It was hard to say goodbye to the Emily Wilde trilogy. So, stepping into the first book by Heather Fawcett since that series ended came with big anticipation. Could she woo us back with a new cocktail of prickly brilliance, reluctant tenderness, and historical peril with Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter? Although it’s not the same high, she pulls us in with a blend of early-1900s Montréal, her love of cats, and an infusion of Howl’s Moving Castle.
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter carries that same classical faerytale styling but dangerous whimsy as Emily Wilde’s and Howl’s. However, while neither Emily nor Howl could stay put in their pursuit of faerie wonders, Agnes’s story curls up in your lap with cozy quests and sibling rivalries. It rises off the page, rather than jumping out at you, with a heroine who is all pragmatism and heart, paired with a magician who can’t help but be both trouble and temptation (and sexily rumpled, too).
From the first page, Agnes’s fastidiously single-minded voice settles over the narrative, and her love for the husband she’s lost, her sister, Elise, and the strays of the world is endearing. Set against 1920s Montréal—rendered with historical detail and a wink of enchantment—the story follows Agnes as she navigates her goals and the emotional messes that come with a new and infamous magical acquaintance: Enter Havelock Renard. Magician. Alleged “Witch King.” Grumpy, absentminded landlord. Earring-wearing, dark-haired, and unkept. Basically, catnip (with a cat allergy). The tension between Havelock and Agnes isn’t a tornado or even a slow burn, but it has the charm of a gentle breeze and candlelight. They’re both nursing bruised hearts and a curiosity for things unexplained. Perhaps—if sequels are coming—we’ll get the pleasure of watching them grow as people and together.
If Agnes Aubert has a castle, it’s the shelter itself. I don’t mean to use the word cozy again, but it has the whimsical appeal of all those magical bookstores and coffee shops and bakeries we’ve been reading about recently. Enchantment is infused into the walls, the spiders, even an oven left behind by a previous tenant, and the cats. Of course, the cats. These felines are the royalty of this world, dictating the rhythm of the shelter by bringing comfort and complications while adding layers to the mysteries. His Majesty, Banshee, Thoreau—each of these personalities has secrets, and their own way of tangling the threads of the plot.
If the Emily Wilde trilogy is about embracing the wild unknown, Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter is about embracing the messy magic of home. It’s tender, mercurial, and delightfully grumpy—much like the cats who prowl its pages.
Fawcett threads grief through the story with a gentle hand. Agnes’s past loss is an ache that doesn’t fade but never overwhelms her journey. While Havelock’s longing for connection with his sister counters the villain she wants him to be. The book doesn’t shy away from the darker corners of its world, and while its characters are hesitant and questioning, they find various ways to be deeply ethical— in their relationships and with spellcasting. That’s where the emotional tensions rise.
Agnes is faced with ethical dilemmas, the sacrifices necessary to protect vulnerable beings (magical or otherwise). Not only Havelock, and the cats, but the citizens of this version of Montréal itself become her strays, and Agnes confronts both human and supernatural complexities to safeguard them. The supporting cast—sisters, assistants, cops, creatures, and community—add dimension, turning Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter into a story about care and creating a haven that houses many hearts.
If the Emily Wilde trilogy is about embracing the wild unknown, Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter is about embracing the messy magic of home. It’s tender, mercurial, and delightfully grumpy—much like the cats who prowl its pages. Fawcett has crafted a tale about compassion, healing, and the haphazard joy of turning a home for strays into an inner circle. Just like that old saying about cats, Heather Fawcett always lands on her feet. If she sounds like your kind of girl, go snuggle up to Agnes Aubert (and Havelock, too).
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett is available now
file under: cozy, fantasy, alternate history, romantasy, magical places, romance, cat lovers
