The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

3 stars A little bit cottagecore. A little bit romance. Plenty of magic. When introverted librarian Kiela is forced to flee the Great Library of Alyssium due to violent political upheaval, she sets out with Caz, a sentient spider plant, and a few crates of spellbooks to travel to her childhood home on an outer…

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Office Gods by Catharina Octorina

Illustrated by Hiikariin 4 stars Picked this up at the library on a whim. I haven’t read the webcomic and wasn’t sure how I’d like it as I don’t tend to gravitate toward romance and drama. But from the beginning I was pulled in to the workplace culture of Olympus. Iris has landed a spot…

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Sparks Volume 1: Portals by Revel Guts

4 stars This is absolutely adorable and I loved it and I need more immediately! I was not familiar with the webcomic before seeing this volume, but am so glad I stumbled across it at the library. So worth the read! At a magic academy with graduation just around the corner, underperforming student Philo isn’t…

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If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie

4 stars Reliable, dependable college student Momo is always there when others need her but has a tendency to ignore her own needs. When she strikes up a friendship with the alluring PG, she doesn’t expect it to go anywhere. But as the two grow closer, they must confront their separate pasts and how they…

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Losing Hit Points by Kristopher Mielke

5 stars A heartfelt story that is surprisingly cozy. I absolutely love the blending of fantasy and reality as we follow the characters in their D&D campaign and their personal lives in the real world. Wonderfully written. I loved the characters. This is some of the characters’ first time playing D&D so there is a…

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Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

2 stars This one was just okay. I really liked the concept of the story, but didn’t connect with the characters or the writing. The side characters were way more interesting than whatever was going on with the mains. Give me more Blade and Tatianna. And way more Kingsley! The humor didn’t really work for…

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Where the Dark Stands Still by A. B. Poranek

3 stars A Gothic fantasy with cozy Polish charm. This is an interesting read in its duality with the blending of Slavic folklore and Polish culture. On one side is baking, found family, and homemaking, and the other is magic, bargains, spirits, and demons. I didn’t particularly care for either of the main characters or…

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The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

2.5 stars An interesting dive into the world of Norse mythology. I loved the idea of a novel following Angrboda and tying together some stories of witches, giantesses, and other mysterious women. For me, the first part of the book really dragged. I liked the second half more as things picked up, but that whole…

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Rainbow! Vol. 1 by Sunny and Gloomy

2.5 stars Adorable artwork, a sweet supporting cast, and plenty of trauma to go around. The adorable cover and sweet synopsis did not prepare me for what this book was actually about. Despite being reduced to a single mention of “a complicated home life” on the back cover, the bulk of this volume is actually…

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Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson

4 stars Beautiful and gruesome. The horror romance I didn’t know I was looking for. It somehow manages to perfectly balance cozy and unsettling. One of those reads you just can’t look away from. Perfectly paced, it draws you in no matter how much you want to look away. I loved the way Dawson planted…

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