Keshe Chow - fantasy author

I am SO SO SO excited to FINALLY reveal the PRE-0RDER INCENTIVES for Strange Familiars! 🥳 For U.S. readers, grab your copy of Strange Familiars from @novelneighbor to receive: 🐈‍⬛ one double sided WOODEN bookmark designed by @atelier.iri 🐈‍⬛ TWO exclusive art prints (one by @stephydrawsart_ and one by @mynqzo ) 🐈‍⬛ a signed Seamere College crest bookplate designed by @ellyishstudios ! *You don’t need to fill out a form for this one, just make the pųrchąse from the Novel Neighbor website and swag will be shìpped with the book! For readers elsewhere, pųrchąse your copy of Strange Familiars from any retailer to receive: 🐈 two character bookmarks by @atelier.iri 🐈 Percy stickers designed by @arimonton 🐈 TWO art prints (one from @silver.hebridean and one from @kasatkina.arts ) 🐈 a signed bookplate by @ellyishstudios *For this one, Pre-0rder your copy and submit your proof of purchase in the form that is Iinkeď in my profiIe. There are a few rules, please read carefully: 💙 limited to one per person 💙 only available while stocks last 💙 for hard copy pųrchąses only 💙 hypothetical subscription boxes don’t count (sorry!) ICYMI, here’s what you can expect from Strange Familiars: 🐉 Sassy animal familiars 🐈‍⬛ Magical veterinary school 🐉 Academic rivals-to-lovers 🐈‍⬛ Anti-capitalism in a magical world 🐉 Major yearning 🐈‍⬛ Only one dragon Strange Familiars comes out in May with @berkleypub @acebookspub @berkleyromance in North America, @hodderscape in the UK, @hachetteaus in Australia, @hachettenz in NZ, @moon_notes_verlag in Germany and more. It got a starred review and was SFF pick of the month with Library Journal! #romantasy #fantasyromance #fantasybookstagram #romantasybooks #fantasyromancebooks

And here’s a closer look at the cover!!! 👀 Apologies for the double post but this cover just has so many little details that are easier to see in a still image! (Side note I think both the cover and this song are very appropriate because YES, in this academic rivals-to-Iovers fantasy romance he falls FIRST, AND falls HARDER. 🤭) This beauty of a cover was illustrated by @klimtsonian and art directed by the wonderful Katie Anderson 😻 I couldn’t be more in love with the end result! Strange Familiars is set in a magical veterinary school that treats witches’ familiars and mythical creatures. Final year vet students Gwendolynne and Harrisford both need to come top of class… but first they must (reluctantly) team up to diagnose the cause of some deadIy magical surges that are causing all the animals to go a bit feral. It’s got magic, it’s got whimsy, it’s got darkness, it’s got spìce, AND it’s got a hefty dose of yearning (captured so well on this cover, in my opinion)! Plus, of course, it’s got animals! Animals galore, and lots of them! (I’m a vet myself, I couldn’t NOT!) It’s out May 2026 with @acebookspub @berkleypub @berkleyromance in the US/Canada, @hodderscape in the UK, @hachetteaus in Australia, @hachettenz in NZ, and more! It can be Pre-0rdered now at the Iink in my profiIe 🐈‍⬛ #fantasybookstagram #fantasybooks #fantasyromance #romantasy #fantasyromancebooks #darkacademiabooks #academicrivalstolovers #strangefamiliars

With Strange Familiars releasing in just TWO DAYS (eek!!), your window to redeem the Pre-0rder incentive is rapidly closing. Plus, Novel Neighbor have already run out of wooden bookmarks once, necessitating me making an urgent delivery of my last batch. SO if you want to nab one of those I would recommend you get in quick before they’re all gone! I won’t be getting any more of these 👀 For US readers, grab your copy of Strange Familiars from @novelneighbor to receive: 🐈‍⬛ one double sided WOODEN bookmark designed by @atelier.iri 🐈‍⬛ TWO exclusive art prints (one by @stephydrawsart_ and one by @mynqzo ) 🐈‍⬛ a signed Seamere College crest bookplate designed by @ellyishstudios ! *You don’t need to fill out a form for this one, just make the pųrchąse from the Novel Neighbor website and swag will be shìpped with the book! For readers elsewhere, pųrchąse your copy of Strange Familiars from any retailer to receive: 🐈 two character bookmarks by @atelier.iri 🐈 Percy stickers designed by @arimonton 🐈 TWO art prints (one from @silver.hebridean and one from @kasatkina.arts ) 🐈 a signed bookplate by @ellyishstudios *For this one, Pre-0rder your copy and submit your proof of purchase in the form that is Iinkeď in my profiIe. ICYMI, here’s what you can expect from Strange Familiars: 🐉 Animal familiars 🐈‍⬛ Magical veterinary school 🐉 Academic rivals-to-lovers 🐈‍⬛ Anti-capitalism in a magical world 🐉 Major yearning (he falls first and HARDER) 🐈‍⬛ Found family 🐉 Only one dragon Strange Familiars is out May 19th (in two days) with @acebookspub @berkleypub @berkleyromance in the US/Canada, @hodderscape in the UK, @hachetteaus in Aus, @hachettenz in NZ, and is out now with @moon_notes_verlag in Germany! It’s the first book in a fantasy romance duology with the sequel due out in around one year. #romancebookstagram #romancebooks #fantasyromance #romantasy #bookswag

For my final blurb, I have a wonderful one from the hugely talented @brigitteknightley , as well as an excerpt from @library_journal ’s starred review!!! Brigitte manages to do something that I, personally, think is incredibly difficult: write beautiful LYRICAL prose while still managing to be LAUGH OUT LOUD funny. It’s the type of skill I can only aspire to!! Her sequel, the Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy, comes out this July, and having read an early copy I can attest that it is brilliant! Library Journal… what can I say?! It was my first (and only ever) starred review AND they also bestowed the following honours on Strange Familiars: -SFF Book of the Month for February -Spring Preview editor’s pick To have my sp!cy little romp of a book be recognised by such a prestigious organisation is honestly a dream come true. Thank you to both Brigitte and Library Journal for reading and saying such kind things!!! I am so deeply appreciative! Strange Familiars is an academic rivals-to-lovers New Adult fantasy about a magical veterinary school where they treat witches’ familiars and mythical creatures. It’s the first book in a duology and is out May 19 with @acebookspub @berkleypub @berkleyromance in the US/Canada, @hodderscape in the UK, @hachetteaus in Aus, @hachettenz in NZ and more! It’s out now with @moon_notes_verlag in Germany, too! It’s your last chance to Pre-0rder and there are some lovely incentives on offer (see my pìŋned pòst for details) #romantasy #romancebookstagram #fantasyromance #authorsofinstagram #authorssupportingauthors

We are down to 3 sleeps until Strange Familiars comes out!! 3 SLEEPS!!! This is also a PSA to anyone wanting to buy it when it releases, you should preorder it because a) the preorder incentives are GORGEOUS and b) I'll be getting multiples copies so you don't want to missing out because I took all your copies! 🤪🤪 But really, I cannot stress enough what an amazing adult fantasy debut this is! @keshewrites really outdid herself! (Also hello new backdrop setting!)

My book is out in Germany today!!! 🥳🥳🥳 One thing I’ll always cherish is the lovely email my German translator sent me (re-posted on slide 2, with permission)! I’ve never had any messages from my other translators so I was super chuffed to receive this! I’ve been so touched by the care with which the German publisher, editors, marketing team, translator, voice actors, and influencers have handled Strange Familiars. They’ve been amazing and I hope it finds its audience there 💙 And also, I may have been binge watching Maxton Hall (in German, with English subtitles) while editing this book so there’s at least some German influence at play here 😂 As all of the artists I’ve worked with can attest, I’ve pretty much inundated them with pictures of Damian Hardung who is my facecast for the man Harrisford Briggs himself. Anyway thank you to @moon_notes_verlag @medienhaus_oetinger as well as my subrights agents at @folioliterary and everyone else involved in bringing this gorgeous translation to life! ICYMI, Strange Familiars is for the animal and romance lovers, with an academic-rivals-to-lovers romance set at a magical veterinary college. Gwendolynne and Harrisford are competing for the prestigious top spot of their class, but must (reluctantly) work together to diagnose the cause of some dangerous magical surges that threaten all of London. #bookstagramdeutschland #romantasy #newadultromance #fantasyromance #romancebooks

🐈‍⬛📦 UNBOXING TIME!!! 📦🐈‍⬛ My author copies have finally arrived and I am way too tired to film a talking video (drowning in double deadlines 😭) so here you get my impression of what it would be like to BE a book! Wouldn’t it be nice to be sat on a shelf and occasionally read, or if you’re like one of the many books on my physical TBR, sat on a shelf, stared at longingly and never read? It sounds very lovely and serene, but maybe I’d be touch starved 🤔 Anyway … enough of my unhinged ramblings. Strange Familiars, my academic rivals-to-lovers New Adult fantasy about a magical veterinary school where they treat witches familiars and mythical creatures, is out in Germany TODAY and out everywhere else in FOUR DAYS!!! It is feeling VERY REAL NOW 😱 Coming with @acebookspub @berkleyromance @berkleypub @hodderscape @hachetteaus and more on May 19. Out TODAY with @moon_notes_verlag !!! #fantasyromance #romantasy #romancebookstagram #authorsofinstagram #authorlife

🐈‍⬛️🦎Strange Familiars🦎🐈‍⬛️ Have you ever loved a book so much that you find yourself at an utter loss for words because nothing you could say could possibly do it justice? I finished this incredible book 2 whole months ago and I still haven't managed much more than incoherent screeching or flat out demanding that people read it (please, I beg you!) @keshewrites has created a wonderfully whimsical world that has all the ingredients for a perfect cosy fantasy but when Gwen and Harrisford start to investigate mysterious magical surges affecting the familiars they gradually reveal something darker and much more insidious going on. There are deeper observations on class, racism and generational privilege weaved in between the general light hearted tones and humour. Keshe's expertise as a feline vet and her deep understanding and love of cats really shines through and Percy, the sassy one eyed cat, has my whole heart whether he wants it or not! 🐈‍⬛️ Academic rivals to lovers 🦎 He falls first 🐈‍⬛️ "Light" Academia 🦎 Magical animal side kicks Thank you so much @hodderscape for sending me this proof to read and review, if you can't tell already I adored it! Strange Familiars releases in just a few days on 19th May in the UK and if you haven't already got it pre-ordered take this as your sign!

🌷 Diese Schönheiten spült der Frühlingswind in eure Regale 🌷 🩵 Seamere College 1. Strange Familiars von @keshewrites 🖤 Wings of Ash 2. Flammender Verrat von @janas_wortwelten 🩷 Copenhagen Cinnamon 2. Gorgeous von @stefanieneeb 💛 Du hast noch einen Sommer sagt der Tod von @liebeausderstadt Happy Release Day, ihr Lieben!!! #moonnotes #newadult #happyreleaseday

I am so excited to find out how this pair will team up and figure out how to save the fate of the magical world! Plus, the snarky cat familiar seems so fun. Really looking forward to getting cozy with @keshewrites new book! 🤍 💙Thank you to @berkleypub for my free copy! #berkleybookstagram 🐾Tropes & Keywords: academic rivals to lovers | slow burn | animal sidekicks | diverse representation | found family | romantasy | romance books Partial Blurb ✨ “All’s fair in love and magic. 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. ….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…”

✨🐈‍⬛ Strange familiars arc review! 🐈‍⬛✨ What a fun and unique read from Keshe Chow! This is the first book I have read from her and it was such a fun romance with a mystery subplot and the magical economy being ruled by corporations (I can’t wait to see where this goes in the next book!!) I loved how sassy Percy was and I resonated with how much of a hard worker Gwendolynne is! It was also super amazing to have sprinkles of LGBTQI+ rep and discussions of Gwendolynne’s struggles with racism and classism. If you love books with magical familiars, urban fantasies in a London setting and *slight* dark academia, I think you will enjoy this book! Thank you to Keshe and @huntress_pa_services for accepting me onto the street team! Strange Familiars is out on the 19th May, with a book launch event at Readings Emporium! #bookreview #arcreview #strangefamiliars #fantasyromance #urbanfantasy

HELLO ONLY 4 DAYS UNTIL STRANGE FAMILIAR RELEASES??! I first read Strange Familiars as an ARC 5!! months ago and the cliffhanger that it left me on??? You bet I was in @keshewrites 's DMs about needing book 2. But honestly, ever since I've read it, it's the one book I've been reccommending to all my friends because animals x academia is too good to pass on! Anyway here is a glimpse into Harrisford and Gwens life at Seamere College! Side note: this account is now a Keshe/Strange Familiars fan account so HAVE FUN! ALSO go preorder Strange Familiars because there are preorder benefits and they look AMAZING!!!