The Beast Keepers

What a unique and charming premise - I found it very wholesome and warming. The animal characters and the bond between them and our vet are delightful. There’s a balanced blend of realism and mythology, with neither one stifling the other. Overall a fun read.

When Jonathan St Roche heads to Carrollton in Ohio to take up his new job as the town veterinarian, he is expecting the fairly standard challenges of caring for domestic animals like dogs, cats and livestock. What he finds is beyond his wildest dreams.

Carrollton is home to a collection of mythical creatures who also require Jonathan's care - including a centaur, a faun, and a unicorn, just to name a few!

As the new vet settles into his assignment, taking care of his more unusual clients becomes a journey of discovery for him, bring both challenges and delight.

However, when the town is threatened by a basilisk, Jonathan finds himself questioning what his role should be. There is no question that the beast is dangerous. But does he not also have a duty of care with regard to the basilisk? And if so, then how on earth will he administer that care to such a deadly creature?

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

I was initially intrigued to read this book because I am local to the setting. Living in rural Ohio, that doesn't happen very often. I also happen to love fantasy.

This cozy fantasy is low stakes and delightfully charming. It's quick pacing kept me reading long after I meant to stop. The author spent a lot of time rooting this story in the real town of Carrollton. As a local, it was fun reading about places I've been and figuring out what places were renamed. Someone not from the area may not appreciate that as much and the story may feel weighted down by the extra exposition.

I was given the opportunity to read this for free by the generosity of the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW 📚 of The Beast Keepers by Julie Fudge Smith

My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc for review.

Jonathan F. St Roche has found himself at a crossroads in life. Having completed his veterinary degree, he had planned to follow his passion for equine health to the East Coast horse shows. But with the elitist attitude of the upper-crust horsey set discouraging Jon, he turns towards finding something a bit closer to his MidWest roots. Answering an ad to take over the practice of a retiring vet in Carrollton, Ohio, Jon makes the journey to meet Doctor Pratt and discuss the changeover. However, Carrollton is not all it seems, and Jon quickly discovers why the job ad requested an ‘open minded’ candidate with ‘diverse skills’- some of Jonathan’s patients will be mythical creatures. Living free, but secretly, amongst the population with human caretakers, Jon will treat the maladies of gryphons, a Pegasus, flying monkeys and more. But not all magical creatures are as benign and human friendly, and when Carrollton’s newest arrival is a basilisk, Jon and the residents must not only contain the threat but keep it under wraps from the reporter sniffing around town.

I was really excited to read this tale- I love fantasy books and part of that is the presence of imaginary creatures. I enjoyed this story for what it was, and appreciate the unique plot line. I loved that it included mythical animals in a contemporary setting and the idea of them living amongst humans freely was fantastic. I also found Gertrude and her egg laying and the lovely descriptions of the animals positives.
I believe this book could benefit from some editing and role play work- there were a lot of unnecessary descriptions of addresses, history, clothing etc that felt like filler, and it impeded the flow of the narrative. I felt that my main draw to the story was the animals and yet interactions with them were so minimal. I also found that the dialogue between characters was stilted/unrealistic at times, and the beginning felt a little rushed, with the timeline spanning years within the first 20% of the book. I would have loved more build, perhaps from Xavier’s POV, at the beginning to really set this story up and become invested in the main character.
I think with more emotional connection to the MC, more story focussed on the animals themselves and some pacing/editing work, this book could rival House on the Cerulean Sea with such a great premise.
The cover art is stunning 😍
This review has been posted to Goodreads 11/8/23

The Beast Keepers, by Julie Fudge Smith, is a new favorite book. It has characters with integrity, loyalty, and intelligence.
Jonathan St. Roche is a veterinarian who is searching for a new job. He is tired of dealing with the owners of the horses
he treats. He responds to an ad for a rural practice in Ohio. The practice has a secret group of patients, including flying
monkeys, a pregnant Pegasus, a goose that lays Bavarian eggs, centaurs and a faun. A dangerous creature is discovered
hiding in an old barn, and Jonathan has to determine the best course of action for everyone.

The author has written a charming and yet powerful novel about the consequences of choices made with the best intentions. I plan to purchase a copy for the local library.

*3,75*

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Publishing for sending me an arc of this.

“The beast keepers” is about Jonathan St. Roche, a vet that decides to move into rural Ohio to run a clinic. However he soon realises that his clients are not as common as they may seem. From unicorns to talking dogs there is an array of lovely and very unique animals in this story. Routine gets disrupted when a basilisk threatens not only to unveil the secret of the town but also all the inhabitants.

I loved reading about the town’s daily life, it was so relaxing but interesting at the same time. The animals were everything in this. Obviously Mr. Bingley was my favorite, he was truly a wonderful companion to Jonathan and gave great advice. All the other animals as well were so cute and charismatic in their own way.

I didn’t love all the choices that Jonathan took during the story, but I still enjoyed following his time at the vet clinic. Also the basilisk was a great way to pick up the pace in the second half of the book without changing the overall vibe of the novel.

If you love cozy magical realism, animals and small town stories this is the perfect book for you.

After coming to terms with the reality of the equine world of veterinary medicine, or at least getting to know the clientele. Jonathan F. St. Roche D.V.M. has hit a rough patch in his budding veterinary career. Luckily he finds an ad for a veterinary positions
“Vet retiring and looking for clever, open-minded individual with diverse skills to join rural Ohio practice. Not much money, but a stimulating and varied clientele, with an opportunity for growth.”
Jonathan travels to Ohio, back to the familiar Midwest, to apply for the position.
The veterinary practice seems like your basic rural clinic, with average patients and humble clients. So, Jonathan happily accepts the position. But not long after he finds that rural does not always mean basic. His patients are much more “exotic” than he originally thought and the “diverse skills” needed for this position were definitely not taught in vet school.
I was thrilled to receive an eARC of this book from NetGalley! As the daughter of a midwestern veterinarian, who basically grew up in a vet clinic, this book called to me. And it was very much worth the read. I will be recommending to all of our veterinary staff and anyone who is a lover of animals, and fantasy.
If you like a bit of magic mixed into everyday life mixed with a helping of rural coziness, give this book a read!

Book Review 📚
The Beast Keepers by Julie Fudge Smith - 4/5 ⭐

A beautiful fantasy filled with mythical creatures. I was sold on the cover and title alone. The illustrations to the cover are beautiful and it looks gorgeous.

The writing in this book is phenomenal. Smith goes above and beyond with such utterly fantastic descriptions. Both people and creatures alike, they are all described so perfectly that there isn't even a bit of hesitation when picturing them. It's so thorough and detailed. That really made the book for me.

Although a slow paced book, it was definitely still fantastic. It was missing bits of excitement and suspense but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Some people can't cope with a slow burn but I refuse to DNF a book for that reason alone.

It was so wonderfully written, a great plot and wonderful characters and creatures. Smith has produced a brilliant fantasy story about mythical creatures.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

As a Veterinary student myself I was so excited to receive this book and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
Loved the rural atmosphere, the clinic and the more "exotic" animals.
The book was really cozy and lighthearted in a good way.

This was fun! Cozy, romantic without being over the top- fun characters and a world I’d love to see and explore. I want .:. More! I’d love a second part to these beasties!!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing an arc in exchange for an honest review- all thoughts are my own!

The Beast Keepers is the story of Jonathan F. St. Roche, a young veterinarian who takes a job in the rural Ohio town of Carrollton. He soon discovers it is a safe haven for a menagerie of mythical creatures (including a pregnant pegasus, a flying monkey with a sprained wing, a centaur with Cushing’s disease, and a unicorn with a sweet tooth) who rely on him for their medical care and shelter from the outside world.

This was simply a fantastic fantasy book. The young doctor finds a new career with a variety of new creatures and along the way finds an odd family of sorts among the folks who protect and care for these creatures. At the heart of this book is a sense of learning and understanding about things that may defy your imagination. Jonathan steps up with no hesitation and helps the town deal with a potential threat. This book is great on the fantasy but also in developing family and friendships. It's the people who are beside you that help you through the most difficult troubles.

Thank you to @netgalley and @victoryediting for allowing me to review this book.

Very cute, low stakes cozy fantasy. As a dog and general animal lover myself this was very enjoyable. The book is primarily easy going, while still touching upon a couple of darker themes. The animals, mythical and real alike are very endearing, and the author does a good job in describing the animals without the story becoming too info heavy.

So, I LOVED THIS BOOK!
Bit of back story I’m a small animal vet so I found myself enjoying the vetty aspects of the book but I don’t think you need any kind of vet background to enjoy this book.
A fantasy book also partially rooted in science is a rarity but honestly it really worked!
I can’t recommend this book enough- it’s fun, easygoing, but also interesting!
Bingley quickly became my favourite character!