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Society of Magical Botanists #3
Evergreen Legacy
It’s time for one more adventure at Evergreen Academy, the secret college for Magical Botanists.
After an eventful winter break, my spring experience at Evergreen Academy promises to be much more than the typical garden parties, botany classes, and equinox festivals.
My friends and fellow members of the secretive Root and Vine Society are on a recover a long-missing botanical book that may be the key to saving Evergreen Academy from the tightening grip of the Magical Botanical Board of Regents.
The journey to find the book will take us to unexpected places, push the boundaries of my rare magic, and force us to examine how much our society knows about the magical botanists who came before us.
Through it all, I’m stealing romantic moments with Callan Rhodes–my former tutor and now partner in crime–who is just as dedicated to saving the academy as I am. We tried to delay our feelings due to scouting vines and overbearing parents, but we can’t quite seem to keep the creeping tendrils of our hearts apart for long.
One thing is the opposing forces at Evergreen Academy are headed for a showdown, and the fight won’t just be waged with spells and vines. The battle for Evergreen Academy will be won through friendship, teamwork, and uncovering the deepest roots of all. And if we fail, the consequences won’t end at the academy’s gates. They’ll echo through the human world, too.
Elements you'll find in this
Third in a trilogyMagical academySecret societyForestcoreGreen academiaStronger together loveSweet, kisses-only romanceFound familyBotanical history vibesCozy nature-based magic
After an eventful winter break, my spring experience at Evergreen Academy promises to be much more than the typical garden parties, botany classes, and equinox festivals.
My friends and fellow members of the secretive Root and Vine Society are on a recover a long-missing botanical book that may be the key to saving Evergreen Academy from the tightening grip of the Magical Botanical Board of Regents.
The journey to find the book will take us to unexpected places, push the boundaries of my rare magic, and force us to examine how much our society knows about the magical botanists who came before us.
Through it all, I’m stealing romantic moments with Callan Rhodes–my former tutor and now partner in crime–who is just as dedicated to saving the academy as I am. We tried to delay our feelings due to scouting vines and overbearing parents, but we can’t quite seem to keep the creeping tendrils of our hearts apart for long.
One thing is the opposing forces at Evergreen Academy are headed for a showdown, and the fight won’t just be waged with spells and vines. The battle for Evergreen Academy will be won through friendship, teamwork, and uncovering the deepest roots of all. And if we fail, the consequences won’t end at the academy’s gates. They’ll echo through the human world, too.
Elements you'll find in this
Third in a trilogyMagical academySecret societyForestcoreGreen academiaStronger together loveSweet, kisses-only romanceFound familyBotanical history vibesCozy nature-based magic
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2026
About the author
Heather Schneider
7 books278 followersHeather Schneider enjoys writing cozy novels with a light romance and mystery angle, often inspired by some of her favorite places.
Heather lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their Chiweenie, Toby.
When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, listening to podcasts, traveling, or spending time with family.
Heather lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their Chiweenie, Toby.
When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, listening to podcasts, traveling, or spending time with family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
June 12, 2026
2 stars ⭐️ Clean Fiction - YA Fantasy/Magic Realism (contemporary setting with inherited magic)
This book felt cleaner than the previous books with a lack of mild/moderate language and less scenes of characters drinking; both things I greatly appreciated for this final book.
There were decent recaps at the beginning of the book that didn’t really like an obvious “hey, remember when this happened in the previous book?” which was nice and felt pretty naturally worked into this book. It’s been a couple months since I read Book 2, so those were good elements/refreshers. Those who binge-read the trilogy might be less-than-impressed, but it was helpful for me!
Like I slightly complained about in my review of the second book of this trilogy, the magical elements and challenges that Briar faces were either not complicated and/or easily solved. Even the first few chapters of this book had a few instances of quickly solving a problem—including one that was the cliffhanger from the prior book—and wrapped up quick. This feels like a weird thing to nitpick, but it happened again and again that I kept noticing it. This was honestly what kept me from giving it a 2.5/3 star rating because it happened frequently through the book and lessened the suspense of “will their plans work?” because I would everything would be solved soon for the current problem.
At the risk of sounding like the Goody Two Shoes that I know I am, I do have to mention that I still didn’t love the concept of Briar and the others stealing from the school and purposely causing trouble at times for the sake of their plans and protecting the school from those with ill/greedy intent. Call it a moral dilemma if you will, but it didn’t settle right with me in this book or the prior book. Very much “the ends justify the means” thought process which I’m noticing more in books and don’t personally love. It is upper YA though and the while the characters’ actions aren’t the most ethical (or legally), it does work out well for them. If this was a series aimed for middle-grade readers I would be way more concerned about this message.
All that said, here are some things I liked in this trilogy:
- all the plants and flowers (as a gardener, this is what made me in the series originally)
- lots of scenes of drinking tea (and some blends that have me wanting to experiment with my own tea blends)
- the overall lack of drama (no cliques, no mean girls, and basically little angst)
- it was definitely more on the cozy fantasy side which was nice
- if this book was set in a high school instead of college, it could have been turned into a Disney channel TV show or movie franchise (it had all the elements needed: a girl who doesn’t know how powerful she is, school setting, a story that is character-driven, and a final scene that demanded a song as the story ends and fades out)
- and finally, the covers. They really are stunning and my favorite thing about this series.
So there might have been hits and misses with this series for me, but it wasn’t a bad trilogy overall. I was curious enough to finish reading all three books after all. It’s just not one I’m going to highly recommend.
Main Content-
Magic/Spiritual-
Those who go to the academy are magical botanists that have special abilities/powers that can tap into and amplify the characteristics of some plants (such as flowers leaning towards them, grass part for them when talking through a field, being able to walk in the trees, block out sound by using the wind, etc.).
The students at the academy are taught ‘Floracantus’ which are Latin phrases or “spells” to have a plant do what they want (like for a flower to have longer lasting blooms); We see this on-page with Briar saying and using these spells often.
Someone calls herself a “flower witch” (thrice) instead of a “magical botanist” (because the concept is new to her).
Briar comments about being able to “find [her]self” once she came to the school.
All about & many mentions of magic, spells, & controlling and helping plants through that magic; Mentions of people putting their magic into items (including books) to store them for safety; Mentions of a “curse” (when someone is unable to do something at the academy due to old rules by the founders); Mentions of people working miracles with their magic and things they has created with their magic; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A couple mentions of praying (but not towards Who); A couple mentions of a place being like heaven; A mention of a tree being sacred; A mention of nature-blessed matches; A mention of a man who created riddles that were called “prophecies” in his time period; A mention of “channeling” a time period with certain outfits; A mention of someone dressing up as an “earthen goddess”.
Language-
Phrases like “leaves”, “holy blossoms”, “by the ferns”, “by the leaves”, “what the spores”, “spores and rhizomes”, “soil and rhizomes”, “thank ferns”, “thank water lilies”, “thank the leaves”, “fronds”, “hot fronds”, “spores”, “as sure as spores”, “rivers”, “seven bubbles” and similar are said multiple times in place of actual curses; Some of these are said to be curses/swears, however, for magical botanists; Someone tells another about having more “cactus spine” than that (could be replaced to “guts” or another word).
Lying (including to authority figures); Eavesdropping.
Eye rolling & Sarcasm.
Negative/Other-
2 scenes of implied/hinted to drinking: 1- martini glasses at a college party (which Briar is given one); 2- “special” drinks at a party which later is mentioned to also have “strong drinks” that leaves others with implied hangovers.
Briar and others eat magical pies that calms their anxiety; Food is served at a party that have added “endorphins” to keep the guests merry (without their permission/knowledge); Another scene of a “special elixir” being placed in everyone’s drinks to show their intentions towards a place (again, without permission/knowledge of this by the drinkers).
Being poisoned (on purpose), Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to a few sentences).
A girl refers to her mentor as they/them (not specifying the gender in the sentence; referring to a single person in the conversation; does not specifically imply if this is a nod to an LGBTQ person or not).
The love interest has many tattoos.
Briar and others in a secret group have stolen things from the school and other places to be able to have influence over the future of the school; Side characters plan pranks on and cause trouble for a principle (including having things he is allergic to placed around him or in his food); Side characters also sneak into a principle’s office to spy, place spying plants, and take things from there.
Someone tells Briar that she doesn’t have to listen to an authority figure at the school because she’s more powerful than the man.
The love interest and another side character have strained relationships with their parents due to their parents planning their futures for them; The love interest plans to ignore his mother’s wishes and do what he wants.
Mentions of deaths, grief, & a car accident (Briar’s mom); Mentions of stealing, stolen items, & thieves; Mentions of alcohol, spiked food, & side effects; Mentions of poisons & being drugged; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deception; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of Halloween; A mention of the lottery.
Sexual/Romance-
Staring at lips,
1 fingers-to-lips touch,
1 forehead kiss,
1 kiss lasting a couple sentences,
2 kisses lasting a few sentences,
Remembering kisses (up to a couple sentences).
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Flutters, Warmth, Shivers/Sparks, Nearness, Noticing, & Smelling (up to a few sentences); Wanting to kiss, touch, & embrace (mentions of longing in this regard; up to a couple sentences); Blushes & Flirting.
A side character does a “striptease” (off-page, only mentioned) to cause a distraction (someone says he covered his chest and arms with ferns and is magically removing them one by one to reveal his abs).
Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, dating, break-ups, & exes; Mentions of hot/cute guys; Mentions of flirting, winks, & blushes; A few mentions of pheromones & creating scents that will make someone else crazy for them; A mention of girls ogling guys.
This book felt cleaner than the previous books with a lack of mild/moderate language and less scenes of characters drinking; both things I greatly appreciated for this final book.
There were decent recaps at the beginning of the book that didn’t really like an obvious “hey, remember when this happened in the previous book?” which was nice and felt pretty naturally worked into this book. It’s been a couple months since I read Book 2, so those were good elements/refreshers. Those who binge-read the trilogy might be less-than-impressed, but it was helpful for me!
Like I slightly complained about in my review of the second book of this trilogy, the magical elements and challenges that Briar faces were either not complicated and/or easily solved. Even the first few chapters of this book had a few instances of quickly solving a problem—including one that was the cliffhanger from the prior book—and wrapped up quick. This feels like a weird thing to nitpick, but it happened again and again that I kept noticing it. This was honestly what kept me from giving it a 2.5/3 star rating because it happened frequently through the book and lessened the suspense of “will their plans work?” because I would everything would be solved soon for the current problem.
At the risk of sounding like the Goody Two Shoes that I know I am, I do have to mention that I still didn’t love the concept of Briar and the others stealing from the school and purposely causing trouble at times for the sake of their plans and protecting the school from those with ill/greedy intent. Call it a moral dilemma if you will, but it didn’t settle right with me in this book or the prior book. Very much “the ends justify the means” thought process which I’m noticing more in books and don’t personally love. It is upper YA though and the while the characters’ actions aren’t the most ethical (or legally), it does work out well for them. If this was a series aimed for middle-grade readers I would be way more concerned about this message.
All that said, here are some things I liked in this trilogy:
- all the plants and flowers (as a gardener, this is what made me in the series originally)
- lots of scenes of drinking tea (and some blends that have me wanting to experiment with my own tea blends)
- the overall lack of drama (no cliques, no mean girls, and basically little angst)
- it was definitely more on the cozy fantasy side which was nice
- if this book was set in a high school instead of college, it could have been turned into a Disney channel TV show or movie franchise (it had all the elements needed: a girl who doesn’t know how powerful she is, school setting, a story that is character-driven, and a final scene that demanded a song as the story ends and fades out)
- and finally, the covers. They really are stunning and my favorite thing about this series.
So there might have been hits and misses with this series for me, but it wasn’t a bad trilogy overall. I was curious enough to finish reading all three books after all. It’s just not one I’m going to highly recommend.
Main Content-
Magic/Spiritual-
Those who go to the academy are magical botanists that have special abilities/powers that can tap into and amplify the characteristics of some plants (such as flowers leaning towards them, grass part for them when talking through a field, being able to walk in the trees, block out sound by using the wind, etc.).
The students at the academy are taught ‘Floracantus’ which are Latin phrases or “spells” to have a plant do what they want (like for a flower to have longer lasting blooms); We see this on-page with Briar saying and using these spells often.
Someone calls herself a “flower witch” (thrice) instead of a “magical botanist” (because the concept is new to her).
Briar comments about being able to “find [her]self” once she came to the school.
All about & many mentions of magic, spells, & controlling and helping plants through that magic; Mentions of people putting their magic into items (including books) to store them for safety; Mentions of a “curse” (when someone is unable to do something at the academy due to old rules by the founders); Mentions of people working miracles with their magic and things they has created with their magic; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A couple mentions of praying (but not towards Who); A couple mentions of a place being like heaven; A mention of a tree being sacred; A mention of nature-blessed matches; A mention of a man who created riddles that were called “prophecies” in his time period; A mention of “channeling” a time period with certain outfits; A mention of someone dressing up as an “earthen goddess”.
Language-
Phrases like “leaves”, “holy blossoms”, “by the ferns”, “by the leaves”, “what the spores”, “spores and rhizomes”, “soil and rhizomes”, “thank ferns”, “thank water lilies”, “thank the leaves”, “fronds”, “hot fronds”, “spores”, “as sure as spores”, “rivers”, “seven bubbles” and similar are said multiple times in place of actual curses; Some of these are said to be curses/swears, however, for magical botanists; Someone tells another about having more “cactus spine” than that (could be replaced to “guts” or another word).
Lying (including to authority figures); Eavesdropping.
Eye rolling & Sarcasm.
Negative/Other-
2 scenes of implied/hinted to drinking: 1- martini glasses at a college party (which Briar is given one); 2- “special” drinks at a party which later is mentioned to also have “strong drinks” that leaves others with implied hangovers.
Briar and others eat magical pies that calms their anxiety; Food is served at a party that have added “endorphins” to keep the guests merry (without their permission/knowledge); Another scene of a “special elixir” being placed in everyone’s drinks to show their intentions towards a place (again, without permission/knowledge of this by the drinkers).
Being poisoned (on purpose), Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Passing out (up to a few sentences).
A girl refers to her mentor as they/them (not specifying the gender in the sentence; referring to a single person in the conversation; does not specifically imply if this is a nod to an LGBTQ person or not).
The love interest has many tattoos.
Briar and others in a secret group have stolen things from the school and other places to be able to have influence over the future of the school; Side characters plan pranks on and cause trouble for a principle (including having things he is allergic to placed around him or in his food); Side characters also sneak into a principle’s office to spy, place spying plants, and take things from there.
Someone tells Briar that she doesn’t have to listen to an authority figure at the school because she’s more powerful than the man.
The love interest and another side character have strained relationships with their parents due to their parents planning their futures for them; The love interest plans to ignore his mother’s wishes and do what he wants.
Mentions of deaths, grief, & a car accident (Briar’s mom); Mentions of stealing, stolen items, & thieves; Mentions of alcohol, spiked food, & side effects; Mentions of poisons & being drugged; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deception; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of Halloween; A mention of the lottery.
Sexual/Romance-
Staring at lips,
1 fingers-to-lips touch,
1 forehead kiss,
1 kiss lasting a couple sentences,
2 kisses lasting a few sentences,
Remembering kisses (up to a couple sentences).
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Flutters, Warmth, Shivers/Sparks, Nearness, Noticing, & Smelling (up to a few sentences); Wanting to kiss, touch, & embrace (mentions of longing in this regard; up to a couple sentences); Blushes & Flirting.
A side character does a “striptease” (off-page, only mentioned) to cause a distraction (someone says he covered his chest and arms with ferns and is magically removing them one by one to reveal his abs).
Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, dating, break-ups, & exes; Mentions of hot/cute guys; Mentions of flirting, winks, & blushes; A few mentions of pheromones & creating scents that will make someone else crazy for them; A mention of girls ogling guys.
February 9, 2026
What to expect: Cozy nature-based atmosphere, botanical history lore, found family, green academia, stronger together love, secret society, more secrets revealed, final book in series
This was a satisfying, wholesome conclusion to the trilogy. We got more magical botanist lore and world-building that I found intriguing and creative like in the first two books. I enjoyed Briar’s adventure and how she has grown through her time at the academy, standing up for what she believes in. I really like her dedication and her staying true to herself. Callan is such a green flag and a good man. I found myself admiring his ambitions and consideration for others, especially toward Briar. The teamwork of those two and other students and mentors regarding the conflict is *chef’s kiss.* This is a feel-good series that makes me want to go connect with nature and appreciate it. It is absolutely lovely. 💕
Side note: I would love a novella of Briar and Callan post events of this book. ALSO CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SPECIAL EDITIONS ON KICKSTARTER
📚content📚
Spice - kissing only and not really descriptive
Language - none (made-up cursing)
Other content - one mention of students getting drunk off of made-up drinks, overall there is nothing explicit in this series
This was a satisfying, wholesome conclusion to the trilogy. We got more magical botanist lore and world-building that I found intriguing and creative like in the first two books. I enjoyed Briar’s adventure and how she has grown through her time at the academy, standing up for what she believes in. I really like her dedication and her staying true to herself. Callan is such a green flag and a good man. I found myself admiring his ambitions and consideration for others, especially toward Briar. The teamwork of those two and other students and mentors regarding the conflict is *chef’s kiss.* This is a feel-good series that makes me want to go connect with nature and appreciate it. It is absolutely lovely. 💕
Side note: I would love a novella of Briar and Callan post events of this book. ALSO CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SPECIAL EDITIONS ON KICKSTARTER
📚content📚
Spice - kissing only and not really descriptive
Language - none (made-up cursing)
Other content - one mention of students getting drunk off of made-up drinks, overall there is nothing explicit in this series
July 8, 2026
Poison, secret conservatories, spying and a rebellion against the people abusing their power. If that doesn't convince you to pick this up, the extra affinity powers just might.
This was a lovely close to the cozy series and redeemed book 2. Comfortable stakes, acceptable levels of rising danger and interesting revelations that pull you deeper into Evergreen's world. Just when you think you've seen every magical surprise this series has to offer, it introduces even more affinity powers!
The clean romance was especially sweet.
And then this one completely melts your heart:
👉With dangerous secrets, high stakes, hidden agendas, and plenty of action, this installment keeps the pages turning. Satisfying close!
This was a lovely close to the cozy series and redeemed book 2. Comfortable stakes, acceptable levels of rising danger and interesting revelations that pull you deeper into Evergreen's world. Just when you think you've seen every magical surprise this series has to offer, it introduces even more affinity powers!
The clean romance was especially sweet.
“You caught more than my eye and you have every day since.”
And then this one completely melts your heart:
“I didn’t know it then, but the day I met you, was a day that changed my life forever, you brought a lightness into my world that I could never have imagined.”🍯
👉With dangerous secrets, high stakes, hidden agendas, and plenty of action, this installment keeps the pages turning. Satisfying close!
February 8, 2026
How lucky am I to be an ARC reader for this ENTIRE trilogy!!?
I’d give this one 4.5 stars, it was my least favorite of the 3 books but in no means was it a bad book!
My favorite thing about Heather Schneider is that each book in a series immediately jumps in right where the last book started. When you don’t read the books immediately after one another I could see someone struggling to remember what happened in the previous book but I prefer it that way!
Don’t get me wrong I love some spice, but sweet, clean, PG-13 love gets my stomach in butterflies the most! I love Briar and Callan’s relationship, it has NEVER felt forced in all 3 books. I love that Wyatt was a bigger part of this story and together they took down their mother.
My main “issue” with this is I think the plot involving Alex and Briar’s aunt Vera wasn’t made out to be bigger than it seemed. Like oh we spent the last book and a half getting to this but it was just a misunderstanding!
Things almost seem “too easy” for Briar. She didn’t have many setbacks besides losing her powers for a short time and whatever they tried to do was easily successful.
I’d like to be sent away to Evergreen Academy and live amount the plants now please! I am sad to see this series come to an end but this was a perfect place to end it! Sometimes book series end up just going TOO long and it’s good to stop it while you’re ahead!
I’d give this one 4.5 stars, it was my least favorite of the 3 books but in no means was it a bad book!
My favorite thing about Heather Schneider is that each book in a series immediately jumps in right where the last book started. When you don’t read the books immediately after one another I could see someone struggling to remember what happened in the previous book but I prefer it that way!
Don’t get me wrong I love some spice, but sweet, clean, PG-13 love gets my stomach in butterflies the most! I love Briar and Callan’s relationship, it has NEVER felt forced in all 3 books. I love that Wyatt was a bigger part of this story and together they took down their mother.
My main “issue” with this is I think the plot involving Alex and Briar’s aunt Vera wasn’t made out to be bigger than it seemed. Like oh we spent the last book and a half getting to this but it was just a misunderstanding!
Things almost seem “too easy” for Briar. She didn’t have many setbacks besides losing her powers for a short time and whatever they tried to do was easily successful.
I’d like to be sent away to Evergreen Academy and live amount the plants now please! I am sad to see this series come to an end but this was a perfect place to end it! Sometimes book series end up just going TOO long and it’s good to stop it while you’re ahead!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2026
This has been such a fun series, and the final book did not disappoint!
It had just enough action and mystery to keep it interesting, as well as a great setting and cast of characters.
I’ve loved watching Briar grow and learn about her powers, and the romance between her and Callan is so sweet and wholesome.
If you enjoy cozy fantasy, found family, sweet romance, and plants, this series is definitely for you!
It had just enough action and mystery to keep it interesting, as well as a great setting and cast of characters.
I’ve loved watching Briar grow and learn about her powers, and the romance between her and Callan is so sweet and wholesome.
If you enjoy cozy fantasy, found family, sweet romance, and plants, this series is definitely for you!
March 21, 2026
This was such a great conclusion to a series that really captured my heart and made me want to be a magical botanist when I grow up 🤭🥰 This series is so atmospheric with a school setting so vibrant and detailed that it felt like I could jump right into the pages and live there! 🌱🌷 I dare you to read this series and NOT wish you went to Evergreen Academy — it’s impossible! 💚
This third & final book in the Evergreen Academy series picks up exactly where book 2 left off. It pulls you in instantly as Briar and Callan must finally crack the code on the mystery that has been plaguing their academy all year long. You travel to new places, gain a deeper understanding into the history of the school and its founders, and fall deeper in love with Evergreen Academy and all its students!
I loved seeing Briar and Callan’s relationship deepen and grow as they gained more confidence about what they truly wanted in life. The settings, the games, the fetes — those were some of my favorite aspects of the book, which made it so fun and immersive! This is the perfect book for spring if you’re wanting to add to your spring TBR and get all the cottagecore vibes with a sweet romance! 🥰
The only reason this wasn’t a 5 star read was because there were some slow parts that affected the pacing of the story and a somewhat softer ending than what I was expecting. I just wanted a bit more.
For fans of:
Light academia
Studious, green flag MMCs
Friendship goals
Cottagecore vibes
Plant magic 🌱 ✨
🩷: Kisses only
🤬: None
This third & final book in the Evergreen Academy series picks up exactly where book 2 left off. It pulls you in instantly as Briar and Callan must finally crack the code on the mystery that has been plaguing their academy all year long. You travel to new places, gain a deeper understanding into the history of the school and its founders, and fall deeper in love with Evergreen Academy and all its students!
I loved seeing Briar and Callan’s relationship deepen and grow as they gained more confidence about what they truly wanted in life. The settings, the games, the fetes — those were some of my favorite aspects of the book, which made it so fun and immersive! This is the perfect book for spring if you’re wanting to add to your spring TBR and get all the cottagecore vibes with a sweet romance! 🥰
The only reason this wasn’t a 5 star read was because there were some slow parts that affected the pacing of the story and a somewhat softer ending than what I was expecting. I just wanted a bit more.
For fans of:
Light academia
Studious, green flag MMCs
Friendship goals
Cottagecore vibes
Plant magic 🌱 ✨
🩷: Kisses only
🤬: None
July 12, 2026
This was a delightful and cozy fantasy trilogy. I always enjoy academic settings, and I particularly love that all the powers in this story were connected to nature. It was a fairly straightforward and simple fantasy, which I would even call magical realism. So, if you’re someone who prefers a complex fantasy world with intricate magic systems, this book might not be for you. However, it’s the perfect book for anyone like me who enjoys their fantasy cozy, uncomplicated, and set in the real world. 🌱 🌺 🌳
August 15, 2026
The final installation in the Evergreen trilogy picks up where Evergreen Conservatory left off. Callan and Briar continue their quest to unlock the magic of the quill. Speaking of magic, will Briar ever regain the use of her magic on campus and the Conservatories? Will the Root and Vine society prevail in their quest? Find out in Evergreen Legacy. This book seemed to be less climatic than the first two installments, and focused more on Briar solo (yes, the others were there but more like background accessories). A bonus plus is that all 3 books are available in audiobooks.
February 8, 2026
ARC Review: This is my first ARC review, so I am thankful Heather Schneider, the author allowed me to read the unpublished book. Here are some of the things I noted in my notes app while reading this book that I thought were great to mention.
- A new character comes into play in the beginning of the book that might surprise you.
- A new hidden place is revealed
- Not too witchy
- Very clean
-Writing style flows well
- No cliff hangers
- As a Christian, I tend to be cautious what I read that has magic in it, but this book, and the series as a whole is very clean and not too witchy.
- I would recommend this book to anyone, and I cannot wait to read more books by this author. Thank you again!
- A new character comes into play in the beginning of the book that might surprise you.
- A new hidden place is revealed
- Not too witchy
- Very clean
-Writing style flows well
- No cliff hangers
- As a Christian, I tend to be cautious what I read that has magic in it, but this book, and the series as a whole is very clean and not too witchy.
- I would recommend this book to anyone, and I cannot wait to read more books by this author. Thank you again!
July 10, 2026
Loved how this wrapped up the series!
February 17, 2026
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Firstly, thanks to the author for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third and final book in the Society of Magical Botanists series and continues to follow Briar Wheelan and her love interest, Callan Rhodes, who are searching for the book, the Vanished Compendium, which they believe will help the academy. However, with forces batting against them, will they be able to find the book and save the academy, or is this far too great of a challenge for mere students?
I’m sad this series is now over, but the third and final book was such a great adventure that it made the ending of the series even sadder! I loved seeing the blossoming of Briar and Callan’s relationship, seeing Briar coming into her own, and seeing her aunt develop magical ability of her own. The only thing I didn’t like about the aunt plot line was that it felt underused. It seemed really big and important that Briar’s aunt had powers, especially when Briar feared her aunt being targeted, but then when the aunt knew about them she had no interest and that part of the story was then left. It felt a bit anticlimactic and I wish we saw more of the aunt delving into her magical abilities, or that there’d been more action and excitement such as the aunt being chased for her powers.
However, apart from that the story was really interesting and it had me gripped throughout. While I wish Briar faced more challenges (she seemed to manage things without any real opposition or confrontation), it was still a great book that made you keen to read on.
One of the main reasons I didn’t give this five stars is because I felt that things started too quickly (ironic, as I felt book two started too slowly). Immediately we see Briar and Callan doing a task to try and make the quill to find the book work, a task that is quickly achieved. After that, they use the quill which helps them realise the book is a certain number of miles away and from that information Callan without thinking just happens to know the aquatics conservatory is that far away and the book is likely there? It felt unbelievable that he just happened to know that information and definitely felt like a plot carrying device. As the action is immediate it doesn’t give you much time to think or get comfortable in the narrative, so I kind of wish we had a minute before we were thrust into the action.
I also wish the author slowed down a bit to explain things instead of focusing on pushing the narrative forward. For example, there is a chapter where they find the Compendium but see it has invisible ink. The chapter ends with Petra saying she has a few ideas to make the ink appear, but then the next chapter starts with them seeing the ink. It isn’t explained how they managed to achieve this which I feel would have added more to the book. Another example of things being rushed without explanation is near the end when Briar has suddenly decided what she is doing after college. She was full of uncertainty before, so the fact it was then decided what she’d be doing at uni felt a bit rushed. It would have been nice if decisions like that were explained or slowed down a bit, so I’d have preferred a longer book that went into things more than a shorter one that sped things along.
Overall, a great novel that ended an amazing series! I preferred book one overall and this one was likely my least favourite of the three, but it was still good and wrapped things up nicely. I do feel the ending with the leaf message felt unnecessary as it didn’t add anything, so if I were the author I’d remove that as the ending with the two main characters embracing felt like the perfect way to end the series.
Firstly, thanks to the author for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third and final book in the Society of Magical Botanists series and continues to follow Briar Wheelan and her love interest, Callan Rhodes, who are searching for the book, the Vanished Compendium, which they believe will help the academy. However, with forces batting against them, will they be able to find the book and save the academy, or is this far too great of a challenge for mere students?
I’m sad this series is now over, but the third and final book was such a great adventure that it made the ending of the series even sadder! I loved seeing the blossoming of Briar and Callan’s relationship, seeing Briar coming into her own, and seeing her aunt develop magical ability of her own. The only thing I didn’t like about the aunt plot line was that it felt underused. It seemed really big and important that Briar’s aunt had powers, especially when Briar feared her aunt being targeted, but then when the aunt knew about them she had no interest and that part of the story was then left. It felt a bit anticlimactic and I wish we saw more of the aunt delving into her magical abilities, or that there’d been more action and excitement such as the aunt being chased for her powers.
However, apart from that the story was really interesting and it had me gripped throughout. While I wish Briar faced more challenges (she seemed to manage things without any real opposition or confrontation), it was still a great book that made you keen to read on.
One of the main reasons I didn’t give this five stars is because I felt that things started too quickly (ironic, as I felt book two started too slowly). Immediately we see Briar and Callan doing a task to try and make the quill to find the book work, a task that is quickly achieved. After that, they use the quill which helps them realise the book is a certain number of miles away and from that information Callan without thinking just happens to know the aquatics conservatory is that far away and the book is likely there? It felt unbelievable that he just happened to know that information and definitely felt like a plot carrying device. As the action is immediate it doesn’t give you much time to think or get comfortable in the narrative, so I kind of wish we had a minute before we were thrust into the action.
I also wish the author slowed down a bit to explain things instead of focusing on pushing the narrative forward. For example, there is a chapter where they find the Compendium but see it has invisible ink. The chapter ends with Petra saying she has a few ideas to make the ink appear, but then the next chapter starts with them seeing the ink. It isn’t explained how they managed to achieve this which I feel would have added more to the book. Another example of things being rushed without explanation is near the end when Briar has suddenly decided what she is doing after college. She was full of uncertainty before, so the fact it was then decided what she’d be doing at uni felt a bit rushed. It would have been nice if decisions like that were explained or slowed down a bit, so I’d have preferred a longer book that went into things more than a shorter one that sped things along.
Overall, a great novel that ended an amazing series! I preferred book one overall and this one was likely my least favourite of the three, but it was still good and wrapped things up nicely. I do feel the ending with the leaf message felt unnecessary as it didn’t add anything, so if I were the author I’d remove that as the ending with the two main characters embracing felt like the perfect way to end the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2026
I didn't really know what to expect from this last book in the trilogy, but boy, did I devour it! Going into the story, I was curious about how everything would come together after the earlier books. While "Evergreen Conservatory" felt a little slower to me compared to "Evergreen Academy", it actually made this final instalment even more exciting to read. Because of that build-up, this book felt like a reward of everything that came before it & I found myself flying through the pages much faster than expected.
The atmosphere & setting completely pulled me into the world of Evergreen once again. I had the same excitement, but maybe even more this time around because of the new locations & plants that are being introduced throughout the story. I could immediately picture it right in front of me, so vividly! It was almost like walking through a botanical garden in my mind!
One of the things I enjoyed most in this book was seeing the characters grow with each other. I was especially happy to read more about aunt Vera this time around (no spoilers, you will definitely know when you read it!). The way the story connected her to Briar’s mom added an emotional layer that I didn’t expect & I absolutely loved it because it really strengthened that warm, family-centred feeling that runs throughout the series.
The pacing kept me hooked the entire time. Even though the story took my mind into every direction, it never felt slow to me while reading this final part. It even felt incredibly satisfying to keep going with all the plot twists revealed along the way. Just when you think you know where things are going, something new unfolds.
The ending satisfied me completely, even though reaching it felt bittersweet. Saying goodbye to these characters, the plants & the whole Evergreen world was harder than I ever could've imagined. It really shows how attached I have become to this series!
I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy cosy, comforting stories, even if there is quite a lot happening in the plot. Despite the many events unfolding, it never feels too intense or unsettling. Instead, the story holds its gentle & warm tone that makes it a very comforting read. If you enjoy immersive worlds, strong family themes & a touch of botanical magic, this trilogy — & especially this final book — is absolutely worth reading!
The atmosphere & setting completely pulled me into the world of Evergreen once again. I had the same excitement, but maybe even more this time around because of the new locations & plants that are being introduced throughout the story. I could immediately picture it right in front of me, so vividly! It was almost like walking through a botanical garden in my mind!
One of the things I enjoyed most in this book was seeing the characters grow with each other. I was especially happy to read more about aunt Vera this time around (no spoilers, you will definitely know when you read it!). The way the story connected her to Briar’s mom added an emotional layer that I didn’t expect & I absolutely loved it because it really strengthened that warm, family-centred feeling that runs throughout the series.
The pacing kept me hooked the entire time. Even though the story took my mind into every direction, it never felt slow to me while reading this final part. It even felt incredibly satisfying to keep going with all the plot twists revealed along the way. Just when you think you know where things are going, something new unfolds.
The ending satisfied me completely, even though reaching it felt bittersweet. Saying goodbye to these characters, the plants & the whole Evergreen world was harder than I ever could've imagined. It really shows how attached I have become to this series!
I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy cosy, comforting stories, even if there is quite a lot happening in the plot. Despite the many events unfolding, it never feels too intense or unsettling. Instead, the story holds its gentle & warm tone that makes it a very comforting read. If you enjoy immersive worlds, strong family themes & a touch of botanical magic, this trilogy — & especially this final book — is absolutely worth reading!
February 3, 2026
The Evergreen Legacy by Heather Schneider is the finale finish to a beautiful series.
I loved the ending..! It was fast-paced, it was action packed, and it was answer filled. The book gave us the answers to the questions we had that popped up in books one and two, and the author tied each and every knot and string up beautifully. I loved the stand the students took to save the school. We saw more and more of the beautiful world that Heather created and oh my gosh was everything just amazing!
Let me just say that MMC is such a green flag, supportive, defensive, humorous, and smart! The whole package. I loved the interactions of the main characters, each full of love, admiration and respect. Such a huge squeal!! The FMC's sleuth skills were on another level, and her dedication to keeping natural spaces open for everyone was amazing. I really loved this overall message of this book about how we shouldn't section ourselves off from nature, and that we need to coincide with nature and not fight it and use it for profit. Our planet is such a beautiful place and Heather did a great job emphasizing that.
I recommend this series to anyone who wants just a good time.
Thank you Heather Schneider for the free book.
I loved the ending..! It was fast-paced, it was action packed, and it was answer filled. The book gave us the answers to the questions we had that popped up in books one and two, and the author tied each and every knot and string up beautifully. I loved the stand the students took to save the school. We saw more and more of the beautiful world that Heather created and oh my gosh was everything just amazing!
Let me just say that MMC is such a green flag, supportive, defensive, humorous, and smart! The whole package. I loved the interactions of the main characters, each full of love, admiration and respect. Such a huge squeal!! The FMC's sleuth skills were on another level, and her dedication to keeping natural spaces open for everyone was amazing. I really loved this overall message of this book about how we shouldn't section ourselves off from nature, and that we need to coincide with nature and not fight it and use it for profit. Our planet is such a beautiful place and Heather did a great job emphasizing that.
I recommend this series to anyone who wants just a good time.
Thank you Heather Schneider for the free book.
February 14, 2026
|| Thank you to Heather Schneider for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review ! ||
I really enjoyed this end of trilogy, and its story. I feel like it was a good story done well, and while we assume everything's gonna be ok (as it's a YA cosy fantasy) we still hope that Briar and her friends will work everything out, as we can only agree with them and root for their fight.
I liked that Briar discovered even more things about her power, and also continue to be mesmerised by the magical botanists powers and all they can do, all the good things they can bring to humanity. I liked how the story went on, and also her love relationship with Callan as it goes side by side with her personal and magical growth.
I however felt like this book was too rushed, done quickly. We quickly glaze over very important moments, like it wasn't their main goal in book 2. I felt like we could put a few of the key plots in the book 2 so we could get more time for other key points in this book 3, to make it more eventful and important. It's a bit sad, as I was expecting a lot from it and it turned out easily and went over quickly.
I really enjoyed this end of trilogy, and its story. I feel like it was a good story done well, and while we assume everything's gonna be ok (as it's a YA cosy fantasy) we still hope that Briar and her friends will work everything out, as we can only agree with them and root for their fight.
I liked that Briar discovered even more things about her power, and also continue to be mesmerised by the magical botanists powers and all they can do, all the good things they can bring to humanity. I liked how the story went on, and also her love relationship with Callan as it goes side by side with her personal and magical growth.
I however felt like this book was too rushed, done quickly. We quickly glaze over very important moments, like it wasn't their main goal in book 2. I felt like we could put a few of the key plots in the book 2 so we could get more time for other key points in this book 3, to make it more eventful and important. It's a bit sad, as I was expecting a lot from it and it turned out easily and went over quickly.
May 3, 2026
I really enjoyed my time with the entire trilogy. It felt like a breath of fresh air, something I truly needed given the current real-world atmosphere.. This was such a luminous, comforting read.
The cast is wonderfully sweet and supportive (I'll say it again, Callan is the definition of a walking green flag), and the worldbuilding is incredibly fun to explore. I kept wanting it to be real haha. Even with relatively low stakes, the author delivers meaningful messages that feel especially relevant: the importance of unity in the face of greed and power, resistance to capitalism and classism, and, last but not least, reconnecting with nature.
I did find that most conflicts resolve a bit too conveniently in this last book. I would have liked to see Briar struggle more, to make her character development feel more impactful. But that's a minor complaint, it really didn't impact my reading experience that much.
I spent the entire trilogy wrapped in a bubble of light and I loved every minute of it.
The cast is wonderfully sweet and supportive (I'll say it again, Callan is the definition of a walking green flag), and the worldbuilding is incredibly fun to explore. I kept wanting it to be real haha. Even with relatively low stakes, the author delivers meaningful messages that feel especially relevant: the importance of unity in the face of greed and power, resistance to capitalism and classism, and, last but not least, reconnecting with nature.
I did find that most conflicts resolve a bit too conveniently in this last book. I would have liked to see Briar struggle more, to make her character development feel more impactful. But that's a minor complaint, it really didn't impact my reading experience that much.
I spent the entire trilogy wrapped in a bubble of light and I loved every minute of it.
March 29, 2026
✨“We also know that there’s more mystery and wonder to this world than humans can even imagine.” ✨
This series was so much fun, the perfect amount of cozy while still having a bit of a mystery, some laugh out loud moments (Hollis…am I right? Definitely snort laughed at one of his moments 😂) and a beautiful picture of teamwork accomplishing hard things. In this book, the FMC takes us “off campus” to a couple new locations and oh my goodness, I want to visit alllll the places 😍.
This was a perfect ending to the trilogy (although I did not want it to end!) and it tied up everything wonderfully! The romance was sweet and clean ~ just a few kisses ~ and the magic was so fun & light with some surprises thrown in there!
This is definitely going to be one of those series that I re-read when I need something cozy. This genre is not one I usually read but I had a book bestie suggest it to me and I am SO glad I read it! ✨
This series was so much fun, the perfect amount of cozy while still having a bit of a mystery, some laugh out loud moments (Hollis…am I right? Definitely snort laughed at one of his moments 😂) and a beautiful picture of teamwork accomplishing hard things. In this book, the FMC takes us “off campus” to a couple new locations and oh my goodness, I want to visit alllll the places 😍.
This was a perfect ending to the trilogy (although I did not want it to end!) and it tied up everything wonderfully! The romance was sweet and clean ~ just a few kisses ~ and the magic was so fun & light with some surprises thrown in there!
This is definitely going to be one of those series that I re-read when I need something cozy. This genre is not one I usually read but I had a book bestie suggest it to me and I am SO glad I read it! ✨
May 18, 2026
This is more of the loveliness that is in books 1 and 2. A deep appreciation for plants and a plot that is FULL considering it's all quite cosy.
I wasn't a fan of how one of the storylines ended in relation to a parent-child relationship. I'd have liked more compassion and respect towards the parent which was lacking. There was also a lot of admiration of the MMC's tattoo in this one, which I wasn't a fan of.
Overall I recommend this series for 15+!
CONTENT:
Language: None
Romance: Kissing only (not married, infrequent, not super descriptive).
Faith: None but little comments here and there as if nature itself is a being (rather than the creator). Talk of luck and 'works like a charm'.
Other: MMC's tattoo admired. Pretty awful parent relationships with one disrespectful conversation to (slightly evil) parent.
I wasn't a fan of how one of the storylines ended in relation to a parent-child relationship. I'd have liked more compassion and respect towards the parent which was lacking. There was also a lot of admiration of the MMC's tattoo in this one, which I wasn't a fan of.
Overall I recommend this series for 15+!
CONTENT:
Language: None
Romance: Kissing only (not married, infrequent, not super descriptive).
Faith: None but little comments here and there as if nature itself is a being (rather than the creator). Talk of luck and 'works like a charm'.
Other: MMC's tattoo admired. Pretty awful parent relationships with one disrespectful conversation to (slightly evil) parent.
July 7, 2026
There was so much about this trilogy that I loved. The characters, the setting, the little bits of science dropped into the story. There were small surprises along the way that kept it interesting and fun. The only thing I didn’t like were the mother-son interactions with Callen and Wendy. As a mom, I know that our children don’t always see their parents in a good light and it’s a rite of passage to question and challenge our decisions. I would have liked to see some kind of restoration in that relationship. Other than that, such a good story!!
July 31, 2026
3.8 stars. This series was so lovely and enchanting. I’m really glad I decided to pick it up, I was hesitant at first because it was very different, but I ended up loving it so much. I never thought I would enjoy talk of plants as much as I did while reading them. My favorite was definitely the second book but this one was the perfect ending to a magical story.
March 15, 2026
Oh my goodness! What a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the Society of Magical Botanists! There were so many twists and turns as secrets and plot points that have been building up since book 1 were revealed. I love this cozy fantasy series - it's so magical & fills you with wonder about the plant world around you 💚
February 3, 2026
Evergreen Legacy was the perfect final book to the Evergreen trilogy! This cozy, heartwarming series will envelop you in goosebumps and gives the reader all the feel-good moments expected from a Heather Schneider novel. I loved this trilogy and it will be one to read again and again!
March 24, 2026
SOO GOOD!!
I don't want this this magical world to ever end
I don't want this this magical world to ever end
April 9, 2026
Lovely, cozy little series! If you want a clean, feel good trilogy with romance, friendship, fantasy, and stakes that aren’t too stressful, read these books and relax!
May 25, 2026
This series was relaxing and enticing and felt like a comforting friend. Really enjoyed this series!
July 8, 2026
Very cosy and easy to read, will go in the comfort reads pile for sure.
July 9, 2026
4.5 stars really enjoyed this trilogy
August 2, 2026
A fun, clean, YA series about magical botanists. 3.5 stars
June 17, 2026
I genuinely loved this world and the story of these characters! I thought the entire plot was fun and intriguing. My biggest complaint is that I felt like it could have been so much more than it was. There was such potential for an elaborate, complex story but instead I felt like we got a simplified version, rushed to the ending. No conflict in the middle, no challenge to get there, just a narration of events, and I really think this could have been so much better had she expanded into even another book or longer plot lines.
July 22, 2026
This series filled my heart with excitement, magic, adventure, passion, and more. I would not change one iota about any of it. It is pure perfection, from the first page of the first to the last page of the last.
March 10, 2026
The conclusion to the series, we're left on a positive note with everything solved. However, there wasn't much conflict left to be resolved here and the coziness level felt off being the final installment. Evergreen Legacy is even more YA and tame than our first two visits which is at odds with a typical trilogy.
That being said, I loved the messages of unity and cooperation over capitalism and classism. I'm far too pessimistic to believe in the amount of support showing in this community and I kept waiting for the real villain to reveal themselves. On a similar note, Callan is such a green flag!
I would recommend this series for teens and lovers of closed door, cozy Fantasy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
That being said, I loved the messages of unity and cooperation over capitalism and classism. I'm far too pessimistic to believe in the amount of support showing in this community and I kept waiting for the real villain to reveal themselves. On a similar note, Callan is such a green flag!
I would recommend this series for teens and lovers of closed door, cozy Fantasy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
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