If you think The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst and Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree are two of the best cozy fantasy novels ever written, then… get ready to be utterly enchanted by The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong!
I’d already read (and loved) her heartwarming The Teller of Small Fortune — a wonderful little gem that, sadly, never got even half the attention it deserved. Probably because, unlike The Keeper of Magical Things, that earlier book had no romantic subplot at all.
This new novel, however, has all the ingredients to win over every cozy fantasy lover’s heart: a charming setting reminiscent of Terry Pratchett’s Unseen University, a beautiful love story, and an irreverent cat-dragon companion with bat wings to top it all off!
The story
Certainty Bulrush only wants to be helpful — to the Mage Guild that took her in as an apprentice, to the younger brother who depends on her to start his own costly training, and to anyone else in need. Unfortunately, her weak magic has never seemed to be of much use to anyone.
She’s always felt unworthy and inadequate. So when she’s given a seemingly simple task that could finally earn her the rank of full mage, she doesn’t hesitate to take it. Even if it means working alongside the formidable Mage Aurelia — brilliant, ambitious, and utterly skilled at keeping people at a distance.
Their mission? To transport a collection of minor magical artifacts to a safe location: the quiet, magic-free village of Shpelling. There, they’ll have to tidy up an old warehouse, sort gossiping teapots from flame-spewing swords, care for a mischievous little cat-dragon that’s joined their team, and above all, avoid any magical mishaps. The Guild’s relationship with the villagers is hanging by a thread, and the last thing anyone needs is another magical disaster.
Yet as Cert and Aurelia grow closer, they begin to realize that the only way for magic to truly serve their community… is to learn how to share it.
The Keeper of Magical Things: a review
Against Capitalism (and the Harsh Logic of Marketing)
Earlier, I mentioned Baldree and Sarah Beth Durst, but The Keeper of Magical Things also shares plenty of DNA with two other cozy fantasy novels I absolutely adore: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett and The Phoenix Keeper by S.A. Maclean.
Rather than the classic “grumpy x sunshine” dynamic, this book offers a refreshing twist: a delightful “sunshine x ice queen.” And trust me: the banter between cheerful apprentice Certainty and the brilliant, aloof Aurelia easily rivals (if not surpasses!) that between Emily and Wendell. Their slow burn romance is a graceful dance of wit and tension, and I savored every teasing remark and lingering glance.
But what truly makes this book shine is its warmth… and the quiet, powerful message it carries. Through her deceptively gentle stories, Julie Leong challenges the capitalist ideals of productivity, profit, and ambition that often dominate both our world and our fiction.
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