The Keeper of Magical Things is exactly what I’m looking for in a cozy fantasy. Two mages are forced to work together – one a novice with a specific skill and another a skilled mage who doesn’t know how to interact with people. Queue the rundown town, the slow trickle of improvements, and an endless stream of magical objects that are a mix of charming, mysterious, and dangerous. The book is all about relationships, the budding romance between its protagonists and the hesitant camaraderie found with townsfolk who have learned to fear and hate mages. There are ups and downs to be sure, but overall it’s a delightful read filled with the kind of wonder I want from a good cozy fantasy.

I was most taken with the object magic and its central part in the story. Certainty is able to talk to any object, magical or not, to ask it questions and learn its enchantment or essence. It’s a fascinating skill and I can’t imagine why it’s considered lesser in the world of the novel. She goes about fixing the wrongs done to the town in the past with the all but discarded objects from the Guild of Mages. She summons bees, fixes a well, grows flowers, even makes an ancient pasta dish. It’s as whimsical as it gets, and I loved every minute of it. 

Their relationship is also an interesting one, pairing the reserved and success-obsessed Aurelia with the always cheerful and happy-to-be-here Certainty. They play well off each other and their relationship adds something different to each of their lives. For Certainty, it brings a sense of belonging to this magical world she’s tried so hard to master yet so far has barely succeeded in. For Aurelia, it brings a connection she continues to deny herself in order to optimize every minute toward succeeding at some goal or another. Together, they make the town into a magical place and they boost each other up.

Above all, it’s Leong’s skill as a writer that really makes the novel shine. The story unfolds at a perfect pace, casually inserting small conflicts and presenting satisfying solutions, all while balancing relationship growth alongside my favorite ‘clean it up’ plot device. When you leave a book and keep imagining the world long after, it’s a definite success.