THE FAMILIARS are the magical animal companions to a wizard or witch. When three young wizards-in-training get kidnapped by the evil queen of the land, it is up to their familiars to go a dangerous journey to rescue them. You'll meet Aldwyn, an orphan alley cat pretending to have telekinesis; Skylar, a know-it-all blue jay who can cast illusions; and Gilbert, a hapless tree frog with the ability to see visions of the future in pools of water. See what happens when these three animal assistants -- typically relegated to the background or found sitting quietly on their wizard's shoulders -- go on a heroic adventure of their own!

The Familiars (Familiars, 1)

Children's Books

Epstein, Adam Jay

Jacobson, Andrew

Animals

Harpercollins

For fans of Warriors and The Magic Thief comes a magical adventure story about a street cat who's mistaken for a wizard’s familiar.
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!
And don’t miss the exciting sequel to this Indie Next List pick, The Familiars: Secrets of the Crown.

When human magic disappears suddenly from Vastia, it falls on the familiars, Aldwyn the telekinetic cat, Skylar the know-it-all blue, jay, and Gilbert the gullible tree frog--to find the Crown of the Snow Leopard, an ancient relic that can reverse the curse. They learn that the only way to do this is by following in the purple paw prints of Aldwyn's father, who'd gone missing while searching for the Crown years earlier. This magical spirit trail extends into the Beyond, where our heroes encounter new enemies and danger, while Aldwyn learns about his mysterious past. Full of high-flying adventure and heartwarming friendships, SECRETS OF THE CROWN shows how great it is to be familiar with The Familiars!

Secrets of the Crown (Familiars, 2)

Get familiar with the familiars!
Chaos erupts in Vastia when the evil Paksahara steals the Shifting Fortress and casts a spell to rob all humans of their magic. Now it's up to the three chosen ones, Aldwyn, Skylar, and Gilbert, to reverse the curse. Using only their wits, their magic, and their trust in one another, the three friends must embark on a dangerous quest to retrieve the Snow Leopard's Crown—their last hope to defeat Paksahara—before it's too late.

Aldwyn, a street-smart alley cat, pretended he had telekinetic powers so young wizard Jack would chose him as a familiar. Aldwyn then learned that he and two other familiars—Skylar the blue jay and Gilbert the tree frog—were destined to undertake a perilous quest to defeat Paksahara, an evil hare who’d been familiar to the queen. In Circle of Heroes, the third book of The Familiars series for middle-grade readers, Paksahara and her undead animal army control the Shifting Fortress. Aldwyn and his friends have to recapture it to return magic to the queendom of Vastia. Fans of The Guardians of Ga’hoole series and Erin Hunter’s Warriors books will love the mix of humor, magic, and animal adventure story in Circle of Heroes by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson.

Circle of Heroes (Familiars, 3)

Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, authors of the beloved Familiars series, ramp up the action in this space-age adventure that School Library Journal calls "a satisfying choice," perfect for fans of Star Wars and Percy Jackson. 
Zachary Night has been waiting his whole life for this moment. Like his family before him, he's finally headed to Indigo 8, a top secret training center where future Starbounders learn the skills to protect the galaxy. But being a Starbounder is no walk on the moon. No sooner has Zachary mastered the warp glove basics than a mission into space goes wrong and puts him and his new friends right in the line of fire. And when a plot to destroy Indigo 8 comes to light, Zachary will have to get back to Earth on his own and fast—before there's no Earth left to go back to.
With the "winning combination of action and humor" (SLJ, starred review) that earned The Familiars an Indie Next List Pick and eight state award nominations, Starbounders is an out-of-this-world adventure that has surefire kid appeal.

Starbounders (Starbounders, 1)

Zachary Night and the Starbounders are back, in the sci-fi adventure series Pseudonymous Bosch calls "a great ride and a great read," from Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, authors of the Familiars series.
Zachary Night may have saved Earth, but back at Indigo 8, he's still just a Starbounder-in-training. And unlike his fellow trainees, who are having a blast gearing up for the annual Indigo Games, Zachary has more important things on his mind. He has yet to decipher the cryptic warning Professor Olari left him, and it looks like someone is trying to beat him to it.
When all the clues start pointing to a larger conspiracy, Zachary and his friends must once again leave Indigo 8 behind and take matters into their own hands. Their investigation will lead them through the far reaches of space, and it will test their friendship, too. And, oh yeah, did they mention the fate of the outerverse hangs in the balance?
With the "winning combination of action and humor" (SLJ, starred review) that earned The Familiars an Indie Next List Pick and eight state-award nominations, Starbounders: Rebellion catapults readers out of this world and onto a deep-space journey that's thrilling from beginning to end.

Starbounders #2: Rebellion

The familiars Aldwyn the cat, Skyler the blue jay, and Gilbert the tree frog are off on an all-new adventure in the series that Michael Buckley, bestselling author of The Sisters Grimm and NERDS series, says "combines the magic of Harry Potter and the adventure of Warriors." With inventive magic, laugh-out-loud humor, and a mysterious conspiracy that will take all the familiars' wits to unravel, Palace of Dreams is the familiars' most extraordinary adventure yet.
Peace has returned to the queendom of Vastia. Paksahara has been defeated, and the three familiars Aldwyn, Skyler, and Gilbert are the heroes to thank. But when a birthday celebration at the palace goes dreadfully wrong, and Queen Loranella falls victim to a curse, it seems the familiars are the prime suspects. After narrowly escaping the palace dungeons, they'll have to embark on a quest to clear their names—a quest that will lead them across Vastia and even into the magical land of dreams.

Palace of Dreams (Familiars, 4)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Epstein, Adam Jay. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Epstein, Adam Jay

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Epstein, Adam Jay. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Familiars (Familiars, 1)

The Familiars (Familiars, 1)

Secrets of the Crown (Familiars, 2)

Secrets of the Crown (Familiars, 2)

Circle of Heroes (Familiars, 3)

Circle of Heroes (Familiars, 3)

Starbounders (Starbounders, 1)

Starbounders #2: Rebellion

Palace of Dreams (Familiars, 4)

Palace of Dreams (Familiars, 4)