Staff Writer: Kathleen
Book Title by Author: Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
Published Date: February 17, 2026
Number of pages: 368 pages
Format: E-book
Genre: Fantasy
Tags: Cozy Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Cats, Female Author
Cardigan rating: 5 out of 5
This is probably my favorite book I’ve read so far this year- not that we’re that far in, but still. I read a lot, and I really like a lot of what I read, so it’s a decently high bar. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy from the publisher, and I just had to talk about it with you guys as soon as I could! Agnes Aubert feels a lot like Howl’s Moving Castle but with cats- lots. And lots. And lots of cats. I cannot impress on you enough just how many cats there are and how important they are- then again, if the title didn’t get that point across, I don’t know what to tell you.
I hesitated a little to call this “cozy fantasy,” because that term usually indicates that the stakes are pretty low- think Legends and Lattes, Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, The Teller of Small Fortunes, that kind of thing, and the stakes here… Yeah, they’re pretty darned high. But it can also describe the vibes, and this book feels pretty doggone cozy. In my opinion, it doesn’t get much cozier than a cat shelter in a low fantasy version of 1920s Montreal. There’s a magic oven that bakes spontaneously; who cares that they’re trying to keep the world from ending? One could also make an argument to call it “cozy romantasy,” but I say it’s not because while there is romance, the story still stands if you remove the romance. It’s cute, it’s as clean as it gets- spoiler alert, they smooch a couple times, and that’s it, so if you listen to the audiobook in the car with the kiddos in tow, no ears need to be covered- but the romance isn’t essential to the story. Therefore, it’s fantasy with romance, not romantasy.
Well, now the genre lecture is out of the way! I really loved every single thing about this book. I somehow missed in the summary that it’s set in Montreal, so the casual dropping of French names was a touch jarring at first, but really, that’s just user error, and once I got with the program, I enjoyed the setting. These kinds of books are usually set in New York City or in London, so it was a nice change of pace. I really loved how present the cats were- Fawcett really captured how wide a range of personalities cats can have. They were all so different, from the fierce His Majesty to the lovable senior Thoreau to the sweet, silent Banshee. They weren’t just window-dressing- they’re just as important as the human characters.
Speaking of the human characters, Agnes might be my favorite protagonist ever. No matter what she faces, she’s still good. Before the start of the book, the shelter is damaged beyond repair in a fight between magicians, and she still stays in her ruined shelter and refuses to abandon the cats in her care. When she’s face-to-face with the very magician responsible for nearly ending the world and ruining her shelter, she’s not afraid- she sees past the intimidating shell and tries to tame him like the awkward feral cat of a man he is. And despite being a powerful magician capable of ending the world, Havelock really is just a nerdy little grump who wants to sit in his basement with his novels and his artefacts and not be disturbed by cats and sisters with grudges and other such nuisances! Forget Rhysand, this is the book boyfriend we want. Apart from the cat allergy, but he can probably figure out a spell for that. If he can accidentally cause a near apocalypse, I’ve got faith that he can fix the sniffles.
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter is basically a warm hug, a soft blanket, and a mug of your favorite hot beverage all rolled into one book. You really don’t even need to be a fantasy or a romance fan to enjoy it- one or the other will suffice! If Howl’s Moving Castle is your favorite love story, you dream of a house full of cats, or you just need a cozy read, give this one a try.