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s more focused on a kind of emotional build up rather than an eventful plot progression build up which I think does work here. But it does create a dissonance where some things feel like they go very slowly but certain things feel very sudden and quite odd. That being said, however, it doesn’t take away from the mystery and intrigue of the island, the magic behind the greenhouses, and Terlu’s fate.
Worldbuilding
9/10
Sarah Beth Durst has quite a talent for creating a whimsical and magical fantasy setting that doesn’t fail to make me smile. That being said there are a few strange elements that might throw off anyone who regularly reads fantasy. This isn’t a bad thing as thinking outside of the box when writing a fantasy world can lead to new and interesting ideas that can really strengthen the story overall. This only really becomes a problem if there’s inconsistencies between different books set within the same world. Part of what makes The Enchanted Greenhouse quite a fun read is that it takes a part of the world established in The Spellshop and expands upon it in an interesting way that makes for another sweet and cozy story.
Writing Style
8/10
Part of what makes The Enchanted Greenhouse a delight to read is that the way it’s written feels fun and characterful. The way Durst writes creates a very easy flow and pace to follow that is occasionally stunted by large blocks of paragraphs that feel a bit too dense. The story is written through Terlu’s perspective though so the large and dense paragraphs really fit well with her anxious personality. The way the story is told through her perspective adds a very endearing perspective that helps to make Terlu a likeable character.
Score
8/10
Raph's Cozy Musings 