The Spellshop

At first it was as a cute, cozy read, but I started losing interest once the suffrage survivor character appeared. The story didn’t engage me as much after that point, because it revolves too much around a new character I didn’t even care about.

Overall, the dialogue was sparse, especially in the beginning, with a lot of descriptions. The love interest was a rather uninteresting, quiet man.

Finally, I found the pronouns and adjectives used for the cactus in the Spanish version a bit confusing, which made it harder to follow at times.

I'm starting to notice a clear pattern in many of these so-called cozy fantasy books: there's usually an emphasis on sweets, tea or coffee, a touch of nature, strong inclusivity themes (often with prominent LGBTQ+ representation), and a recurring moral of "do the right thing for the community." While I can see the appeal for some readers, especially younger, it’s beginning to feel formulaic to me, and sometimes even a bit forced.

I was just looking for a break from high-stakes, violent fantasy; something lighter, but still within the genre. Unfortunately, this particular pattern of cozy fantasy just isn’t for me. I guess I’ll have to look elsewhere.