Strange Familiars

Hardback Published on: 19/05/2026
Price: £22.00
Free UK delivery on orders over £25, otherwise £2.99
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Make and edit your lists in your account
Check click & collect stock near you
Collect today: Pay in shop
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Check click & collect stock near you
Collect today: Pay in shop

Synopsis

Academic rivalry is beastly . . .

Gwendolynne Chan just needs to get through her final year at Seamere College of Magical Veterinary Sciences. She's used to being the star healer of magical familiars - except when the obnoxious but annoyingly handsome Harrisford Briggs knocks her from the top spot.

Harrisford Briggs was born into privilege. His father, the Chief Financial Officer of Magecorp, one of the biggest global distributors of magic, expects nothing less than the best. And to top it all off, incurable swot Gwendolynne Chan is on track to beat him. The last thing he needs are the strange whisperings of uncontrollable surges of excess magic - because Harrisford can't help but wonder if his father and Magecorp has something to do with it . . .

When these magical surges cause animals to wreak chaos across London, Gwen and Harrisford are forced to team up. These bitter academic rivals must put aside their duelling feelings of lust and loathing, and - along with Gwen's snarky cat familiar - save the magical world.

From Sunday Times bestselling author Keshe Chow, Strange Familiars is whimsical, romantic and dark academia duology perfect for fans of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy.

Tropes you can expect . . .
Academic rivals-to-lovers
Slow burn
Magical university
Found family
Animal sidekicks

Readers are OBSESSED with Strange Familiars:
'Absolutely amazing . . . a perfect rivals-to-lovers story'
'This was a perfect clash'
'I loved the yearning and the chemistry'

And so do your favourite authors:
'An absolute delight!' BRIGITTE KNIGHTLEY
'A must-read for any lover of animals and angst' NISHA J. TULI
'Full of wonderful rivals-to-lovers romance, humour, and twists' INDIA HOLTON

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
  • ISBN: 9781399750288
  • Number of pages: 480
  • Dimensions: 238 x 158 x 44 mm
  • Weight: 720g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

View all
Strange Familiars
Absolutely magical!
“It’s only ever the humans whose names I forget; who I tend to see as an unfortunate, unavoidable side effect of a career working with animals.” • Rivals ... READ MORE
Jen
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
Review
An academic rivals to lovers romance, perfect for fans of The Hating Game or The Love Hypothesis, but also with a touch of magic and fantasy. Not full on r... READ MORE
BookishSteph1
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
My book soulmate
“You know, for a smart woman, you really can be incredibly obtuse.” This book feels like a dream I even didn’t dare to have. I knew that I would love it... READ MORE
The Bookish Chimera
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
Fantastic start to this duology!
4.75/5 ARC Review This book was not what I expected - in the best possible way! I expected romance with a little bit of mystery, but I loved how much... READ MORE
Vicky | @BlossomsLeafyLibrary
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
Loved!
This book was so sickeningly sweet I lapped it up and want more! Chan & Briggs banter, tension and growing relationship was so warm and perfect. This wa... READ MORE
Samantha
Strange Familiars
Super fun animal-filled read!
Strange Familiars follows Gwendolynne Chan, a student at the prestigious Seamere College for magical veterinary science and her arch-rival Harrisford. Furi... READ MORE
Zoe Rogers
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
I adored this!!
I loved the main characters Gwen and Harrisford (and their familiars Percy the cat and Pudding the lizard). Have I mentioned how much I love books with tal... READ MORE
Olivia G
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
Academic Rivals to lovers at magical vet school
I have enjoyed every one of Keshe's books so was super excited when I heard about Strange Familiars.This was different from her other books but I still enj... READ MORE
Yggdrasil_dreams
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
An absolute riot of academic tension and corporate sabotage
If there is one thing I love more than a slow burn, it is a slow burn that threatens to incinerate the entire social hierarchy of a magical university. Thi... READ MORE
Syeda Maha
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
The addictive treatment of explosive tension, academic rivals and magical judgy familiars
4 stars/ 5 Something fresh, something new, something burning/yearning and something definitely worth reading! Thank you to Netgalley, Hodderscape and K... READ MORE
JadesReadingRealm
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
The Magical Veterinary Academic Rivals to Lovers You Need on Your TBR
If you love animals, magic and academic rivals to lovers romance then you NEED to pick this book up! This book sound like it was going to suit me down to a... READ MORE
Beth's Book Collection
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
Romance, mystery and magical meddling familiars are a combo I didn’t know I needed!
“My name, Gwendolynne. Say my name.” “All those times you said you were chained to the desk, and all I could think about was holding you down and f**king ... READ MORE
Jodie @theenchantedshelf_
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
High stakes magic with animal familiars? I’m in.
Gwendolynne Chan is in her final year of magical veterinary school, and she just needs to beat her rival Harrisford Briggs in order to secure a future for ... READ MORE
Jessica Bellemore
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
A fantastically fun rom-com romp with a unique twist of magic and a yearningly good romance thrown in!
Set in an alternate universe fantasy version of London. Strange Familiars follows magical veterinary student Gwen as she happens upon a patient who is a ca... READ MORE
Sophie Elaina
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
rivals to lovers romantasy
I will admit I did in fact judge this book by its cover. As soon as I saw it, I was intrigued, it looked pretty and whimsical. This was a slow burn that’s ... READ MORE
Jasmine Harness
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Strange Familiars
Magical vets with mystery elements!
4.5 rounded up This was actually quite a bit more complex than I was expecting. I thought this was just going to be ‘rom com vets’ but it was indeed so ... READ MORE
Kaitlyn May
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.