Sea of Charms A delightful cosy fantasy romance from the acclaimed author of The Spellshop

Marin is a sailor in the Crescent Moon Archipelago who prefers to go it alone. Ever since her former fiancé betrayed both her and her parents, she has struggled to trust others—and is plagued by self-doubt. Yet she has no time to dwell on her fears; to pay off her parents' debts, Marin takes on job after job, trying desperately to keep her head above water. That changes when a small, unusual crew gradually joins her. Alongside Perri—a sea serpent—and Ree—a wax myrtle—Marin slowly begins to realize she doesn’t have to shoulder everything by herself. Initial mistrust gives way to a wonderful "found family," and Marin must learn to let trust in, even when the past keeps giving her reasons to retreat. The story picks up pace when a revolution breaks out in the kingdom. Marin begins rescuing people from the capital without asking for payment. Among them is her friend Dax, a composer who promptly stays on her ship to work on his final masterpiece. This unusual dynamic creates many warm, humorous, and heartwarming moments. But as Marin tries to help others, her own past catches up with her. During a visit to her home island, she learns that the deadline for repaying her parents' debts has been drastically shortened. Suddenly, she needs to earn a vast amount of money in a very short time—all while figuring out whether she can continue to carry the burden alone. Sea of ​​Charms is a cozy high-seas fantasy that thrives on its characters and their relationships rather than epic battles. The story blends adventure, magic, and a touch of revolution with emotional themes such as self-doubt, self-sabotage, trust, and the search for one's own identity. Marin’s growth is particularly beautiful to witness: she must learn that independence doesn’t mean having to handle everything on her own. Her journey is therefore not just a voyage across the sea, but above all a journey of self-discovery. For anyone who loves cozy fantasy, found family, magical sea adventures, and stories about people learning to trust again.

Sarah Beth Durst is one of those authors whose books I would buy without hesitation, even without reading the blurb. If her name is on the cover, it’s an automatic purchase and one that I devour as quickly as possible. Naturally, „Sea of Charms“ was no exception. Once again, we return to the enchanting world of „The Spellshop“. This time, however, the story follows the supply runner Marin, whom readers may already know from „The Enchanted Greenhouse“, rather than Kiela and Terlu. From the very first page, I was completely captivated. As always, the story is wonderful cozy and magical, with the perfect touch of adventure and nostalgia. Returning to this beloved world felt like coming home. Just as with the previous books in the series, I was absolutely delighted by the magical creatures Sarah Beth Durst has created. They are wonderfully imaginative and dreamlike, and bringing the world to life in the most enchanting way. If you’re looking to immerse yourself in a world full of wonder and discovery, to sail the seas alongside Marin, encounter sea serpents, sing with a talking wax myrtle, and make music with Dax, then „Sea of Charms“ is the perfect book for you. A truly heartwarming and magical story about friendship, belonging, and finding your place in the world.

I liked everything about the story. I loved Perri the sea serpent! I loved that there is a sentient plant again! I loved the travels to different islands of the Crescent Empire! And I loved meeting old characters from the previous books again! And I definitively loved the postive character development. So heartwarming.

This time, we’re not just visiting one island but travelling across the seas on the Boat Silver, with Captain Marin, musician Dax, Wax Myrtle Ree and the sea serpent Perri. Along the way, we get to know lots of new islands and people. But what I particularly enjoyed was seeing the characters from the previous books again and finding out more about the magic system, the magical creatures and what happened in the capital, Alyssium, during the revolution. All in all, another wonderful cosy fantasy book by Sarah Beth Durst. I can hardly wait for the next one.

I'm a big fan of Sarah Beth Durst's books, but I did not like this one as much as the others. Rather than cozy I'd describe the atmosphere as restless because the main plot doesn't take place in one location. The protagonist Mariner is a sailor and travels to many different destinations. I didn't care much for any of the characters, unfortunately.