The Level One Bookshop

The Level One Bookshop #1

by Arthur Glenwood

Edwin Salamand has lived on a farm his whole life. The problem? He's not very good at farming, or anything involving the outdoors, for that matter. When his salamander farm goes belly up, he decides to move to a nearby city. A deal too good to be true goes awry, and he ends up with a dusty old bookshop filled to the brim with unassuming level one skill tomes. Pamphlets, really. It's not the most exciting windfall, but it's a path to an honest life, one that Edwin is confident he can handle.

Because running a bookshop for beginners has got to be safe and simple, right?

It turns out Edwin's little shop is sitting smack dab in the center of not three, but four magical schools for people that actually enjoy getting soil underneath their fingernails. Also known as, adventurers.

As eager warriors-in-training, alongside the occasional rowdy orc, descend upon Edwin's humble little shop, he's going to find himself unexpectedly teaching lessons big and small. Maybe learning them, too, because sometimes it's not the size of the book that matters, but how hard you throw it...

The Level One Bookshop is a cozy LitRPG-lite story that blends slice-of-life episodes and the occasional bookworm-worthy adventure.

Genres: Fantasy, Cozy, Cozy Fantasy, Fiction

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 5, 2025

Reviews

[Megan Ferguson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this one. Cozy fantasy bookshops are entirely my vibe. Unfortunately, the egregious timeline errors and nonexistent internal consistency made it incredibly hard to finish. I was left wondering if the author never edited his tale as a consistent whole or if a generative AI was used in its construction.

[Annje · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd at 50%. I liked the premise of a Level 1 Bookshop but the book has a problem with the main antagonist. Also lots of repetition. It felt like the author wrote themselves into a corner and didn't know how to move on from the main bad guy. Also wanted more LitRPG elements. LitRPG-lite is putting it lightly. There's no leveling or anything like that. Just a bookshop selling tomes/pamphlets to level 1 adventurers. Could be a lot more.

[Brett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty sure this is AI slop

I am pretty sure this novel was written by an AI. Character backgrounds are inconsistent, the chapters are repetitive, and the whole thing feels disjointed and shallow. It's readable but there is an edge of an uncanny valley when reading it

[Dalton Eagar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honest to a Fault (Literally)

This audiobook is read by an AI, and unfortunately it sounds like one. The narration is flat, and the AI frequently mispronounces words—or randomly changes how it pronounces them—just to keep you on your toes.

The story follows a guy who wants to open an honest bookshop after failing spectacularly at salamander husbandry. He is not a magic user, but he wants to help beginners. Why? Because he is honest. And he works hard. Please remember this, as the book will remind you every few pages.

Naturally, the shop has problems: it’s old, it’s dingy, and there’s a guy in town trying to run a monopoly. Don’t worry though—the shopkeeper is honest. He finds something mysterious in the shop. He is still honest. He still works hard. You absolutely cannot forget this.

People love the bookshop because it caters to beginners and, more importantly, because the shopkeeper is honest. The monopoly guy tries to shut the shop down, but spoiler alert: the shop survives because… the shopkeeper is HONEST AND WORKS HARD.

There’s some light bureaucratic drama, but all the paperwork is flawless because—shockingly—he is honest and works hard. Almost every chapter introduces a minor conflict that is promptly solved through (you guessed it) honesty and hard work. Subtlety is not this book’s strong suit.

At the very end, the shopkeeper unlocks magic, and everyone is happy for him. Why? Because he’s honest. And a hard worker. In case you forgot.

[linda blahovec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Level one bookstore

Level onebookstore is a nice slice of life story with the MC not being OP just struggling to make a fresh start. Feel good book

[Jake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frustrating and Repetitive

Overall it’s ok.

The issues

- the main character is incredibly repetitive. Almost every chapter he takes whatever is thrown at him and says ‘we will do what’s right’ or some variation thereof. Which is fine, but every chapter it’s the same passivity.
- main character doesn’t seem to take any proactive stances. When his delivery of goods shows up damaged and unusable, he signs for it. Which means that he didn’t demand new stock, or get a refund. He just takes a bunch of broken books. He meets a scribe who can fix his tomes, and does nothing.
- the character of sherry is never explained. Apparently she’s also a shop keeper? But she works at the Mc’s shop?
- the villain is so over the top and corrupt, but no one does anything?

There’s good things in this book, but it is a bit of a slog to read, and there is no real resolution to the plot. Needs a lot of work.

[Dylan Lacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rarely have a I read a book with such adequate sentence-crafting paired with such a thorough and complete inability to write, to bring a story together and a world to life. This is not a book; this is a repetative set of creative writing exercises which I was only able to finish because I wanted to give the book a fair go before writing this review. I do not recommend reading this book, even in a so bad it's good way.

As a genre, LitRPG relies heavily on worldbuilding. Indeed, one of the hallmarks of the genre to my mind is the exploration of how RPG mechanics might feel to live within. The idea of a book where the main character does not gain access to those mechanics but instead specialises in helping those who do is compelling, especially if it's not just the setup for a predictable subversion in classic Isekai/LitRPG fashion.

It is the setup for a predictable subversion in classic LitRPG fashion, ALTHOUGH IT TAKES THE ENTIRE DAMN BOOK TO HAPPEN.

Where was I? Oh, yes, worldbuilding. There's isn't any. We recieve a scant handful of information about how the System works:

* Most people who gain classes do so around 17/18
* Level one characters can choose three skills
* Skills are mostly learnt from books
* Skills can level
* One of the classes is Death Mage


That's it. We don't learn about religion, or economics, or even what the other classes are. We don't learn where skill books come from; it's implied that they come from dungeons (which otherwise receive little mention) and Edwin orders them from "suppliers", but how they get from A to B is a mystery. Some characters from larger institutions talk about new plans to order books for all their apprentices next year, which implies that until now everyone had to fend for themselves... And then they also act like the immediate delivery of large numbers of skillbooks is trivial. Why they're not going directly to suppliers is beyond me.

The main villian is a cartoon character. He's rich and mean and evil and hates Edwin and his store and he's mean and he's evil and he's mean. Reggie has outsized influence on the city council and friends in high places and no morals and a complete inability to make any of these significant advantages a real hinderance. He wants to put the bookshop out of business by the end of the Harvest Festival, because of reasons, and then he wants to make some other, even less interesting trouble, and he fails at both. The average Reggie scene goes like this:

Reggie came into the bookshop in a smug/mean/showy way. Edwin said Hi. Reggie said something mean. The city guard came in and Reggie claimed Edwin kicked a cat once. Then the head of the city guard who is tall comes in and he says Reggie has to proove it and Reggie stamped his foot and was mean again. Edwin and Shirley and Trent all had tea.

It's better written, absolutely, but it's so repetative and so unbelievable. Most of the book is. Almost every chapter ends with Edwin worrying that "Reggie is out there making trouble" but comforted that "the bookshop is a cosy place for beginners to learn". These are values which Edwin holds dear, having invented them from wholecloth about 20% of the way into the book after he notices how useful it is for a novice bookshop to be nice for novices. Edwin does this kind of things a lot; the book loves to tell instead of show, as well as have characters suddenly profess knowledge or claim ownership of ideas which literally came from somewhere else. Towards the end of the book Edwin states he thinks he's gonna be helped by a class he thinks the System is giving him apropro of nothing, then a chapter or two later is totally surprised and confused when Trent and Shirley claim he's obviously getting a class, and is then peacefully cosily bewildered when he receives a class. You can't both have surprise and magically know things without prior evidence. Pick on. Preferrably not the latter, it's insupportable.

It's just all so ... mid. It is June 2025 as I write this review, and so you might forgive me for accusing this book of being written by AI... but I don't think it was. I'm sorry to say that I think an AI would do a better job of establishing narrative structure and creating an interesting, cohesive story. This book feels like the author went "What's cozy? Books, Tea, no conflict...." and totally forgot that a series of things happening in a row with interstitial baked goods aren't a plot.

Here's a list of some of the questions I'm left with:

Why is it so important to be open for the Harvest Festival
For that matter what is the damn Harvest Festival and why does it seem to last for days and days
Actually what's up time in this book in general
How did the city evolve so much bureacracy
Why is Shirley content to just work for Edwin for free
Seriously how were novices buying skills before Edwin opened the shop
SERIOUSLY seriously I don't understand why Reggie hates the shop so much
What was the point of the bit about the trunk
Why does the author think we'll believe a bribe-taking clerk would have a sudden change of heart just when it's most convienient, because "Edwin is nice"?


Arthur Glenwood, if for some reason you end up reading this, I don't think you're a bad writer, but this book wasn't ready for release. It needs more narrative coherence, more worldbuilding and honestly, far less tea. It felt like being cosy was a crutch for there just not being very much here. Even cosy stories need believable tension and motivations, and LitRPG definitely needs strong world concepts in order to survive. This has none of that.

[David Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for more here, but a story with so much focus on the problem being a competitor who is a scummy businessman and paperwork isn't all that cozy.

never really felt any interest in the characters (many of who just pop out of nowhere and instantly become besties). The store aspect also doesn't seem to make much sense. Down on his luck MC has enough cash to buy a fully stocked shop, hire an employee, and just buy more inventory as needed? Starts to feel like "i started from nothing! (just ignore that my parents gave me a huge inheritance)"

[Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

lazy

Cozy fantasy shouldn’t be lazy. This is a compilation of the same chapter written over and over. There is a thin plot that ultimately leads nowhere. The protagonist is so incredibly passive that it makes him bland and unappealing. Nothing he does actually matters or advances the plot - he has no agency. Even at the end he is saved by a deus ex machina that is completely out of left field rendering the protagonist’s efforts (as pathetic as they were) meaningless.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is terrible, I hope it was written by AI for the author's sake. Every chapter is the same. I only kept reading it to find out what was in the chest. Spoiler....it was "ancient" first level tomes

[Nyx Styx · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is clearly written by an AI, and not edited after using that AI. Its repetitive, it reconns in a few places, and its boring and shallow.

[Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull and too surface level with a plot and villain pulled out of a kids cartoon. While not unpleasant to read; there were some nice moments about the joy of helping out beginners and the importance of doing more than just chasing sales, the whole experience felt repetitive and had too many holes in to be worth recommending.

A few stand outs:

The main character has no agency. Nothing they do matters or changes anything and their response to issues faced was 'let's wait and see' (i.e. do nothing).

I'm pretty sure most chapters were a repeat of the previous but with a minor change for the 'main plot' moving forward.

This story had no world building. Sure, it takes place in a world; and clearly that world has some class and skill based system with a potentially interesting way of getting skills, but as for why and how, these aren't explained at all and no one seems interested. So don't come to this if you're looking for an explanation of mechanics or any kind of stats.

There is a character who is introduced as owning a shop a block over (and then it turns out lives next door?); but then spends every single day in the shop helping out. Same with the part time helper that is a student meant to be spending most of their time studying for exams.

The villain is very Saturday morning cartoon level of evil for the sake of being evil. It made zero sense why someone who is set up as being one of the wealthiest and most influential merchants in town ruined their reputation over a random new shop.

The whole plot about the license was incredibly unfulfilling. Reggie made a few appearances and some minor bureaucratic issues for them, then the team still got the license with no fanfare and no real challenge overcome.
As for the final arc of the story. It felt like the most childish plot point ever and why someone such as Reggie, who again, is set up to be one of the cities leading merchants, would keep doubling down on this chest and tomes being illegal which is clearly not working out for him and ultimately ruined his reputation made no sense.
The salamander coughing ice at the chest which magically broke through all the super hard, ancient locks and opened it was almost a DNF for me. Which wasn't helped by how contrived the chest being full of ancient and forgotten level one tomes was.


I think I may need to step away from the 'Cosy' genre, I find too many are lazy, relying on cosy elements being enough to patch over a lack of real plot or substance. So little happens and all issues are solved laughably easily (or in this case by the most stupid accident) that I almost DNF'd.

[Julie-Ann Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this - but it did have some issues. The positives? Loved the concept. Loved the characters. Light on plot but thats cozy fantasy/LitRPG for you. It was one of the books that I looked forward to my reading time and picking up. I really did love it, despite the below.

It did seem to drop and drag at about the 2/3 to 3/4 through. I did find that I was really invested. Which is strange, because one of the issues with this is that the characters weren't particularly well fleshed out.

The lady from next door who seems to unofficially work pretty much full-time in the bookshop is an ex-adventurer. I'm still not clear what she actually does and why she has so much free time on her hands that she can spend it in the bookshop. That said, I loved it as a character so I would let that pass. Similarly Trent, who never seemed to have any classes but could vote 100% of his time to the bookshop, and was able to explain a massive variety of books and tomes and also do demonstrations even though he was only first level. Again, a massive plot floor but I didn't mind it much.

But then at a certain point, as I say approximately 2/3 to 3/4 through the book, there was a disconnect. One chapter ends with the three of them walking down the street, and then the next one begins with a disconnect and I couldn't work out whether there had been a time jump or an error and it was following on. At that point in the book there were also quite a few typos. Again, these don't bother me much if it's a good read I just mark them up on Kindle for Amazon review and let them pass unless there are very many. There weren't too many, but the small plot holes and type all seem to happen at about the same time so I'm wondering if that portion of the book was slotted in later or even not edited.

This was also the point at which the story became very repetitive. I was so wanting the plot to move along but it just repeated. Busy day, strange chest, no resolution, bad guy waiting in the wings. A little action in this section would have saved the day.

I still absolutely love the concept and would happily read it again. It really did draw me in and as I say, I looked forward to picking it up at the end of every day for my reading time

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wants to be Legends and Latte's so bad it's painful. It's also not. The worldbuilding isn't there, the chapters are sometimes extremely repetitive, and the villain is a cartoon. He practically twirls his mustache as he shows up for absolutely no reason.

The good, really, I still gave it three stars. I read it fairly quickly, it was enjoyable. Just, don't expect the villain to be anything but what he is and the good guys are so positive about how doing the right thing will win the heart of the maiden. No that wasn't it - I know, positive thoughts will cause things to work out in the end. It's just that sort of book.

Also, how is the neighbor constantly able to work inside the shop? How does he not notice someone breaking in when he lives above the shop? Or does he, things change at times in the text. Also, when does the student/helper study, outside of one time when he has some trouble (and how did that test go that gets mentioned and forgotten). That festival runs for how long? Also, how did the one guy get his comeuppance that was such a surprise and how did our villain not know?

Honestly, probably only a two star book now that I think about it, but I did actually like it, despite the fact that it really needs another editing pass and maybe a rewrite for consistency. And maybe some world-building around the whole thing to make us understand better. Also, how many students still need one of three spell slots filled after they start school... I have more questions. But the fact that I'm asking instead of throwing the book away as awful is why it's three stars.

[Mere · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute concept but definitely seems unfinished. Encounters between the mc and villain are repetitive like the author decided to rewrite a scene but forgot to delete the old version (villain days the same things and everyone acts like it's a new surprise). Several contradictory statements are made such as where an important trunk is stored, who they have talked to about the important trunk, the location of the villains shop, the villains "proof" of accusations, where people sleep, how a watch rotation works, hearings and inspections scheduled that don't occur and are scheduled again later in the story as if for the first time, and how the book shop space and town are described. The author relies heavily on coincidence to make events occur and problems resolve. The book feels ready for beta reading but not final publication. The world sounds like it will be interesting but it was not built up at all. The book has many spelling and grammatical errors and missing words, even in the kindle summary. I would have really loved to hear more about the supporting characters and their own struggles that are only briefly hinted at and them abandoned as if their only reason to exist at all is to work on a book shop that they don't own. And why some side characters named many times suddenly disappear from the plot part way through the book as if forgotten. Like did the kid pass his exam after all the practice gone awry that was discussed? Did he keep his scholarship? So many unknowns and plot holes. I don't know if I will read the second book.

[Timothy Grubbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting a new chapter in one’s life…it only makes sense to go into books…

The Level One Bookshop: A Cozy LitRPG-lite Fantasy by Arthur Glenwood is about a young man pursuing a fresh start…

Edwin is a failed salamander farmer who has decided to take over a struggling bookstore in a large city…

The city of Starwick happens to contain a number of “schools” where students of various classes attend…and many require magical skill tomes (essentially one off textbooks) to develop their talents…

Edwin makes friends with folks in Starwick…but also enemies. A rival bookstore owner doesn’t enjoy the competion (even one only seeking entry level skill tomes), leading to crooked bureaucracy, inventory theft, and even secretive sabotage…

Thankfully Edwin isn’t discouraged.

Anyway this is a fantasy world where “classes” are almost a magical status that individual achieve either intentionally or at random…and many of the skills require either lengthy amount of training or by reading new tomes to “learn”.

It’s kind of weird…especially with folks purchasing skills but not specifically scrolls (which might make more sense)…

If you can get past the explanation of classes and skills and just focus on the business…it’s pretty fun…

[Janet Beane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well done, if a bit formulaic, cozy fantasy.

This was a nice reworking of a standard theme. Edwin is working on a second chance. He has bought a rundown bookstore and needs to make it a success. Almost immediately he meets two helpful people and an antagonistic competitor. The story is a series of increasingly serious difficulties and small successes. His earnest character is what carries him through.
The writing, while not inspired, is workmanlike and easily carries the reader through the story. The proofreading is above par for KU books as is the interior consistency. I do disagree with the author’s choice of boiling tea instead of steeping it, but tastes vary. The surprise revelation during Edwin’s hearing felt a bit contrived, but the actual ending satisfactory, even if its foreshadowing was a bit obvious.
This is a true cozy; gaining friends, overcoming obstacles, learning and growing without any nail biting confrontations or battles. I’d read this again if I wanted a quiet read on a rainy day.

[Caitlin McClain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay story, okay writing

A shorter story following a second try at business, the foibles that come with shopkeeping in a city, and a Lucius Malfoy-esque villian.

It's not a bad book - the story itself has charm and definite potential, but the writing style leaves a bit to be desired - it felt very cheesy and cliche the farther into the book I got. The characters do have personality, but need a bit more development. The fights with the 'villian' and the 'justice will prevail' bits feel quite forced. It reads like it was a short story that needed fluffed out for length, so a quick villain was inserted. I honestly feel it would've been better without the villain, if it had just been about the shopkeeper learning and gaining skills in a new city.
I would definitely not recommend against it, but I can't say I would actually recommend it either. It's okay and I'll leave it at that.

[Auntie Maurae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve begun developing a fondness for the ‘cozy’ and ‘low-stakes’ LitRPG genre. There’s something satisfying about them. Between Legends and Lattes and Newt and Demon, I found The Level One Bookshop and honestly, I absolutely adore Edwin. He’s not your typical main- he’s not flashy, over-powered, supernaturally charismatic or living a charmed life. He’s…ordinary. Even, in some ways, sub-standard. He doesn’t have power, he struggles for everything he has, including calm. That’s relatable.

Okay, yes, this is a simple book. Reggie is one of those overblown villains that is 100% despicable. There is nothing redeeming about him. And everything turns out rainbows in the end.

But that’s part of the allure of a low-stakes Lit-RPG novel. It may not keep you on the edge of your seat, but it’s enjoyable. It may not make it into the ranks of life-changing literature, but it’ll make you smile (even if only at an adorkable frost-breathing salamander named Cricket).

[ProbityDefence]

Feels like Ai slop

This feels like ai slop. Important details are left out, plot holes which any actual editor would call attention to are left in. For example a character that 'has her own shop' becomes effectively a full time employee of the bookshop, the festival lasts an inconsistent amount of time, harvest festivals in a city should not last multiple weeks. Despite a healthy police force and strong beuacracy there is no mention whatsoever of lawyers. When a shipment is cancelled for no reason woth no warning it's just accepted. Even Ea Nasir got a copper tablet, but not here. When damaged good show up does the mc complain about travel insurance or duty of care? Nope. The antagonist is unreasonably hostile. They're not even in competition with the mc because the mc has the low level novice market and the villan has the higher level rarity market. Theres also a lot of repetitive rephrasing of paragraphs.

[Samantha C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the definition of a COZY fantasy. You could snuggle up with a warm cup of something and a blanket on a rainy day and get lost in it. A magical bookshop with a tea corner and friends who enjoy working together makes for a sweet read. However, with that being said, the "villain" of the story is an uppity shop owner who has nothing better to do than to start trouble for other shop owners and the climax is more of a belly flop. The story was really nice, though. It gives the feeling of an underdog rising and that doing the right thing always pays off. Being content in the life you have will always bring you more happiness. I gave this book a three stars because it is what it's a supposed to be and I didn't hate it. However, if the rest of the series is the same, I'm not sure that I want to continue it. Also, I listened to this book on Audible and the narrator is an AI generated voice. So, I do not recommend you listen to it on there if you want a good audible version of it.

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is a fun idea for a story, this edition needed an editor. The layout of the book store and places in the town change to accommodate the story. The characters lack any real depth and at times you can guess exactly what they are about to say (because they have said the same thing 2 pages before) or you can't really tell which character has said what due to how similar they have been written. The rival store changes location. The plot point of the festival is lost with how many "final" days that happen and seems to go on for 3 days or 3 weeks. One of the main side characters is the next door merchant but never sells anything or works in her own shop. In the second book the back story changes from the main character buying the bookstore from a retiring merchant to it was his grandfathers? Cute story idea, decent themes of friendship and integrity, lacking depth and editing.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful idealized book

A slice of life book that everyone should read for its idealized use of morality and hard work paying off.I am aware that in the real world no matter how good or hardworking a person is, the bad guy wins; but this book does show the benefits of doing the right thing.

The rating lost a star from me based on its timing. I believe I read a few times on "different days" that it was the last day of the festival. Also, the person in charge of determining the safety or validity of the trunks contents returning was skipped only to find out a week later that the person never came back. It was strange. And so was the sudden introduction of plastic cups at the very end.

Have fun!!

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing in this book wasn't overly complex and reading it gave me a cozy feeling, like I was in the Level One Bookshop myself. I will say that the writing was repetitive at times and the story could benefit from some clearer world-building; however, I did enjoy reading this book. I enjoyed most of the characters, though the antagonist could be a bit cliche at times. I especially liked the addition of Cricket as fun little companion to the team and hope later books will talk more about salamanders and maybe see the little mascot grow a bit. Reading this was a calming way to pass the time while I was getting over a cold, and I ended up reading the second book the day after. Not bad at all for a first book! Keep practicing and the writing will get better.

[MyDoRyS · Rating 2 out of 5]

The bookstore topic caught me and the sweet story kept me. It is a slow burn slice of life, cozy and warm. That said, it got repetitive at some points. Also, how can you open a business without having the permits ready? Unnecessary drama instead of investing time on the "bookstore" story. It makes no sense. I also understand bullies exist everywhere, we even have one as a president, but I despise them and almost dropped the book when the bully character "Regie" was introduced.It is a me thing,  I try to read books to get away from the real world BS, so do not appreciate it on my cozy fantasy which should be an escape from reality. Onto my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!

[Aryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but slow.

My official rating is 3.5 stars. I love cozy fantasy… but this one was maybe a bit too cozy. Not a lot happens until literally the last 5 pages of the book. But I see a lot of potential and will be reading the next book when it comes out. Cricket is my favorite part of the whole story so far.

Some Spoilers from here on:
I have some questions/complaints that weren’t addressed in the book:
1. Who is running Sherrys shop?? She is never there!!
2. It felt like I was missing chapters. Things would
Be mentioned in one chapter and then poof they are resolved and we never saw how.
3. How long is this harvest festival!?!? Literally the entire book!!

[Devan · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh

***spoilers (minor)***

As much as I wanted to love this book I couldn’t. I found myself skipping most content waiting for the MC to get the “class” it kept hinting at. Of course this didn’t happen until the last few pages.

This book can be summarized in a few pages. Dude gets a book shop. Gets harassed the entire book by another rich bookkeeper. Sorta triumphs in the end.

Was a big let down. It focused so much on the day to day tasks of a bookshop and didn’t incorporate any magic, mystery, or wonder whatsoever. This is a magic world! Make it magical and interesting!

IMO skip it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, cozy story about running a book store.

A little overly simple- the description sells it as slice of life 'stories', and that seems apt because a lot of description seems very repetitive every time there's a new arc. You'll read basic summaries of characters motivations and backstories every single time they're introduced, and in Saturday morning cartoon fashion, the characters can never believe that the bad thing that happened happened due to the bad guy that they've caught sabotaging them before until they find proof. Overall, it's a little silly.

However, it's fun and it's warm and the sequel is a pretty notable improvement so it's probably worth checking out anyways.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the premise of the book was good, however the execution left something to be desired. I think a good editor could have made this into something that was amazing.

My quick wrap up of the book is 'The good guy wins because is a always honest'.

There were many threads in the book that could have been pulled to add some depth to the story, the characters seem to have interesting histories, but the moment that we get close to actually learning anything about them, the story moves on. The villain is cookie cutter, and should have had a waxed mustache.

It was an okay read, but as many have indicated, I almost stopped reading a few times because it's a slog.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute clean fantasy world story of a failed farmer who inherits a bookstore selling low level tomes in a city with some magic schools.

There is a larger seller of higher level books who wants his store, too. And keeps paying off city officials to mess with the MC's licenses, and messing with his book shipments.

Two problems. 1. Everyone who encounters the MC becomes a bestie. 2. The bad guy gets away with everything over and over, and no one, including the MC, tries to stop him. When I say over and over, the middle third of the book is the same boring things, over and over and over.