The Wizard's Cat

The Wizard's Butler #2

by Nathan Lowell

It started with a dandelion.
Innocuous. Ubiquitous.
Who knew it was a warning?

After claiming his big bonus, things are coming up roses for Roger Mulligan. A job he loves. A house that feels like home. Money in the bank. A solid roof over his head and job security.

But when he finds a dandelion on the pristine grounds of Shackleford House, he starts down a twisted, garden path. Old man Shackleford says the fairies have a problem, the pixies keep falling down on the job, and the house seems to grow weaker by the day.

He's soon tossed into a confusing mixture of fact and fantasy, accompanied by Shackleford's cousin and - of all things - a stray cat. Surrounded by the fantastical, it's hard to tell magic from mundane.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Paranormal, Cats, Cozy

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 7, 2025

About the author

Nathan Lowell has been a writer for more than forty years, and first entered the literary world by podcasting his novels. His sci-fi series, The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper grew from his long time fascination with space opera and his own experiences shipboard in the United States Coast Guard. Unlike most works which focus on a larger-than-life hero (prophesized savior, charismatic captain, or exiled prince), Nathan centers on the people behind the scenes--ordinary men and women trying to make a living in the depths of space. In his novels, there are no bug-eyed monsters, or galactic space battles, instead he paints a richly vivid and realistic world where the "hero" uses hard work and his own innate talents to improve his station and the lives of those of his community.

Dr. Nathan Lowell holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology with specializations in Distance Education and Instructional Design. He also holds an M.A. in Educational Technology and a BS in Business Administration. He grew up on the south coast of Maine and is strongly rooted in the maritime heritage of the sea-farer. He served in the USCG from 1970 to 1975, seeing duty aboard a cutter on hurricane patrol in the North Atlantic and at a communications station in Kodiak, Alaska. He currently lives in the plains east of the Rocky Mountains with his wife and two daughters.

Awards & Recognition
2008 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Full Share
2008 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Double Share
2008 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for South Coast
2009 Podiobooks Founder's Choice Award for Captain's Share
2009 Parsec Award Finalist for Best Speculative Fiction for Double Share
4 out of 10 Books on Podiobooks.com Top Overall Rated by Votes (2. Double Share, 3. Quarter Share, 5. Full Share, 8. Half Share) -- as of Jan 4, 2009
6 out of 10 Books on Podiobooks.com Top Overall Rating (1. Ravenwood, 2. Quarter Share, 3. Double share, 4. Captain's Share, 5. Full Share, 7. South Coast) -- as of Jan 4, 2009

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lowell’s new series is back with Book 2. All the key characters from Book 1 (The Wizard’s Butler) are back.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

"“You’re seriously going to give an internet psychic your fortune and this house?” “No,” the old man said, sitting back a bit with a smile. “I’m going to leave it to the only person in the world who has the talent to relate to and understand what this house means. The house, because the house matters. The money? Because it takes a lot of money to keep it in the family.” “And that family, my dear,” Fidelia said, “is you.”"

Joseph Shackleford – The old wizard
Fidelia Necket – another mage
Barbara Griffin – a distant relative who has some magic about her and we met in Book 1
Naomi Patching – a nearby relative of Shackleford who wants the House
Shackleford House – Home to pixies and others
Roger Mulligan – the butler who has taken on a great burden

Things are revealed slowly (and the cat’s presence is no more than that for over half of the book). Shackleford House is evolving and also under attack. By what? By whom And, when? All are important issues and not all are resolved in this “to be continued” series.
3.5*

[Dave Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful (maybe a bit short)
The Wizard's Butler was the first Nathan Lowell book I'd ever read. I've since read every other book he's written waiting for this one. Usually no book can withstand that level of expectation, but this one bears up really well.
I just want the next one right now, and that doesn't seem likely.
------
I looked it up, and I read Butler (for the first time) in 23. This comes as a shock to me because it feels like I read it much longer ago. Nathan Lowell and his fictional worlds have become such a rich part of favorite books list. It seems like he's been in my life longer to account for the size of the impact he's had.
I really did like this book, and I hope he continues this series, but one book every 5 years isn't going to cut it.

[Buddhangela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Verrrrry slow start

I loved The Wizard’s Butler and looked forward to this new release, but I almost gave up on it after the first few chapters because nothing was happening. All really mundane. Then it gets interesting, and boom, that’s it. The end. So disappointed.

[Mike Hanford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed! Eagerly waited for another instance of Mulligan, and all that surrounds him. And, the notion of a cat in the story was a wonderful extra. Glaciers move faster than the first 80% of the book. Natter, natter, natter! What’s happening? Nothing, nada, zilch. Finally, the cat makes a real appearance! There is a single cat-driven event. And then, fade out to the end. The “wizard” and the cat have no interaction. Should be titled: “The Butler’s Cat”. If you are interested, start at the end of the book, and save a huge chunk of time.

[Catmoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the previous book and perhaps I looked forward too eagerly to this one. The subtlety of language so appealing before is now brought out and analysed, which I think was a mistake. That said, I'm well aware the author's health issues caused a long hiatus in the book's completion and the last quarter seemed to be back on a par with the beginning. Even with all that, I am looking forward to the next book, which is clearly needed to bring matters to a fuller close.

[Joseph Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel, but now I want more!

This is everything I love about the first book with just enough new story to satisfy me. But seriously Nathan, that ending just left me hungry for more. I am hoping the wait for book 3 is shorter than the wait for book 2.

[Darien · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the concept of a Cat Guardian of the magical house but the cat seemed to be mysterious just for the sake of mystery - but I guess one could say that IS what cats do. A decent continuation, but definitely requires reading the first book for an appreciation of the storyline. The author continues to give us insights into what it means to be a 'talent' in a mundane world, though our hero comes across a little as a Mary Sue as he continually provides insights the others lack. The pacing seemed slower in this sequel, and it seemed to take a long time for the clues to be put together. I am interested enough in the dangling story lines (venal relatives, talented people who need training, etc...) to read any following story.

[Jerome’s Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gentle setup for book three

I was delighted to get the second book in this series, and see the characters move on with their lives. Angry and rootless after leaving the army Mullugan finds peace when he takes a job as a butler, and discovers a magical world. In this book he needs magical help to deal with arcane pests, and acquires a sidekick I still enjoy the way the main character is a secondary character in the main adventures- all the main adventure happens off stage to the other characters- but would have liked the plot to be stronger to make this a more complete book. Hoping for book number three.

[K · Rating 1 out of 5]

Severely underwhelming and disappointing follow-up. 71% in, the plot is pretty much nowhere to be found. The book consists mainly of Mulligan asking everyone what they want for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Repeatedly. Barbara seems mainly preoccupied with Mulligan calling her "miss". There are paragraphs upon paragraphs of dialogue rehashing this and why Mulligan is a butler. An overall tiresome read. The other two main characters are MIA through most of the book. Probably fell asleep listening to the neverending litany of dishes Mulligan is set to prepare. I absolutely loved The Wizard's Butler and was so excited to see this sequel pop up. 5 years between books and the author shows up with this drivel. Btw, the plot shows up at around 95-98% into the book although it's short-lived and unclear.

[Teresa Carrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable sequel to The Wizard's Butler. The first book was one of my comfort reads, and odds are good this book will be reread often as well. The ending is a reasonable soft landing and I look forward to an eventual third book in the series.

[Franziska Tinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a disappointment

What can I say, book 2 "The Wizard's Butler" by Nathan Lowell is/was a disappointment. To many unnecessary conversations and all the head bobbing that goes along with it. A constant and excessive back and forth between Roger and Barbara, saying very little which would benefit the progression of the story. And a lot of "Barbara laughed, Roger smiled" used as an aid at moving the story itself along.

Sadly, with all the chatter, laughing and smiling, the story itself stopped growing about half way through the book. I kept waiting for it to start up again sometime midways, or at the very least when Barbara finally had all her objections layed to rest. Roger ever so Butler like, had answered all her questions, eased her "teen-angsts" (Barbara is many years past being a teenager!) and related questions. But the story had stopped being enjoyable.

It's unfortunate that Nathan Lowells wonderful writing style sidetracked him so suddenly and irreparably. The story stopped being enjoyable. I so admire his abilities to almost literally representing each character and with the events moment by moment, unlike any I have had the pleasure reading in my 80 plus years. Reading Nathan's story literally makes me be a part of everything that happens in his story. The characters feelings, experiencing it as you read. This fabulous writing style however, can lead the writer into a trap, a trap difficult to escape. The trap here is, that Nathan was trying to fill the absence of two main characters in his story, difficult to fill while the length of this absence was as of yet undetermined. He filled that time with Barbara and Roger's getting to know one another, with non-stop chatter and the corresponding smiles, laughs and all the facial expressions, and a timeline of Butler Rogers' duties, which he performed always most exactly and on time.

I could almost feel when the Nathan Lowell must have eventually felt the trap and in spite of trying to overcome it, he had long run out of fresh laughs, fresh adjectives describing their interactions, different ways of describing the Butler's duties while his employer was absent. Lowell was however stuck. Stuck, not knowing when Mr Steavenport and Fidalia would be returning to his story.

Lowell, unfortunately never recovered, her shook off trap, not even bringing in a talking cat. Yes, the cat that is in the title of this book. But he (the cat =he) falls way short being a Wizards cat, short even of being magic and talented himself. I began wondering if there was a book 3. So much I actually went looking for it under the authors name and titles listing. No book three.

The story ends suddenly, unresolved in many ways. It's unfortunate that, I truly enjoyed his special style of story telling, the intimacy he had, and expressed so well in book one, with his characters. Barbara seemed to be a difficult nut to crack for him, that intimacy he so enjoyed with the Butler and his Master, that seemed to elude him with Barbara, and that made book two fizzle.

Read it anyway! Most of it is amazing👍, and it is very possible that I am just too critical a reader🙄. If you enjoyed book one, do get book two and judge for yourself. 😅

[Lívia Hlavačková · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I really enjoyed the first book, I struggled to finish this one. The premise was interesting and the atmosphere of the book was charming just as the first book. But the dialogues were superfluous and repetitive, the characters kept discussing the same thing over and over again. The book would benefit from thorough edit that would cut the repetion, but then it may turn the whole novel into a novellete. Everything interesting happened in the last 15% of the book.

[TawnaM · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the Wizard’s Butler, and this book is similar in the gentle, day to day, mundane progression of the story except this time, the plot progression was forgotten amongst all the meal planning. There was potential for a very interesting plot having to do with the “infestation” and the inclusion of Gideon the cat was a great addition. However, the plot really only progressed in, literally, the last 50 pages, the rest of the book was Barbara and Roger sharing meals and going for jogs. Just when things (finally) started getting interesting, all of a sudden Gideon declares he “killed the queen but still had a lot of clean up to do”. What Queen? What battle? We were never made privy to that, and I understand that the point of view is only what Roger experiences but that was the whole plot and we never got to see any of it. Every once in a while Roger checks in with the cat and he says he’s “making progress” and apparently things are getting better around the house but that’s it. Why wouldn’t Roger at least ask some questions of the cat? He just takes everything as is. “Ok kitty, you do your thing, I’ll just leave the fate of the house and magic in your hands and not question anything, even on behalf of the owner of the house who will need to be filled in upon his return.”

I feel like the Wizard’s Butler was a masterful balance of mundane with a continual progression of plot. I remember thinking, after I read it, that I didn’t know why I liked reading about Roger’s day to day activities so much, but I did. I think it was the gentle progression of plot, a slow build of information that quietly revealed more and more detail about the situation. Not so much that you had a heart pounding, thriller but a gentle revelation amongst the lunches and dinners.
This book did not deliver that. I think trying to keep everything just to what Roger experiences is key, but this time, he wasn’t privy enough to move the plot along.
I would have thought that the author is stretching the story to enable a third book except I see other reviews stating that this is the last book. If that is the case, why leave so much of the plot vague? Why not get into the infestation more? Magical infestation sounds awesome! But we didn’t really see any of it.
Disappointing.

[Paulina Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere in the 3.5-4 star range.

I didn’t find this installment as convincing as the first. I mostly wanted Barbara to stop being hung up about Roger being a butler. If she had any sort of romantic feelings for him, it might make sense that she is so persistent about it, but the story is setting her and Molly up together instead. It just got old. We would get past one element of it and the next chapter would come and bring yet another instance of Barbara awkward about Roger being the butler. On top of that, I kept waiting for there to be any sort of character progression and never really got any.

Still had a fun little world and I’m really glad to see Mr. Lowell writing again.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just an engaging story and one I highly enjoyed. Will be watching for the next one to be released.

Rating: 4.5⭐️

The Wizard's Cat is a great sequel to the wonderful urban fantasy novel, The Wizard’s Butler by Nathan Lowell.

Picking up right after the dramatic events of that book, Shackleford House should be settling back into its original shape but that’s not the case.

As Roger notes immediately as he goes through his day as butler to Shackleford himself, in his multitude of duties, the house seems “off”. A bit of dust there, a dandelion there, unheard of when everything is maintained meticulously by pixies and fairies.

But as more things go awry, the narrative building suspense and mystery, it’s up to Roger, cousin Barbara, and a new character to solve the problem and come to the aid of the House.

Lowell builds on Roger’s character development as well as Barbara’s along with the House’s, giving the story and group a fuller sense of them as a unique family, with Roger, perhaps as a fundamental element as a non-talented person but a important grounded member here.

Gideon is equally impressive in his role, one that will be more fully explored in future stories. As one would expect from a magical being of his years.

Barbara is interesting but still needs some more layers. Or maybe interaction with other characters in central roles here. I really like her when she’s discussing roles and jobs with Roger as his profession as a Butler was making her uncomfortable at one point.

Just an engaging story and one I highly enjoyed. Will be watching for the next one to be released.

Read the series in order they are written. No romance or violence. Great characters and terrific writing.

Cover Art: Alexandre Rio

The Wizard’s Butler:
The Wizard’s Butler #1
The Wizard’s Cat #2

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great contemporary fantasy adventure

The worldbuilding is wonderful with a matter-of-fact feel to the magic. Roger is a believable, likeable narrator who has found a place in the world and enjoys that place. The story is low stress and flows beautifully. I would love to read more Shakleford stories.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth the wait, and a pleasure to be back in this world. Even if the cat talked a bit. I hate how they always make the cat talk.

[Mrs L Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it can't wait to see what happens next.

[Dan Kenkel]

This book is being read on my iPad using the Kindle app. It's been a couple of years since I last read a book rather than listen to them.

[Babydoclaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picks up where the Wizard's Butler stops, with new challenges for Roger Mulligan. I love his equanimity. Yes, a cat is involved. And the last line is a doozy! Highly recommend this series.

[Charlotte Babb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing like a Snarky Familiar

Mulligan has taken to butlering in a good way, but his employer, and the next in line are throwing him some curves he's not ready for And then there's the cat.

[Book Geek Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story! Great series. Can't wait for #3.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started the year with the first in this urban fantasy series which turned out to be a surprise five star from the kindle deals page. Very happy to end the year with the five star sequel. I hope Lowell doesn't take another five years to write the third. I love his writing because he doesn't do battles and violent conflict even in his sci-fi, I understand. He's all about his characters and figuring it out day by day. Almost the cozy, low stakes stories that get me through these shitty days. Also, his main characters are likeable. I tend to DNF books where everyone is loathsome. I need somebody to get behind. Anyway, I like the world building in this series so much I intend to try one of his SF, even though they are generally not up my street. #1 must be read before this one.

[Laura Stephenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating present day fantasy series

An ex-military man without a job becomes a butler for a strange man. The man apparently thinks he is a wizard. In this part of the series, the magical house gains a very interesting cat. This is a series about and mundane person entering a magical house, and having to feel his way about living a very different life with things that don't make sense to him. I greatly enjoy the characters and, of course, the cat. This is a fun series to read with the cat on your lap listening to the rain hitting the window pane. I will definitely read the next book in the series.

[Sean Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and re-read Butler a number of times. There's something ineffable about it that just keeps me coming back. So when I saw there was a book 2 I pounced.

I was not disappointed, either. With all the cozy charm of book 1, this second installment kept me firmly spellbound. I picked it up because I wanted to revisit the people, but I found myself as hooked and drawn-in as with the first story. I just can't quite get enough.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book that (I believe) only exists to set up the next in the series.

Nathan Lowell is as at home in a bibliosmiatic old mansion as he is in his Golden Age of the Solar Clipper space operas.

In this case, we return to Roger Mulligan, the former soldier and EMT who somehow wound up in the Shackleford mansion as butler to the unsteady and eccentric patriarch of the fading Shackleford family. During the course of the last book, the old gentleman had uncovered a scion of the family, someone he believed could also feel the magic inherent in the house.

In this outing, things are slightly strange in the house, like a whiff of something off when you open a fridge door, but which fades when you try to investigate the source. Mulligan and the old man have discovered oddnesses, starting, but not limited to, the arrival of a grey tabby cat who seems to know things.

Also new to the house is the proposed heir to the Shackleford estate and businesses; a very nice woman who is floored by the offer.

Roger and Barbara work together to try to discover the source of the problem with the house, only to discover that the cat is involved up to his notched little ears. I won’t spoil the plot more than that.

It’s all very interesting, but the book doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s as if the whole thing were a prelude to the next book. I just can’t shake the feeling, since there are no high-stakes adventures, that this book is just a harbinger to another that has adrenaline rushes. The first book was full of them, so (as are his Solar Clipper stories) I know that he can write action.

The world-building is really quite excellent. We get to read a lot of the meals that Roger prepares; not necessary, but flavourful (forgive the pun) in terms of world-building. The pacing is slow, but this is meant to be a cosy read, so it’s understandable.

The characters are complex and very likeable, even the somewhat anachronistic Mr. Shackleford.

I just wish the story hadn’t promptly quit with several threads still dangling.

[Susan Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Readers return to Shackleford House, in the second of this series, where Mulligan and Shackleford are carrying on with their day to day routines. I don't know if there's such a thing as a "cozy urban fantasy" genre, but if there is, this book would fit snuggly into it.

Shackleford and his long-time friend, now fiancée, Delia are absent for a large chunk of the book, off on a business trip to Austria. Their absence is filled by Shackleford-heir Barbara Griffin moving in, after a fire destroys her apartment. This leads to many descriptions of morning jogs, waffles and pancakes being made and consumed, coffee being brewed, lunches and dinners being prepared and served, apron being donned and removed, cuffs being tugged into place - and some awkward conversations between Barbara and Mulligan about how weird it is that he's a butler in this day and age.

As far as a plot goes, something is a little off in the mansion. The pixies are not keeping the rooms spotlessly clean, the faeries have allowed a dandelion to sprout on the grounds, there's a cat that has broken the boundary wards and made himself comfortable on the property, and there's a funky smell that comes and goes in the house. We can't blame Shackleford's absence, or Barbara's presence, since the disturbances were first noticed before Shackleford left and Barbara arrived.

For a long while this disruption in the state of the house appears to be the mysterious lead-up to the plot. At 85% I was still waiting for something more to happen, and then realized that it is the plot. I skimmed through the remainder, underwhelmed by the reveal of the cause of the disturbances, an explanation which had been alluded to from the very start. Disappointing.

[Judith A · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s with the ending?!

I would have given this book a 5. It was a lot of talking and little action, but it was still a very good book - until I got to the ending. What a dumb ending! How could I end up reading 2 books within a very short span of time that had “cliff hangers” that just weren’t? I mean a cliff hanger is supposed to be when a book ends in the middle of an action: someone about to, well, fall off a cliff or get killed or caught in the middle of a fight. Action is not 2 people or a person and a […] (no spoilers) talking. It’s possible the ending wasn’t supposed to be a cliff hanger, which would be good, in a way. It sucked as one. It’s possible the author really meant the series to end like it did. I have a feeling, though, there will be a follow-up. I just hope it doesn’t take umpteen years.

Ok. So, read the book, if you want. It’s not about the wizard. It’s about Mulligan and the wizard’s successor. It’s not fast paced. It’s got a tiny, tiny hint of romance. It has a problem that needs to be resolved. It’s got a few unexpected actions. As a matter of fact, I think you’ll enjoy the book all the way up to the ending. Then, you’ll be saying, “What the…?” There’s no conclusion, no resolution, just a discussion with a surprising statement.

Then, again, you might think it’s great. Might just be me that didn’t like it.

[Choyang · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Wizard's Cat' (The Wizard's Butler series, #2)
written by Nathan Lowell (Kindle)

March 2026
Wow, what a delightful adventure; I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! (I want more!)

Loved the paranormal aspects of this tale, including the wizard who owns the house and especially the cat! It's quite a surprise when us readers discover that the cat appears to be someone's familiar, including to whom!

Even the mansion seems to be sentient, including the sacred grove inside the house, as well as the outside grounds. The pixies and fairies and whatever other beneficial sentient beings are around that are taking care of this mansion are in the midst of a struggle with some dark forces that are stealing power from everyone who has magical power!

There might be a romance brewing but maybe not between those whom society might have conditioned us to assume.

The only disappointment for me was that so far there are only two books and they end in cliffhangers!

I'll be pissed if there are no more books forthcoming, since this second book leaves us desperate abd dangling for more info, more adventures, and more solutions as to why the house seems to be getting sick!

Yeah, this series is full of sleuthing and surprises! Want more now! (please!)

Two thumbs up! 👍👍

[Harold M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read nearly all of Nathan Lowell's books (except the Tanath Fairport adventures), and this one is the first one I haven't felt I need to re-read again. Although I am in the process of re-reading it because I think I missed something.
It was slow in the first 1/4 of the book, and nothing really happens to Shackleford or Deliah, and given that Mulligan has had over a year at the house, shouldn't the dandelion been more of a sign that something is wrong? And then when Mulligan bows, we don't need the "Jeeves bow" every single time, we know from book 1, he tries to mimic the Jeeves bow, so maybe the first time we read it should be it.
The thing with Molly wasn't expanded on enough, nor was the one bit of drama with the cat, house, and the cousin. I wish there had been one last "battle" with the house, the cat and Mulligan or at least more explanation between Gideon and the Imps.
I know Nathan has had health problems, but it seems like it was either it was over worked by Nathan or the editor had more to say than before. I am really hoping book 3 closes the loop quickly, and we don't have to wait another 2 years for the next version.