The Familiars

Adam Jay Epstein · Andrew Jacobson

Sep 2010 · Familiars Book 1 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

For fans of Warriors and Wings of Fire comes a magical adventure story about a street cat who's mistaken for a wizard’s familiar.

“Whether furry, flippered or feathered you’ll be taking a closer look at your family pet.” —Michael Buckley, author of The Sisters Grimm and NERDS

When Aldwyn, a young alley cat on the run, ducks into a mysterious pet shop, he doesn’t expect his life to change. But that’s exactly what happens when Jack, a young wizard in training, picks Aldwyn to be his magical familiar.

Finally off the tough streets, Aldwyn thinks he’s got it made. He just has to convince the other familiars—the know-it-all blue jay Skylar and the friendly tree frog Gilbert—that he’s the telekinetic cat he claims to be. But when Jack and two other wizards in training are captured by the evil queen, Aldwyn will have to use all of his street smarts, a few good friends, and a nose for adventure to save the day!

This delightful Indie Next pick is beloved by hundreds of thousands of readers and was named to nine state award lists. Don’t miss any of the exciting books in the Familiars series: Secrets of the Crown, Circle of Heroes, and Palace of Dreams.

Ratings and reviews

I’d have to say this is one of the best Middle Grade novels I have ever read so far. Not only does it provide a very interesting and different point of view (this book focuses on familiars, not the magic users), but the book also provides illustrations - which were well done and nice to look at to provide a good visual picture for the story. I absolutely loved the plot. From the start of the book you could already tell this was going to be a book filled with adventure and action. This is definitely a book that you won’t stop reading until you are done. The bits of humor also makes this book a great light read (Gilbert happens to be the great comic relief in this book) for readers of all ages (but mostly geared towards younger readers). I thought it was an interesting and different approach to have the story told through the point of view of the familiars and not the magic casters - which is what is usually seen throughout fantasy books. The magic system is simple and easy to understand but it’s also interesting to see the Familiars themselves also having to cast and deal with magic as well. I loved the characters in this book! Aldwyn of course, is my particular favorite because of his underdog status and he’s a great character overall. The Familiars themselves are great characters and are fun to read. Gilbert is there for the comic relief, and Skylar - she can be annoying, but she’s also quite intelligent and has her uses throughout the book. What stands out is Aldwyn and his clever ways to attempt to pretend he’s a magical familiar, although this does have serious consequences, you’ll find it only gets better as Aldwyn finds his true talent deep within. I am definitely going to get the second book of this series. There’s lot of questions that haven’t been answered and there is so much more to look forward to! It’s really not until the final chapters of the book where the real plot was just about to begin. Yes, you were taken on a journey with three Familiars, but that was just a great big introduction to what looks like a very interesting storyline. This was a wonderful read, geared towards children, yet I think it’s a fun read for adults as well. Filled with lots of action, fun, you’ll find it’s a great read for those that want a light fantasy, with no complicated plot hooks, magic systems, and worlds. It’s a light fast read that will keep you turning the pages, and wanting to look forward to the next book in this series.

I love this story because ALDWYN figures out that he knows TELEKINESIS when fighting PAKASHARA. The saddest part of this story is that ALDWYN tells the truth to SKYLAR & GILBERT and SKYLAR turns her back on ALDWYN. The other sad part is when PAKASHARA shape shifts to QUEEN LORANELLA and kills KALSTAFF. THE END:-)

Not the best thing I've ever read, but it will keep you entertained, and looking forward to the sequel. My main problem with it its that the main trio are far too similar to Harry, Ron, and Hermione of Harry Potter.

About the author

Adam Jay Epstein spent his childhood in Great Neck, New York, while Andrew Jacobson grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but the two met in Los Angeles. They have been writing together for film and television ever since.Their interest in space dates back to their early years, when Adam attended Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama (and won the Right Stuff Award!), and Andrew went to a movie theater (for the first time) to see a rerelease of Star Wars.Adam Jay Epstein lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jane, and their daughters, Penny and Olive. Andrew Jacobson, his wife, Ashley, their son, Ryder, their daughter, Willa, and their two dogs live close by.

Adam Jay Epstein spent his childhood in Great Neck, New York, while Andrew Jacobson grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but the two met in Los Angeles. They have been writing together for film and television ever since.Their interest in space dates back to their early years, when Adam attended Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama (and won the Right Stuff Award!), and Andrew went to a movie theater (for the first time) to see a rerelease of Star Wars.Adam Jay Epstein lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Jane, and their daughters, Penny and Olive. Andrew Jacobson, his wife, Ashley, their son, Ryder, their daughter, Willa, and their two dogs live close by.