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Sarah Beth Durst Books

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The Spellshop

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The Faraway Inn

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The Bone Maker

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Conjured

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Race the Sands

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The Lost

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Fire & Heist

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Vessel

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“Auntie Zee’s room was a wondrous kaleidoscope of color: scarfs and tapestries were draped over the walls, while mobiles made of prisms dangled from the ceiling. Gold, silver, and blue pillows were piled on the bed beneath a ruby-and-emerald-colored canopy. Multicolored rugs covered the honey-colored floor. Every surface was stacked with treasures: boxes carved from seashells; tiny sculptures of creatures that shouldn’t exist, like dragons and centaurs; little paintings that hung on the wall depicting worlds with impossibly high waterfalls, many moons, and castles. Coming inside, Calisa saw one etching of the labyrinth with its bone guards. These were souvenirs of her travels. Or perhaps gifts from visiting travelers. She’d made her room a shrine to all the wonders that the nexus could bring. She loves this place.”

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Book:The Faraway Inn
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“Dear Family, she wrote. She paused again. "Tell them you're well," Yarrow advised. She wrote that. And then once those first words were there, she kept writing. She told them about when she first came to Alyssium, full of hope and fear. She told them about the library, how proud she'd been to get the job and how disappointed when it turned out to not be what she'd imagined it would be. She told them about how much she missed home, how much she missed them, and why she hadn't returned--- because she wanted to find a place where she belonged and had purpose, and she knew it wasn't Eano, as much as she loved them. But it wasn't Alyssium either. As it turned out, it was Belde. This place. With this man. She smiled as she wrote about Yarrow and her life here. I found a place I want to be and a future I want to have. I'm happy, and I hope you are too. Please write back. I miss you. Love, Your Terlu”

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Book:The Enchanted Greenhouse
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“She held the letters to her chest as if she could absorb them straight into her heart. She'd lost six years as a statue, but she wouldn't lose any more. Her family still cared. They weren't angry, and they missed her. Maybe they didn't fully understand, but they cared. If they came to visit... When they came to visit, she corrected herself, she'd try to explain. She'd left Eano to find a place where she had a purpose. It had just taken her longer than she'd thought it would to find it. It would be all right. I have a niece. And her father knew she'd find happiness.”

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Book:The Enchanted Greenhouse
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“It was the most pleasant few hours she'd had since they'd fled Alyssium. She hadn't realized how badly she'd missed this: sinking into the solace of words, letting the authors steer her toward answers or, at least, better questions. The books in her stack were written by scholars and sorcerers and, in the case of one heavily illustrated volume, a naturalist, and they each had a different perspective of how magic could be used to influence the natural world.”

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Book:The Spellshop
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“It looked like a wave of green light, beginning with the roots and pulsing through the trunk until it split at the branches. It chased down every limb. Every branch it touched burst into life: leaves budded and then unfurled, and the most glorious scent of green and life and spring and summer all wrapped together filled Kiela's nose, mouth, and body. She felt as if she were breathing in the essence of the forest, alive and full of growth. Leaves layered over one another so fast that the sky disappeared and the sun vanished into a glow of green. Pressing itself against the trunk of the sycamore, the rabbit-size cloud bear wept tears as bright as diamonds. Its tears rolled down the bark, and where they touched the soil, delicate white flowers bloomed. She'd never seen flowers like it: they were clusters of petals that glowed with the soft, white light of the full moon.”

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Book:The Spellshop
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“She'd grown up on a sun-drenched island called Eano, where you were in far more danger of sunburn than frostbite. She used to walk barefoot through the sand and feel it tickle her toes on her way to her cousins' house, and she'd swim every sunset in the sun-warmed water before her parents called her in for dinner. At the height of summer, you could cook mussels and clams by leaving them out on the rocks, and you had to drink fruit juice to stay hydrated or you'd risk the wrath of the cluster of grandfathers who'd hand out pitchers of guava and watery sweet-berry juice at every street corner. Remembering, Terlu could almost taste the hint of sweet-berry. It was the flavor of the summer solstice, when the whole island would be decked out in flowers and smell like chocolate and cinnamon and citrus as every baker and aspiring baker would compete to create the most delectable pastries for the Summer Feast...”

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Book:The Enchanted Greenhouse
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“He held her a moment longer, allowing the merhorse to become accustomed to her. "How do I steer?" she asked. "You don't," he said. "She steers. You ride." He then released her. Instinctively, she leaned forward and grabbed onto Sian's mane as the merhorse lunged away from the rocks. Sea spray and wind spattered Kiela's face. The merhorse picked up speed, jumping through the waves like a dolphin. Kiela clung to her mane, feeling as if she were holding on to seaweed, slippery but soft. She let out a shriek as Sian leaped over the top of a large cresting wave, and then she laughed as they sailed down the other side. She'd never felt anything like this. It was terrifying. And wonderful. She felt as if her blood had become the wind, and her breath had become the sea spray. She tasted salt, and she tasted freedom. Both were glorious.”

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Book:The Spellshop
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“Everyone who could cook had cooked: Carrots that tasted like candy. Asparagus coated in a creamy yellow sauce. Potatoes prepared six different ways--- fried, roasted, baked, twice-baked, and cooked with cheese and with cream. Fish flavored with herbs that Terlu couldn't even name but tasted beyond delicious. A few dishes weren't her favorite, like the mussels in butter that Yarrow loved but reminded Terlu too much of slugs, but she loved the dish with squash cut into noodles mixed in a nut-flavored sauce, as well as a sweet carrot bread made by one of the uncles. And Yarrow had prepared her favorite, the layered zucchini, squash, and tomato dish he'd perfected. They ate, they talked, they laughed, they sang, they told stories, and they danced. Above the greenhouse, snow fell lightly as the shortest day of the year dipped toward nightfall. When desserts were brought out, everyone oohed and ahhed. Yarrow's sugar glass with flavored roses was proclaimed the star, but there were also berry pies (Terlu contributed a blueberry pie) and cakes and cobblers and an amazing peach tart (Yarrow's grandfather's recipe). And of course, chocolate-covered oranges.”

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Book:The Enchanted Greenhouse
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“While the elite used magic to build their palaces and fuel their lavish lives, ordinary people suffered. That was the crux of the argument for the revolution. The world and its resources belonged to everyone, they said--- which included everything kept locked up inside the Great Library. All that knowledge, the power to make lives better, was shelved away. Reserved for use by only the wealthy, when it should belong to everyone. And that's why I never really believed they'd hurt the library--- and why I don't understand why they did. They knew books were power.”

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Book:The Spellshop
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“How about you tell me which plants are which, and we'll... organize them. So that they all have the chance to thrive. We can designate areas for different kinds of plants and transplant the rest outside the fence. Like at the library." She walked toward the east side of the garden. "Here's the Nonfiction section. Vegetables only here." "New Studies and Treaties," Caz said, designating an area at the front of the Nonfiction section. "Your seeds can go here. And in the back, Histories--- that's the old growth." "In the front of the cottage, Fiction. That'll be all the flowers." "What about the berries?" "Journals of Scientific Papers," she decided, because of the way the brambles both supported and strangled one another. "Along the far fence.”

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Book:The Spellshop
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“She'd never imagined any of this--- this island, the greenhouses, the purpose she'd found in translating the late sorcerer's spells, the new community they were building, the plants and the dragons, the winged cat, and Yarrow. All of it. She hadn't even known this life was out there to dream about. Now, though, it was the life she wanted. "I'm home," Terlu told him. Drawing her closer, he kissed her, and she kissed him back. Above them, the snow fell gently on the greenhouse, while inside and all around them, the flowers bloomed.”

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Book:The Enchanted Greenhouse
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“She was pleasantly surprised at how much remained. Her parents had abandoned a heap of old Caltreyan clothes. Selecting one of the island dresses, Kiela shook it out. Dust plumed in the air. The skirt was a quilt of blue--- sky blue, sapphire blue, sea blue--- all stitched together with silvery thread and hemmed with silver ribbon, and the bodice was a soft white blouse. Not at all a city style, but it was perfect for a picnic in a garden or a stroll on a shore. With a few repairs, she could wear a lot of her mother's abandoned clothes, and she could use her father's for... She wasn't sure what, but they were nice to have. She'd find a use for them. If nothing else, she could chop the fabric up into cleaning rags. Or perhaps learn to quilt? There was a moth-eaten blanket in one closet, in addition to the old quilts on the daybed and her parents' bed. Each quilt had its own pattern--- one was comprised of colors of the sunset and sewn in strips like rays of light, while another was the brown and pale green of a spring garden with pieces cut like petals and sewn like abstract flowers. We left so many beautiful things behind. She'd had no idea. She'd been too little to help much with the packing, though she remembered she'd tried. Carrying an armful of clothes into the kitchen, Kiela dumped them into the sink to soak in water. She planned to use the excess line from the boat to hang them out in the sun to dry. They'll be even more beautiful once they're clean. The kitchen cabinet produced more treasures: a few plates, bowls, and cups. Each bowl was painted with pictures of strawberries and raspberries, and the plates were painted with tomatoes and asparagus. The teacups bore delicate pictures of flowers.”

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Book:The Spellshop
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“A breeze whisked across the garden, and the leaves shimmered in the sunlight as they fluttered. She inhaled the heavy scent of green, growing things--- she could smell a hint of honey within the breeze, and she didn't know which flowers it came from. Prickly bushes with pale flowers filled one corner, and shoots with balls of purple flowers towered over another. She breathed in again and thought the nobles in Alyssium would have paid fistfuls of money to smell as light and lovely as the air on Caltrey. Just breathing it in made her feel like she was waking up after a night of perfect, deep sleep. She'd never felt quite so aware of the taste and feel of the air, or of the sounds of the birds and the gentle rustle of leaves. It made her feel like she could tackle any challenge--- if only she knew exactly how.”

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Book:The Spellshop
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“It's going to be fun," Terlu said. He snorted, but then he smiled and held out the half-finished icing rose. "Taste?" "You're supposed to be making them for the feast. I can't---" He popped it in her mouth. It melted and flavor burst from it. She'd expected pure sugar, but what she tasted was strawberries and vanilla--- it was a bite of spring. "Oh! How did you do that?" "Each color rose is going to have a different flavor." "You're brilliant." He blushed. "I'm glad you like it. I'm going to put them all over the sugar glass, to symbolize the cracks that the plants healed." "Sounds beautiful.”

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Book:The Enchanted Greenhouse
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“What is all this?” Auntie Zee cried. She was at the stove, an apron wrapped around her waist, stirring a pot of golden syrup that smelled like honey and lavender. Smiling broadly, Rin trotted across the kitchen and kissed her on the cheek. “Happy reopening day, Auntie Zee,” he wished her. He then deposited his baskets of sugar-covered pastries on the butcher block island. The other vendors repeated the greeting, each kissing her on the cheek and delivering baskets of ruby and golden fruit, fat berries, fresh-baked breads, honeyed pastries, packets of spiced meat, and jars of pearly beverages. Soon the parcels, jars, baskets, and crates were piled as high as the rafters, and the sweet and savory smells were thick in the air. Inhaling, Calisa thought it was like being inside the most delicious café in the world. In many worlds, she corrected herself.”

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Book:The Faraway Inn
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“The bed-and-breakfast is a nexus," Jack said. "A nexus of realms." She absorbed that. "And what exactly does that mean?" He shrugged. "Lots of doors to other worlds." Again, for an instant, Calisa couldn't breathe. She'd been right--- there really were other worlds through those doorways. Actual other worlds. I've been to other worlds! That was why the sun had felt and looked so strange and why the smells from the night market had been so unfamiliar. There wasn't anything like it on Earth, because she hadn't been on Earth. She'd known it, but she hadn't known it. A nexus of realms. "It's rare, a place like this," Jack said. "That's why it's so special. It's a place where people can come to escape. A real getaway, for whoever needs it." "So the guests... they're actually from other worlds? Realms, you said?" "I think of them as 'realms' because, as my dad explained to me, they're not other planets. At least not other planets in our solar system. It's not like Kendra is from Venus, and Mulligan is from the moon or even Alpha Centauri. They're just from other places. Faraway places. Like pocket dimensions, if you want to sound all sci-fi about it”

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Book:The Faraway Inn
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“At the Great Library of Alyssum, all the librarians' meals were prepared by unseen cooks in a kitchen on a level devoid of books. Several of their cooks were high-caliber chefs, with a pedigree that included many noble houses and often even the imperial palace. They were expected to provide meals for the sorcerers who consulted the library, and so for that reason, they often turned out perfectly roasted meats, delicately spiced pastries, and mouthwatering desserts with custards that looked like they were made of molten gold. Terlu had often ordered just desserts for her meals, especially near the end, when she felt she needed more and more comfort food. Once, she'd gotten an exquisite puff pastry swan, a leftover from an imperial party that had been held in one of the grander rooms of the library. Her fondness for sweets was part of why a lover had once described her as "pleasantly huggable," a description she was perfectly fine with if it meant she'd gotten to eat pastry swans. She'd also had some amazing meals on her home island of Eano: a coconut curry made by one of her aunts that had been known to reduce grown mean and women to tears, a duck roasted over a fire pit after marinating in a special secret sauce, and dragonfruit jelly on a hot, buttery donut... But Terlu thought she had never tasted anything as good as this soup. Did he make this? It had herbs she had no name for, but they made her feel as if she were being hugged. It was warm and nutty, and the vegetables--- which she also couldn't identify--- were sometimes sweet and sometimes tart and always perfect. The broth warmed her throat, straight down to her stomach, and she felt its warmth spread to the rest of her.”

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Book:The Enchanted Greenhouse
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“They were chocolate-covered orange slices, each slice perfect and plump as a jewel, with smooth-as-silk chocolate encasing half of them. She felt a lump in her throat. She hadn't known he'd been listening when she talked about oranges weeks ago. He'd barely liked her then. In fact, she was certain he hadn't. All of a sudden, it felt like her family was here with her, even though they hadn't yet written back to the letter she'd sent--- it had been picked up by a passing sailor weeks ago, but no boat had returned with a response. Still, here was a bit of home. Terlu blinked quickly. "You don't like them?" he said, concerned. "I know you said you remembered candied oranges from your Winter Feast, but then I thought with your story about the orange tree..." "It's perfect," she said. "You're perfect.”

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Book:The Enchanted Greenhouse
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“You know, the original name for a merhorse was 'hippocampus,' but that fell out of favor because it's the same word as a part of the brain. Also, it sounds too much like hippopotamus, which isn't a similar animal at all." She had never seen a hippopotamus, though she'd read about them. "Did you know that hippopotamus secrete a red oil that keeps their skin dry and protects them from the sun?”

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Book:The Spellshop
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“They lingered by a stall that sold scarves that shimmered like the sky--- you could see sunset spread across the fabric, deepening from pale blue to rose and orange, then to deep blue scattered with stars. Jack wrapped one around Calisa's shoulders, and she held the fabric up to her eyes, watching it twinkle between her fingers. "Beautiful," she said. "Yes," he agreed. He was looking at her, not the scarf.”

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Book:The Faraway Inn
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“It's a new spellbook that's circulating, written for ordinary people. Supposed to have a lot to do with plants and gardens and such, and since, you know, the whole greenhouse thing... I thought it could be useful. Found it in an adorable jam shop, and I couldn't say no." "The laws have changed that much?" Terlu gawked at the book. It was titled simply Spells from Caltrey. She wasn't sure where Caltrey was--- it wasn't an island name that she recognized. "Yep," Marin said. This was proof, here in her hands. A spellbook for an ordinary person. "Brand-new world out there. A second chance for a whole lot of people, not just you.”

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Book:The Enchanted Greenhouse
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“Across the water, she saw a herd of merhorses rise and fall with the waves. Her breath caught in her throat. Half horse and half fish, they were a magnificent sight. She watched, mesmerized, as they cantered through the water. Their hooves crashed through the waves as their powerful fish tails propelled them forward. Covered in jewellike scales and made of solid muscle, they were the living embodiment of both beauty and strength. Like the sea itself, Kiela thought. One of them tossed its mane, and droplets sprayed up and caught the light--- a flash of rainbow.”

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Book:The Spellshop
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“Sitting on a recently cleaned chair, she bit into one of the buns. Sugary sweetness exploded in her mouth, and she sighed through the bread. Closing her eyes, she savored every morsel. It was light, fluffy, sweet, and perfect. Had he made this? How? She added "baking" to the growing list of useful skills she didn't possess. Eagerly, she picked up the wedge of cheese and bit into it. Sharp, woody flavor filled her mouth, and she swayed a bit as she shoved more into her mouth. Cheese in the city was typically soft and bland, intended to be spread or melted, a side note to the main dish, but this... It demanded to be devoured.”

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Book:The Spellshop
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