The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

 

The Enchanted Greenhouse literally be-spelled me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I had to set it down for mundane things, like work. Sarah weaves a wonderful fantasy tale and as she stated in an interview with fantasy-hive.co.uk —“Cozy fantasy is designed to be a refuge, an escape, and to say ‘Everything is going to be okay.’ I couldn’t leave Terlu not okay!”

Well, this refuge left me wishing I could actually enter the world in reality, not just in a beautifully written tale.

Terlu Perna, a lonely librarian in Alyssium was guilty of casting a simple spell to create a magically sentient spider plant. For her first and only crime she was turned to a statue, for what she had thought would be eternity. Apparently, not all is as it should have been…

Terlu awakens, cold and alone. Standing in the snow in a place she doesn’t recognize, with only a large and rather curious greenhouse in the area. Thankfully it isn’t locked and she enters only to run into a rather grumpy gardener, Yarrow Verdane. As she uncomfortably susses the details from Yarrow, she learns this is the Greenhouse of Belde, built by a sorcerer, and she is there to repair what is rapidly crumbling without the deceased wizard. Being a librarian and not a sorcerer, Terlu is rather confused and confuddled.  

What follows is a delightful and enchanting story involving magical greenhouses all linked together, providing different climates,environments and species. Terlu stumbles upon a sentient resurrection rose whose name is Lotti, and who was once a companion to the sorcerer. They’re joined by delightful characters including, Dendy the sentient philodendron, and a beautiful sea turtle in the ocean greenhouse. 

Immerse yourself in this not to be missed cozy fantasy, you won’t regret it, at all. I went with the Audio version, read by Caitlin Davies. A huge thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this piece of magic. Best novel by far in a very long time!

Spellshop #2

Macmillan Audio

Bramble 2025

SarahBethdurst.com

Coming up Spellshop #3 Sea of Charms (2026)

#sarahbethdurst

#cozyfantasy

#audiobook

#Spellshopseries

Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree

This is a great rollicking tome of fiction … swords, fantasy, and all wrapped up in a rather cozy and even amusing tale! Baldree has done it again! Sadly, I missed Bookshops and Bonedust, but will make a point of hunting it down now.

Fern, the endearing rattkin bookseller (with a mouth to make a sailor blush), is accidentally swept up in an adventure after an extremely drunken night. She finds herself travelling with a legendary Elven warrior and her sentient sword, Nigel. Zil, is the Elf’s goblin prisoner, whose native tongue is most definitely unintelligible. Zil has a coat of bottomless pockets, within which is a sentient breadknife, and numerous other fascinating items.

Adventure abounds as the trio journey along, and as tends to happen when strangers spend time together, a friendship begins to build. 

This is a wonderful cozy tale for those who love sword and sorcery genre of adventure and don’t mind Fern and Zil’s expletives (which can be quite hilarious). 

I quite enjoyed the audiobook, read by the author himself, and managed to scare a couple of innocent shoppers at a store when I burst into laughter for no apparent reason. If they only knew… 

Do yourself a favour and INDULGE!

#Netgalley

#Brigands and Breadknives

#Travis Baldree

Volume #2 Legends and Lattes series

PanMacmillan