The Quill and the Vial by Bree Moore

Book Description

For seven years, a deadly plague has threatened the realm. Jayce has survived by using her plant magic to make and sell remedies, but most of her funds are sucked dry by a corrupt debt collector and the impossible debt she owes the realm. Jayce failed the world once. Can she prevent it from happening again?

Review

The Quill and the Vial by Bree Moore is an epic fantasy with a pinch of (clean) fantasy romance.

Apocathary Jayce Keenstone can hear the whispering of plants. The trouble is, in her experience, plants lie.

Plant-based magic? How cool is that?!

I met the author Bree Moore at 20Books Vegas last year, just before she launched her Kickstarter campaign for The Quill and the Vial. Like many, I watched her campaign absolutely blow up.

Blow up, you ask?

Oh yeah. Her $500 campaign raised $ 21,329.

As a campaign backer, it was marvelous to watch Moore’s book smash goal after stretch goal. It opened my eyes to what an indie author could do. Moore did it right. She put together an eye-popping level of gorgeous swag, as well as produced a premium product. My signed paperback has purple foil edges, full-page colored illustrations, and even additional character art inserts printed on vellum.

Cozy is as Cozy Does

While I enjoyed The Quill and the Vial, the story didn’t deliver what I was hoping for. Moore marketed the book thus:

Yes, yes, and yes. What’s not to love about that, right?

However, Moore says she intended to write a cozy fantasy in line with Legends and Lattes or Howl’s Moving Castle. This was the marketing that drew me.

But her story turned darker, so she’s called it “dark cozy fantasy” or “dark cottagecore” which was not what I thought I was purchasing.

For me, The Quill and the Vial is a solid example of epic fantasy. It is not a cozy fantasy.

Not only do the characters face mortal danger several times, their entire world lives under a threat of a fate worse-than death.

What’s cozy about that?

But because I was expecting something cozy, the story was a miss, despite the cool plant-based magic.

However, many reviewers describe the novel as cozy, so what gives?

Here’s my take. There is something super cozy about a novel that makes you want to snuggle into a comfy seat while sipping a warm beverage.

Perhaps the reviewers who proclaimed this is a cozy read are talking about how they felt while reading, rather than the story as told. If this is the case, any novel that transports you into that delicious, story-time feel could be considered cozy!

For anyone wanting (or needing) a cozy, low-stakes fantasy tale, this book is not for you. But if you’re looking for a fresh (epic) fantasy to enjoy, give The Quill and the Vial a try!

Content Warning

Blackmail, Blood, Death, Loss, Panic Attacks, Plague, Poison, Traumatic Flashbacks, Zombie-like Creatures

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Bundo Kim on Unsplash