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Spellshop #3
Sea of Charms: Das sanfte Lied der Freiheit
Die Weite des Meeres und die wärmenden Strahlen eines Lächelns
Marins Herz gehört der See. Gemeinsam mit ihrer ungewöhnlichen Crew, einer anhänglichen Seeschlange und einer sprechenden Wachsmyrte, schifft sie Waren, Geschichten und ab und an auch mal eine verzauberte Statue von Insel zu Insel. Es ist ein einsames Leben, aber es ist ihr Leben. Bis sie ihren Komponistenfreund Dax aus den Revolutionswirren der Hauptstadt rettet und einen Handel mit ihm Dax darf ein dauerhaftes Crewmitglied werden, wenn er beim Erntefest in Marins Heimat ihren Freund spielt. Doch schon bald flutet Dax' charmantes Lächeln Marins Herz, und sie muss sich fragen, wer hier eigentlich wen rettet.
Sea of Charms ist eine herzerwärmende Cozy Fantasy darüber, wie man seine Crew und vor allem sich selbst findet.
Marins Herz gehört der See. Gemeinsam mit ihrer ungewöhnlichen Crew, einer anhänglichen Seeschlange und einer sprechenden Wachsmyrte, schifft sie Waren, Geschichten und ab und an auch mal eine verzauberte Statue von Insel zu Insel. Es ist ein einsames Leben, aber es ist ihr Leben. Bis sie ihren Komponistenfreund Dax aus den Revolutionswirren der Hauptstadt rettet und einen Handel mit ihm Dax darf ein dauerhaftes Crewmitglied werden, wenn er beim Erntefest in Marins Heimat ihren Freund spielt. Doch schon bald flutet Dax' charmantes Lächeln Marins Herz, und sie muss sich fragen, wer hier eigentlich wen rettet.
Sea of Charms ist eine herzerwärmende Cozy Fantasy darüber, wie man seine Crew und vor allem sich selbst findet.
Audible Audio
First published July 28, 2026
About the author
Sarah Beth Durst
59 books10.5k followersSarah Beth Durst is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty-five books for adults, teens, and kids, including cozy fantasy The Spellshop. She's been awarded an American Library Association Alex Award, as well as a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Several of her books have been optioned for film/television, including Drink Slay Love, which was made into a TV movie and was a question on Jeopardy! She lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat. Visit her at sarahbethdurst.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,768 reviews
August 28, 2026
“Books aren’t worth more than your life.”Marin lives on an enchanted boat accompanied by a friendly sea serpent - and life is just dandy.
“We will agree to disagree on that.”
As long as she doesn't dwell too much on her exfiancé - whose control and manipulation both broke her heart and threatened to bankrupt her entire family.
She is trying to let go of the past as best she can and do as many money-making supply runs for the Crescent Island Empire as possible...but then she stops by the capital, Alyssium, and it is on fire.
"If she was never going to have her own great love- and she was done with ever wanting that- then she'd treasure the fictional ones even more."
Marin knows she should turn her boat around and run for her own life but then she remembers Dax, one of the composers at the music conservatory. Against her better judgement, she sails further in and quickly begins a rescue mission.
And suddenly, without truly understanding how, Marin finds herself with a crew. Perri (the sea serpent), Dax (the musician), Ree (a talking plant), and even Stowie (a flying cat).
The more time Marin spends with her crew, the more she finds herself caring for them...but she's still healing from her ex's harsh ways. Should she open her heart? What if it's too late?
Ahhh...this was a breath of fresh air. Exactly what I needed.
"All she’d done was save his life, which didn’t seem nearly as impressive a feat as becoming her friend."
By no surprise, I am a HUGE fan of the Spellshop series. They are the perfect enchanted cozy slice-of-life books to combat an ever-changing and scary real world.
Marin was a smaller character in the previous two books but the moment she came on page, I crossed my fingers that we'd get her story. AND WE DID!
One thing that was particularly cool about her story is that it filled in a lot of the blanks about the world.
In the previous two books, the main characters were isolated on islands. So we'd hear snippets of political upheaval and unrest but a lot of what happened was shrouded in mystery.
Marin's story takes place during the events of book 2 and a little of book 1 as well, so I'm able to finally know what was happening out in the capital/with the world at large.
Also, I liked the bigger cast of characters in this one - I felt like they balanced each other well and Ree was an absolute darling throughout.
I also appreciated how there was more action in this book - the sea is big, beautiful, and deadly. We get a lot more high-stakes moments than in previous books!
The one thing that had me pulling slightly out was that Marin felt a bit...one-note about the ex-fiancé. Lots of ruminating. And while there was progress eventually, it did get a bit tiresome.
Overall though, I'm so excited for the next one. Onwards - to the Magical Cheese Emporium!!
Want to Read
August 15, 2025I KNEW that there would be a book with this character as soon as I heard that she is friends with a sea serpent and a talking sailor plant.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️ 5 ⭐️ This is by far my most favorite book in this series. I adored the first two, The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse, but this story was an adventure! Not only it's full of charming characters that are a complete delight, we embark on a journey of a sailors tale. We sail from place to place where we are greeted with whimsical magic, lovely new characters, amazing sidekicks, sweet romance and an unforgettable adventure. For a soft and cozy fantasy, the character development was top notch! This was the easiest and the quickest 5 stars I've given. Sarah Beth Durst is a QUEEN when it comes to cozy, tender fantasies that transport you to another world.
Sea of Charms is a tale of a sailor, Marin, and a musician, Dax, who find love and companionship in a changing world as they flee the newly formed revolution on Alyssium. Marin, a supply runner is trying to help her parents pay off a debt thanks to her jerk of an ex who embezzled from her family. She's working hard to repay the load her parents took out to purchase her magical boat. So she's traveling to all sorts of places, along with her sea serpent Perri and the sentient sailor shrub Ree, trying to save up as much as she can. One day, she's making a run to Alyssium and sees that it's burning due to rebellion strikes. She rescues Dax and his musician friends and this is where their story of friendship and love begins! What starts off a rescue evolves into a deal: pretend to be my boyfriend and you can keep sailing along my crew. Against all odds, Marin finds herself more and more interested in Dax.
Marin has a good heart and great values. She cherishes hard work and cares deeply about her family, her friends and things that mean the most to her. She's incredibly emotionally intelligent, she believes that people should follow their heart vs whatever someone else says. She wants everyone to be successful and she pushes Dax to achieve his greatness despite how much she knows she will miss him! She's my favorite character so far and I was rooting for her all the way. She's just not great at love, considering what has happened, I don't blame her. I, too, would be very distraught and not easily trusting anymore..but meeting Dax was the best things that ever happened to her. Charming, stubborn, passionate, Dax is the one that heals her and saves her, not the other way around. He heals her, supports her and stands by her against all odds. Together, they are perfect for each other!
Sea of Charms strongly focuses on the idea of 'finding yourself' amidst the chaos, cherishing where you come from and allowing time to heal your wounds. The narrator, Caitlin Davies brought so much life into the story. I always say that audiobooks elevate the experience! This narration was phenomenal, read with so much heart and soul, I highly recommend doing the audiobook for this book.
Now I can't wait to read the next installment, The Magical Cheese Emporium, expected to be released on January 19, 2027!
Narrator: Caitlin Davies
Duration: 13 hours 12 min
Speed: 1.5x
Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and the author for an early ALC!
Publication date: July 28, 2026
Sea of Charms is a tale of a sailor, Marin, and a musician, Dax, who find love and companionship in a changing world as they flee the newly formed revolution on Alyssium. Marin, a supply runner is trying to help her parents pay off a debt thanks to her jerk of an ex who embezzled from her family. She's working hard to repay the load her parents took out to purchase her magical boat. So she's traveling to all sorts of places, along with her sea serpent Perri and the sentient sailor shrub Ree, trying to save up as much as she can. One day, she's making a run to Alyssium and sees that it's burning due to rebellion strikes. She rescues Dax and his musician friends and this is where their story of friendship and love begins! What starts off a rescue evolves into a deal: pretend to be my boyfriend and you can keep sailing along my crew. Against all odds, Marin finds herself more and more interested in Dax.
Marin has a good heart and great values. She cherishes hard work and cares deeply about her family, her friends and things that mean the most to her. She's incredibly emotionally intelligent, she believes that people should follow their heart vs whatever someone else says. She wants everyone to be successful and she pushes Dax to achieve his greatness despite how much she knows she will miss him! She's my favorite character so far and I was rooting for her all the way. She's just not great at love, considering what has happened, I don't blame her. I, too, would be very distraught and not easily trusting anymore..but meeting Dax was the best things that ever happened to her. Charming, stubborn, passionate, Dax is the one that heals her and saves her, not the other way around. He heals her, supports her and stands by her against all odds. Together, they are perfect for each other!
Sea of Charms strongly focuses on the idea of 'finding yourself' amidst the chaos, cherishing where you come from and allowing time to heal your wounds. The narrator, Caitlin Davies brought so much life into the story. I always say that audiobooks elevate the experience! This narration was phenomenal, read with so much heart and soul, I highly recommend doing the audiobook for this book.
Now I can't wait to read the next installment, The Magical Cheese Emporium, expected to be released on January 19, 2027!
Narrator: Caitlin Davies
Duration: 13 hours 12 min
Speed: 1.5x
Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and the author for an early ALC!
Publication date: July 28, 2026
September 9, 2026
« She’s a symphony, and not everyone understands how special that is. » 💘
I’ve been sitting on this review for a while & I always find that no review could ever do the books I love justice so I’ll just say a few things : THE SOFT LOVE. I was BESIDE MYSELF for soft love representation!!! SO UNDERRATED. I get it, everyone loves soul crushing romance blablabla but the soft type of romance ??? Please. Give me more.
« You get one of those soul-consuming fire loves, and you don’t need wood for the winter. You’ll heat yourselves until you burn to a crisp. Better, though, is a quieter love. Like you two. » 💝
The characters were the absolute best. I loved the fmc, mmc & side characters so much. I cried of wholesomeness extremely frequently during this read.
« That’s the best kind of love : going through life side by side. Friends who become more but most importantly stay friends, through the more and the less and the every day. »
« Government is full of absurdity. It’s its defining feature, regardless of whose government it is. »
I’ve been sitting on this review for a while & I always find that no review could ever do the books I love justice so I’ll just say a few things : THE SOFT LOVE. I was BESIDE MYSELF for soft love representation!!! SO UNDERRATED. I get it, everyone loves soul crushing romance blablabla but the soft type of romance ??? Please. Give me more.
« You get one of those soul-consuming fire loves, and you don’t need wood for the winter. You’ll heat yourselves until you burn to a crisp. Better, though, is a quieter love. Like you two. » 💝
The characters were the absolute best. I loved the fmc, mmc & side characters so much. I cried of wholesomeness extremely frequently during this read.
« That’s the best kind of love : going through life side by side. Friends who become more but most importantly stay friends, through the more and the less and the every day. »
« Government is full of absurdity. It’s its defining feature, regardless of whose government it is. »
Currently Reading
April 10, 2026here for the cozy escape of it allll 🌊 ⛵
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Thank you to Tor Books for the ARC and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
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Thank you to Tor Books for the ARC and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
September 1, 2026
4.5 stars!
This was such a heartwarming and wonderful cozy fantasy about healing yourself, finding the people you belong with and finding love. Sea of Charms follows Marin a sailor who delivers supplies for people. Her companion is a sea serpent who can make beautiful music. When she arrives in Alyssium, the city is on fire and she rescues several refugees including a composer named Dax. As she spends more time with him she finds herself charmed by the smile and kindness.
Thoughts
I fell in love with the characters and story from the very first page. The pacing was nearly perfect throughout the book and the plot was so engaging. I loved the sea adventures in this book, it kept the story interesting and added a bit of action to this cozy world. The setting was so beautiful and I love the descriptions of the all the islands Marin visits. This book felt like reading a book by the beach on a sunny day. I loved that this story had a blend of higher stakes and cozy everyday moments. The writing was descriptive, concise and witty. I felt like I was experiencing every moment and emotion that the characters felt. I loved the magic in this book especially the talking plants, the singing sea serpent, the dragons, and the cats with wings. I enjoyed that this book talked about key topics alongside the light-hearted moments such as emotional abuse. The ending was so sweet and heartwarming. I loved that this book showed how important finding your place with the people you care about was.
Characters
Marin was great, she was brave, hardworking, independent, stubborn and caring. She did frustrate me at times, but I'm glad she learned from her mistakes. Marin's character development was excellent, in the beginning she was lonely but by the end she found people she cared about and was able to heal from her past trauma. I loved Dax, he was so sweet, charming, funny, caring, brave, and talented. Dax was such a cinnamon roll and I swooned at the sweet things he did for Marin. Dax's character development was great, I enjoyed watching him open up to Marin and show a less serious side of himself. I adored the side characters especially Ree (a talking plant) and Perri (the sea serpent). Ree was so funny and it was adorable how excited he was about the sea.
Romance
I loved that the romance was slow burn and they didn't convey their feelings until the end. I'm also glad that Marin and Dax started off as friends and their feelings developed naturally. The tension and chemistry between them was wonderful. I enjoyed the romantic scenes between them, but I was hoping for a few more near the end. I'm glad that the romance was realistic and relatable. I enjoyed that they were a great pair and understand each other even though they had different personalities.
This was such a heartwarming and wonderful cozy fantasy about healing yourself, finding the people you belong with and finding love. Sea of Charms follows Marin a sailor who delivers supplies for people. Her companion is a sea serpent who can make beautiful music. When she arrives in Alyssium, the city is on fire and she rescues several refugees including a composer named Dax. As she spends more time with him she finds herself charmed by the smile and kindness.
Thoughts
I fell in love with the characters and story from the very first page. The pacing was nearly perfect throughout the book and the plot was so engaging. I loved the sea adventures in this book, it kept the story interesting and added a bit of action to this cozy world. The setting was so beautiful and I love the descriptions of the all the islands Marin visits. This book felt like reading a book by the beach on a sunny day. I loved that this story had a blend of higher stakes and cozy everyday moments. The writing was descriptive, concise and witty. I felt like I was experiencing every moment and emotion that the characters felt. I loved the magic in this book especially the talking plants, the singing sea serpent, the dragons, and the cats with wings. I enjoyed that this book talked about key topics alongside the light-hearted moments such as emotional abuse. The ending was so sweet and heartwarming. I loved that this book showed how important finding your place with the people you care about was.
Characters
Marin was great, she was brave, hardworking, independent, stubborn and caring. She did frustrate me at times, but I'm glad she learned from her mistakes. Marin's character development was excellent, in the beginning she was lonely but by the end she found people she cared about and was able to heal from her past trauma. I loved Dax, he was so sweet, charming, funny, caring, brave, and talented. Dax was such a cinnamon roll and I swooned at the sweet things he did for Marin. Dax's character development was great, I enjoyed watching him open up to Marin and show a less serious side of himself. I adored the side characters especially Ree (a talking plant) and Perri (the sea serpent). Ree was so funny and it was adorable how excited he was about the sea.
Romance
I loved that the romance was slow burn and they didn't convey their feelings until the end. I'm also glad that Marin and Dax started off as friends and their feelings developed naturally. The tension and chemistry between them was wonderful. I enjoyed the romantic scenes between them, but I was hoping for a few more near the end. I'm glad that the romance was realistic and relatable. I enjoyed that they were a great pair and understand each other even though they had different personalities.
Want to Read
August 15, 2025MARIN IS GETTING A BOOK!! AHHH!!
August 4, 2026
So … sigh. I was really looking forward to this book but it was … ok? Very repetitive. Marin kept repeating certain things over and over: she’s just a sailor, she can’t trust anyone, Dax wants to be a musician, her ex was mean she has to make sure he doesn’t affect her mood, she’s just a sailor not involved in politics !!! It was very annoying and really bothered me, it was like this throughout the whole book.
Dax was boring. He made great music and was kind and smiled but that’s about it. Marin was a bit more dimensional but with how repetitive everything is it felt annoying. The issues felt soooo easily resolved and she always got everything she wanted and that was kind of annoying. For example, Marin was worried about her sea serpent friend and based on a whole misunderstanding she was emotional and he just comes back: it felt useless to the story. I’m really sad that I didn’t like this one bc I really loved the 2nd book.
#audiobook
Dax was boring. He made great music and was kind and smiled but that’s about it. Marin was a bit more dimensional but with how repetitive everything is it felt annoying. The issues felt soooo easily resolved and she always got everything she wanted and that was kind of annoying. For example, Marin was worried about her sea serpent friend and based on a whole misunderstanding she was emotional and he just comes back: it felt useless to the story. I’m really sad that I didn’t like this one bc I really loved the 2nd book.
#audiobook
June 6, 2026
I found this book very charming (as the name implies!) but didn’t quite have the same can’t-put-it-down notion for me as the precious tow in the series. I felt like certain elements were overused and repeated.
However, there were some truly wonderful things about this read: The intertwining of the love and sea and music was quite beautifully described. Both Marin and Dax had passion that was very prevalent throughout the book. And of course, the magical creatures were very enchanting. My favorites included the turtles for swimming lessons and the dragon bargaining. Ree and Perri were the sweetest of sailing companions for Marin. Many times I was thinking, “Oh, innocent Ree!”
This book truly highlighted what friendship and choices mean and highlighted the theme of loyalty. And, if you like a friends to lovers trope, this one is a good one, but just not quite as good as the first two. However, I’ll still probably read any other books in this series, as again, the imaginative magical qualities make for a cozy read.
However, there were some truly wonderful things about this read: The intertwining of the love and sea and music was quite beautifully described. Both Marin and Dax had passion that was very prevalent throughout the book. And of course, the magical creatures were very enchanting. My favorites included the turtles for swimming lessons and the dragon bargaining. Ree and Perri were the sweetest of sailing companions for Marin. Many times I was thinking, “Oh, innocent Ree!”
This book truly highlighted what friendship and choices mean and highlighted the theme of loyalty. And, if you like a friends to lovers trope, this one is a good one, but just not quite as good as the first two. However, I’ll still probably read any other books in this series, as again, the imaginative magical qualities make for a cozy read.
October 5, 2026
The harmony of found family along with the release of following your passion and going with the flow 🌊✨
🐍All the cosy notes brought together by the author create a symphony of comfort. The magic, the love, the sweetness, the wit, this crew that sticks together with mutual respect. This series cannot fail.
I'm going to plant a Wax Myrtle in honor of Dax 🪴
🐍All the cosy notes brought together by the author create a symphony of comfort. The magic, the love, the sweetness, the wit, this crew that sticks together with mutual respect. This series cannot fail.
I'm going to plant a Wax Myrtle in honor of Dax 🪴
July 13, 2026
˖°𓇼🌊⋆🐚🫧
“𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚,𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 “
🩵Sea of charms
(spoiler free review!)🩵
𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 - 𝘉𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘴
0:09 ━●────────── 2:47
ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ
: 𓏲🐋 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🌊
ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
𓏲๋࣭࣪˖🪼.ᐟ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭
🩵Grumpy x sunshine trope
🐳 Magical creatures
🌊 Found Family
⛴️ Fake dating
🌊 Cozy vibes
⋆.˚ 𓇼 𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭: Sea of Charms follows Marin, a hardworking supply runner determined to pay off her family’s debt after her ex betrayed them. While making a delivery, she rescues Dax, a musician fleeing a revolution, and the two strike a fake-dating deal that slowly blossoms into a heartfelt romance. As they sail together with Marin’s magical crew, they navigate danger, political unrest, healing from past wounds, and discover that love can be found even in the most unexpected times.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
🫧🐚🪼𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻: my shayla she is so relatable and she just wanted to be FREE and loved. Mariner is deeply independent and she is a female sailor who loves the sea and freedom of her life, she is a supply runner across the Crescent Islands Empire. What i liked about her character was that while Marin seems so calm and confident outside but deep down, she feels as deep as the sea sails. I loved that her backstory is tied to her insecurities and her flaws that shape how her character grows and gains development throughout the story!
𝗗𝗮𝘅: He is a musician and he loves to sing!! He is the definition of GENTLE🥹.
I found him to be relatable too because he can be a people pleaser however I liked how he chose to always be kind and forgiving. He also gained character development throughout the story and i loved how he had dreams and AMBITION.
🌊⋆｡𖦹 °.🐚⋆❀˖°🫧
💌𝐹𝒶𝓋 𝒬𝓊𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓈:
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶”
“𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘯, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳.”
“𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯”
“𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴."
"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”
"𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘺.
𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘴."
“𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦. 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯”
⋆｡˚🫧🐋𖦹ׂ⋆｡˚𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This book felt like a fresh sea breeze, I loved Sea of charms so much, it truly was a magical whimsical cozy fantasy! 🩵✨ I LOVEDD the world building especially the magical creatures. Perri the sea serpent he was always there for marin since day one 🥹 and then Ree the myrtle plant he is full of enthusiasm. Second of all, I loved island hopping and following Marin’s journey to finding herself and peace. Third of all, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW DAX WAS LITERALLY YEARNING FOR MARIN THROUGH HIS MUSICC now i want a composer green flag bf who will love all of me ugh and serenade me and dedicate his songs to me. I love Marin’s character so much she is so relatable for not being able to trust and thinking that love is not worth it until she found Dax who proved her wrong and became her ONLY EXCEPTION!! THEY YEARNED FOR EACH OTHERR. I loved Marin’s parents because they always believed in her and let her find happiness in everything and gave her a future 🥹. Overall, This book taught me that life can be hurtful, unpredictable, and chaotic but that’s often where the most beautiful adventures, deepest healing, and greatest love begin.
˖𓍢ִִ໋𓇼⋆ I will always come back to Crescent Islands when i need to escape and see the winged cats and sea serpents🥹 I recommend this book if you love a cozy whimsical summer fantasy and yearning!🩵 Thank you again Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group!
With Love, Avrielle 💌
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˖°𓇼🌊⋆🐚🫧 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱: Another summer read!! YAYY MY REQUEST WAS APPROVED FOR THE ARC im so excited to start this! Tysm Netgalley and Tor publishing group 🥹🩵
🥥🌴🌺🌅🌊
“𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚,𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 “
🩵Sea of charms
(spoiler free review!)🩵
𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:
𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 - 𝘉𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘴
0:09 ━●────────── 2:47
ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ
: 𓏲🐋 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🌊
ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
𓏲๋࣭࣪˖🪼.ᐟ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭
🩵Grumpy x sunshine trope
🐳 Magical creatures
🌊 Found Family
⛴️ Fake dating
🌊 Cozy vibes
⋆.˚ 𓇼 𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭: Sea of Charms follows Marin, a hardworking supply runner determined to pay off her family’s debt after her ex betrayed them. While making a delivery, she rescues Dax, a musician fleeing a revolution, and the two strike a fake-dating deal that slowly blossoms into a heartfelt romance. As they sail together with Marin’s magical crew, they navigate danger, political unrest, healing from past wounds, and discover that love can be found even in the most unexpected times.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
🫧🐚🪼𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻: my shayla she is so relatable and she just wanted to be FREE and loved. Mariner is deeply independent and she is a female sailor who loves the sea and freedom of her life, she is a supply runner across the Crescent Islands Empire. What i liked about her character was that while Marin seems so calm and confident outside but deep down, she feels as deep as the sea sails. I loved that her backstory is tied to her insecurities and her flaws that shape how her character grows and gains development throughout the story!
𝗗𝗮𝘅: He is a musician and he loves to sing!! He is the definition of GENTLE🥹.
I found him to be relatable too because he can be a people pleaser however I liked how he chose to always be kind and forgiving. He also gained character development throughout the story and i loved how he had dreams and AMBITION.
🌊⋆｡𖦹 °.🐚⋆❀˖°🫧
💌𝐹𝒶𝓋 𝒬𝓊𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓈:
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶”
“𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘯, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳.”
“𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯”
“𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴."
"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”
"𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘺.
𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘴."
“𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦. 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯”
⋆｡˚🫧🐋𖦹ׂ⋆｡˚𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This book felt like a fresh sea breeze, I loved Sea of charms so much, it truly was a magical whimsical cozy fantasy! 🩵✨ I LOVEDD the world building especially the magical creatures. Perri the sea serpent he was always there for marin since day one 🥹 and then Ree the myrtle plant he is full of enthusiasm. Second of all, I loved island hopping and following Marin’s journey to finding herself and peace. Third of all, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW DAX WAS LITERALLY YEARNING FOR MARIN THROUGH HIS MUSICC now i want a composer green flag bf who will love all of me ugh and serenade me and dedicate his songs to me. I love Marin’s character so much she is so relatable for not being able to trust and thinking that love is not worth it until she found Dax who proved her wrong and became her ONLY EXCEPTION!! THEY YEARNED FOR EACH OTHERR. I loved Marin’s parents because they always believed in her and let her find happiness in everything and gave her a future 🥹. Overall, This book taught me that life can be hurtful, unpredictable, and chaotic but that’s often where the most beautiful adventures, deepest healing, and greatest love begin.
˖𓍢ִִ໋𓇼⋆ I will always come back to Crescent Islands when i need to escape and see the winged cats and sea serpents🥹 I recommend this book if you love a cozy whimsical summer fantasy and yearning!🩵 Thank you again Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group!
With Love, Avrielle 💌
-
-
-
-
-
-
˖°𓇼🌊⋆🐚🫧 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱: Another summer read!! YAYY MY REQUEST WAS APPROVED FOR THE ARC im so excited to start this! Tysm Netgalley and Tor publishing group 🥹🩵
🥥🌴🌺🌅🌊
August 1, 2026
⋆.˚✮ 4.5 stars ✮˚.⋆
⤿ Thank you to Tor Books and Bramble for the arc through netgalley and a physical arc in exchange for an honest review!
how special this book was, without a doubt my fave in the series so far for soooo many reasons 🤩 these books are so cozy and wonderful every time but having a cozy story on the open sea was something else with Marin and her crew. during the second book in this cozy series, The Enchanted Greenhouse we briefly meet a sailor named Marin who i was very intrigued by, and i am so happy she got her own book now!! this story starts during some of the events of the second book which was honestly so fun to see from her perspective, continues through that story, and then some of the book also takes place after.
my absolute favorite part of this book was seeing more of the Crescent Islands and the world these cozy fantasies take place in. Durst has done an excellent job in the last two books adding world building even though the characters stay in one place and it's a cozier fantasy. i was waiting patiently for a time where we would see even more of the world, and this book definitely delivered. while not incredibly in depth, i loved seeing the locations that were so whimsical however small that time was within those locations. i know the next book is about the magical cheese emporium that we briefly glimpse Marin visiting and im sooo excited for it!!
the found family in this book was truly so wholesome, Perri and Marin being joined by a couple other crew members including a talking plant and musician really brought their little family together. the messages of relying on others and supporting one another including people's dreams was so sweet, it was obvious to see why everyone got along here and i'm glad there was no huge falling out. i didn't want to read about their drama i wanted to read about them being perfect which they totally were. ugh it was just so sweet!!
i was skeptical about the romance a tad bit, because Marin and Dax seem to be very different people. but i think in the most important ways they balance each other out perfectly, their romance was definitely slow burn and very subtle- which honestly i adored! i do wish we had gotten a little more towards the end (as a big event happens) but i just loved seeing Marin slowly learn to open up again, and Dax being so patient for her. he's such a sweet guy and it warms my heart to know that they'll continue to sail with one another, supporting each other.
such a solid continuation in this cozy series, i definitely cannot wait for the next book as Durst keeps delivering on amazing story and cozy vibes. i hope we get to meet more talking plants and animals too- they are truly my favorite part of these stories.
↬ trigger warnings: emotional abuse in a toxic relationship mentioned, fire and fire injury, themes of war, death of loved ones, child abuse mentioned
⤿ Thank you to Tor Books and Bramble for the arc through netgalley and a physical arc in exchange for an honest review!
how special this book was, without a doubt my fave in the series so far for soooo many reasons 🤩 these books are so cozy and wonderful every time but having a cozy story on the open sea was something else with Marin and her crew. during the second book in this cozy series, The Enchanted Greenhouse we briefly meet a sailor named Marin who i was very intrigued by, and i am so happy she got her own book now!! this story starts during some of the events of the second book which was honestly so fun to see from her perspective, continues through that story, and then some of the book also takes place after.
my absolute favorite part of this book was seeing more of the Crescent Islands and the world these cozy fantasies take place in. Durst has done an excellent job in the last two books adding world building even though the characters stay in one place and it's a cozier fantasy. i was waiting patiently for a time where we would see even more of the world, and this book definitely delivered. while not incredibly in depth, i loved seeing the locations that were so whimsical however small that time was within those locations. i know the next book is about the magical cheese emporium that we briefly glimpse Marin visiting and im sooo excited for it!!
the found family in this book was truly so wholesome, Perri and Marin being joined by a couple other crew members including a talking plant and musician really brought their little family together. the messages of relying on others and supporting one another including people's dreams was so sweet, it was obvious to see why everyone got along here and i'm glad there was no huge falling out. i didn't want to read about their drama i wanted to read about them being perfect which they totally were. ugh it was just so sweet!!
i was skeptical about the romance a tad bit, because Marin and Dax seem to be very different people. but i think in the most important ways they balance each other out perfectly, their romance was definitely slow burn and very subtle- which honestly i adored! i do wish we had gotten a little more towards the end (as a big event happens) but i just loved seeing Marin slowly learn to open up again, and Dax being so patient for her. he's such a sweet guy and it warms my heart to know that they'll continue to sail with one another, supporting each other.
such a solid continuation in this cozy series, i definitely cannot wait for the next book as Durst keeps delivering on amazing story and cozy vibes. i hope we get to meet more talking plants and animals too- they are truly my favorite part of these stories.
↬ trigger warnings: emotional abuse in a toxic relationship mentioned, fire and fire injury, themes of war, death of loved ones, child abuse mentioned
Read
December 22, 2025I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this one, and I *loved* it. This magical, gentle, funny and hopeful - but never naïve - story was just exactly what I needed in a stressful month!
"More people should strive to be like passionate shrubbery." <3
This book tells the story of Marin, the resourceful sailor who first popped up as a helpful side character in the first two Spellshop books. It involves more external drama than either of those first books as (unlike the first two heroines, who each escaped the burning city of Alyssium at the beginnings of their own stories) Marin faces serious danger again and again, sailing in and out of the capital city in the midst of a fiery revolution and rescuing everyone she can along the way. But it's also the story of the loving found family she builds across the book (with a sea serpent and a sentient shrub, among others) and the sweet romance she can't resist despite her own traumatic romantic past...
And it's also the story of all the wonders they see in their sailing adventures. Oh, is Sarah Beth Durst good at writing imaginative magical worlds! I loooooved all the different islands Marin and her crew visit, with all their individual amazements. And I really loved the message Marin's own mother tries to give her early in the novel - "That even if there's a lot of terrible in the world, even if there's a lot that can't be fixed, it's okay to try to be happy."
A really beautiful book that made my heart melt. I'm so glad I read it!
PS: Every book in this series has been a standalone adventure, and this one can definitely be read as a standalone, too - but if you have read the first two books, you'll love how beautifully it ties those stories together and builds a larger story around them.
"More people should strive to be like passionate shrubbery." <3
This book tells the story of Marin, the resourceful sailor who first popped up as a helpful side character in the first two Spellshop books. It involves more external drama than either of those first books as (unlike the first two heroines, who each escaped the burning city of Alyssium at the beginnings of their own stories) Marin faces serious danger again and again, sailing in and out of the capital city in the midst of a fiery revolution and rescuing everyone she can along the way. But it's also the story of the loving found family she builds across the book (with a sea serpent and a sentient shrub, among others) and the sweet romance she can't resist despite her own traumatic romantic past...
And it's also the story of all the wonders they see in their sailing adventures. Oh, is Sarah Beth Durst good at writing imaginative magical worlds! I loooooved all the different islands Marin and her crew visit, with all their individual amazements. And I really loved the message Marin's own mother tries to give her early in the novel - "That even if there's a lot of terrible in the world, even if there's a lot that can't be fixed, it's okay to try to be happy."
A really beautiful book that made my heart melt. I'm so glad I read it!
PS: Every book in this series has been a standalone adventure, and this one can definitely be read as a standalone, too - but if you have read the first two books, you'll love how beautifully it ties those stories together and builds a larger story around them.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This one honestly bummed me out a little, which surprised me because I’ve really enjoyed this series. Sea of Charms still has that cozy fantasy DNA this series is known for, but I kept waiting for the story to really kick in and it just… never quite did.
For a big chunk of the book, I felt kind of lost about where we were going. I remember thinking partway through, did I miss the plot, or are we still getting there? The main conflict didn’t fully show up until a decent way in (I think it was about 40%), and once it did, it felt smaller than I was expecting. Marin was suddenly working toward solving a problem that was very important to her, but the people at the center of it hadn’t had enough page time for me to feel emotionally invested. I understood why it mattered to her, I just didn’t feel it the same way.
That smaller focus also made the stakes feel really low. There were bigger ideas floating around in the background about power, money, and control, but they never felt urgent or heavy. By the time I started to care about the consequences, things were already being wrapped up. It left me feeling like the story brushed past some interesting themes without really digging into them.
Because of that, the book ended up feeling pretty scattered. Marin bounced from port to port taking jobs, and it read more like a collection of short adventures than one solid plot. Marin herself always seemed stressed and rushed, but the story moved at a much calmer pace. The urgency and the pace just didn’t quite match up.
All that said, the cozy elements absolutely worked. The world still felt warm and whimsical, and I really enjoyed seeing characters from the earlier books since this story ran alongside them. Ree and Perri were the clear standouts for me. They brought the heart, humor, and found family vibes, and they ended up being what I enjoyed most about the book.
I listened to this on audio, and Caitlin Davies did an excellent job. Every character had a clear, distinct voice, and I never once felt confused about who was speaking. Her narration added a lot of personality and made the listening experience really smooth and enjoyable.
I’m glad I read this, and I can absolutely see this working for readers who want very gentle, low-stakes cozy fantasy. It just didn’t give me enough plot or emotional buildup to fully land, especially compared to how much I liked the earlier books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
For a big chunk of the book, I felt kind of lost about where we were going. I remember thinking partway through, did I miss the plot, or are we still getting there? The main conflict didn’t fully show up until a decent way in (I think it was about 40%), and once it did, it felt smaller than I was expecting. Marin was suddenly working toward solving a problem that was very important to her, but the people at the center of it hadn’t had enough page time for me to feel emotionally invested. I understood why it mattered to her, I just didn’t feel it the same way.
That smaller focus also made the stakes feel really low. There were bigger ideas floating around in the background about power, money, and control, but they never felt urgent or heavy. By the time I started to care about the consequences, things were already being wrapped up. It left me feeling like the story brushed past some interesting themes without really digging into them.
Because of that, the book ended up feeling pretty scattered. Marin bounced from port to port taking jobs, and it read more like a collection of short adventures than one solid plot. Marin herself always seemed stressed and rushed, but the story moved at a much calmer pace. The urgency and the pace just didn’t quite match up.
All that said, the cozy elements absolutely worked. The world still felt warm and whimsical, and I really enjoyed seeing characters from the earlier books since this story ran alongside them. Ree and Perri were the clear standouts for me. They brought the heart, humor, and found family vibes, and they ended up being what I enjoyed most about the book.
I listened to this on audio, and Caitlin Davies did an excellent job. Every character had a clear, distinct voice, and I never once felt confused about who was speaking. Her narration added a lot of personality and made the listening experience really smooth and enjoyable.
I’m glad I read this, and I can absolutely see this working for readers who want very gentle, low-stakes cozy fantasy. It just didn’t give me enough plot or emotional buildup to fully land, especially compared to how much I liked the earlier books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a fun story. I enjoyed revisited the world Durst has created filled with lovable characters.
This book has several main characters and I loved them all. The story is told from Marin's perspective. She finds herself sailing with a sea serpent named Perri, a sentient plant named Ree, and a musical prodigy named Dax. All of the relationships were so sweet and it was fun watching them get to know each other.
My only annoyance with this book is the constant repetition of Marin’s inner monologue and how steadfast she was in her beliefs even when those beliefs were clearly wrong. She was unable to see the truth because she held on to those incorrect beliefs so strongly and she was unable to see the inequality in how she treated other character's abilities to make their own decisions even when it was pointed out to her. I did love that she stuck with her convictions even when it was hard, so I suppose that’s the flip side of her steadfastness. I just wish it wasn’t repeated so many times. I got very frustrated with hearing the exact same thoughts.
I received the audio narrated by Caitlin Davies. She does a perfect job of making the characters come to life. I really enjoyed listening to this one.
This was a beautiful story of found family and overcoming adversity and heartbreak. I will definitely recommend it to others, just be prepared for the repetition.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book has several main characters and I loved them all. The story is told from Marin's perspective. She finds herself sailing with a sea serpent named Perri, a sentient plant named Ree, and a musical prodigy named Dax. All of the relationships were so sweet and it was fun watching them get to know each other.
My only annoyance with this book is the constant repetition of Marin’s inner monologue and how steadfast she was in her beliefs even when those beliefs were clearly wrong. She was unable to see the truth because she held on to those incorrect beliefs so strongly and she was unable to see the inequality in how she treated other character's abilities to make their own decisions even when it was pointed out to her. I did love that she stuck with her convictions even when it was hard, so I suppose that’s the flip side of her steadfastness. I just wish it wasn’t repeated so many times. I got very frustrated with hearing the exact same thoughts.
I received the audio narrated by Caitlin Davies. She does a perfect job of making the characters come to life. I really enjoyed listening to this one.
This was a beautiful story of found family and overcoming adversity and heartbreak. I will definitely recommend it to others, just be prepared for the repetition.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Currently Reading
March 24, 2026🌊🪄 Sea of Charms 🪄🌊
⛵ Bookish Thoughts
I am screaming I am so excited to have gotten approval for this ARC! Sarah Beth Durst is my favorite author and this is my favorite series! I will be devouring this! I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
🐚 What to Expect
• Cozy fantasy
• High seas adventure
• Fake Dating
• Found family
• Sea serpent companion
_ _ _ _
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo (Caitlin Davies)
📅 Pub Date: July 28, 2026
📝 Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
⛵ Bookish Thoughts
I am screaming I am so excited to have gotten approval for this ARC! Sarah Beth Durst is my favorite author and this is my favorite series! I will be devouring this! I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
🐚 What to Expect
• Cozy fantasy
• High seas adventure
• Fake Dating
• Found family
• Sea serpent companion
_ _ _ _
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo (Caitlin Davies)
📅 Pub Date: July 28, 2026
📝 Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
October 11, 2026
✩ 4.25 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Ship Captain x Composer
➼ Found Family
➼ Oldest Daughter Syndrome
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Fake Dating
➼ Adventures on the Sea
➼ Sea Serpent Companion
➼ Sentient Plant Crew Mate
➼ Cozy Fantasy
➼ Narrated by Caitlin Davies
➼ Third Person POV
Every book in this series has been just as delightful as the last. Cozy fantasy will never be my favorite genre, but if I’m going to read it, I want it to be by Durst. She weaves some kind of sorcery into these books because even things I would normally dislike, she somehow manages to make great. For example, I often think books that take place primarily on a ship are boring, but the pacing of this book was perfect. There are lots of stops and adventures along the way that are interesting and further the plot, but still feel organic enough for me to believe they happened naturally. I also tend to dislike books written in third-person POV, but Durst is such an excellent writer that I never feel like anything is lacking. This is an author that has truly mastered the art of storytelling. 🙌🏻
The found family vibes were also really strong in this book. I loved every member of this ragtag crew and the author infused so much heart into their stories. They had all lived similarly lonely lives before finding each other, and it was beautiful to watch them heal those pieces of themselves alongside each other. I could keep going, but I think you should really just read it for yourself! Add this to your cozy season TBR. Such a magical series!
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I ran out of time to read this and had to send it back before, but it’s finally back in my Libby downloads! I’m pretending this is a spooky season read lol.
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram ✩ Tiktok
What to Expect:
➼ Ship Captain x Composer
➼ Found Family
➼ Oldest Daughter Syndrome
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Fake Dating
➼ Adventures on the Sea
➼ Sea Serpent Companion
➼ Sentient Plant Crew Mate
➼ Cozy Fantasy
➼ Narrated by Caitlin Davies
➼ Third Person POV
Every book in this series has been just as delightful as the last. Cozy fantasy will never be my favorite genre, but if I’m going to read it, I want it to be by Durst. She weaves some kind of sorcery into these books because even things I would normally dislike, she somehow manages to make great. For example, I often think books that take place primarily on a ship are boring, but the pacing of this book was perfect. There are lots of stops and adventures along the way that are interesting and further the plot, but still feel organic enough for me to believe they happened naturally. I also tend to dislike books written in third-person POV, but Durst is such an excellent writer that I never feel like anything is lacking. This is an author that has truly mastered the art of storytelling. 🙌🏻
The found family vibes were also really strong in this book. I loved every member of this ragtag crew and the author infused so much heart into their stories. They had all lived similarly lonely lives before finding each other, and it was beautiful to watch them heal those pieces of themselves alongside each other. I could keep going, but I think you should really just read it for yourself! Add this to your cozy season TBR. Such a magical series!
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I ran out of time to read this and had to send it back before, but it’s finally back in my Libby downloads! I’m pretending this is a spooky season read lol.
≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫
Connect with me on Instagram ✩ Tiktok
June 19, 2026
Sea of Charms (Spellshop #3) by Sarah Beth Durst
Book Blurb: Marin is a supply runner with her own boat that she sails from island to island, delivering whatever anyone will pay her to deliver: letters, flour, even the occasional enchanted lemur. It’s a lonely life, but it’s hers, and she wouldn’t trade the freedom of the sea for anything. Her only companion is a sea serpent, Perri, whom she saved from a fisherfolk’s net.
One day, she sails to Alyssium and discovers the city is on fire. There’s been a revolution !
Rating: *****
Feels: Adventure, Humorous, Joyful, Satisfaction
Style: Fantasy, Romance, Cozy Fantasy, Cozy, Romantasy, Adult
First published July 28, 2026 : 384 pages
Themes & Setting: I adore this world the author has built and how easy it is to fall into it. Its fun, cozy, yet with a depth that lends to a feeling of vastness. We get to explore new areas and I will not spoil things but I definitely found a new favorite island. I adored that as Marin slowly started to collect entities on her ship she slowly started to build a family without realizing it. She has been betrayed in the past and has a hard time trusting so I loved watching as she learned she could trust and build her found family and explore the high seas. It was so fun seeing how everyone fit in this cozy story.
FMC: Marin showed alot of growth through this story and it was heart breaking as well as heart warming at times. Her past of being hurt as well as watching her open up to others was just so sweet.
MMC: Dax is just everything you want in a cinnamon roll MMC. Sweet, kind and totally goes all out for Marin. I really love the dynamic that he is reaching for his dreams while she is reaching for hers and how will it all end !!!!!!
Conclusion: All the warm fuzzies and fun with this read. I just know when I want a feel good read I reach for this author. I totally was invested in this story from the start and loved how it built and everything interwove together. Such sweetness and so much kindness shown throughout this book its just like reading a warm hug and you always walk away feeling better about life.
Audiobook Review:
Narration Style: Solo - Caitlin Davies
Listener Rating: *****
Audiobook Notes: Absolutely adored this as an audiobook. The narrator was able to instill so my emotion, humor and variance into the reading that it was captivating. Each character was so well done. I especially loved how she did our little plant friend. Voice, pitch, tone and cadence was easy to follow along with. I always knew who was talking and transitions were seamless. I typically listen to my audiobooks at 2.0 and that is what I listened to this one at. Listening at 1.0-2.0 was all with excellent results. I felt that the narrator did such an excellent job of bringing this story to life !! Highly recommend this as an audiobook.
This book has:
Adventure on the high seas
Politics with a Revolution
Low Stakes
Cozy Fantasy
Found Family
Lots of different types of sentient beings
Friends to lovers
Book Blurb: Marin is a supply runner with her own boat that she sails from island to island, delivering whatever anyone will pay her to deliver: letters, flour, even the occasional enchanted lemur. It’s a lonely life, but it’s hers, and she wouldn’t trade the freedom of the sea for anything. Her only companion is a sea serpent, Perri, whom she saved from a fisherfolk’s net.
One day, she sails to Alyssium and discovers the city is on fire. There’s been a revolution !
Rating: *****
Feels: Adventure, Humorous, Joyful, Satisfaction
Style: Fantasy, Romance, Cozy Fantasy, Cozy, Romantasy, Adult
First published July 28, 2026 : 384 pages
Themes & Setting: I adore this world the author has built and how easy it is to fall into it. Its fun, cozy, yet with a depth that lends to a feeling of vastness. We get to explore new areas and I will not spoil things but I definitely found a new favorite island. I adored that as Marin slowly started to collect entities on her ship she slowly started to build a family without realizing it. She has been betrayed in the past and has a hard time trusting so I loved watching as she learned she could trust and build her found family and explore the high seas. It was so fun seeing how everyone fit in this cozy story.
FMC: Marin showed alot of growth through this story and it was heart breaking as well as heart warming at times. Her past of being hurt as well as watching her open up to others was just so sweet.
MMC: Dax is just everything you want in a cinnamon roll MMC. Sweet, kind and totally goes all out for Marin. I really love the dynamic that he is reaching for his dreams while she is reaching for hers and how will it all end !!!!!!
Conclusion: All the warm fuzzies and fun with this read. I just know when I want a feel good read I reach for this author. I totally was invested in this story from the start and loved how it built and everything interwove together. Such sweetness and so much kindness shown throughout this book its just like reading a warm hug and you always walk away feeling better about life.
Audiobook Review:
Narration Style: Solo - Caitlin Davies
Listener Rating: *****
Audiobook Notes: Absolutely adored this as an audiobook. The narrator was able to instill so my emotion, humor and variance into the reading that it was captivating. Each character was so well done. I especially loved how she did our little plant friend. Voice, pitch, tone and cadence was easy to follow along with. I always knew who was talking and transitions were seamless. I typically listen to my audiobooks at 2.0 and that is what I listened to this one at. Listening at 1.0-2.0 was all with excellent results. I felt that the narrator did such an excellent job of bringing this story to life !! Highly recommend this as an audiobook.
This book has:
Adventure on the high seas
Politics with a Revolution
Low Stakes
Cozy Fantasy
Found Family
Lots of different types of sentient beings
Friends to lovers
August 4, 2026
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I just love this series so much. It always puts a smile on my face. I was so happy to finally get Marin's story because I really liked her in the last book, and it was fun to see what she had been up to. I also love how everything is connected. It makes the whole series feel even more special. Dax and Marin were so cute together, even though Marin's stubbornness had me wanting to shake her a few times. Their chemistry was great, and I couldn't help rooting for them. I really loved this installment and can't wait for the next one.
I just love this series so much. It always puts a smile on my face. I was so happy to finally get Marin's story because I really liked her in the last book, and it was fun to see what she had been up to. I also love how everything is connected. It makes the whole series feel even more special. Dax and Marin were so cute together, even though Marin's stubbornness had me wanting to shake her a few times. Their chemistry was great, and I couldn't help rooting for them. I really loved this installment and can't wait for the next one.
October 18, 2026
Sarah Beth Durst continues to write stories I wish I’d thought of first. After dazzling me with Race the Sands a few years ago, I’ve been gradually working my way through her works. She’s such a delightful writer – telling stories filled with so many fun fantasy elements that make you feel like a kid again. Everything I’ve read so far has been solid, and I can’t wait to eventually get to all of her books.
In general, I need to read more feel-good stories like Sea of Charms. That said, it did take me about half the book to really get into it. I was missing a little of that slow-burn, day-in-the-life aspect that we got in the first two books (one via starting and operating a jam shop, the other via the daily care and maintenance of greenhouse plants). Both fulfilled a specific craving, which I feel was lacking in Sea of Charms. Just a little more page count dedicated to the care and keeping of the magical ship would have gone a long way. Plus more effort on fleshing out the ship itself, giving it even more magical properties. As it was, with the ship acting as little more than a vessel (ha) from place to place, it felt like an opportunity wasted.
But that was my only negative takeaway from the book. What it lacked in caretaking vibes it more than made up for with adventure. We got to explore more of the many islands in this nation, which was probably my favorite aspect of the story. Also, the story was told along the same timeline as the other books in the series, expanding what we know of this world and where we’ve visited. As we get closer and closer to the source of the main conflict with each book, I feel myself getting increasingly invested. The framework for this whole thing is particularly fantastic because, as each of the islands has it’s own unique and magical properties, the possibilities are endless for future books. And in fact, we’ve already been given some insight into the characters we’ll meet for the next book (The Magical Cheese Emporium), for which I’m incredibly excited!
I initially wasn’t sure if I liked the main characters and their love story. I couldn’t see the what their draw was to one another other than physical attraction at first. But as the story went along, the care they took in creating a safe place for each other, offering support, and prioritizing one another soon became apparent, making this one of the more profound love stories I’ve read in a while. It was really sweet. And the side characters! Durst is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for great side characters. I thought nothing could beat the rolling cactus in the first book, but Perri, the sea serpent, earned a star from me all on his own. Loved.
Even with all of these cool elements coming together, Durst made it even better by incorporating music into the storyline in a way that wove together the entire plot. Without going full bard-mode, she managed to make the book feel heavily musical… it was downright beautiful. I will probably remember this book more as the music installment rather than the exploration/merchant one, which I don’t hate.
Overall, this was a delightful book that was the exact sort of cozy fantasy I crave between my usual gritty SFF reads. Despite the fact that it has a romance component, I would not lump this into the romantasy category, as its primary focus is on the fantasy elements, there are no sex scenes, and it has completely different vibes than the books I’ve read in the romantasy category. It was an incredibly wholesome read, and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next!
I want to thank Macmillan Audio, Sarah Beth Durst, and Netgalley for the chance to listen to and review an early copy of Sea of Charms!
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, Leah, and Laura! <3
Find me on Booktube at: The Obsessive Bookseller
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
In general, I need to read more feel-good stories like Sea of Charms. That said, it did take me about half the book to really get into it. I was missing a little of that slow-burn, day-in-the-life aspect that we got in the first two books (one via starting and operating a jam shop, the other via the daily care and maintenance of greenhouse plants). Both fulfilled a specific craving, which I feel was lacking in Sea of Charms. Just a little more page count dedicated to the care and keeping of the magical ship would have gone a long way. Plus more effort on fleshing out the ship itself, giving it even more magical properties. As it was, with the ship acting as little more than a vessel (ha) from place to place, it felt like an opportunity wasted.
But that was my only negative takeaway from the book. What it lacked in caretaking vibes it more than made up for with adventure. We got to explore more of the many islands in this nation, which was probably my favorite aspect of the story. Also, the story was told along the same timeline as the other books in the series, expanding what we know of this world and where we’ve visited. As we get closer and closer to the source of the main conflict with each book, I feel myself getting increasingly invested. The framework for this whole thing is particularly fantastic because, as each of the islands has it’s own unique and magical properties, the possibilities are endless for future books. And in fact, we’ve already been given some insight into the characters we’ll meet for the next book (The Magical Cheese Emporium), for which I’m incredibly excited!
I initially wasn’t sure if I liked the main characters and their love story. I couldn’t see the what their draw was to one another other than physical attraction at first. But as the story went along, the care they took in creating a safe place for each other, offering support, and prioritizing one another soon became apparent, making this one of the more profound love stories I’ve read in a while. It was really sweet. And the side characters! Durst is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for great side characters. I thought nothing could beat the rolling cactus in the first book, but Perri, the sea serpent, earned a star from me all on his own. Loved.
Even with all of these cool elements coming together, Durst made it even better by incorporating music into the storyline in a way that wove together the entire plot. Without going full bard-mode, she managed to make the book feel heavily musical… it was downright beautiful. I will probably remember this book more as the music installment rather than the exploration/merchant one, which I don’t hate.
Overall, this was a delightful book that was the exact sort of cozy fantasy I crave between my usual gritty SFF reads. Despite the fact that it has a romance component, I would not lump this into the romantasy category, as its primary focus is on the fantasy elements, there are no sex scenes, and it has completely different vibes than the books I’ve read in the romantasy category. It was an incredibly wholesome read, and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next!
I want to thank Macmillan Audio, Sarah Beth Durst, and Netgalley for the chance to listen to and review an early copy of Sea of Charms!
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, Leah, and Laura! <3
Find me on Booktube at: The Obsessive Bookseller
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
July 30, 2026
Well, that was adorable and so fun!!
I have been wanting a pov from Marin! I loved the little bit of info we got from her in the previous books! She seemed like a good character and she was!!
I loved sailing on the sea with her and Perri!! The cozy magical folk of this world is so fun. I honestly would have loved if this was the last book in the series! Just to wrap it up all nice and visit each island! I also enjoyed seeing our previous characters from the other books, and the preview into who the next book is about 👀
I am so happy for Marin and Dax! They are adorable. I am looking forward to the last book in the series
I have been wanting a pov from Marin! I loved the little bit of info we got from her in the previous books! She seemed like a good character and she was!!
I loved sailing on the sea with her and Perri!! The cozy magical folk of this world is so fun. I honestly would have loved if this was the last book in the series! Just to wrap it up all nice and visit each island! I also enjoyed seeing our previous characters from the other books, and the preview into who the next book is about 👀
I am so happy for Marin and Dax! They are adorable. I am looking forward to the last book in the series
September 16, 2026
Sea of Charms
by Sarah Beth Durst
SpellShop #3
Cozy Fantasy Romance
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: July 28, 2026
Tor Publishing
Ages: All
From the day she was born, Marin loved the sea, and taking after her parents she became a supply runner, but after the man she thought was the love of her life betrayed her, she began sailing full time, only coming back to her home island in secret.
Now her only company is Perri, a sea serpent, but when stopping on one of her usual islands to drop off supplies, a plant brought to life with magic asks to go with her to learn how to sail. Reluctantly, she said yes.
Sailing to Alyssium, the capital, Marin finds a rebellion has started. Fleeing, she goes about her runs, bringing supplies to the other islands and asking if the residents have heard of what happened.
Feeling guilty for leaving her friend, Dax, in Alyssium, she goes back to make sure he is safe.
Technically, this is the third book in the Spellshop series, but so far I think you can read them in any order. I have yet to read the first one, and I had no problem with this book because the author does a great job merging the characters and plot, though I'm starting to wonder if maybe the stories would be even better if I read it.
This is a very cozy story that is suitable for most readers. Yeah, there are mentions of violence, but it's not as bad as some of the cartoons/video games aimed at children. And the romance aspect; very clean.
Characters are well developed and very unique. Talking plants, people with different colored skin, horns, and merhorses, unicorns, dragons, etc. And now being the third book in, I can't help but wonder which of these characters will later have their own story. (I already know of the next, and I started reading the ARC right after I finished this one.)
Sadly, there are multiple repetitive moments where the MC vents about the betrayal or her feelings for this and that for a few paragraphs in most chapters, and I started to skim those towards the end of the story. I get reminders to emphasize that crushing feeling when someone you love betrays you (it has happened to me) and how easy it is for that weight to crush you again, but paragraphs about this one or that one, every other chapter, become filler, thus boring. Maybe that was the point, but I feel the repetitiveness made the emotions and impact less, and a better way is to have the character think about it less and less, until it's a passing one or two word thought that has no feeling.
The story is written simply; a lot of telling instead of showing, but it's still magical and a good read that will pull the reader in.
3 Stars
I was granted this eARC by Tor Publishing through NetGalley (Thank You) in exchange for my honest review.
by Sarah Beth Durst
SpellShop #3
Cozy Fantasy Romance
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: July 28, 2026
Tor Publishing
Ages: All
From the day she was born, Marin loved the sea, and taking after her parents she became a supply runner, but after the man she thought was the love of her life betrayed her, she began sailing full time, only coming back to her home island in secret.
Now her only company is Perri, a sea serpent, but when stopping on one of her usual islands to drop off supplies, a plant brought to life with magic asks to go with her to learn how to sail. Reluctantly, she said yes.
Sailing to Alyssium, the capital, Marin finds a rebellion has started. Fleeing, she goes about her runs, bringing supplies to the other islands and asking if the residents have heard of what happened.
Feeling guilty for leaving her friend, Dax, in Alyssium, she goes back to make sure he is safe.
Technically, this is the third book in the Spellshop series, but so far I think you can read them in any order. I have yet to read the first one, and I had no problem with this book because the author does a great job merging the characters and plot, though I'm starting to wonder if maybe the stories would be even better if I read it.
This is a very cozy story that is suitable for most readers. Yeah, there are mentions of violence, but it's not as bad as some of the cartoons/video games aimed at children. And the romance aspect; very clean.
Characters are well developed and very unique. Talking plants, people with different colored skin, horns, and merhorses, unicorns, dragons, etc. And now being the third book in, I can't help but wonder which of these characters will later have their own story. (I already know of the next, and I started reading the ARC right after I finished this one.)
Sadly, there are multiple repetitive moments where the MC vents about the betrayal or her feelings for this and that for a few paragraphs in most chapters, and I started to skim those towards the end of the story. I get reminders to emphasize that crushing feeling when someone you love betrays you (it has happened to me) and how easy it is for that weight to crush you again, but paragraphs about this one or that one, every other chapter, become filler, thus boring. Maybe that was the point, but I feel the repetitiveness made the emotions and impact less, and a better way is to have the character think about it less and less, until it's a passing one or two word thought that has no feeling.
The story is written simply; a lot of telling instead of showing, but it's still magical and a good read that will pull the reader in.
3 Stars
I was granted this eARC by Tor Publishing through NetGalley (Thank You) in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sea of Charms was exactly what I needed it to be.
To be candid, I wasn't sure after reading The Spellshop that I wanted to continue with the series. It was good, but with how many books are out in the world, and how many come out each month, I wasn't sure if it gave me enough to want to spend time on sequels. When I noticed that Sea of Charms was available as an ALC on Netgalley, I decided "why not?" and got The Enchanted Greenhouse from Everand. I'm so glad I decided to give both The Enchanted Greenhouse and Sea of Charms a chance. They were so good!
Sea of Charms follows Marin and Dax through adventures on sea and land after a revolution took place in Alyssium. While this is a cozy fantasy, there are so many important subjects covered that mimic our reality; economic imbalance, inequital politics, disregard for citizens in need, and more. I also love how music is portrayed in this novel. As an orchestra (viola for 9 years) and band (flute for 3 years) kid, music has always held a special place in my heart. The way music is revered, how Dex sees the world through music, and how Marin truly sees Dax through his music is truly special. Perri, our sea creature, is also musically inclined (don't tell anyone, but he's my favorite).
Don't even get me started on our narrator, Caitlin Davies. Caitlin did such a great job bringing all the characters to life; it was so easy to keep track of who was talking and what was happening. I'm interested to check out what else Caitlin has narrated.
To be candid, I wasn't sure after reading The Spellshop that I wanted to continue with the series. It was good, but with how many books are out in the world, and how many come out each month, I wasn't sure if it gave me enough to want to spend time on sequels. When I noticed that Sea of Charms was available as an ALC on Netgalley, I decided "why not?" and got The Enchanted Greenhouse from Everand. I'm so glad I decided to give both The Enchanted Greenhouse and Sea of Charms a chance. They were so good!
Sea of Charms follows Marin and Dax through adventures on sea and land after a revolution took place in Alyssium. While this is a cozy fantasy, there are so many important subjects covered that mimic our reality; economic imbalance, inequital politics, disregard for citizens in need, and more. I also love how music is portrayed in this novel. As an orchestra (viola for 9 years) and band (flute for 3 years) kid, music has always held a special place in my heart. The way music is revered, how Dex sees the world through music, and how Marin truly sees Dax through his music is truly special. Perri, our sea creature, is also musically inclined (don't tell anyone, but he's my favorite).
Don't even get me started on our narrator, Caitlin Davies. Caitlin did such a great job bringing all the characters to life; it was so easy to keep track of who was talking and what was happening. I'm interested to check out what else Caitlin has narrated.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
ˋ°•*⁀➷ 3.75
This was SUCH a cute read <3 I’m honestly so obsessed with this universe, and Sarah Beth Durst’s writing style never disappoints. I’ve yet to read a book by her that I didn’t enjoy.
Sea of Charms follows Marin, the supply runner we met in previous books, as she navigates love, vulnerability, and what it truly means to let people in. I really loved getting to spend more time with her and learn her story. She’s capable and independent, but watching her slowly open her heart was such a sweet journey. And Ree and Perri??!! I LOVED them. The sentient plants consistently end up being my favorite characters.
Also, I learned my new favorite word from this book: defenestrate (to throw someone out of a window) 🫡😂
Will absolutely be working that into daily conversation somehow.
The romance was super sweet, but was a tad too insta-lovey for my personal taste tbh.
If there are more books coming in this world (which I DESPERATELY hope there are), I would love to move beyond the Revolution timeline. I’ve really enjoyed seeing the same events from different perspectives across the first three books, but I think exploring what happens after would feel so fresh and exciting.
Overall this was such a sweet story. Not my absolute favorite in the series, which is why it lands at 3.75 stars for me, but still such an enjoyable read!! If you loved the spellshop, or cozy fantasy in general, this one is definitely for you.
This was SUCH a cute read <3 I’m honestly so obsessed with this universe, and Sarah Beth Durst’s writing style never disappoints. I’ve yet to read a book by her that I didn’t enjoy.
Sea of Charms follows Marin, the supply runner we met in previous books, as she navigates love, vulnerability, and what it truly means to let people in. I really loved getting to spend more time with her and learn her story. She’s capable and independent, but watching her slowly open her heart was such a sweet journey. And Ree and Perri??!! I LOVED them. The sentient plants consistently end up being my favorite characters.
Also, I learned my new favorite word from this book: defenestrate (to throw someone out of a window) 🫡😂
Will absolutely be working that into daily conversation somehow.
The romance was super sweet, but was a tad too insta-lovey for my personal taste tbh.
If there are more books coming in this world (which I DESPERATELY hope there are), I would love to move beyond the Revolution timeline. I’ve really enjoyed seeing the same events from different perspectives across the first three books, but I think exploring what happens after would feel so fresh and exciting.
Overall this was such a sweet story. Not my absolute favorite in the series, which is why it lands at 3.75 stars for me, but still such an enjoyable read!! If you loved the spellshop, or cozy fantasy in general, this one is definitely for you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
After how much I adored The Enchanted Greenhouse, I was really expecting to fall more in love with the Spellshop world with this installment. Instead I was just underwhelmed and frustrated.
This installment is about Marin, a sailor with a small boat that’s bigger on the inside. She works as a courier of sorts in order to pay back a debt her parents incurred because of her lousy abusive ex-fiancé. She’s only got a few more months to payback the final installments and she’s taking every job she can to make money. She does this with the help of a sea serpent she rescued and befriended named Perri, a sentient wax myrdal named Ree, and her friend (?) Dax the musical prodigy who she rescues from a capital under siege.
It all sounds so interesting, and yet somehow it feels very dull and meandering. The story takes place kind of parallel to The Enchanted Greenhouse with Marin acting as the ferry delivering statues and people to the island. Because of this, I feel the narrative got a little stifled. Marin couldn’t have too much of her own adventure because she still needed to return to the island (Beld? Belt? I can’t recall the name) to fulfill her roll in that narrative. So most of her story felt like passing time until she had to take the next person to the island. Even as something overwhelming was happening to her and the crew, I already knew it would be quickly resolved because she already had narrative obligations. It made the low stakes of a cozy fantasy feel like no stakes.
If there’s one thing this book is guilty of (beyond dullness) it’s REPETITION. Marin spends so much of this book thinking about either her ex and how awful he was, and how she shouldn’t think of him anymore, and her debt that she has to repay because her parents sacrificed so much to get her her boat, and how she really likes Dax, and how she shouldn’t think of Dax like that because she’s sworn off trusting anyone. Again and again and again and again. It was driving me CRAZY. It was worse than a poorly handled emotional arc, because it never actually arced! She just kept having the same stuck points with no momentum on them, and then in the last two chapters she suddenly changed her mind. There was virtually no in between. We don’t really get to see moments of her learning she can trust people again, because every time something is happening that SHOULD teach her that, she shuts it down and says she can’t have it. Which, sure. Valid. But in order to make her character arc believable she HAS to let some of those emotions to develop.
In particular, what made the repetitive nature of Marin’s thoughts so painfully hard to swallow down, is that there was nothing else happening in the story to pad it out. Marin and crew quite literally sail from port to port, pre established plot point to pre established plot point, with no sense of urgency. This despite her constantly thinking of how she has a deadline to make her money and a deadline to get Dax back to the conservatory. That urgency is never felt and never given an opportunity to build because, again, I already know she has places to be shortly based on The Enchanted Greenhouse. It all felt so plotless and pointless and stake-less.
This is particularly disappointing after reading the Enchanted Greenhouse which had fixed much of what I disliked about the Spellshop. I thought surely this third installment will carry forth that sense of stakes and a centralized plot line and subtle moments of romance! Nope. This was a romance that wasn’t a romance until suddenly it was. Poof out of nowhere! Incredibly unearned! Nothing to even flip the switch of Oh *oh* for Marin. Incredibly disappointing and incredibly unearned.
I wanted to be generous and give this a rounded 3 stars, but after writing all of that out,,, it’s gonna be a 2 from me dawg.
This installment is about Marin, a sailor with a small boat that’s bigger on the inside. She works as a courier of sorts in order to pay back a debt her parents incurred because of her lousy abusive ex-fiancé. She’s only got a few more months to payback the final installments and she’s taking every job she can to make money. She does this with the help of a sea serpent she rescued and befriended named Perri, a sentient wax myrdal named Ree, and her friend (?) Dax the musical prodigy who she rescues from a capital under siege.
It all sounds so interesting, and yet somehow it feels very dull and meandering. The story takes place kind of parallel to The Enchanted Greenhouse with Marin acting as the ferry delivering statues and people to the island. Because of this, I feel the narrative got a little stifled. Marin couldn’t have too much of her own adventure because she still needed to return to the island (Beld? Belt? I can’t recall the name) to fulfill her roll in that narrative. So most of her story felt like passing time until she had to take the next person to the island. Even as something overwhelming was happening to her and the crew, I already knew it would be quickly resolved because she already had narrative obligations. It made the low stakes of a cozy fantasy feel like no stakes.
If there’s one thing this book is guilty of (beyond dullness) it’s REPETITION. Marin spends so much of this book thinking about either her ex and how awful he was, and how she shouldn’t think of him anymore, and her debt that she has to repay because her parents sacrificed so much to get her her boat, and how she really likes Dax, and how she shouldn’t think of Dax like that because she’s sworn off trusting anyone. Again and again and again and again. It was driving me CRAZY. It was worse than a poorly handled emotional arc, because it never actually arced! She just kept having the same stuck points with no momentum on them, and then in the last two chapters she suddenly changed her mind. There was virtually no in between. We don’t really get to see moments of her learning she can trust people again, because every time something is happening that SHOULD teach her that, she shuts it down and says she can’t have it. Which, sure. Valid. But in order to make her character arc believable she HAS to let some of those emotions to develop.
In particular, what made the repetitive nature of Marin’s thoughts so painfully hard to swallow down, is that there was nothing else happening in the story to pad it out. Marin and crew quite literally sail from port to port, pre established plot point to pre established plot point, with no sense of urgency. This despite her constantly thinking of how she has a deadline to make her money and a deadline to get Dax back to the conservatory. That urgency is never felt and never given an opportunity to build because, again, I already know she has places to be shortly based on The Enchanted Greenhouse. It all felt so plotless and pointless and stake-less.
This is particularly disappointing after reading the Enchanted Greenhouse which had fixed much of what I disliked about the Spellshop. I thought surely this third installment will carry forth that sense of stakes and a centralized plot line and subtle moments of romance! Nope. This was a romance that wasn’t a romance until suddenly it was. Poof out of nowhere! Incredibly unearned! Nothing to even flip the switch of Oh *oh* for Marin. Incredibly disappointing and incredibly unearned.
I wanted to be generous and give this a rounded 3 stars, but after writing all of that out,,, it’s gonna be a 2 from me dawg.
July 19, 2026
Thanks to Edelweiss for this ARC! ⛵️🐠🪴
All of Sarah Beth-Durst’s books are full of such whimsical characters, it’s hard not to love them. Who doesn’t want a singing sea-serpent? How about a wax Myrtle whose goal is life is to be a sailor? Cute cats with wings who clearly are the bosses? I liked that this story bridged the gap between the first two books. You see both Keila and Terlu mid their own storylines. So I appreciated that.
I do think certain elements were repetitive to the point where it got a little tiring. For example, she clearly has difficulty trusting other people. However, I feel like this didn’t get resolved until 85% of the way into the book. It didn’t feel like there was a consistent growth throughout the book. I also thought Marin was the least sympathetic of the characters thus far. While Keila and Terlu both had challenges to overcome, I felt they were much more open-minded to the other characters. I felt like Marin struggled with this and it was harder to sympathize with her.
Overall, I still adore this series. Can’t wait for magical unicorns who make cheese next!
All of Sarah Beth-Durst’s books are full of such whimsical characters, it’s hard not to love them. Who doesn’t want a singing sea-serpent? How about a wax Myrtle whose goal is life is to be a sailor? Cute cats with wings who clearly are the bosses? I liked that this story bridged the gap between the first two books. You see both Keila and Terlu mid their own storylines. So I appreciated that.
I do think certain elements were repetitive to the point where it got a little tiring. For example, she clearly has difficulty trusting other people. However, I feel like this didn’t get resolved until 85% of the way into the book. It didn’t feel like there was a consistent growth throughout the book. I also thought Marin was the least sympathetic of the characters thus far. While Keila and Terlu both had challenges to overcome, I felt they were much more open-minded to the other characters. I felt like Marin struggled with this and it was harder to sympathize with her.
Overall, I still adore this series. Can’t wait for magical unicorns who make cheese next!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.75 ⭐️
this was cute like the spellshop was cute. however, unlike the spellshop, i also think that the addition of extra adventures (which go hand in hand with sailing) gives it a really good blend of plot/stakes and coziness/heartwarming moments. therefore, i think that i liked this even a bit more than the spellshop, and im happy to have read it.
**thank you to Bramble for the ARC copy**
this was cute like the spellshop was cute. however, unlike the spellshop, i also think that the addition of extra adventures (which go hand in hand with sailing) gives it a really good blend of plot/stakes and coziness/heartwarming moments. therefore, i think that i liked this even a bit more than the spellshop, and im happy to have read it.
**thank you to Bramble for the ARC copy**
April 9, 2026
4.5 stars
Reading this one felt like coming home! I love knowing that there will be little cameos of the characters from the last books and little links making the world feel so expansive. While the previous books were mainly set in one location on islands which added to the cosy feel, this one was set across the Crescent Island Empire and I wasn't sure how cosy of a vibe it would have. But sailing across the seas with Marin and her crew was so wholesome to the point where the boat felt like home every time they were back on board.
Marin's arc involves her working through how she was treated in her last relationship and learning to open her heart again. The crew on board includes a talking shrub (of course), a sea serpent, and a musician who needs to finish his final piece. All the while we're feeling the effects of an unstable empire with the emperor overthrown. It was interesting to see the timelines of The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse married up in this one.
While I enjoyed the romance it wasn't my favourite out of the three books and what really stood out more to me was the dynamic between the crew which was so so sweet and made me feel like they were all truly family who would do anything for each other. We get to see the cheese emporium in this one which has made me so excited for the next book!!!!!!!
Before reading:
SO looking forward to this book and then book 4 just announced to be 'The Magical Cheese Emporium' get me there RIGHT NOW.
Reading this one felt like coming home! I love knowing that there will be little cameos of the characters from the last books and little links making the world feel so expansive. While the previous books were mainly set in one location on islands which added to the cosy feel, this one was set across the Crescent Island Empire and I wasn't sure how cosy of a vibe it would have. But sailing across the seas with Marin and her crew was so wholesome to the point where the boat felt like home every time they were back on board.
Marin's arc involves her working through how she was treated in her last relationship and learning to open her heart again. The crew on board includes a talking shrub (of course), a sea serpent, and a musician who needs to finish his final piece. All the while we're feeling the effects of an unstable empire with the emperor overthrown. It was interesting to see the timelines of The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse married up in this one.
While I enjoyed the romance it wasn't my favourite out of the three books and what really stood out more to me was the dynamic between the crew which was so so sweet and made me feel like they were all truly family who would do anything for each other. We get to see the cheese emporium in this one which has made me so excited for the next book!!!!!!!
Before reading:
SO looking forward to this book and then book 4 just announced to be 'The Magical Cheese Emporium' get me there RIGHT NOW.
August 9, 2026
Story 4.5 stars rounded up. Narration 4.5 stars
This was wonderful and I think the best of the three books although the others were very good too. I’m really hoping there will be another one at least. It’s a cosy fantasy and cosy isn’t usually my favorite genre but this particular one was. I hope that makes sense.
The world building was incredible with a world of all different kinds of creatures with all different colors. Dragons and even unicorns, but mostly ones I’d never heard about before. There’s a lot of adventure and a dangerous magic storm, not to mention the revolution that’s occurring in this world of island nations. Main character Marin is a sailor that visits all the islands with supplies. Because of the revolution there’s people to be relocated and Marin is in the middle of it. She’s got her own problems, but gets pulled into helping others. One of the people she helps is Dax, a great composer and musician. Her sidekick is Ree, a little shrub that talks-favorite character of the read for me actually. The last main character was Perri, the sea serpent that travels with Marin.
This was just so much fun and I enjoyed every minute I spent with these characters. I’m looking forward to the next one already, although I don’t know who the next one would be about. Doesn’t matter though. Highly recommended.
Narration was good.
This was wonderful and I think the best of the three books although the others were very good too. I’m really hoping there will be another one at least. It’s a cosy fantasy and cosy isn’t usually my favorite genre but this particular one was. I hope that makes sense.
The world building was incredible with a world of all different kinds of creatures with all different colors. Dragons and even unicorns, but mostly ones I’d never heard about before. There’s a lot of adventure and a dangerous magic storm, not to mention the revolution that’s occurring in this world of island nations. Main character Marin is a sailor that visits all the islands with supplies. Because of the revolution there’s people to be relocated and Marin is in the middle of it. She’s got her own problems, but gets pulled into helping others. One of the people she helps is Dax, a great composer and musician. Her sidekick is Ree, a little shrub that talks-favorite character of the read for me actually. The last main character was Perri, the sea serpent that travels with Marin.
This was just so much fun and I enjoyed every minute I spent with these characters. I’m looking forward to the next one already, although I don’t know who the next one would be about. Doesn’t matter though. Highly recommended.
Narration was good.
September 4, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read if you like:
🚤 magical creatures
🚤 talking plants
🚤 cozy fantasy
🚤 found family
🚤 summery setting
I love an animal sidekick❣️❣️ I loved Perri right from the very first page and I think the relationship between him and Marin was beautiful and added so much to the story 💕💕 There was also a bunch of (winged!!) cats in this one and as a crazy cat lady… I loved to see it 😁😁
This was honestly just a feel-good cozy read 🩷 If you ever need a break from the terrible state of the real world and want to get lost in a fairytale, this is the perfect book you need to pick up❣️ (or really any of Sarah Beth Durst’s cozy reads)
I really enjoyed the appearances of other characters from previous books in this series 🩷 I loved the foreshadowing of the “Magical Cheese Emporium” which we know is going to be the next book in the series 🩷🩷 and I can’t wait to read it as well❣️❣️
My favourite part in this series is definitely the talking plant sidekick 🩷🩷 You don’t really see that in many books and I think it’s so fun and funny ❣️ The plants are the star of the show for sure.
This one gives summer vibes so it is perfect for the end of summer right now 💕💕
I love this book and series soooooo much ❤️❤️ I cannot wait to read the next one ❣️❣️ Thank you so much to Sarah Beth Durst and Tor Publishing Group for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 💕💕
Read if you like:
🚤 magical creatures
🚤 talking plants
🚤 cozy fantasy
🚤 found family
🚤 summery setting
I love an animal sidekick❣️❣️ I loved Perri right from the very first page and I think the relationship between him and Marin was beautiful and added so much to the story 💕💕 There was also a bunch of (winged!!) cats in this one and as a crazy cat lady… I loved to see it 😁😁
This was honestly just a feel-good cozy read 🩷 If you ever need a break from the terrible state of the real world and want to get lost in a fairytale, this is the perfect book you need to pick up❣️ (or really any of Sarah Beth Durst’s cozy reads)
I really enjoyed the appearances of other characters from previous books in this series 🩷 I loved the foreshadowing of the “Magical Cheese Emporium” which we know is going to be the next book in the series 🩷🩷 and I can’t wait to read it as well❣️❣️
My favourite part in this series is definitely the talking plant sidekick 🩷🩷 You don’t really see that in many books and I think it’s so fun and funny ❣️ The plants are the star of the show for sure.
This one gives summer vibes so it is perfect for the end of summer right now 💕💕
I love this book and series soooooo much ❤️❤️ I cannot wait to read the next one ❣️❣️ Thank you so much to Sarah Beth Durst and Tor Publishing Group for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 💕💕
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