This is a really fun and cute, witchy book about familiars for witches, but not the ones we know like toads or black cats. We learn throughout the book which types of unfamiliar familiars would suit you best as a witch and we learn more about these animals. It's a lovely and well-written book for children, but also for adults who love all witchy and spooky things. The art in this book is gorgeous, which we can already tell by the beautiful cover of this book. 100% recommend this one!

This was a spur of the moment pick from NetGalley. I follow the publisher on Instagram and during the pandemic they've been posting a lot of stories which I actually watch and don't swipe through. This cover caught my eye and then seeing who the publisher was... I grabbed it.

It appeared it would be a lighthearted read and possibly provide some laughs. At 96 pages it could be read in a day or two, but why push yourself? These 40 unique familiars aren't going anywhere.

The books notes what a familiar is, how to choose one, and how to summon one prior to explaining who would make a good match for each familiar. It's important to remember that a familiar is not a servant or a pet!

According to a decision tree (if you don't want to summon a familiar), the Ball Python would be a good match for me. They are a limbless cuddler known for getting along well with witches allergic to dander.

That's me, exactly!
http://www.amberstults.com/?p=4988

Great at hugs. Cool. Shed their skin every 4-6 weeks which require renewing the pact? Okay. Renaming must also be done and can't be a repeat of the last 6 names. Ummm. I guess that's why the witches they're paired with must have good memories!

The drawings are all cute. The descriptions of the animals as familiars veer into silliness. Who doesn't need a bit of silliness now and then? As the authors noted, if the facts couldn't be found, then they just made it up.

Bonus points to Megan Lynn Kott for proclaiming Valiant, the 3-legged Corgi as her familiar. I would've done the same.

Are you a witch in need of a familiar who’s good with fruit arrangements? Or maybe your one who’s always enjoying the time it takes to finish a crossword puzzle and need a companion to suit your lifestyle.

Well, this guide covers it all. And with a simple to follow quiz laid out in the introduction, you can sooner than later find that unfamiliar familiar.

Or you can be like me and read this whole book cover to cover because it’s just so damn entertaining. Filled with countless jokes and winks to pop culture, Megan and Justin do a fabulous job of rounding up the not so seemingly magical creatures for the modern-day witch.

Why have cats and toads when badgers and lobsters could be more your style?

With beautiful illustrations and well written summaries for each familiar, including strengths, weaknesses, and possible names, every page comes to life and feels fantastically real.

Perfect for the fall cozy vibes, this book is never too serious or over the line cheesy and simply offers readers of any age whimsical enjoyment and an even better chance for imagination.

Beautiful book, would make a wonderful gift for the witchy person in your life! Amazing artwork, cute creatures, and some great humour.

This was a really fun read! I love personality quizzes and thought this was a really cool guide. I had fun sorting through the different animals and pairing them with my zodiac and traits. I was surprised by the familiars that resonated with me--I am either a Shoebilled Stork or a Lobster. Super excited to meet them soon lol. I know some of my friends’ zodiac signs too and I thought some of the animals were spot on matches with certain traits!

A different look on how to connect with familiars and about them. Total two pages - an image and a little bit of information. Flow chart on what would be your familiar - but would only be for those in the book and not seem helpful much. Images are really nice and selection of creatures is good.

At first, I thought this was a book for children, but the pop culture references throughout make it decidedly adult. I'd love a young readers version. Cute illustrations. I can envision a couple people who would love this as a gift.

I loved the art and the familiar's descriptions are very creative! I could have done without the quiz at the beginning, as I found myself browsing through the familiars to find one that fits my personality more. Overall cute and creative but not a book that I would go back to often.

E-ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfamiliar familiars is a book about uncommon witch familiars. If you're not into this stuff, the book is definitely not for you. However, if you like me and think everyone has a little witch-y thing in themselves (the word for witch in my native language also means a knowing woman), then you're going to love it!
The pseudoscience behind how to choose a familiar, summon it and what are the difference between the different animals is written amazingly. The details are well thought out and the book is a pleasure to read, so no matter what the test says you should get, it's an absolute must to read about all of the animals. The presentations are short and sweet and the illustrations are amazing.
A really nice short read.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*

A must-have for all witches out there. A fun, cute guide to finding the most unexpected witchy familiar. I loved the concept and art style, with colorful illustrations depicting each animal charmingly. I was surprised by all the detailed information about each familiar. You will not only get a description of your (possible) companion, but also a list of strengths, weaknesses, signs, and name suggestions (which are always helpful).
Every single page brought a smile to my face. I only wish we could have gotten even more unfamiliar familiars.

This is a really fun, silly book that will help you find your nontraditional witchy familiar. I can see it appealing to kids, teens, witches and animal lovers with a sense of humor. It's all tongue in cheek but it's pretty well done, with lots of details for each animal and what makes it best suited for some people. Big, full page color illustrations depict each animal and they're charming and well done.

I've decided my spirit animal is the axolotl. It partners well with people who cry during insurance commercials (wince, that's me), its strengths include body part regeneration (okay, less so), elemental magic and smiling, and its weaknesses are gill sensitivity, an overly trusting nature and sunburns. Also, it's just really cute and it makes me smile. (See, smiling.) ;)

Great fun, and it makes me grin in a time when I like things that make me grin.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

Review to come on August 8th on Blog, August 17th on Goodreads.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Sorry, but how can one just resist a sloth upside down on a broom? Raise your hands, if you dare. No one, good! Plus, I love that this book is about familiars and seemingly not about the standard you generally have (cats, dogs, demons in some form, rats, snakes), but about all sorts of familiars.

I had a big laugh at the introduction and how the author told you about two ways to find your perfect familiar. One meant maiming the book into a swan and sending it on its way and what came back would be perfect for you. Or you could just not harm the book and follow the flowchart. While I was tempted (shock face) to try out origami, I couldn't as this book is an ebook. :P The flowchart it is, though I have to say I think that one would also have worked better in normal book as now I see one page each time and have to remember my spot.

Before I decided to just casually stroll through the book and check out all the familiars I decided to follow the flowchart and see what animals I would get. First try, Sunbear! I do love Sunbears so I was delighted this one was my first animal. I do love the sun and love being outside. Next up I tried following another path to see what my familiar would be if I had picked another route. Next up was a Burrowing Owl, awww! Yes! That one also fitted me. In the summer all I wear if I am outside are sandals. Plus I just love owls!

Now I knew what the flowchart would grant me, I decided to check the book itself and scroll through seeing if I could find more animals which may be a familiar to me.
I loved how each animal has various parts to explain about the animal. From what kind of witch the animal partners (which at times feature hilarious things like this one on the Axolotls (Witches who cry during insurance commercials) well with to suggested names (from cute names to hilarious ones to very serious ones) to elements and more. It was great fun to get so much information and to read all about the animals. Each animal also has an illustration and I just Love the style, it really fitted the animals and I just wanted to reach out and pet a couple of them (never pet bees though :P).

All in all, I would highly recommend this fun and delightful book to all. I am sad that I reached the ending, I wouldn't have minded many more familiars and reading all about them. Hopefully one day we will get more from these two authors. *crosses fingers*

I was provided this book as a free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was drawn to this book because of the cover, thought it was quite whimsical and cute. I did not read this book cover to cover as the style of the book is more "choose your own adventure" by determining your spirit animal and then reading the pages that further explain the animal that you were linked to. I did however read my spirit animal (Capybara) and the platypus page, quite jealous that I hadn't been selected by it.

I thought the descriptions of the animals were quite well done, but I was expecting longer statements about each animal. That being said, I could see this being a hit at a pre-teen/teenager's sleepover with want-to-be witches and mages present to each take turns being matched with an animal and reading about it aloud. This could also be an effect coffee table book to have out for perusing while hanging out with friends, providing a fun conversation starter for the room. Additionally, I could see it being a fun gift for someone who considers themselves a modern day witch.

I think this book is great for the right audience and is more of a usable decor item than book that would be placed on a "to-read" list, but for that I feel it could be quite effective.

Like a witchy Buzzfeed quiz: A cute tongue-in-cheek guide complete with adorable illustrations for identifying your perfect magical companion. Not something you would likely revisit but it could be a fun gift.

Some books you just KNOW you'll be buying a hard copy of. And sometimes you have to wait months till it comes out to do so! I CAN'T wait to get this book in hand. My entire household had SO much fun taking the quiz and reading about the familiars we got. The test was silly and fun and I knew right away this was going to be a good read. The unfamiliar animals were interesting, engaging, and humorously written.

This will be a staple in my house. It will sit on my coffee table for guests to discover their own Unfamiliar Familiar for years to come!

I really enjoyed this book it was insightful and pleasant to read.
Learning about the various creatures, their roles and abilities.
The illustrations are beautifully done as is the cover art. This is a book people would be drawn to and will look through and read for both information and enjoyment.

This book was so much fun. I can't wait to share it with my students in September -- in fact, I think I'm going to post a teaser about it now. As I was reading it I kept laughing out loud and sending quotes to my sister and husband, both of whom I made go through the flow chart to figure out their own familiars. (Mine is a ball python, apparently.) The illustrations are beautiful and funny, with sort of a Beatrix Potter vibe. The asides and allusions in the familiar descriptions will appeal to a wide range of readers. I also found myself wishing I could write a book using some of these familiars and their witches as characters. My only critique is that I wish the flow chart/quiz wasn't so binary/linear; more criss-crossing decision paths would be fun. A must-read for any fantasy fans and backyard witches who also love memes and light-hearted snark.

This is such a fun, quirky read. Great to find out your familiar, with each including their strengths, weaknesses and more! Hope everyone also enjoys the quiz as much as I did.

Would also make a fun gift for a friend!

Fact: I love reading about witchcraft and things associated with it. And I love animals. So when I saw this book pop up on my dashboard on NetGalley, I knew I had to try it. And I didn't regret doing so!

In a world where more and more people find solace in paganism, it is a pleasure to find a lighthearted book like this one. Whereas a lot of books in the magic(k)al field tend to be dry, this one isn't. I know it's not even supposed to be a real handbook to find a familiar, and that's what I liked most about it. It doesn't pretend, it doesn't make up stuff and sell them like they're real; it is fun, light, and most of all magic in its own way.

I loved the design of this book and hope that when it gets published, the cover itself gets a lot of attention in the same way the inside of the book has gotten it. The drawings accompanying each familiar are gorgeous, and so are the smaller drawings on top of each page. The texts provide surprisingly much depth, and show us which familiars will do well with certain types of witches and their zodiac signs.

It's fresh, it's funny, and it actually has a lot of depth. And for all interested: my familiar is a dik-dik (and they're cute asf!).

- Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review -

What a delightful book. Fun, clever, and extremely cute and enjoyable. It makes both for an entertaining read and for a charming gift.