Book Review — Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow (Book 1 in The Seamere College Duology)

Genre: Romantasy
Published by: Ace
Publish date: May 19, 2026
Number of pages: 432 pages
Author’s website: https://www.keshe.com.au/
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Gwendolynne Chan just needs to get through her final year. At Seamere College of Magical Veterinary Sciences, she spends her days using her powers to heal companion animals while her nights are spent studying for exams. As the top student in the magical familiars stream, she is on track to be awarded Dux of the entire school – as long as the pretentious twat Harrisford Briggs doesn’t beat her to it.

Harrisford Briggs was born into privilege. His father, the Chief Financial Officer of Magecorp, a major global distributor of magic, expects him to come top of the year. Harrisford, though, can’t help but notice that his father has been acting odd. Really odd. And there are strange whisperings, too. Rumours of uncontrollable surges of excess magic, which Magecorp has been trying to cover up, as well as rampant corruption within the Magical Ministry itself.

When these magical surges begin to rock their way through London, causing chaos and explosions and familiars going feral, Gwen and Harrisford find themselves without a reliable source of magic, putting both of their academic careers at risk. To fix this, they must put aside their duelling feelings of lust and loathing, and – along with Gwen’s snarky cat familiar – team up to diagnose the problem. If they fail, not only is their education at stake, but also the fate of the magical world.

^{via goodreads}

Rating: 4/5

This was a unique magical world that focuses on veterinary students who are academic rivals. The main characters are graduate students who are at the top of their class and vying for the top spot, which would open up doors to them professionally post-graduation.

Gwendolynne Chan is an Asian student from humble means and Harrisford Briggs is a white student who’s the son of a powerful and rich man who works at Magecorp. Magecorp is a magical power distributor. Their backgrounds color so much of how they see the world and how they navigate school and the decisions they are trying to make for their lives once school is over.

This is an interesting world that Chow has created, an urban fantasy. Magic is a finite resource that is privatized. There is a cost to be able to channel and utilize magic, but having familiars can supplement magic usage. There is something off with the magic–unexplained and dangerous power surges and missing people associated with the corporation. While Gwen and Harrisford are battling it out academically, they are also trying to uncover what is going on while also getting closer to each other. This leads to an exciting genre-bending story of romance, fantasy, and mystery.

This is a big world that I don’t think can easily be built in one book, but it is a duology that I hope will flesh out even more of the mechanics of this world. One thing that took me out of the book was a couple of pop culture references, but they were fun and on reflection, highlighted to me the dynamic between the two main characters. (The two references are Pride and Prejudice and Twilight).

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts? I’d love to know!