REVIEW: Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life, and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for stray cats.
Now it’s the shelter that needs a new home. And the only landlord who will rent a space to a cat rescue is a mysterious man called Havelock—who also happens to be the world’s most infamous magician, running an illegal magic shop out of his basement. Havelock is cantankerous and eccentric, but not not handsome, and no, Agnes absolutely does not feel anything but disdain for him. After all, rumors swirl about his shadowy past—including whispers that his dark magic once almost brought about the apocalypse.
Then one day a glamorous magician comes looking for Havelock, putting the magic shop—and the cat shelter—in jeopardy. To save the shelter, Agnes will have to team up with the magician who nearly ended the world . . . and may now be trying to steal her heart.
Havelock is everything Agnes thinks she doesn’t need in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers that he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue—and romance—in her life. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats. . . .
Dear Ms. Fawcett,
I’ve said in the review of the second Emily Wilde book I read, that I’m not sure I’m the right reader for your books and this is definitely a very “you” book. I wasn’t planning on reading this book but after the publisher offered me an arc (thank you!) and I saw that there’s a cat shelter involved, I crossed my fingers and downloaded it. I liked the book better than “Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands” but I’m (almost, pretty sure but never say never) convinced that this is it for me.
Agnes Aubert and her (now deceased) husband started a shelter for cats in Montreal a few years ago. Robin passed from a heart issue and now the building housing the shelter has been ruined by a fight between magicians who seem like pests causing destruction for which they’re not held responsible. Now Agnes needs to find a new place but every place she looks at is falling down or out of her price range.
Something is calling her to a location she ought not to be able to afford but once she gets there, a young man seems almost painfully eager for her to rent the space and offers a deal she can’t refuse. So, she doesn’t. But soon strange people begin appearing in the shop which always smells of baking in the morning. Then Agnes discovers what her shelter is to be a cover for.
Magicians are not well thought of and the police are sniffing around the shop even before the sister of Havelock Renard – a Dark Mage – appears and draws him out after which things really kick off. Valerie and her minions will stop at nothing to get an Artifact which she thinks will give her all the power. Meanwhile Agnes straightens up Havelock’s Artifacts, adopts out charmed cats, and then has to try and save the world.
So this is a grumpy x grumpy story. Or maybe it’s uptight x introvert. Anyway Agnes and Havelock have a long way to go before starting to like each other. But to me, Havelock and Agnes just don’t have romantic chemistry. Agnes is the one who lays a first kiss on Havelock but it came from nowhere and seemed more of a reaction to the “plane going down” situation they just emerged from and both Agnes and her sister had the same thought that Agnes helping Havelock had in some way made Agnes now think of him like she thought of her shelter cats who need help. Yeah, not exactly “love of my life” feelings.
I also felt the story lacking in charm and whimsy. There’s lots of Agnes, her sister Elise, and other shelter volunteers cleaning, sweeping, feeding cats, and doing Agnes’s morning, afternoon, and evening “to do” lists but not much whimsy is to be found. I also wanted more descriptions of Montreal which unfortunately came across as Bland, Generic City.
The magic was also incomprehensible. Every time Havelock tried to explain how the Artefacts worked, I understood things even less. I also never got a clear idea of the Rivenwood. It’s the dark source of magic but it’s bad even for magicians and each time one goes there, it takes a bit of … something … from the magician. Then after some rules for magic finally get laid down, they are ignored or hand-waved away when the plot needs that to happen. There are plenty of times when, in the face of any magic rules, Agnes will say things like “I just feel this is right” and go for it. I complained that Emily Wilde overexplained everything but here I wanted more details.
What did I like? Agnes’s devotion to her cat charges though why she, who initially abhors magic so much, agreed to have some of the cats be magically charmed in order to get feet through the shelter door unsettled me. Agnes and Elise are also wonderful sisters who will stick together through thick and thin. The cats are fantastic. There is one character who does surprise me but to maintain the shock, I’ll say no more. At the end of the book, there is a touching though also wrenching scene of Agnes with someone else that brought a tear to my eye.
The conclusion of the story after the climax dragged a bit. It also makes me question whether or not this is really a romantasy or is just a cozy fantasy with friendship. Maybe that’s why I felt a lack of chemistry? Anyway, I loved the cats, loved Elise and Agnes, found the magic lacking, and got bored with Agnes cataloging all of Havelock’s stuff. C
~Jayne
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Jayne, I am taking a risk and have just put this on hold at the library. I can’t resist the title, or cover.
@Tanya: It’s such a gorgeous cover. Have you read any other books by this author? I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
I agree 100% with your review. Loved the cats, Agnes was okay, Havelock was a brat, and the “romance” was thoroughly unconvincing. The scene that you reference towards the end was a gut punch; I wish I felt even half of that emotion in Agnes’ interactions with Havelock.
@SusanS: Yes! You nailed it with your comment about that scene. That was love. What Agnes and Havelock have – if they have anything – isn’t a shadow of that real love.
I really enjoyed this book but now I need a sequel I need to know what happens with Agnes and Havelocks Story as it definitely seems to be a love story.
@Christa: I haven’t heard anything about this turning into a series but you never know.