The Magnolia Bookshop

Due to illness we will NOT be at Helena Market Days tomorrow 7/20. Sorry about any inconvenience but we will be back 7/27 and can’t wait to see everyone!

Need a cute new tote for those last minute beach trips? We’ve got you covered with seven new designs!

This one’s for all the audiobook lovers 💕

Seems legit 😍

What if ? 🤔📚😂

Don’t forget to come see us this Saturday!

Don’t miss out on our ✨NEW ✨ merchandise this weekend! We’ll be at the 8-12 at Buck Creek Park in Helena and you can find us on 2nd avenue Wednesday, July 3rd where we will be celebrating with fireworks!

New merch coming Saturday! Catch us from 8-12 at the Helena Market Days at the buck creek park!

It’s a beautiful day at the Helena Summer Market! Come see us every Saturday this summer from 8-12. And don’t miss our new merchandise reveals later this week!

We’re set up and ready to spend this gorgeous day talking about books! Come see us at the Peach Jam Jubilee in Clanton!

Looking for the last installment in the Hades X Persephone series from Scarlett St. Clair? A Touch Of Chaos is out today and available on our bookshop.org storefront! Check www.bookshop.org/shop/themagnoliabookshop to get your copy today!

Our newest book list is available at www.bookshop.org/shop/themagnoliabookshop
Check it out to find access to all your favorite books in one place!

Join us for our first event of the season!

Reviewer: Kayla Elise Glass

Review by Kaitlyn Herrera

BOOK REVIEW TIMEVampires are going missing in the city of White Roaring.
Violent vampire attacks are happening within the city.
Althie, Jin, Flick, Laith, and Matteo are all determined (for their own reasons) to stop the monster responsible.

Arthie Casimir, an orphan refugee with a violent past, is a collector of secrets from whispers and loose lips at her infamous tearoom called Spindrift. By day, her proper establishment sells tea, spices, and cream…but at night, her speakeasy tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse where vampires and willing humans converge to satiate their hungers. Subject to random raids from the king’s elite guards, Althie seems untouchable by the law when no evidence ever seems to incriminate her.

The Victorian London atmosphere is the perfect setting for gang activity, street violence, settling vendettas, and a Heist against the Crown that could change the future of the country overnight. The king, known as the Ram, is a notorious and crooked leader who is taking notice of Alfie’s considerable blackmail power over the rich and notable citizens in the city. Suddenly no one is safe, vampires continue to disappear, and even the loyalties of her found family are tested as the Ram tightens the tourniquet on them.

The author smartly uses the backdrop of Britian (called Ettenia in this world) to comment on colonialism of other countries. The main character, Arthie, had her home country violently taken over and witnessed her own parents’ deaths. After almost dying, she found herself in the very country that ripped away her childhood, destroyed her culture, and ravaged her native land for its natural resources. Her need for revenge is soul deep—it drove her survival and ability to cultivate her shadowy power in secrets. In my opinion, the hatred of vampires described in this world is metaphorical to racism and hate crimes; the fact that no one seems to care that vampires are continuously going missing and only speak up when humans get murdered speaks volumes. This blatant apathy for vampire life is reinforced through the Ram’s open derision towards vampires. Arthie ultimately decides that the Ram must be dealt with when he zeros in on her family and Spindrift. She isn’t above playing a deadly game rife with secrets and blackmail, finally culminating in the Heist for the Ram’s personal logbook full of horrible deeds. Immigrant versus Imperial King, underdog versus tyrant, the people versus corrupt power…the fight to be the last one standing will be dirty, brutal, and unforgiving.

Honestly, the Heist plot line took a backseat to the characters’ development in love, revenge, and fight to protect family against the dangers around them. This character-driven story also weaves in two separate romances—a love triangle between Arthie, Laith, and Matteo as well as a developing romance between Jin and Flick. Arthie’s choice between Laith and Matteo reflects on how she wishes to be known and her legacy in this world: should she choose Laith, whom she is strongly attracted to for both his physical traits as well as his mental fortitude, protects her at every dangerous turn, and commiserates with her lifelong need for revenge against the Ram? Or should she choose Matteo, the undead artist who relates to her on a more intellectual level, sees her as a smart, powerful woman, and encourages her to embrace who she is? In contrast, Jin and Flick’s love story is sweeter and quieter—they already appreciated and liked each other for who the other is, and you see them fall in love as the story progresses.

The narrator of the audiobook, Maya Saroya, did a great job at different voices for each character. Her voice sounded smooth and smokey, and it fit amazingly well with the story. Because of this, the audio book serves to enhance the reader’s experience. This was a Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Will this ragtag group of reluctant vigilantes manage to topple the corrupt Imperial King? Will the king vengefully demolish all in his quest to quieten damning secrets? What will be the cost of finally unraveling the mystery behind the missing vampires? Read The Tempest of Tea to find out if everything goes up in flames or if the characters effectively navigate a deadly game of survival against the Ram.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners for the ARC and the opportunity to share what I think! All opinions are my own. Publication is Feb 20th!

Don't miss our first event of the season! We have new books, gifts, and have even added a new line of book-themed jewelry!

Book review time!
Warning: This was a dark romance, so if spice isn't your thing, please disregard (we'll be posting more in other genres soon).

This book was everything I hoped it would be. The characters were well thought out, each having their own quirks and habits. The dialogue was amazing. There was a plot outside of the fun smutty bits. The realistic way these authors write allowed me to get sucked in; I was no longer in the real world, but watching this story play out in my head. The family dynamics throughout the story—for both of the main characters—were complicated and messy, which is very realistic and made them more likable.

I loved the banter. It didn't matter which characters were conversing, it all seemed natural and was always fun to read. There was chemistry (though not always the same kind of chemistry) between all of the characters that made it easy to see how they could eventually end up making their own “found family.” Relationships weren't forced as they sometimes are and the characters' interactions evolved naturally.

The romance was steamy and the chemistry between Brick and Madison was undeniable. They flirted, they played, they argued and made “amends” for their actions. It wasn't a slow burn romance, but it wasn't love at first sight, either. It seemed real, allowing them to break down the others' walls and get to the juicy center of who they were before they really started falling.

My biggest complaint was the ending. What a cliffhanger! Knowing that I'll have to wait before I can find out how this story plays out is killing me slowly!

Overall, do I think this will go down as a classic piece of literature? Probably not. But do I think it was everything it was supposed to be? Absolutely. It was fun, well written, and made reality melt away for a few hours. Five stars.

There’s still time to come join in the fun at the BIRMINGHAM’S NEXT HOTTEST DOG CONTEST at Avondale Brewing Company Books and pups sounds like the winning combination! AND these sweet babies are available for adoption! Check out Iron City Rescue for details on Tuna and Big Mama!

Dogs and books? Yes, please! Join us today from 4-8 at the Ross Bridge Barkit Market!

New merchandise is on the way! We’re getting new totes, zippered pouches, jewelry, stickers and more! Stop by and see us at Tannehill Trade Days this weekend and the Alabaster Fall Festival next Saturday to secure some early holiday gifts for the reader in your life (or yourself!).