Tanya Huff’s Summon the Keeper, the first book in the Keeper series, is set in Kingston, Ontario, and carries a distinctly Canadian charm. Written in the 1990s, the novel presents a world where ordinary humans live alongside the descendants of Lilith, magical beings known as the Lineage.
The Lineage protects the world from supernatural darkness, although some of its members turn against that mission. Most are Cousins, with limited powers and responsibilities, while the rare individuals known as Keepers possess considerably greater abilities.
Claire is one of those Keepers. Like her sister Diana, she comes from a family in which her parents are Cousins. Claire is drawn from place to place by magical summons to find and close hellmouths. At the beginning of the novel, that mission brings her to a run-down guest house containing supernatural residents, a young maintenance worker and Hell itself in the basement.
The story follows Claire as she considers the possibility of remaining in one place, despite not being ready to settle down. However, the novel’s most memorable figure is her companion, Austin.
Austin is a black-and-white tuxedo cat who accompanies Claire and serves as far more than a household pet. He can speak, delivers cutting observations and offers advice that is often wiser than Claire would like to admit. The book does not explain how he became the partner of a Keeper, and it does not establish that cats like him are a standard part of the Lineage. Austin simply arrives as part of Claire’s life.
In most other respects, Austin behaves like an ordinary cat. He is seventeen years old, somewhat chunky and missing eight of his nine lives. His veterinarian has placed him on a strict diet, but Austin dislikes his prescription food and attempts to persuade the humans to share unsuitable treats, especially sausages.
Despite his age, he remains an active hunter of mice and creatures that only resemble mice. He also enjoys tormenting Baby, the neighbor’s troublesome dog, while keeping information about the animal’s secret from the humans for some time. Austin can understand the dog’s speech and occasionally translates it for people.
Austin’s language is audible to any human nearby, although he does not deliberately reveal this ability to what the Lineage calls bystanders. These people are generally meant to remain unaware of supernatural events, and Keepers may alter their memories when something breaks through. Even when a human notices the supernatural, perception depends partly on belief: someone who believes in ghosts but not vampires might recognize one phenomenon while rationalizing another.
That places Claire and Austin between the ordinary and supernatural worlds. Austin seems particularly suited to that boundary, since cats already occupy a strange place between domestic and wild life. The novel does not establish whether he is unique among cats in being able to speak.
Whatever his origin, Austin is essential to Claire’s work and personal life. He provides companionship, practical guidance and occasional reality checks, helping support a young Keeper whose confidence can exceed her judgment. Claire may possess the greater magical power, but Austin is a crucial part of what makes her effective.
Sources: Reactor.