Early Review – Sea of Charms (The Spellshop, Book 3) by Sarah Beth Durst (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Cozy Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: July 28, 2026
ASIN: B0FMSDB8JY
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in The Spellshop series
Source: eGalley from NetGalley.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

“Marin had always belonged on the great blue sea. When the man she thought was the love of her life schemed to ruin her parents’ business, she did what her heart knew best: she fled to the sea.

Now working as a supply runner on her own boat, Marin sails from island to island, delivering a varied array of goods: letters, flour, stories, and even the occasional enchanted statue. It’s a lonely life, but it’s hers. Besides, she’s got the company of Perri the sea serpent and Ree the sailor shrub. They’re the best crew she could ask for.

On one of her routine trips to the capital of the Crescent Islands Empire, Alyssium, Marin finds the city on fire and a revolution underway—so she offers transportation to Dax, a composer friend who refuses to leave behind his instruments. What starts as a rescue evolves into a deal: Marin will keep Dax on as a (temporary) member of her crew if he becomes her pretend boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home.

Against her better judgment, Marin finds herself intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, his charming smile—and realizes that perhaps she isn’t saving him. Maybe it’s the other way around.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 3rd book in The Spellshop series. I got a copy of this on ebook from NetGalley.com.

Thoughts: This is the third book in the Spellshop series and I really loved this book, just like I have loved this whole series. I am a big Sarah Beth Durst fan and have read, and really loved, many of her books.

This book follows Marin, who we met in the last book. Marin left a toxic relationship that financially hurt her family and has taken to the seas as a supply runner to help pay that debt. One of her regular stops is Alyssium, the capital city, and there she regularly meets Dax a musician who loves to hear Marin’s stories. As Alyssium finds itself in revolution and in flames, Marin ends up rescuing Dax along with some other musicians. She carries the musicians to safety, but Dax wants to stay on as crew. Suddenly, Marin the loner, finds herself with a sea serpent, a sentient shrub, and a musician on board….and maybe also with the courage to confront her past.

This was an incredibly fun read with amazing characters, lots of adventures, and lots of magic. The book has a very cozy vibe to it. There is adventure and danger, but there is also a lot about found family and finding your people.

This was an uplifting and magical read that I enjoyed every minute of it from the beginning to the end. We get cameos from all of the characters in the previous books as well, and it was fun to see where they all are now.

This was very easy to read and flowed nicely, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this. It is a wonderful fantasy adventure with fun characters and magic, and lots of adventure. The whole story has a very uplifting, magical, and cozy feel to it. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a good fantasy adventure with a lot of cozy, feel good vibes. I can’t wait to read “The Magical Cheese Emporium” when it is released next year.