An almost-mage discovers friendship—and maybe something more—in the unlikeliest of places in this delightfully charming novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Teller of Small Fortunes.

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.

Julie Leong, author of last year’s cozy fantasy hit The Teller of Small Fortunes, is back with another dose of sweet, cozy, comfortable magic — complete with cute cats, a quaint but dilapidated small town, and even pasta!

Certainty (what a name!) has been a Novice — a Mage in training — for six years now, and while no one perhaps says it out loud, this does not bode well for her chances of success. Certainty’s magic is considered very minor: She can touch objects, feel their magic, and convince them to do small things. This makes her helpful for household tasks like getting stains out of laundry, but her spellcasting is otherwise useless. Approaching her mid-twenties, Certainty is not feeling hopeful about her future prospects, but she’s also not willing to give up on her dreams just yet: If she can finally become a full-fledge Mage, she’ll have enough of a salary to pay for the apprenticeship her young brother yearns for.

An unfortunate magical accident at Guild headquarters (home of the kingdom’s Mages) reveals that there are simply too many magical objects stored there. Certainty is suddenly assigned a mission: She’ll need to take the excess objects — all containing only minor or used-up magic — to a remote village, inventory them, and store them there, out of harm’s way. A more experienced Mage is assigned to oversee the work. Mage Aurelia is about Certainty’s age, but is everything she is not: Beautiful, scholarly, powerfully gifted, and from a wealthy, influential family. This mission seems far beneath Aurelia’s gifts, but since it’s an assignment directly from the High Mage, she has no choice but to accept.

As Certainty and Aurelia set out for the village of Shpelling, their dynamic is at first frosty. Aurelia comes across as cold and snobby; Certainty is awkward and eager to prove herself. As they work together, however, they come to realize that they do share common ground, and eventually develop an easy camaraderie. Meanwhile, the town of Shpelling has definitely seen better days… but once Certainty has an idea about how to use the magical artifacts to help the villagers (something not actually allowed), things start looking up.

The Keeper of Magical Things has the coziest of cozy vibes. There are sweet descriptions of cute cats, delicious pasta, quirky moments of fixing up an old barn, and all sorts of mundane-but-sweet tasks and projects, with silliness in the background (like a teapot that chatters nonstop whenever being heated) and lovely moments with the villagers to keep scenes lively.

Certainty and Aurelia are a mismatched pair at first, so it’s extra fun to see the growing trust, friendship, and then attraction between the two. When conflict comes into their lives late in the book, threatening to destroy their magical futures as well as their trust and connection, it’s quite moving to see how they get out of the dismal situation through mutual support and affection.

The Keeper of Magical Things is a gentle story, where even the less positive events are relatively benign. It’s a quick, enchanting read, with engaging main characters and lots of quirky townsfolk to liven up any scene. If you’re looking for a light, fun read, this is a great choice!

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
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