Why we’re excited
Eloren lost her library job when the Great Library burned during the revolution, and now she is stuck back home on the island of Dew working at her grandmother's cheese shop. The unicorns will not cooperate, something lives in the caves where the cheese ages, and a new governor is taxing small shops into the ground.
Book four in Sarah Beth Durst's series that began with The Spellshop. Each entry is a standalone with new leads, so this works fine as a first visit. It suits readers after low-stakes cozy fantasy, a childhood-friends romance and a sidekick mouse made of cheese.
On our most-anticipated list since 22 October 2026. See all the most anticipated books →
What to know about The Magical Cheese Emporium
The Magical Cheese Emporium is Book 4 in the Spellshop series. New readers should begin with Book 1, The Spellshop (we have reviewed it). The book just before this one is Sea of Charms, also reviewed on The Bookish Elf. 3 of the 4 books in the series have a full review here.
We have reviewed 6 of Sarah Beth Durst’s books, with an average score of 4.1 out of 5. Our highest-rated so far is The Warbler (4.5★); the most recent is Sea of Charms.
Readers have saved it often enough to put it at No. 5 on our list of January 2027’s most-anticipated releases. At 416 pages it is about the usual length for a fantasy release this month.
From the publisher
The Magical Cheese Emporium by Sarah Beth Durst is the fourth magical standalone adventure in the New York Times bestselling series that started with The Spellshop.
When Eloren joined the revolution against the empire, she didn’t expect to lose everything―her job, her purpose, and her closest friend.
After the Great Library burned down and her position as Assistant Librarian burned down with it, she had no other choice but to return to the only home that will have her: her grandmother’s shop.
Now, Eloren is stuck at the Magical Cheese Emporium in the remote island town of Dew, struggling to become the cheesemonger heiress she never wanted to be. But the unicorns won't let her milk them, there’s a monster in the cheese caves, and Eloren is more into books than cheese. The only good thing about coming home is reuniting with Garyn, the childhood friend and clever inventor who, at some point, got a whole lot taller.
When Dew’s governor imposes impossible taxes on small business owners like her grandmother, Eloren knows one thing: she didn’t take down the emperor just so someone else could exploit good people.
Eloren, Garyn, a mouse made of cheese, and Garyn’s (mostly) helpful contraptions set off to rescue the cheese emporium and all the other local businesses. And in saving her community, Eloren might finally agree to call it home.
The Magical Cheese Emporium is a fantasy romance about the places that tell you you’re home when everything burns down and daring to see old friends with new eyes. Prepare for hard work, sparkly dreams, and lots of magical cheese.
Description supplied by the publisher.
We haven’t read The Magical Cheese Emporium yet. When our review goes up, it will replace this page.
