ARC Review: "Twig's Traveling Tomes" by Gryffin Murphy ★★★

ARC Review: Twig's Traveling Tomes by Gryffin Murphy

This cozy fantasy romance is perfect for fans of Howl’s Moving Castle. With its cottagecore aesthetics, cute tropes like insta-love and only one horse and found family, along with beautiful self-discovery, it makes for a great little autumn read! I wish I had loved this more.

The setting sun was irritating, its bright light hitting her squarely in the eye and obscuring her view of the book’s pages. Thankfully, a shadow cast over her, making it much easier. She looked up to see Everett standing before her, smiling, his figure perfectly blocking the sun’s harsh rays. “You’ll stand there the entire time?” she asked, doubt edging her tone.
“I’ll stand by you forever,” he flirted shamelessly.

[Contains some spoilers]

PLOT SUMMARY
Louella Twig is a renowned Book Witch who owns Twig’s Traveling Tomes, a magical moving bookshop (though the journey isn’t very bumpy) that travels between the kingdoms. She is known as “defunct” by the institution and never earned her broom, a symbol of a witch’s graduation, because of her unorthodox powers: she knows what books a customer needs because the books speak to her.

Louella’s former tutor, an eccentric wizard named Feralorn Rags, visits. Before they had parted ways, she had prevented his grimoire from his tea spillage. Now the grimoire has been stolen, its pages scattered throughout the Four Kingdoms and transformed into various magical creatures from its contents. He feels Louella is the only one who can help, what with her magical gift and previous interaction with it.

She encounters a handsome rogue and Dishonorable League thief Everett Sharp (Flynn Rider meets Howl Pendragon) on the run, who offers to help her on her quest. Louella has every reason not to trust Everett, after all there is no reason why he wouldn’t steal the book himself. Two gnomes join them along the way: Imogen “Midge” Bee whose husband has cheated on her, and Oliver Oak Midge’s childhood friend who has a fear of dragons.

From sirens to phoenixes to knightflower plants to haregon dragon rabbits, together the group journey to find the missing pages. But can Louella truly trust him. But what happens when Everett’s past catches up to him?

“Step up to Twig’s Traveling Tomes and step away with the book that’ll change your life!”

This is told from the third-person past-tense POV of Louella.

OVERALL OPINIONS
ㅤ🪄 📚booked for enjoyment📚🪄
I love cozy fantasy stories. The moment I read the opening pages describing Feralorn’s physical appearance and funny traits, I knew I would enjoy this one. There were some great descriptions throughout, which reminded me how much you can get the measure of someone in a few sentences:

He was a gruff cheesemonger whose attitude stank worse than his apron, and he wasn’t the type to mince words, often only speaking two at a time.

There was the excellent word choice of “bristled” describing how Louella reacts when people inquire about her broom.

It was a laugh a minute, honestly, there was always a fun exchange between characters, especially Louella and Everett’s playful banter, or with Feralorn’s realisations that are several chapters late (never misses a thing, indeed). I am still giggling about Louella dropping her book into Everett in the middle of the night (“Books just seem to find me… It’s as if they fall from the sky,” Everett muses!), and the running joke about grappling hooks. And I can thoroughly visualise Louella running barefoot through her shop with her haregon because she is afraid its sneeze will set the whole store on fire! Feralorn has this funny way of muddling words when he’s exclaiming things for example “Indubi-lutey! Abso-tively! Posit-ably!”. Dear Feralorn, I especially loved this hilarious moment with him:

“I’ll stay right beside you, Louella,” Feralorn promised as he followed her behind the counter and sat down on one of the stools. “Rest assured, there’ll be no more trouble from here on out.”
And his rest was assured, for he fell asleep mere minutes later.

I even enjoyed the little quotes in the epigraphs at the start of each chapter, with their punny names such as Croak and Dagger or Kiss and Tale. Love Them or Leaf Them by Cattalia Spud did tickle me so! It’s little details like that that really make the world feel like it has a mind of its own and make it feel alive.

ㅤ🪄 📚creative concepts📚🪄
From the book’s whimsical concepts and quirky descriptions, I was sucked in. I really love the idea of a bookshop that can travel and a witch who can tell what book a person needs, and the fact that it is larger inside than on first appearance (it’s giving Harry Potter vibes). I’m only upset Twig’s Traveling Tomes doesn’t exist in real life for me to visit! (But I’d hate the actual transportation, seems a horrible ride haha!). I adored all the parts where books were talked about, how important they are in people’s lives and how beneficial they are to women, like when Louella says:

“A girl can learn a lot from reading romance. We’re quite dangerous in that way. Through stories, we discover what we want and refuse to settle for anything less.”

There are some very creative concepts. For example, the 10 enchanted pages becoming 10 creatures – oh and the haregons are incredibly cute!! Louella has dealings selling books to villains in the Ignis Kingdom.

It is interesting the type of scenarios that come up in this story because it is books people need rather than want: so, for example, a book about a husband cheating on a wife given to you to tell you your own husband is cheating on you arguably isn’t a very ideal way to find out – but it is a way to find out things all the same. It does leave room for an interesting sort of debate about whether it is right. I also think customers would be more hoping to receive the books they want the most – but who knows, maybe if I say I need a limited edition of a book in my head three times a day, Louella might produce it for me. I digress, but it really is thought-provoking!

ㅤ🪄 📚character parallels and positives📚🪄
I always adore parallels between the FMC and MMC in a story, so I really liked how it was done here: both are running away from things in their own ways, as Everett is literally running from the law, and Louella escapes through books and the literal bookshop’s mechanism. Both are adopted. They are also outsiders in the sense that Everett was raised by clairvoyant trolls and he doesn’t possess the ability to see the future so he didn’t belong, and Louella feels like she will never fit in with other witches and wizards because she didn’t get her broom.

There is some representation in a non-binary character named Cal, a witch who sells greenery, and in Louella’s mothers, Roberta “Robin” and Chlorella, a lesbian couple who are very entertaining in the latter half of the book.

ㅤ🪄 📚negatives and paper-thin logic📚🪄
While I really loved the humour and quirky descriptions, I found there to be issues with the narrative, romance and worldbuilding. I appreciate that this is a cozy fantasy so there isn’t meant to be loads of depth or information – but I should still have been able to walk away satisfied with everything provided and I wasn’t.

The odd thing was this read almost as a young adult because of its simplicity but there were adult themes within. The dialogue could occasionally be disjointed and a letdown as I cringed at the way the mothers were with Louella, like when Chlorella says “I thought he might like a view of your rear end in these pants as you walked away” – this feels inappropriate to say, why encourage that sort of behaviour?

The relationship between Louella and Everett is essentially insta-love that is mostly a slowburn but the pacing feels off – ironically how Louella finds a story she is reading “the will-they-won’t-they felt a little dragged out”. Barely into Chapter 3, having just met the man in the previous chapter, he “reached out a shackled hand to coil a finger around one of her tendrils”. But then I expected them to kiss long before they actually did because of the initial quick establishment. There was so much forced proximity between them too.

There was too much repetition with it as well: whenever a character flirted with another, they would always blush. I think it’s fine to have the same character do it but when everyone flushes about it, characters lose their individuality. Why is the default response always to blush or to turn to hide the blush? There are so many other things to be doing other than actually blushing. Why not simply look down, clear the throat, busy oneself with a task, roll the eyes, suddenly be very interested in a bit of lint on the arm? And don’t get me started on the number of interruptions. Essentially every time they are thrown together, someone interrupts them which unfortunately was getting annoying.

Speaking of individuality, a character voice issue cropped up. There was a moment where Everett muttered “I think I’m missing some essential backstory here” and while I was thinking the exact same thing, a character would never say “backstory”, they would probably say “I think I’m missing something here” or “There’s a story there, do tell”.

The world is simplistic in a lot of ways: the collective name for the 4 kingdoms is literally Four Kingdoms; the different kingdoms are just Latin names of four elements, which is uninspiring and therefore predictable; the stakes are very low for the story too as I thought there would be more through the guards or the DL. A lot of the time, their retrieving the pages was reasonably straightforward too. And yet, it felt like several aspects were being crammed into one story almost like a checklist, to the extent it almost felt stifling and there was actually no real focus: the shop, earning her broom, the quest to get the book back, the creatures, the different kingdoms including the villains, Everett’s family, the familiar, the push-and-pull of Everett and Louella’s relationship, the airship, the ball, the final boss. Louella suddenly getting the haregon Nix as a familiar was the most random aspect ever and as much as I loved it (it was so charming!), the haregon literally did nothing afterwards? I expected it to come with her for the ball or help out when the dragon is on the rampage. The LOOT team was also a sudden thing to come in, and I think it would have been even better to have focused on the real villain Gwendolyn, and had it look like he was going to betray Louella to her (as opposed to Louella going along with his ruse).

There is a lot of grey area and mismatching concerning the magic system. Feralorn’s excuse of not graduating her because she needed to discover what her real magic was herself was confusing and unfortunately unconvincing. What did she need to actually do in order to pass? This is the most unclear and knowing what she needed to undergo would raise the stakes as to why the broom is so vital. It says in Chapter 1 that “while other witches and wizards in the kingdoms drew their magic from nature, Louella connected to books” and she mourns at one point “Just because they don’t understand what fuels my powers, they assert it cannot exist” and I don’t get it – if she has powers which for her draw from books instead of nature, why can’t she graduate? The aspect of the magic is the same thing; it draws from something even if it’s in a different way. And then it is even more confusing because Feralorn says “Your magic is not books; it’s people. Your treasured tomes are just the conduit!” which pivots away from both nature and her whole identity as a Book Witch. This was deeply unsatisfying.

ㅤ🪄 📚to conclude📚🪄
In conclusion, this had a very compelling premise and I adored reading this for the humour and quirkiness, and I really wanted to love it. Unfortunately, there were just too many things specifically the romance and the worldbuilding that felt disjointed. I am rating this a 3.5 and would round it up for the humour, but I’m ultimately rounding it down to 3 because the cons outweighed the pros this time.

<< Positives >>
🠚 Laugh-out-loud humor with running jokes and witty character banter
🠚 Creative epigraphs and punny chapter quotes
🠚 Charming premise of a traveling bookshop with Howl’s Moving Castle and Harry Potter vibes
🠚 Thought-provoking magical book recommendation concept
🠚 Adorable haregons and magical creatures

<< Negatives >>
🠚 Awkward forced proximity
🠚 Occasional cringeworthy and inappropriate lines
🠚 Repetitive aspects like constant saving, blushing and interruptions
🠚 Character voice is inconsistent and lacked individuality at times
🠚 Simplistic worldbuilding and uninspiring kingdom names
🠚 Missed opportunity to make the familiar useful
🠚 Confusing, contradictory, and unsatisfying magic system

CHARACTERS
-ˋˏ ꒰ Louella꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ I like that she is unapologetically herself, and I completely understood her need for validation with the broom and I think a lot of people will relate to this idea. I like that by the end of it she realises that she doesn’t need it to prove to anyone she is an amazing witch, that was a great character arc for her. I too have signed and special editions which I would never sell haha. It is funny the idea of her having many skirts and pockets, women can never have too many pockets truth be told. And there is “always time for reading”, true!

I did find her character a little contradictory when it is revealed about her mothers and the airship, since she likes her shop and never indicates that she is outgoing/is an adventurer, or interested in that lifestyle.

-ˋˏ ꒰ Everett꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ He is so funny, I love the way he steals the customer’s bifocals. I appreciated the Howl references, with his white shirt tucked into tight trousers description. He is sweet, like when he remembers Louella’s love of honeycomb, and wanting to protect her when she feels overwhelmed. He absolutely is a green flag when he says to her she doesn’t need to justify her book purchases to him and gets them for her, I was giggling and kicking my feet over that. However, he does far too much, saving Louella pretty much all the time haha. He does have a lot of excellent lines that made me go “dayum”!
I do think he is so quick with his flirting when she asks if he’s hungry on page 57 and he looks at her up and down and responds “Ravenous”. Also his “how else am I meant to learn what you like” while swoonworthy unfortunately felt inane because he could literally ask. I found him a bit pushy when he was saying she should host a story time for children – acting like he owned the place. I thought he had more reason behind him having sympathy for her teacher but this didn’t seem to go anywhere.

His responding smile was lazy. “Don’t fret, dear Twigs. I’ve learned from your books that you appreciate a slow burn. And so, I shall.” His hand slid down the length of her arm until it reached hers and squeezed.
“Shall what?” she asked as they walked hand in hand toward the picnic.
He looked down at her as if the answer were simple. “Burn, Twigs. Slowly. I’ll wait for as long as you dare me to hope.”

FAV QUOTES
• In the entire realm of Four, Louella Twig was the only witch of her kind—and a bit prickly about it. While other witches and wizards in the kingdoms drew their magic from nature, Louella connected to books.
• His blue eyes still sparkled without any offense. She frowned, disappointed that she failed to unnerve him once again. Most people found her a bit peppery, even when she didn’t mean to be. Perhaps that was why he unsettled her—he didn’t just tolerate her thorniness; he embraced it.
• As few things are as stubborn as a book lover’s determination to read one more chapter
• She’d thought the only risk of sending a thief to her loft was that he might try to break into her safe. She hadn’t considered that Everett might instead try to unlock her innermost desires.
• “Your smile,” she whispered, repeating his words from the lava caves. “Show it to me again.” | A laugh rumbled in his chest as he returned a peck on the tip of her nose. “I smile at you quite often, Twigs. In fact, I don’t think I ever stop smiling around you.”
• “I didn’t end up with an inordinate amount of gold from our journey, but I feel rich beyond my wildest dreams. I’ve been shown what’s truly valuable: long-lasting friendships, a place where I belong, and the greatest treasure of all . . . your heart.”
• “My darling Twigs,” he murmured against her lips, “I promise you, I will follow you, I will cherish you, and I will treasure you . . . for as long as you’ll have me.” | Louella looked up at him. “I’ll take forever if you’re up for it.” | “No spoilers.” He grinned, flashing his special smile. “But that would be the greatest adventure of my life.”

══════════ ⋆★⋆ ══════════

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I’d like to thank Gryffin Murphy, Bonnier Books UK, and NetGalley for the opportunity. This has not affected my opinion in any way.

A huge thank you to the Bonnier Hive Influencer program for providing me with a copy.

“Twig's Traveling Tomes” is out now!