Strange Familiars

I’ve been looking forward to Keshe Chow‘s adult debut, Strange Familiars, which just came out a couple weeks ago. The first in the Seamere College Duology, it’s set in a magical version of our world at a London university, where two veterinary science majors are competing for the top spot upon graduation. Gwendolynne Chan and Harrisford Briggs have spent the past seven years actually kind of hating each other, but when they’re only two who seem to notice that something concerning is going on, they begrudgingly work together to uncover the truth. Magical surges are sending animal familiars into a frenzy, and people are going missing. If Gwen and Harrisford don’t find a way to stop this, it could be putting everyone’s lives in danger.

What I Liked:

• Magic and animals. This is the first time I’ve read about veterinarians, and I loved it. I’ve had cats my whole life, and I love animals in general, so it was a joy to read about so many different animals, from cats and dogs to bearded dragons, unicorns, and quílíns. Many of these are familiars, though how people go about getting a familiar is quite different from what I’m used to seeing.
• Dark academia. There’s a dangerous mystery lurking at Seamere College, and it’s up to two grad student nemeses to solve it. This was a fast-paced, modern version of dark academia, with a magic system that feels halfway between fantasy and science fiction. Although the people investigating the mystery are college students, the problem isn’t confined to the university; it’s a far greater issue that could be affecting all of England.
• True rivals to lovers. I love enemies to lovers, even if that label is sometimes an exaggeration. But in Strange Familiars, Gwen and Harrisford do truly see each other as full-on enemies. They’re academic rivals, nemeses, and generally unhappy to be in each other’s company. But! They each have a persistent interest in the other that they can’t ignore. Gwen can’t deny her physical attraction to Harrisford; his feelings for her are rapidly turning into something that looks like love. Despite these secret desires, though, they sure try to keep up the pretense of hating each other.
• Percy. The grumpy, one-eyed cat that Gwen secretly and illegally adopts (and who develops a familiar bond with her, also illegally) is such a character. He’s judgmental and snarky, but he’s willing to help out when necessary. He’s so funny and brings some levity to the whole book, whether he intends to or not!

Final Thoughts

Strange Familiars is exactly the kind of dark academia romantasy that I enjoy, with animals, rivals to lovers, and a powerful mystery pulling our characters closer together. Be forewarned that there are some big surprises in the final chapters, and this ends on a cliffhanger! It’s the first in a duology, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the second book.

Special thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Strange Familiars here – it’s available as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow
Series	Seamere College Duology
Audience	Adult
Genre	Romantasy
Setting	England
Number of Pages	432
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	May 19, 2026
Publisher	Ace

Official Summary

Two 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 Gwendolynne Chan needs is to get through final year at Seamere College, where she is on track to graduate as number one —as long as the pretentious prat Harrisford Briggs doesn’t beat her to it.

Harrisford Briggs’s father, the chief financial officer of Magecorp, a major global distributor of magic, expects him to come top of the class. Harrisford, though, can’t help but notice that his father has been acting odd. And there are strange whisperings, too, of uncontrollable surges of excess magic.

When these magical surges begin to rock London, causing chaos and explosions and animal familiars going feral, Gwen and Harrisford find themselves reluctantly involved, putting both of their veterinary careers at risk.

Along with Gwen’s snarky cat familiar, Gwen and Harrisford must team up to diagnose the problem. But as the two academic rivals fight their burgeoning feelings, they quickly realize that magic is not the only thing surging.