The Bookshop and the Barbarian by Morgan StangMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is only my second cozy fantasy, and I enjoyed it, though it is a little derivative. Honestly, it follows the pattern of Legends and Lattes quite closely, which is kind of weird--that is the only other cozy fantasy I've ever read--but it didn't take away from me enjoying the book. (Both are sapphic love stories centered around taking over a small business in a quirky fantasy town and gradually winning over the locals. Pretty similar.) It was original in other ways, though. 4 stars.
The plot was interesting enough, and the characters are sympathetic. The minor characters are mostly whimsical and cartoonish--a goblin that sleeps in the bookshop window all day and a couple bookworms who read books all the time--but it's clever enough for that just to be funny. Though it's a simple story, there are friends and allies and celebrations and subplots as well as villains and conflicts and rumors of war, but all of it is intentionally pretty low-key. There are stakes, though, and matters to worry about, relationships that need tending, and hard times for some--not everything is happy. Mostly, though, it's quirky and clever and humorous. I like how the narrator speaks directly to the reader at times, giving the reader quizzes and foreshadowing or summing up developments. It's sort of a comic break, kind of like the sick boy and his grandfather in Princess Bride. I don't usually like those kinds of intrusions, but it worked here, IMO.
There are some good surprises toward the end and a satisfying conclusion, so the book is pretty evenly entertaining all the way through. Cozy fantasy is an odd mix of tropes, but I like it more than I thought I would, and I'll be reading a few more.
This one is recommended.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment