The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.
Join Kiela the librarian and her assistant, Caz the sentient spider plant, as they navigate the low stakes market of illegal spellmaking and the high risk business of starting over.
“Sarah Beth Durst is the hidden gem of the fantasy world.” —Book Riot
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.
She and her assistant, Caz, a magically sentient spider plant, have spent the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. But when a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz save as many books as they can carry and flee to a faraway island Kiela was sure she’d never return to: her childhood home. Kiela hopes to lay low in the overgrown and rundown cottage her late parents left her and figure out a way to survive without drawing the attention of either the empire or the revolutionaries. Much to her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town neglected and in a state of disrepair.
The empire, for all its magic and power, has been neglecting for years the people who depend on magical intervention to maintain healthy livestock and crops. Not only that, but the very magic that should be helping them has been creating destructive storms that have taken a toll on the island. Due to her past role at the library, Kiela feels partially responsible for this, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right: by opening the island’s first-ever secret spellshop.
Her plan comes with risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the kind and quirky townspeople of her former home, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must learn to break down the walls she has built up so high.
Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, Sarah Beth Durst’s The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.
A Macmillan Audio production from Bramble Books.
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"I loved the characters and relationships. The plot was tight and the emotional beats hit hard."
— Smart Bitches Trashy Books on Race the Sands
"Sarah Beth Durst is the hidden gem of the fantasy world.
— Book RiotA refreshing, provocative and ultimately convincing remake of modern fantasy conventions.
— The Wall Street Journal on The Queen of SorrowWorldbuilding worthy of Guy Gavriel Kay.
— Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog on The Queen of SorrowAstoundingly refreshing.
— The Nerd Daily on The Bone MakerDurst knows how to move her audience and rattle the earth.
— Tor.com on The Queen of BloodEmotional and breathtaking.
— RT Book Reviews on The Queen of SorrowBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Sarah Beth Durst is the author of fantasy novels for children, teens, and adults. She won an American Library Association Alex Award and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award and has been a finalist three times for the Andre Norton Nebula Award. Several of her books have been optioned for film and television. She is a graduate of Princeton University. Visit her at www.sarahbethdurst.com.
Caitlin Davies is a New York City–based actor and audiobook narrator who studied acting at the Eugene O’Neill National Institute, the British American Drama Academy, and the Barrow Group. She specializes in audiobooks for teens and young adults.