I received this as an ARC through NetGalley and It was such a fun read to channel my inner Modern Witch and my “Spirit” animal. The animals were great as were the descriptions and I definitely recommend this book.

Unfamiliar Familiars caught my attention, firstly, for the beautiful cover and the proposal.

What could be present in a book that aims to make you find your animal companion, in case you, the reader, are a modern witch?, I wondered. Well, be prepared to find exactly that, with balanced doses of beauty, interesting information and humor.

Beyond the common witches we know in pop culture and their classic animal companions, this guide takes a journey through a several non-traditional animals (some of them I didn't even know), so you can meet the one that best suits your way lifestyle (and magic!).

This is a fun, light and very pleasant reading. I recommend it to everyone who already feels ready to improve their magical journey ... (But, seriously, keep in mind that it is also an ironic book). The illustrations in this book are beautiful. I would like to have it at the head and be able to leaf through it always.

Although I was nervous thinking that I wouldn't find my family member in this guide, it was present in the middle of the book and is: Luna Moth (I already want to tattoo it hahah).

* Digital version of the book received by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *

This book was completely unexpected, but in all of the best ways. Hilarious and sarcastic it gives you a profile of the more obscure familiars in witchcraft, with their biographies and strengths and weakness (their star sign a bonus).

2 Stars - It is okay

Before the 1950s, the book tells us, familiars were thought to be actually imps, shapeshifting as animals. Now, they are considered to be real animals, but magical ones. These familiars can help the witch in many different sorts of ways, for example some can independently cast spells and others only serve as a power boost by lending their powers to the witch.

This book consists of a test which helps you to find your “unfamiliar familiar”, and after you have found that one out, it presents to you a short, witty description of the perks, weakness and even suggest several names to fit your familiar. FYI: Mine is Tortoise.

The idea about the book is overall cool, the test, for example, definitely engages the reader, but perhaps it should have been more complex. I also have several other problems with this book.
Yes, it is cute but it looks and reads like a children book, rather than an adult-oriented book as my initial thoughts were after reading the description. The illustrations too, play their part in downplaying the seriousness of it. They are maybe too cartoony.
At the end of the book, the authors, Megan Lyn Kott and Justin DeVine, state that the information for the familiar`s descriptions are “collection of facts”, but if these are facts I would like for them to have provided citations to sources or other books, which proves these as facts.

Unfamiliar Familiar is a very witty, funny book to help you find your familiar. If maybe you were looking for one jokingly. I was paired up with a Leafy Sea Dragon... But honestly by the description I loved the Badger the best. As the book says though, I'll stay away from the Honey Badger. I know this was all meant as a joke, but I was a little surprised to see after reading the description and deciding that this one would have been mine, that the sign is for a Taurus, which is what I am. Awesomeness to that little bit of coincidence.

While it is fun and unlike any book that I've ever read before, I believe that it would have been more enjoyable if there were more substance in the very short descriptions of different familiars. It was my fault, I guess, to think that this would be something like an encyclopedia, of a sort, with fantastical aspects. While we're on that subject though, certain parts of the introductions to each animal do have a certain truth to it, but embellished with imaginations of the author's own, and humour.

In terms of format, I absolutely love it. The content is fun, and the illustrations and set-up of the pages make the read ever more enjoyable and pleasant. A huge kudos to the artist. Also, of course, to the author who has the thought of writing such an interesting and original book, but of which I wish for more length and depth.

Funny and beautifully illustrated reference book of atypical familiars for the modern day witch. Includes a brief assessment to identify your ideal unusual familiar (mine was a hippo), although familiars are also categorized by zodiac sign, elemental sign, and atypical witch trait (such as "always orders a grande chai"). Very fun and something I'm likely to add to my own collection just so I can continue to enjoy the artwork.

A fun way to find which animal is your familiar. This book includes.a quiz and then various information about each of the familiars and what kind of witch they connect with. Includes great illustrations of each familiar.

Unfamiliar Familiars is a cute, encyclopedic-type book on witches' familiars. Written in a humourous tone, the authors give instructions or provide a quiz to figure out your familiar. It's funny and short. The illustrations are beautiful watercolor. Each animal has a description and suggested names, as well as facts. Cute and informative read!

Unfamiliar Familiars was very cute and had a great sense of humor. I enjoyed the beautiful illustrations of the familiars and chuckled at the various methods for discovering which familiar is meant for you! Unfamiliar Familiars asks why we always assume a witch’s familiar has to be traditional and provides some fun alternatives. This would be a great gift and I also think it would be a big hit at parties. According to the book, my familiar is an axolotl. Once you’ve determined your familiar, you will learn some imaginative facts about what it means to have this animal as your familiar. (For example, having a swarm of bees is a bit more complex than you might think!) Unfamiliar Familiars was a lighthearted and enjoyable read. Unfamiliar Familiars releases September 1, 2020. Thank you so much to Megan Lynn Kott & Justine DeVine, Chronicle Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and quirky not-serious nonfiction with charming illustrations of possible familiars aka animal companions for witches, aside from the usual animals we associate with witches such as toads and black cats.

Each animal comes with an adorable profile of strengths and weakness and which witch they'd be perfect for. It's perfect for animal lovers and fantasy lovers and those interested in witchy literature. I loved it and it was such a fun and light book!

I thank Netgalley and Chronicle Books for the digital ARC.

This was really cute! I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of a familiar, so I figured I’d give this book a read. I love the variety of animals and the little descriptions, especially the name suggestions. It was a little whimsical but overall an interesting read! Now I want a familiar to come into my life, or maybe it has already?

A witty little book! There are great illustrations and the tone is quite funny. I literally LOL’d at “Bees - weakness - pesticides and global warming”.

Highlights include a survey to match you to your familiar, I got an axolotl (unlikely for me to find out here in AZ) and they have some adorable and “unfamiliar” choices!

This is a fun and appropriate for people (re: witches & warlocks) of all ages but I’d most recommend it for young adults and middle grade readers. It’s a modern and sassy read with cool familiars and fun facts! I really enjoyed it all the way through!

+ THERE’S A HEDGEHOG! Love, love, love.
Overall, super adorable and enjoyable & the cover art (& all art) is 5/5.

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*.

What a cute book! Unfamiliar Familiars could make a great book for middle school kids, or adults who fall into these three categories: animal-lover wizards, sorcerers who are into husbandry, or grown-up witchcraft enthusiasts. Joke aside, this book is such a breath of fresh air: it is full funny outrageous remarks and adorable whimsical animal illustrations.

Whimsical, silly, tongue-in-cheek humor with wonderful illustrations - Unfamiliar Familiars is a delight. You certainly don't have to be a witch to enjoy this book, but if you are a witch at heart with a silly streak you will adore it.

I walked into Unfamiliar Familiars thinking it was a children’s book about the supposed magical abilities of animals which I thought would be so cute. But I got way more than I bargained for because this is an adult humor based book. I loved the quiz at the beginning to determine your familiar or the other method mentioned using pages from the book put under your pillow. The illustrations of each familiar are cute as can be and the descriptions are short but well thought out and comical. My favorite aspect of each familiar was the suggested partnering for a familiar, such as “Witches who know more than two sea shanties by heart,” and, “Witches who intentionally spoil tv shows”. Overall, this is a fun, quick book for any reader that enjoys witchcraft, humor, or illustrated books.

This book was so funny and wholesome, in all honesty if you love witches and witchcraft you will have a great time reading this.
I adored the illustrations and the art style, it's really neat and pretty.
I must however say that my familiar is not quite what I was expecting (since my element is fire and my zodiac sign is Aries) and I got a water element and and a Pisces (I got the leafy sea dragon) familiar but I wouldn't mind him as my familiar since he's adorable.

OMG, how quirky and fun! This is a must have for any witch's coffee table. The concept was so playful and there were even familiars I"d never heard of, so, I learned something while giggling. The table at the starts says luna moth for me, which honestly feels right. Sort of... my husband is obsessed with moths, adores them, so that's fitting. ;) The book itself is laid out easy enough, with a starting part about familiars and then sections for each one. The art work is wonderful and charming. It really ads so much to the fun.

These would make perfect gifts for witches in your life, all ages, we tend to be young at heart.

Sometimes you just need to dive into an adorable little read like this one. Especially if the cover features a sloth swinging from a flying broom above the words animal companions and modern witch. I was lured right away.

"Unfamiliar Familiars" is an imaginative collection of forty familiars, aka witchy companions. Each one comes with a hint of irony, a delightful illustration and a dedicated page of peculiar traits, charateristics and a list of possible names. A lot of the names associations were actually hilarious, for example Joanna for the monitor lizard (if you don't get the reference, you're not a Disney nerd and you should definitely fix that). The best part though is finding your ideal familiar. I'm still not 100% sure about mine, but the quokka looks like quite a nice match.

Since the idea at the foundation of this book is so brilliant and I enjoyed it a lot, I was a tad disappointed that the content wasn't further developed. The "pokédex format" was lovely but personally I would've appreciated more detail, and perhaps some additional illustrations. It feels a little bit incomplete as it is now. Nevertheless, a cute read!

This book is very cute!!!!!!!!!! I LOVED the design, the illustrations for each familiar is LOVELY. I always love when a book has this kind of details.

And not only can you meet a wide variety of magical familiars (all of them very cute), but you can also take a quiz to find out which is yours! (and some answers are very funny and weird). And my familiar is a Leafy Sea Dragon (For those witches whose favorite color is rainbow! I mean...YES).

Another thing that I Loved about this book it's the detail information for each familiar (element, star sign, strengths, etc). It's a very entertaining book and I already want to recommend this to my friends so that they discover their magical familiars.

Unfamiliar Familiars is a type of book that is fabulous to have in the living room so anyone can look at it and entertain themselves for a moment. Amazing!