#BookReview: Another Whimsical, Quirky Fantasy from Heather Fawcett

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter, by Heather Fawcett (Del Rey)

I became a huge fan of Heather Fawcett on the first page of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies. What a glorious, romantic, silly, unexpected adventure those three books were! I picked up Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter with anticipation and was richly rewarded. Like Emily Wilde, this story brings together an unusual heroine (obsessed with saving every stray cat in 1930s Montreal) and a mysterious, wounded dark wizard (widely known to have almost caused the end of the world). In this world, like Emily’s, magic exists on the fringes of human society. Most uncomfortably so, for at the beginning of the story, a duel between two magicians resulted in the partial destruction of the building that Agnes has leased for her cat shelter, and she (and her irresistible sister, Elise) must find new quarters before winter storms sweep in. The only suitable place that will rent to her is the shop above the secret hideout of Havelock, the notorious “dark wizard” widely known to have almost brought about the apocalypse. Inevitably, they encounter each other…only to discover that he is allergic to her beloved cats.

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter is a delightful concoction of whimsy, dark secrets, grief, quirky characters, and cats. The cats, of course, have their own personalities and agendas. The magical system is fresh and interesting (and a little scary in its own right). Second chances are not only for rescue kitties.

 

Short Book Reviews: Physician to the Fae Plague

The Memory of Water (Magorian & Jones Book 1), by Taylen Carver (Stories Rule Press, 2020)

Despite a confusing and completely unnecessary prolog, this book drew me in. A plague has swept the world, killing most of its victims but transforming the survivors into creatures such as goblins, angels, sirens, and dragons. Feared and reviled by the human remnant, these “Errata” are hunted and corralled into reservations. In one such sanctuary, Michael Jones, a physician, devotes himself to treating the plague victims through the all-too-often-fatal metamorphosis. This is despite or perhaps because of the death of his family at the hands of the early Errata. The struggle is often futile, so Jones ends up teaming up with Ben Magorian, an honest-to-goodness wizard, although not the most easy-going person. Despite their incompatible beliefs, Jones’s entrenched skepticism, and Magorian’s antisocial attitudes, the two team up to thwart an even deadlier menace.

Once the story got going, I kept turning the pages. I loved the idea of medical approach to an essentially magical transformation. The various Errata races and their abilities, as well as the individual struggles (or not) to retain their humanity not only fascinated me but raise questions of ethics and compassion. I had a little trouble accepting that most people would so strongly reject their neighbors and family members for getting sick, or would not be curious, eager to have conversations with mythic-appearing creatures or to exploit them in movies, promotions, and the like (human greed at work). That’s my primary criticism, yet I was able to take such rejection and prejudice as a given in this world and go along with the story. I’m a sucker for wounded, conflicted heroes, and Jones was just that. This is the first of a series of the “Magorian and Jones” novels.