This was such a fun read! I enjoyed reading about animal that I had never heard of, or animals that I didn't know much about. The concept of the book itself was lighthearted, and really pulled me in in itself.

Bringing in astrology made me connect to my specific animals immediately, trying to make me connect my personality traits to the animals. I also compared my friends' animals to them as well.

I enjoyed the educations aspect of this book and how it made learning fun, but also didn't feel like learning.

I was granted a copy of this book by Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book is made for any witch souls, it definitely warmed my heart to read and learn more about familiars.
This should be any modern witch companion, you can find more about spirit animals witch is my favorite subject to read. Overall a fast paced guide and fun to read, definitely recommend this book to all my fellow witches, baby witches you get the point

I loved this book. My familiar is obviously a sloth, but the whole thing was just a fun mix of magic and humour.

This was so much fun! This is another case of my being really interested in something that I don't necessarily "believe" in and finding it really interesting! I loved the "quiz" at the beginning to find your familiar and all of the fun facts and information about all of the animals! The illustrations are really pretty and I think this is a really fun book to have on hand and flip through when you have a spare moment. This was a bit difficult to read on e-book, but I think the finished printed book will be great.

This book is a snarky, tongue-in-cheek guide to finding a familiar that will set you apart from the basic witches. It starts with an explanation of what a familiar truly is (hint: it is not your magical pet buddy), a partner that assists a witch with their magic. There is a helpful quiz to help you figure out which of these familiars will be a good fit for you- I got matched with the red squirrel, which makes a good messenger and guide, and I'm leaning toward the name Tippy-Toe. Following the quiz, the familiars are listed in alphabetical order, with a lovely illustration and a description that includes star sign, element, strengths, weaknesses, suggested names (their are some very fun ones), along with facts and tips on how to meet and care for that familiar. In the authors' notes at the end, Kott and DeVine acknowledge that this isn't a comprehensive list- virtually any creature can be a familiar, all you need is for it to agree to a contract with you. They also admit that wherever they couldn't find the truth, they just went ahead and made it up. I'm okay with this, as the information in the book feels right to me. Great fun, recommended for witches of all types.

#UnfamiliarFamiliars #NetGalley

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a novelty book that is as much silly as it is informative; it is lighthearted in terms of how your familiar becomes "yours," but the pages about each of them are written well. It gives a great introduction to familiars while using "unfamiliar" or animals that aren't usually chosen as familiars. The illustrations in the book are amazing - they're worth just as much as the information in the book.

Overall, I wouldn't buy this book for myself or others because I'm not particularly interested in owning novelty books, but it is definitely worth a read through as a library book or similar.

I love Megan Lynn Kott! I love her artwork, style, etc. but I also really enjoy her sense of humor. This book is such a fun, cute exploration into familiars.

A warm, weighted blanket of a light nighttime read - the illustrations are a delight, the humor is dry and generous, and the overall endeavor gives off a cozy glow. I'd recommend as a bedside staple to sort of dip into before sleeping OR as a sweet gift to that tween or teenager in your life that's starting HP or is getting really into the moon and whatnot. I had a great time reading this and felt like I was being hugged the entire time. A def recommend.

Are you looking for a familiar like no other, one with pizzazz and panache? Then look no further! Unfamiliar Familiars is the ultimate guide to finding your mystical familiar soulmate.

I have to admit that when I opened this book I was unsure of how serious it was meant to be. It took me all of about a page and a half to fully realise it's ludicrous and snarkastic nature.
Fans of the Harry Potter universe, and particularly of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will love this hilariously glib coffee table book.

Filled with lovely illustrations and explanations, this book is a joy to peruse. I recommend it wholeheartedly to any who still have a childlike and adventuresome imagination.

I started this book totally thinking it would lead me to finding my own unfamiliar familiar and in its own funny way it did. In the beginning of the book the authors wrote that you should rip out the pages containing all of the familiars (which is most of the book) fold them up into paper origami swans and send them off down some body of water in hopes that one of the swans will return to you and thus finding your own unfamiliar familiar. I did not have a physical copy but a temporary digital ARC (thank you, NetGalley) and even if I did have a physical copy, I would not have done this (save the environment people, don’t actually rip the pages out of this book! I am pretty sure it is a joke anyway). Already I was baffled but I continued to a very silly quiz to find out my unfamiliar familiar, that was there in the case that the reader would not want to deface the book. The quiz resulted in my unfamiliar familiar being an Axolotl. The Axolotl is sooo stinking cute, and it is associated with the fire sign Leo (which I happen to be). I was not sure if I would continue reading after finding out my familiar, but I ended up coming back to it and reading through the rest of the familiars. I am so glad that I did. I found myself cracking up throughout the book. I found out that red squirrels are jerks and Persian cats have a saying, “The flatter the face, the closer to the goddess,” but that they shouldn’t be taken too seriously because they are known to be notorious liars. I think it was around then that I realized that this book is not meant to be taken too seriously. It is just a fun read with a lot of character. All in all, this book was a fun and easy read and I would recommend this to any witch looking to find their own unfamiliar familiar and to get a few good laughs in… however, please don’t rip up the book *face palm*
Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks!

Fun, entertaining, with beautiful illustrations, and descriptions that combine folklore, mythology, biology, and popular culture references on each animal. I loved it and it made me smile with each chapter!

I requested this book from NetGalley on a whim as I found the cover art adorable. Therefore, I was quite pleased that the same illustration styled was used throughout. Content wise I found the book humorous, but definitely geared more towards a younger audience. Overall, I really enjoyed this book but I don't think I would reread it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining and also eerily accurate handbook to witches' familiars and I can attest to its accuracy! I read the introduction, completed the flowchart and was assigned a Two-Toed Sloth. As circumstance would have it, I am living in Costa Rica (we have sloths!), I brew my own kombucha, and I am a Scorpio. I will take your suggestion and name him Mateo.

Such a great book on the amazing creatures out there in the world that can mold into the role for a witch's familiar! The facts for the animals and the real world dangers they face were really great, I thought. It's all fun and games until someone dapples into animal cruelty and we are just not about that!! The fact that handling or transporting quokkas is illegal was a great addition. As was the fact of not feeding red squirrels any acorns as this would cause tummy-aches.

I seriously loved everything about this book. The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous and so so cute, the water-painting was amazing! I loved the tiny pictures for each page of descriptions, especially the one for the platypus! That tiny face on the bill of the platypus was so cute, I'm so glad I caught that! The magical abilities of all these wonderful creatures was also shared with details of their strengths and weakness, along with suggestion of cute names for the animals. Like for the platypus; their strengths include twenty questions! I think the Persian cat is definitely Hermione Granger's familiar, or at least it looks like Crookshanks... I also liked the 'soil-mate' for the earthworm familiar page. The fact that the Seal page was literally, life with a seal familiar would be all ocean fun and games as the reader would assume and that was it, that really is how it is; and that they pair well with witches who prefer their soup in a bread bowl; loved it! I liked how one of the Dik-dik's weaknesses was 'an inability to ride most rollercoasters' as if there are some out there that they can ride. The Flying Fox familiar would pair well with witches who own black lace parasols was also a great detail. And of course, on of the weaknesses of the Two-toed sloth were slow high-fives, awwwww.

Like I said, I loved everything about this book, but the descriptions were the best, no doubt. I've shared a few below that I absolutely adored with the disclaimer, at the request of the authors, that these quotes were taken from an unedited, ARC version of the book:
"These monkeys are also accomplished tool users and can even help put together IKEA furniture...."
"....adopt a second capybara for your familiar to socialize with...recommend that you buy the two of them matching outfits and oversized sunglasses."
"worms are independent and you should offer an individual pact with each one. Should a worm accidentally be severed in half, don’t worry, as it can regrow into two new worms; that said, these new worms are also autonomous beings, and you should at least reintroduce yourself and see if they need anything.."
"When I recently posited this question to an eel, I was told to “check [my] fascist beauty standards,” which I acknowledge was a fair point."
"When forging a Familiar’s Pact with a sloth, remember to always also offer the Pact to the algae and other organisms living in the sloth’s fur, or else they may do their collective best to undermine your spellcasting efforts. Important: Do not use three-toed sloths! Three-toed sloths are insufficiently magical!"

I just adore this book and I love everything about it, it's clever, witty, factual, fun, and of course insanely indulgent in the love of animals.
I also love their closing point that we should "always treat nature with respect, and be true to the one-of-a-kind witch you truly are." It's an excellent point and I love their addition of their own familiars.
This is a one-of-a-kind book that is right for all ages, especially those who will appreciate the humor and the effort the authors went to make this book real.

*Thank you to the publishers; Chronicle Books, the authors; Megan Lynn Kott and Justin DeVine, and to Netgalley for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book a quicker read than I anticipated but that aside I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a fun and unique read that I wouldn't mind reading again and again.

Unfamiliar Familiars is such a fun and humorous book for someone who is a practicing witch or is just curious. The quiz in the beginning of the book was fun to take. Reading the descriptions of the different familiars made me laugh, the author has a wonderful sense of humor. The illustrations are just to die for.

I loved this book! The illustrations were so cute. I learned a lot about the magic of everyday creatures. This will look great on our teen shelf next to the "Monsters You Should Know" book, very similar format and sure to be enjoyed by our more witchy teens.

A fun and entertaining primer on animal companions for the magically inclined, or just curious.
I can't believe how many puns and ingenious turns of phrase the author and artist managed to come up with. Every single familiar made me smile as I read their descriptions.
Sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek, this is definitely something to enjoy for a fun, quick read.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the opportunity to review an ARC for “Unfamiliar Familiars: Extraordinary Animal Companions for the Modern Witch” by Megan Lynn Kott and Justin DeVine, expected Sept. 2020, in exchange for an honest review.

What is a familiar? – “[A familiar] is a witch’s animal companion…. Some animals are more in touch with the flow of magic than others, and it is these mystically attuned creatures that are best suited to becoming familiars.”

This book aims to help witches select some “underrepresented familiar types.” I used the chart provided to find my familiar type they suggested. I was told to go to a certain page for the respective type, but I glanced through all the others. The profiles show an illustration, element, star sign, suggested names, strengths, and weaknesses. The illustrations were really cool!

Pros – illustrations, fun for those with a sense of humor. It’s not a serious book. In print, it is probably a lot more appealing. I agree with a previous reviewer – it starts with a “Buzzfeed” like quiz for you to find your respective familiar. One of the questions I answered was “Are you bigger than a bread box?” So, yeah, if you’re looking for a light, humorous and geeky read with a dose of witchery and nature: this is it. The biggest pro is the illustration / design.

Cons – If you are looking for something serious and substantive, this is not for you. If you are not interested in witchery, nature, illustrations of cute animals, and tongue-in-cheek writing, this will not be for you.

I loved this humorous book: it made me laugh and I learned something new about familiars and which one would be right for you.
It's an entertaining and engrossing, the quiz is really funny and I liked the style of writing.
Highly recomemnded.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.