Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful—to the Guild of Mages that took her in as a novice, to the little brother who depends on her, and to anyone else she can help. Unfortunately, her tepid magic hasn’t proven much use to anyone. When Certainty has the chance to earn her magehood via a seemingly straightforward assignment, she takes it. Nevermind that she’ll have to work with Mage Aurelia, the brilliant, unfairly attractive overachiever who’s managed to alienate everyone around her.

The two must transport minorly magical artifacts somewhere safe: Shpelling, the dullest, least magical village around. There, they must fix up an old warehouse, separate the gossipy teapots from the kind-of-flaming swords, corral an unruly little catdragon who has tagged along, and above all, avoid complications. The Guild’s uneasy relationship with citizens is at a tipping point, and the last thing needed is a magical incident.

Still, as mage and novice come to know Shpelling’s residents—and each other—they realize the Guild’s hoarded magic might do more good being shared. Friendships blossom while Certainty and Aurelia work to make Shpelling the haven it could be. But magic is fickle—add attraction and it might spell trouble.

The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong is cozy and sweet. It is magical and romantic in all the right ways. From the very beginning, I fell in love with Certainty and her way of thinking, hopeful and kind. Much like Mage Aurelia, you fall in love with Certainty easily but what I also love is the growth of Aurelia, their relationship and indeed even the changes to the village and the villagers. When things go wrong, the solution is not simple but it is a beautiful ending. 

Part of what I loved is the different magical items, none of which are the artifacts you typically read about but which are just as interesting as any magical fantasy. I also fell in love with the cats. The story is sweetly engaging but interesting, a story where kindness and caring win out in the end. 

If you like cozy, sweet fantasies, this is perfect for you. It is romantic and adventurous and the ending is as sweet as the rest of the story. It is a magical story.

Rating: 5 out of 5 teapots

Penguin RandomHouse

Julie Leong website