Book review: The Spellshop and Enchanted Greenhouse
- Bekah Follete
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
When I read a lot of one series, I need something to break it up so I don’t get burnt out. Most recently, the book I used to break up a series was The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. It is a cozy fantasy with a found family storyline, which was just what I needed. It has a talking plant, a magic garden, and forbidden magic spells. I loved this book very much, so, of course, I had to read the next one, The Enchanted Greenhouse, another home run for me. With more talking plants, flying cats, mini dragons, and a sprinkle of mystery, they both whisked me away to another world. In reading, I saw more than just a fun fantasy, I saw community, courage, and strength.
The SpellShop
The Spellshop follows Kilea, a librarian of Alyssium, and her sentient spider plant, Caz, as they escape in the middle of a revolution, carrying as many books as they can. They are making their way to her childhood home of Caltrey with the goal of keeping to herself and figuring out what to do next.
Her plan quickly falls apart when she’s forced into town for supplies. Over time, she gets to know the townspeople, including Bryn, who runs the local shop, and her neighbor, Larren. They share that the town is slowly falling apart (literally and figuratively).
Although the use of magic is illegal for anyone who is not a sorcerer, she believes that some spells could help bring the town out of hardship. After some risky experimenting, Kilea can sell magical remedies hidden behind the appearance of a small jam shop. With risk from the law and impending magic storms, Caltrey’s community works together to protect Kilea and restore the life of the Island.
The Importance of Community
I appreciated was how Kilea had to push herself out of her comfort zone. I’m not as introverted as her, but I do tend to keep to myself more than I would like.
This book reminded me just how important community is. In a community, we have the opportunity to be known by others. We can share our lives and carry the weight of life together. Kilea was able to open up with Bryn and Larren about what she had gone through, and Bryn encouraged Kilea with her own story. They were able to connect and be known.
In the community, we are able to support each other when we try to do things alone. Bryn and some other ladies in town were able to help Kilea put together the physical components for the spells. They made a group where they would come together, bring snacks, and make it so the work could be done more easily.
Community can be hard, though, and it isn’t perfect. People are broken and make mistakes. At the start, Kilea didn't want anything to do with people, but by the end of the book, she found a community that became more like a family. It can feel easier to isolate than to even try to put ourselves out there. We were made for community, so when we do and push ourselves, we can find a joy that can only come from being with people.
The Enchanted Greenhouse
Set in the same world as The Spellshop, The Enchanted Greenhouse follows Terlu, a former librarian of Alyssium and the creator of Caz. We start with her trial and punishment for illegal use of magic. She wakes up on a snowy island, home to a vast, enchanted greenhouse. A greenhouse that is slowly collapsing as its magic fails.
The gardener who woke her, Yarrow, believes that she was a sorceress there to help save it. Traumatised from her imprisonment, she is hesitant to help. Despite the fear and the risk, she works to repair the greenhouses as well as find the cause of their destruction.
When the work became too much for two people, they contacted Yarrow’s family to come help. Family tension and conflict arise, but when the cause of the failure is discovered, they set their differences aside and work together to save the greenhouse.
Struggles don't define you
Something I really appreciated in this book was that every character had their own struggles that they worked through. They let it stop them and affect them for a time, but they didn’t stay there.
Terlu was turned into a wooden statue for using illegal magic. When she had the opportunity to use magic to help the greenhouses, she didn’t want to risk being turned back into a statue again, or even worse. She was scared, but she did it anyway. She used her skills and knowledge to solve and fix what was happening to the greenhouses. She was anxious and second-guessed herself every step of the way, but she didn’t let it stop her.
Yarrow was not happy with his family. He felt that they had abandoned him and everything he loved when they left. He wouldn’t even speak to them for the majority of the book. But evidently, he had to talk to them, and in one interaction, his sister was yelling at him because she felt that he had abandoned them. Instead of Yarrow retaliating, yelling, or making excuses, he apologized. He realized he was wrong and hurt her, and apologized. He was still hurt, but he put his pride aside to start to mend the relationship instead of making it worse. Healing takes time, and he was still hurt, but he still chose not to hold on to it.
In this story, looking at Terlu and Yarrow, we can learn that we can go through struggles, but we don’t have to let them define us. We can have horrible things happen to us, but we can find the courage and strength to keep moving forward. We can be hurt by people, but we can give them grace and remember we have hurt people too.
The Impact
The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse are both great cozy reads to avoid burnout, but they ended up being more than that. They were stories that reminded me of the importance of trusting people and letting people into my world, lessons of choosing courage and not letting struggles or hurt define me. These books impacted me, and I hope they can impact you, too.
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