The enchanted greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

Fans of the cosy fantasy The spellshop will eagerly devour this companion novel, The Enchanted Greenhouse, with its feel-good messages of hope and the possibility of second chances to flourish. 

Because she was lonely, Terlu, a lowly librarian in the Great Library of Alyssium used a spell to make a sentient spiderplant, Caz, to be her companion. By law, only sorcerers could use spells and she was tried by the Court. Her sentence was horrific – she was to be made into a wooden statue for breaking the law. Placed in the North Reading Room of the Library where librarians could see her, Terlu spends years hearing the warning about using spells illegally and the sort of punishment that could be meted out. Then one day she awakens in a snow filled glade on a magical island filled with greenhouses containing the most incredible plants. There is only one inhabitant, Yarrow, a grumpy gardener, who gives her dry clothes, a place to stay and delicious honey cakes to eat. But there is trouble on the island, the greenhouses are gradually being ruined and Terlu knows that only magic can rescue them. What will happen to her if she starts using spells again?

Fantasy lovers will be delighted with the mythical creatures and plants that Durst has created in this lonely island – a winged cat that befriends Terlu and wonderful sentient plants. Terlu found these plants in a deep sleep and knew she needed to wake them with a spell, and the reader gets to know them as wonderful characters that can talk and work. Terlu is a courageous and positive young woman who hides her fear about being punished again for using spells, knowing that she must rescue the greenhouses and the plants in them. Grouchy Yarrow’s story gradually emerges as his underlying generosity shines out – as well as his baking skills making delicious honey cakes and vegetable dishes. The pair work together to save the greenhouses and support each other’s strengths as love gradually unfolds between them.

Readers who haven’t read The Spellshop will immediately want to pick that up, while others may enjoy Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood and Can't spell treason without tea by Rebecca Thorpe as well as Durst’s Queens of Renthia fantasy series, starting with The queen of blood.

Themes: Cosy Fantasy, Family, Romance, Mythical creatures, Loneliness, Magic.

Pat Pledger