Sunday, July 20, 2025

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



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