Beta soft launchEvery book’s tags are being checked by hand ✨ some categories are fuller than others while I work through them all ✨

Strange Familiars
by Keshe Chow
Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?
You'll get a deliciously angsty rivals-to-lovers romance with heart-tugging tension and a magical mystery that keeps you hooked until the cliffhanger.
Synopsis
Strange Familiars is Sunday Times bestselling author Keshe Chow's adult a dark academia fantasy where t wo scholars of magical veterinary science must put aside their lust and loathing to save the world in the first installment of this whimsical, romantic, dark academia duology All's fair in love and magic. Gwendolynne Chan just needs to get through her final year. At Seamere College of Magical Veterinary Sciences, she spends her days using her powers to heal companion animals while her nights are spent studying for exams. As the top student in the magical familiars stream, she is on track to be awarded Dux of the entire school - as long as the pretentious twat Harrisford Briggs doesn't beat her to it. Harrisford Briggs was born into privilege. His father, the Chief Financial Officer of Magecorp, a major global distributor of magic, expects him to come top of the year. Harrisford, though, can't help but notice that his father has been acting odd. Really odd. And there are strange whisperings, too. Rumours of uncontrollable surges of excess magic, which Magecorp has been trying to cover up, as well as rampant corruption within the Magical Ministry itself. When these magical surges begin to rock their way through London, causing chaos and explosions and familiars going feral, Gwen and Harrisford find themselves without a reliable source of magic, putting both of their academic careers at risk. To fix this, they must put aside their duelling feelings of lust and loathing, and - along with Gwen's snarky cat familiar - team up to diagnose the problem. If they fail, not only is their education at stake, but also the fate of the magical world.
At a Glance
4.40 ★ GoodreadsTop TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
Book Details
Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.
4.40 ★
Page CountHow long the commitment is.
432 pages
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.
2026
Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?
Romantasy
PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.
M/F
POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).
Dual POV
Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.
Slow Burn
CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.
spoiler
AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
Yes
FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.
Standard
NarratorThe voice in your ears.
Unknown Narrator
Narrator Count
Single
TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
Mood & Vibe
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
FMC: bookworm/scholar sign in to unlock
low fantasy / secret magic sign in to unlock
the angst delivered sign in to unlock
Similar Books
Short Takes
quick 280-character reactions for this book. drop a thought, rate the vibe, keep scrolling.
Sign in to share your take.
Loading...
Book Chat
Talk about Strange Familiars with other readers








