Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst

Series: Spellshop (#3)

Format : 384 pages, Paperback

Published: January 1, 2026 by Pan Macmillan

Cozy fantasy/library

I like this series, it is so sweet and cozy. Sure the Empire has fallen, the king was thrown out an window. But we do not really see all of that. Instead we have Marin, she left a bad marriage, her parents equipped her ship and now she is doing jobs between islands.

Dax is the golden composer. The city is falling apart but he knows nothing about that. They have met before and then she helps him flee.

She has a sea dragon friend and a talking plant as crew. Dax has never left his safe little bubble. She has debts to pay, he has dined with the king.

They have adventures, they get closer and they will get that happy ending. And we meet people from previous books, yay. I think these islands will be just fine.

I enjoy these, fun times

Her boat. Her rules. His music. Their hearts . . .

Marin has always belonged on the great blue sea. Betrayed by love, she lives and works as a supply runner, sailing from island to island, delivering an array of goods with Perri the sea serpent and Ree the sailor shrub as her crew.

On one of her routine trips to the capital, Alyssium, Marin finds a revolution underway - and a friend in the line of fire.

What starts as a rescue evolves into a deal: Marin will keep Dax on as a member of her crew if he pretends to be her boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home.

But 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.