From the cover, I kept expecting this to be a children’s book, but it is actually a gentle adult book that tweens upwards could happily read.

I was reminded of a cross between Gerald Durrell’s The Talking Parcel (which is my all-time favourite children’s book from my own youth), James Herriot’s veterinary adventure series and Dr Dolittle – a heady combination of adult moral dilemmas and relationships mixed with a fantastic sprinkling of mythological creatures.

The book follows main character Jonathan St. Roche as he narrates his veterinary training and subsequent engagement as a qualified vet to a very unique community in Ohio. There are plenty of interesting fictional fantasy-vet anecdotes, some humorous and some touching; some cosy fantasy and clean romance and a surprising dash of tragedy.

Jonathan is a brilliantly drawn and nuanced main character but the ‘ordinary’ side characters do get a bit lost and pushed aside here in favour of the mythological animals, which I can’t really blame the author for, as they were what I was most interested in too! The book works as a standalone story but also makes a great scene-setter for a potential series set in Carrollton among the unicorns and flying monkeys.

Adult readers looking for a light, easy fantasy read will enjoy this twist on the more traditional veterinary memoir books and precocious younger readers will likely enjoy it too. I can tell you that while I liked this as an adult reader, I would have LOVED this as a middle-grader – animals, mythology and humour – all my childhood favourites in one story!

This was such a cozy book! It was such a good read and very easy to get sucked into the story. Mr. Bingley was easily my favorite character! Definitely a book to grab on a rainy day and get cozy on the couch.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for this review.
This was a sweet book with an interesting premise that presents light fantasy. Some positive aspects of the book:
I loved the cover - really beautiful, and an accurate portrayal of the book.
It is a fantastic concept for a story.
It was great to see the hard work of rural vets highlighted.
I thought there were wonderful depictions of animals’ inner world and their engagement with their surroundings.
Amusing use of English weasels to resolve a plot point.
The prose and descriptions of setting and animals was very good (even evocative at times).

There were consistent writing issues, however, that lessened my enjoyment.

Very wooden interactions and dialogue that was often stilted and unrealistic (given that it is a reality-based book with no change to the current societal structure)

Most characters are simplistically depicted, even significant minor characters, such as Anita, who was mostly described as overtly rigid

The book didn’t deal with the complicated issue of animal sentience, and how that shifts human’s engagement with animal euthanasia.

Depictions of ‘oil money’ and fracking that described that ‘new millionaires’ built clinics - this is an overly simplistic depiction of human reaction to an influx of wealth to a region. The complete avoidance about discussing climate change, when these topics were repeatedly discussed, was unfeasible. Every animal lover can identify how climate changes have radically altered how animals are engaging with their surroundings.

I was surprised at the lack of human diversity - the characters are uniformly white, straight, middle class, with no disabilities.

How does this setting relate to the idea that most of these creatures are from European medieval history? There is no real connection to similar groups of mythical beasts and humans elsewhere - wouldn’t there be some sort of global network; such as connecting with the millennia-old traditions elsewhere in the world? There is only one passing reference to a Native American mythical creature. With the setting (rural Ohio), one would expect indigenous creatures to substantially outnumbers those from European myths.

When minor characters re-enter, it was hard to recall who they were - for example their species could be provided with gentle reminders, even something as indirect as, ‘iridescent feathers, notorious on a cockatrice for fleas’ would be useful.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this e-ARC! I do my reviews on my social media platforms. I am currently working on getting through my reviews so stay tuned! Leaving a rating as a placeholder for me and to not effect the books rating in order to post this. Thanks again!

- Pure escapism for me.
- Loved the quirky nature of the characters and creates.
- Loved the mythological beasts and this gave me Fantastical beast and where to find them vibes.
- My favorite character had to Mr Bingley.
- Really great writing and a honour to have had the chance to read this before publication.

The Beast Keepers is a wonderful and entertaining story. I couldn't put it down! Give yourself a whole day to wrap yourself in a comfy blanket and read this adventure of a young vet who has a life changing job change. This is fantasy, mystery and a love story all in one! Loved

This was a different kind of story with magical creatures existing in rural Ohio of all places. I wasn't sure going into it how much I would like it, but I was surprised with how quickly I was pulled into the story. I really liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am not usually into fantasy as a rule, but enjoy magical realism on occasion (I know; make it make sense...). I really enjoyed this book. I requested an ARC thinking I could see if it would work in our high school library (it will), but ended up pleasantly surprised. The only con I can think of was that, at times, it was hard to remember who some of the characters were. I can think of several people to whom I plan to recommend this novel!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When vet Jonathon decides to explore an option of taking over a practice in rural Ohio he doesn't realise just what it was that he would be taking care of. However after the initial shock and awe Jonathon plunges in on ensuring this animals are taken care of, protective and that the secret of the town remains safe.
This was a cosy fantasy that held my interest throughout. Although there were a couple of characters that I would have liked to been more in-depth there were also a couple that I wish were either not included or fleshed out more so that I could have connected to them all better. But in saying that I did really enjoy the writing and flow of the story.

Not so mythological beasts and a very unusual veterinary practise

I loved this book and the wonderfully quirky characters, creatures and storyline. Think along the lines of vet meets mythological beasts in the rural mid-west and you have the underlying theme of the book. The nature of some of the characters sets up the potential for a whole host of unusual situations and I really hope that Mr Bingley can change Lucretius’s mind about dogs.

I hope it’s the first of many episodes as I’m sure there are many more tales, and tails, to tell.

I was given this book from the author via netgalley only for the pleasure of reading and leaving an honest review should I choose to.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of The Beast Keepers by Julie Fudge Smith.

My favorite parts in this book involved Bingley the talking dog. Sometimes a little dog wisdom is good.

A few of my favorite Bingley lines and interactions:

"I find it hard to understand why people value sofas over dogs. I can’t imagine sitting on the couch and reading or watching TV without Duncan curled up with me."

“Apparently, they had a fight over the phone, which I don’t understand. How can you fight when you aren’t in the same room to show your teeth to one another?”

“What did you say?”
“Bark.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Woof?”"

I skimmed through a majority of the book, quite a bit of drinking, a lot of talking about the different farms.

I was lucky to receive an e-copy of this book.

I read this with my niece and she enjoyed it a lot and could wait to keep reading it every week.

This book is for a young audience and was perfect for my 11 year old niece. This books system of having magic creatures hidden in plain site was a cute twist to the story.

Will definitely recommend to my friends children's or from friends to read to their kids!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to this e-ARC.

This is a cute story about a vet who has decided to leave the fast-paced, cut-throat life of racehorse vet to settle in a nice rural community. Little does he know that all is not as it seems on the surface. I enjoyed the story, though the flow was a little choppy and slow at times. The ending was a nice touch and, overall, a nice read.

This is a cozy-ish novel about a vet taking care of mythical creatures. The plot was interesting, but the characters felt one-dimensional. There wasn’t a lot of growth shown and the pacing was a little off. But overall it was a decent enough read.

Jonathan St Roche is a veterinarian who takes up a new job in Carrollton, Ohio, expecting to deal with the regular challenges of caring for domestic animals like dogs, cats, and livestock. However, he discovers that the town is home to mythical creatures, including a centaur, a faun, and a unicorn.

Jonathan's new assignment becomes a journey of discovery for him as he settles into his new role and takes care of his more unusual clients, bringing both challenges and delight.

The town's safety is at risk due to a basilisk. This situation makes Jonathan ponder about his responsibilities. While he acknowledges the beast's threat, he also considers his duty of care towards the dangerous creature. However, it needs to be clarified how he can ensure the safety of the basilisk and the town simultaneously.

This is a delightful story that will appeal to animal lovers as well as those who like adventures involving mythical creatures. The storytelling is witty and warm and draws the reader in so that the characters and creatures begin to feel far from fantastical and made up - and accurate enough to care about all their fates.

#bookreview #fantasybooks

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Boyle & Dalton for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars (rounded up)

I fully see and appreciate all the effort and research that went into this story and I found myself - at times - fully lost in the charm of all the magical creatures. The critters defnitely gave me the-author-who-must-not-be-named vibes and the smalltown vibes were also to die for. I really hope Smith keeps creating that feeling in her future works.

Where this story lacked for me was in creating unique main characters that made me feel something. Unfortunately, due to Smith's choice of words/ prose - which couldn't fit a cute little comfort read less - our main characters felt cold and distant to me. Even though I was provided inner monologues, which by the way also felt out of place or too much at times, I couldn't quite grasp the feelings of Jonathan and some other characters. Even when we got to a heavy point in the story, the characters seemed to be handling it too easily.

I also think the fast forward in the beginning didn't help getting to know all of those many characters.

With that being said, I am looking forward to Smith's writing progressing as I see a LOT of potential.

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances there have been technical issues between kindle and net galley. Well I have sent over the document and it has not arrived on my kindle so unfortunately when I went to read this book, I do not have this document to be able to read, so unfortunately I cannot leave a review for this book.

Thank you NetGalley for this early review copy.

This was a cute and unique story. I love mythical creatures, and the idea of them in the modern day real world sounded so fun. While I did enjoy the story, I went into it expecting a lot more focus on the mythical creatures, and less focus on the people. I felt like the story was a little slow for me and didn't entirely hold my interest.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love a book about mythology and the synopsis really grabbed me so I was so pleased to get an early copy. This book included a menagerie of mythical creatures including Pegasus, centaur, flying monkey, unicorn and a basilisk - with Jonathan the wonderful vet who has to cure their ailments.
Perfect for fantasy fans who also want a nice cute read.

I absolutely loved this book. The blend of mythology and present day was perfect, it never felt out of place. The animals are charming and I loved reading about them all. The story is short but well balanced and it didn't feel lacking in any aspect. The characters are well developed and relatable.
I would definitely recommend this book to all animal lovers, and anyone who loves a cosy fantasy.