Such a cute story. I really loved the last book but I think I like this one even more. Hopefully there will be more in this world.

I was so excited to read The Keeper of Magical Things after loving The Teller of Small Fortunes, and it did not disappoint! It builds on the strong world already developed in the first book, and is a strong follow-up novel. This is possibly one of my favorite cozy fantasy novels. There's some tension, but for the most part you just get to enjoy the characters and the setting. After reading The Teller of Small Fortunes I had wanted more exploration into the world's magic and the Guild of Mages, and this satisfies everything I wanted more of.
While this is set in the same world as The Teller of Small Fortunes, you do not need to have read it in order to read this book. I think it would be just as enjoyable if you started with this book. Either way, the characters and setting that Julie Leong has created are truly lovely, and I look forward to reading more from Leong in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Certainty and Aurelia's "it takes a village ... and a bunch of 'repurposed' minor magical items" slow burn romance is a clever and warming balm to cozy fantasy readers, and highly recommended to fans of Sarah Beth Durst and Travis Baldreee. I look forward to the next title from Leong!

This was one of most anticipated reads of the year after reading The Teller of Small Fortunes last year, and Julie Leong did not disappoint. A must-read if you love cozy fantasy, found family, small towns, sapphic romance, or cats. It was funny and swoon-worthy with really important messages tied in, and I loved every moment. Certainty and Aurelia are reluctant partners on a seemingly unimportant and tedious mission that takes to the town of Shpelling, which reeks of garlic and lacks magic. A great cast of characters; I cared deeply about each of them (except Tobias). The story felt like a warm bath or a stroll through a garden, but then had me blubbering like a baby (happy tears) for the last 20-30% of the book. Beautiful writing and a truly wonderful story that I will be thinking about probably forever.

This cozy fantasy takes us into the hopeful world of a novice mage long overdue her chance to grow into her own. Paired with the classic grumpy-sunshine duo and remote working assignment, this novel touches on all the soft notes of small towns, big ambitions, little victories, and world shaping change. Pacing and setting was excellent and set up the character growth so naturally. The romance was an underlying aspect of the plot and there was little to no focus on spice or spicy thoughts, which is always nice in a cozy fantasy for a larger audience.

I’d recommend this for fans of The Phoenix Keeper and Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea.

Certainty has a gift for speaking with inanimate objects but so little magic she has almost lost hope of ever graduating from novice to mage. The sudden urgent need to transport a heap of marginally magical artifacts to a supernatural dead zone is her best shot at a better life for herself and her family. Along for the ride is frosty Aurelia, whose power seems wasted on the menial task. As the pair do inventory in the unwelcoming village of Shpellling, magic occurs that is partly due to the artifacts and partly Cert's warmhearted nature. Aurelia and Shpelling blossom in this cozy fantasy. Also, there's a dragoncat.

Another poetic, cozy, romantic fantasy by Julie Leong. This was better than the first and makes me so excited to put her on my auto-buy author list. I adored Aurelia and Certaintys grumpy vs sunshine love story. Hope is my all time favorite pet/side kick. I dont want to give anything away but if you love all those fun and adorable Disney pet-like side kicks then you will be obsessed too. As with the first, found family brings the sweetest cozy and heartfelt vibe.

This was a delightfully cozy fantasy with lesbians and a happily ever after. Really good bedtime reading.

I loved this book! It's the literary equivalent of curling up on your couch with a soft, blanket, cat, and cup of tea. It's a cozy read in every sense—warm, affirming, and delightfully tender. It’s a story about finding magic in everyday kindness, unexpected companionship, and the courage to open your heart. I loved The Teller of Small Fortunes and my high expectations for Julie Leong's second book were met and exceeded.

Charming and adorable! So happy that Julie Leong gave us another story in this world, I loved the Teller of Small Fortunes!

This was even more adorable and heart-warming that the author's debut. I absolutely loved Certainty and Aurelia and all of the villagers and essentially everything about this. A stellar cozy, warm hug of a book!

Although I enjoyed Teller of Small Fortunes, I have to admit that this one was even more of a delight to me! I may be biased since I am a librarian, but it was such a delight seeing the characters identify and catalogue (and use) all of the minor artifacts in the book. It was the perfect vacation read, as it was easy to slip back into when I had a moment to read a bit.

I loved this book! Such a fun cozy fantasy which is fast turning into my favorite genre. The story moved along and did not get boring. I loved the world that the author created and can't wait to go back into that universe.

Thank you Berkley for this ARC!

Cute and funny.
I love watching people go on an adventure and discover things about themselves along the way.

Oh, I loved this one! I read The Teller of Small Fortunes and loved that, and so obviously was very excited for The Keeper of Magical Things. It has so much heart in it.

I'll be interviewing Julie in a few weeks about this book for my podcast, Novel Finds, and am very excited for it. Her interview will come out before the pub date, so hopefully some preorders come through as well.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Leong, and I enjoyed it immensely. I have heard that the second book for an author is usually the weaker book, I did not find this book to be lacking in any way.

The way the main characters grew and came into themselves was wonderful., and I thought that the ending was perfect. This is a book that I am going to be recommending to other readers for a long while. I am also going to have to figure out how to crochet Hope. I want one of those.

Speaking of Hope, I so enjoyed the puns that were in here and the twist on Schrodinger's Cat.

I am OBSESSED with this cozy fantastical world Julie Leong has created! I read her debut, The Teller of Small Fortunes, earlier this year - which I loved - and was so excited to find out she was writing her next novel set in the same world.

I really loved this story! It had a great balance of a very interesting plot, fun side characters, a sweet romance, and seeing the main character grow more comfortable with and confident in herself. The world that Julie Leong has created really just pulls me in and I can feel myself in the small town with the characters. It was a perfect cozy fantasy for me and after two 5 star reads from Julie Leong now, she’s definitely an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy!

**This review is of an ARC copy, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.**

I would call this book a palate cleanser. If you’re looking for something to quickly escape darker reads or the state of the world, this may be for you. It’s warm and cozy. A mage and novice are thrown together for what feels like a class project to archive magical objects. One is a bit of a curmudgeon and the other makes up for their rude and off track comments, but they quickly turn it around to be welcomed by the town. Their attraction starts not long after their arrival to their destination, but is also described innocently. It’s cute. There is a quirky character, the warm and welcoming ones, the obvious villain, and a cute catdragon. No event is a surprise here and is predictable but I think that’s the point, a little escape into an innocent and cozy world without much substance (not in a negative way).

A new favorite cozy fantasy. Certainty Bulrush is a novice mage of six years who is able to speak to objects. This skill hasn't been too useful until now, when she and mage Aurelia (known for being cold) are tasked with transporting and cataloging magical items. If Certainty does well, she will finally earn her magehood. So, she and Aurelia travel to the village of Schpelling and eventually win over the hearts of the villagers there. Plus, they win over each other's hearts. It's a sapphic cozy fantasy, and there's a cat with dragon wings. What else could you want?

The Keeper of Magical Things was such a joy to read. I was smiling throughout the majority of my read. I loved Certainty instantly, and I spent most of the book just wanting to hug Aurelia and tell her she was loved and enough no matter what.

What I really enjoyed here was the pacting of the story (there was always just enough action to keep me engaged) and the heartwarming ways the characters connected with each other and changed each other for the better. The people of Shpelling grew on me so quickly, and I was rooting for the best outcome for them all.

Overall, this was just so SWEET and I loved it!!