I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst Series: Spellshop #3
Published by Bramble on July 28 2026
Genres: Adult, Cozy fantasy
Pages: 369
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Filled with memorable characters, enchanting creatures and a touch of romance, Sea of Charms offers thrilling adventures and feel-good emotional moments.
Sea of Charms is the third book in Sarah Best Durst’s interconnected series of cozy fantasy romances, and you can definitely read this as a standalone (in my opinion, it doesn’t really matter where you start in the series). This is a lovely, low stakes story that nicely balances fascinating world building, lovable characters and thoughtful themes. That’s not to say there aren’t any stakes at all, though. Several characters are going through some tough changes and have big decisions to make, and the Crescent Islands Empire, Durst’s magical creature-filled land, is experiencing political upheaval and revolution. My only hesitation in rating it higher is that it felt a bit long to me, with some repetition in the second half that didn’t need to be there. I also wasn’t completely sold on Marin’s character, a woman who seems determined to sabotage her own happiness and assumes things without communicating. But those are small complaints, and I enjoy this series so much.
Marin is a supply runner in the Crescent Islands Empire, piloting her sailboat Silver between islands and taking on whatever jobs she can to pay off her parents’ debt. Her sailing companion is Perri, the sea serpent she rescued a couple of years before the story begins. Marin was engaged to a man named Iovar, but he turned out to be a snake, nearly destroying her parents’ livelihood and Marin’s trust in the process. She has vowed to never fall in love again, which is why the sailing life is perfect for her—never staying in one place too long and being able to control her own destiny are two perks she loves about the lifestyle.
But one day on a visit to the capital city of Alyssium, she’s shocked to find burning buildings and the canals clogged with people trying to flee the island. She’s come to the Music Conservatory of Alyssium to make a delivery but ends up taking on passengers who are trying to get out. One of those passengers is Dax, a musician who has spent most of his life at the conservatory and is positioned to be one of the greatest composers Alyssium has ever seen. Dax is eager for a change of scenery and wants to join Marin on her journeys, and although she isn’t keen at having more crew members, she makes a bargain with him: Dax can sail with her for a while if he agrees to be her “fake” girlfriend and accompany her to her home island of Flicker for the annual harvest festival.
Dax readily agrees, especially since he wants to get to know Marin better. But Marin knows that Dax’s future doesn’t involve a life at sea, and she knows she’ll have to convince him of that, even if it breaks her heart.
If you’ve read The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse, you’ll have a lot of fun revisiting some of the places and characters from those books. For example, we get to see how Terlu (from the last book) ends up on the island of Belde but this time from Marin’s perspective. Yarrow, Terlu’s romantic partner on Belde, also makes a brief appearance. The main characters from The Spellshop make an appearance when Marin makes a delivery to their island, and there’s even a brief scene that introduces the cheese shop that will be the focus of the next book in the series! The advantage to having a main character who sails all over the Empire is that the reader learns much more about the various islands and magical creatures who live there, where in the last two books, the stories took place in only one setting.
This is also a negative in a way, though. Sea of Charms doesn’t have the same focus that the other two books have, simply because there is so much going on and lots of side plots to keep straight. But I’m not complaining, because I loved meeting new creatures, like the giant fuzzy marmoose on one island, or the unicorns who make music with their hooves on another.
Music is a running theme throughout the story, and for the most part I enjoyed the moments when music brought all the characters together. Ree, the sentient plant who joins Marin at one point, loves sea shanties and is thrilled when a real musician joins the crew. (Ree is one of the happiest characters I’ve ever met, and their scenes were simply delightful). There is one point, though, when the “singing together” became too much for me. It was a little on the silly side and was sort of uncomfortable, lol. I’m not sure why, but it reminded me of being forced to sing “Happy Birthday” at a party when you know everyone is going to be singing in a different key.
But I did love the way Durst explores important themes like making decisions for yourself, even when others are trying to plan your life for you. Dax’s backstory is a sad one—he’s basically “owned” by the Conservatory and his life has been carefully plotted by his teachers, moving toward the moment he performs his opus and becomes a grandmaster. But Dax loves music, and he eventually figures out a way to have both things, music and a life that he chooses, and it was very well done.
And let’s not forget the romance between Dax and Marin, which is a slow burn, will-they-or-won’t-they sort of relationship. Both characters have a lot of soul searching to do before they reach their happily ever after, and I enjoyed watching them get there.
The next book in the series, The Magical Cheese Emporium, releases next January, so fans won’t have long to wait! If Sea of Charms has done anything, it’s made me realize what a vast world Sarah Beth Durst has created, and I can’t wait to keep exploring it.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
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