Strange Familiars
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Description
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.
Book Information
Posts
I didn't know I needed a story set in a magical veterinary college, but oh boy did I! Strange Familiars was such a delight from start to finish. The story follows Gwen and Harrisford, two top students at Seamere College, where they train to become magical vets. Gwen is determined to be the best, but Harrisford, with his privilege and natural talent, keeps getting in her way. When strange magical surges begin causing chaos in London, they’re forced to team up to figure out what’s going on. I loved the titular familiars, especially Gwen’s snarky cat, who added so much personality to the story. The tone was just perfect: so cozy and charming, but with enough tension and mystery to keep me hooked. The rivalry between Gwen and Harrisford was very enjoyable with lots of humor, and watching them going from rivals to lovers was a hoot. The audiobook was fantastic, too. The narrator’s accent made me scream inside in the best of ways, and the dual POV was reflected perfectly in the narration, making it even more immersive. I can’t wait for the conclusion of this duology. Bring on book two! 4.5/5 stars Thank you to @NetGalley and @hodderbooks and @berkleypub for the eARC! #StrangeFamiliars #Bookstagram #NetGalley
Cosy Romantic Urban Fantasy
The start was strong, setting a cosy tone that remained throughout the story and promised a fluffy, entertaining and fun romance. The book delivered in that regard, but not without channeling every trope out there without as much as an original take, milking clichés and reusing over-used lines & themes. Of course the mmc has daddy issues. Of course the rich boy loves the small, chaotic, crowded home of the poor girl. Of course he is used to fancy restaurants that won't fill your stomach as well as the street food she recommends. Oh, and please, a round of pity for our poor rich guy - he has a hard life with a family like that. Luckily, the poor girl has a loving family and her only problem is lack of money. You get the idea. My favourite was Percy - a cat and Gwen's familiar. He had such a snobby attitude and carried me effortlessly through the story. Harrisford (take a moment or two to get used to that name, I certainly won't blame you) wants Gwen hard. From the get go. It's not really insta-love, since they technically know each other for seven years, attending the same university. They just barely interacted until now. I really enjoyed the tension between them, I could strongly feel his longing for her. It's definitely he falls first - more so, falling from the start. Oh how he wants her. At about 20% he already has a boner for her. Unexpectedly, I found that more hilarious than off-putting. I feel more from his pov, so I was sad the kiss and intimacy was always written from her pov. His desire is stronger, while she is constantly doubting everything. Yet, the author is female, so maybe better to write those scenes from a women's pov. The story comes with fun elements (He had to download a spell. I repeat. He DOWNLOADED a spell. You can buy them - online. That's hilarious.) and also serious topics. I appreciated how racism was thematised, eg. when they used the fact that white people think all asian people look the same to sneak Gwendolyn into a workplace with an ID of a random other asian person, even mentioning that being Chinese isn't even a requirement to match looks. I thought that was charmingly done. It is also diverse beyond that, featuring pocs and queer people as side characters. Unfortunately, I had so many issues with this. First and foremost - how many times can one stress that they are each others enemies - when they are clearly not? Rivals at best. That got really annoying. And it never stopped! Throughout the whole book! Also, I was craving originality. This book throws tropes, seen-before-elements and every cliché out there on you as if it was a fan-fiction (a fun one, admittedly). No original thought, no original line. Annoying as that was, I still enjoyed listening to the story. It contained a villain who explains everything to the victim before "killing her anyway". But - surprise - the nerdy girl just kept him talking while freeing herself because he used the wrong knot, which of course he would have known if he had worked as a vet ... (unrealistic) We have "she dresses up, looks beautiful. He can't stop staring because she looks breathtakingly gorgeous and she thinks he is staring because she looks ridiculous" (don't like that one). There is a pretended make-out-scene to cover up what they are really doing. Every rich-boy-loves-poor-girl trope that has ever occurred in this set-up ... You name it. Gwen was awfully insecure. She is supposed to be 25, intelligent and ambitious. Yet: Having scars makes her think he surely wants to leave her the moment he sees them. Why would you think that? More importantly - why would you (want to) sleep with someone, who you believe would vanish once he sees your scars? Then, these constant thoughts of other women. How many others these, he doesn't really want me that ... I hated it. Know your worth! Don't be so oblivious, stupid and blind about his feelings and intentions towards you. Until the very end, she thought he had no reason to like her. All this "why pick me? There is absolutely nothing special about me. Why not another prettier, rich girl? Does he really love me? No, surely all of this is just a one-time thing" ... Get it together, you are in your mid-twenties, not 14! Regarding the audiobook: there are two narrators, one male, one female for each perspective. I liked listening to them and would recommend it, except for the way the female narrator puts on a too-deep and growly voice when narrating Harrisford. On other notes: "I don't much like pain" - oh, that's worth mentioning. It appears Gwendolyn is not like other girls! When Harrisford says to Gwen "I'm going to make you come", she thinks that's hot. It is not, that is pressure. Also, Gwen apparently got many orgasms. Many, yeah? I'm sure we all can relate, happens all the time. And, if you tell me, you bought a car just to drive to my place to see me, you can be certain you are not going to sleep with me. Harrisford did this while they were on it ... I would be off and about so quickly. Overall, it was still a really fun and entertaining read, light and short. The ending had twists in store, I did and didn't see coming. Clearly, the story isn't finished but I'll probably leave it at that.
Description
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.
Book Information
Posts
I didn't know I needed a story set in a magical veterinary college, but oh boy did I! Strange Familiars was such a delight from start to finish. The story follows Gwen and Harrisford, two top students at Seamere College, where they train to become magical vets. Gwen is determined to be the best, but Harrisford, with his privilege and natural talent, keeps getting in her way. When strange magical surges begin causing chaos in London, they’re forced to team up to figure out what’s going on. I loved the titular familiars, especially Gwen’s snarky cat, who added so much personality to the story. The tone was just perfect: so cozy and charming, but with enough tension and mystery to keep me hooked. The rivalry between Gwen and Harrisford was very enjoyable with lots of humor, and watching them going from rivals to lovers was a hoot. The audiobook was fantastic, too. The narrator’s accent made me scream inside in the best of ways, and the dual POV was reflected perfectly in the narration, making it even more immersive. I can’t wait for the conclusion of this duology. Bring on book two! 4.5/5 stars Thank you to @NetGalley and @hodderbooks and @berkleypub for the eARC! #StrangeFamiliars #Bookstagram #NetGalley
Cosy Romantic Urban Fantasy
The start was strong, setting a cosy tone that remained throughout the story and promised a fluffy, entertaining and fun romance. The book delivered in that regard, but not without channeling every trope out there without as much as an original take, milking clichés and reusing over-used lines & themes. Of course the mmc has daddy issues. Of course the rich boy loves the small, chaotic, crowded home of the poor girl. Of course he is used to fancy restaurants that won't fill your stomach as well as the street food she recommends. Oh, and please, a round of pity for our poor rich guy - he has a hard life with a family like that. Luckily, the poor girl has a loving family and her only problem is lack of money. You get the idea. My favourite was Percy - a cat and Gwen's familiar. He had such a snobby attitude and carried me effortlessly through the story. Harrisford (take a moment or two to get used to that name, I certainly won't blame you) wants Gwen hard. From the get go. It's not really insta-love, since they technically know each other for seven years, attending the same university. They just barely interacted until now. I really enjoyed the tension between them, I could strongly feel his longing for her. It's definitely he falls first - more so, falling from the start. Oh how he wants her. At about 20% he already has a boner for her. Unexpectedly, I found that more hilarious than off-putting. I feel more from his pov, so I was sad the kiss and intimacy was always written from her pov. His desire is stronger, while she is constantly doubting everything. Yet, the author is female, so maybe better to write those scenes from a women's pov. The story comes with fun elements (He had to download a spell. I repeat. He DOWNLOADED a spell. You can buy them - online. That's hilarious.) and also serious topics. I appreciated how racism was thematised, eg. when they used the fact that white people think all asian people look the same to sneak Gwendolyn into a workplace with an ID of a random other asian person, even mentioning that being Chinese isn't even a requirement to match looks. I thought that was charmingly done. It is also diverse beyond that, featuring pocs and queer people as side characters. Unfortunately, I had so many issues with this. First and foremost - how many times can one stress that they are each others enemies - when they are clearly not? Rivals at best. That got really annoying. And it never stopped! Throughout the whole book! Also, I was craving originality. This book throws tropes, seen-before-elements and every cliché out there on you as if it was a fan-fiction (a fun one, admittedly). No original thought, no original line. Annoying as that was, I still enjoyed listening to the story. It contained a villain who explains everything to the victim before "killing her anyway". But - surprise - the nerdy girl just kept him talking while freeing herself because he used the wrong knot, which of course he would have known if he had worked as a vet ... (unrealistic) We have "she dresses up, looks beautiful. He can't stop staring because she looks breathtakingly gorgeous and she thinks he is staring because she looks ridiculous" (don't like that one). There is a pretended make-out-scene to cover up what they are really doing. Every rich-boy-loves-poor-girl trope that has ever occurred in this set-up ... You name it. Gwen was awfully insecure. She is supposed to be 25, intelligent and ambitious. Yet: Having scars makes her think he surely wants to leave her the moment he sees them. Why would you think that? More importantly - why would you (want to) sleep with someone, who you believe would vanish once he sees your scars? Then, these constant thoughts of other women. How many others these, he doesn't really want me that ... I hated it. Know your worth! Don't be so oblivious, stupid and blind about his feelings and intentions towards you. Until the very end, she thought he had no reason to like her. All this "why pick me? There is absolutely nothing special about me. Why not another prettier, rich girl? Does he really love me? No, surely all of this is just a one-time thing" ... Get it together, you are in your mid-twenties, not 14! Regarding the audiobook: there are two narrators, one male, one female for each perspective. I liked listening to them and would recommend it, except for the way the female narrator puts on a too-deep and growly voice when narrating Harrisford. On other notes: "I don't much like pain" - oh, that's worth mentioning. It appears Gwendolyn is not like other girls! When Harrisford says to Gwen "I'm going to make you come", she thinks that's hot. It is not, that is pressure. Also, Gwen apparently got many orgasms. Many, yeah? I'm sure we all can relate, happens all the time. And, if you tell me, you bought a car just to drive to my place to see me, you can be certain you are not going to sleep with me. Harrisford did this while they were on it ... I would be off and about so quickly. Overall, it was still a really fun and entertaining read, light and short. The ending had twists in store, I did and didn't see coming. Clearly, the story isn't finished but I'll probably leave it at that.