Jun 2025 Book Recommendation: The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson

Intro

There are lots of middle-grade books about animals, and there are also lots of middle-grade books about magic. The Familiars basically just mashes those two things together, and you can trust me when I say it’s awesome. It’s like Harry Potter and Warriors rolled into one, and it works better than you might think.

If you’re a fan of stories about unlikely heroes, talking animals, magical adventures, and friendship, this is a great book for you. The main three characters—Aldwyn the cat, Skylar the blue jay, and Gilbert the tree frog—are all interesting in their own ways, and their backstories are all more in-depth than you usually get in most middle-grade trios, which helps make them all the more memorable.

Without further ado, let’s get into details!

The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson Overview

Genre(s): Middle-grade, fantasy

Series: Book 1 of 4 of the Familiars

POV: Third-person past

Length: 372 pages

The Familiars follows Aldwyn, a common alley cat, as he’s thrust into a world of wizards, magic, and danger. When he hides in a magical pet shop to escape a fearsome hunter, he is mistaken for a wizard’s familiar and winds up being adopted by a young wizard-in-training named Jack. Although Aldwyn knows it’s a mistake, he immediately feels a connection with Jack and finds that he wants to stay with him—even if he isn’t a real familiar with magical powers.

But he can pretend to be, and so he does. When Jack takes him home, Aldwyn is blown away by the magic and wonder of a wizard’s day-to-day life, and he soon comes to enjoy himself. But the fun doesn’t last; shortly after Aldwyn’s arrival, Jack, his mentor, and the two other apprentice wizards training alongside him, are attacked by a wicked wizard queen. Jack’s mentor is killed, and he and his classmates are captured by the queen and her hare familiar Paksahara, leaving Aldwyn and the other two familiars—Skylar the blue jay and Gilbert the tree frog—behind to fend for themselves.

Determined to save their wizard companions, Aldwyn, Skylar, and Gilbert set out on a daring quest through the magical land of the wizards. Throughout their journey, they face monsters and dangers that Aldwyn never could have imagined. Will two familiars and one mere alley cat manage to survive the dangers of the world of magic and rescue their charges, or will their quest end in disaster?

Personal Thoughts

The Familiars has always had a special place in my heart for being one of the first book series that I really, really loved. I’ve got lots of fond memories of reading these books, so they’re very nostalgic to me.

This is a great book for if you’re looking for a fun, (mostly) light-hearted fantasy adventure. It’s fast-paced and funny, with a fair dose of action as well. Aldwyn’s sarcasm, Skylar’s know-it-all attitude, and Gilbert’s cheerful goofiness all make for lots of wacky interactions within the team, which just makes the book even more fun to read.

There are also some pretty good plot twists, but I won’t get too detailed about those. I’ll let you be surprised.

Outro

That’s all for today. I hope I’ve gotten you interested in this book and that you’ll check it out. Or, if you’ve already read it, be sure to look into the similar titles that I’ve listed below. As always, thanks for reading!