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Familiar Magic: Book One
Whether it takes magic, medicine, or murder, Doctor Ethan Bishop has the cure.Nexum should be a paradise. A world where a radiant Goddess cures every illness, her Chosen enforce peace, and monsters can be tamed into powerful Familiars. But for Ethan Bishop, a fun-loving doctor ripped from Earth, paradise has a pulse… and it’s not healthy.
Beneath the wonder and magic, something is very, very wrong.
Fixing things with his traditional training won’t be possible—on Nexum, medical knowledge is considered heresy. His only hope of survival lies in Bonding with magical Familiars. Familiars that grant powers not meant for a doctor, but for an Assassin.
To the Church, he's a heretic. To the royal family, he's a weapon. And to the dying world of Nexum, he might be its last chance.
But to save it, Ethan will have to become the very thing he’s spent his life fighting against.
Doctor. Assassin. Savior. Monster.
Which one will he be when the world ends?
Beneath the wonder and magic, something is very, very wrong.
Fixing things with his traditional training won’t be possible—on Nexum, medical knowledge is considered heresy. His only hope of survival lies in Bonding with magical Familiars. Familiars that grant powers not meant for a doctor, but for an Assassin.
To the Church, he's a heretic. To the royal family, he's a weapon. And to the dying world of Nexum, he might be its last chance.
But to save it, Ethan will have to become the very thing he’s spent his life fighting against.
Doctor. Assassin. Savior. Monster.
Which one will he be when the world ends?
- GenresFantasy
520 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 10, 2025
251 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 26, 2025
Not my cup of tea
Going into this, I expected a cunning underdog MC who survives by staying under the radar after angering royalty. Instead, I got a protagonist stripped of all agency—constantly labeled a thief, trapped in the kingdom, and forced to beg for validation from the very people who wanted him dead.
The story hinges on him proving his worth to avoid execution, but rather than outmaneuvering his oppressors, he spends most of his time trying to *befriend* those who were ready to murder him in the opening chapters. The constant scrutiny, inability to escape, and lack of resistance make for a frustrating read.
Worst of all, the MC doesn’t feel like he’s playing the long game ,he’s just reacting, surviving at the mercy of others. If you dislike protagonists with no real agency, this might not be for you.
Going into this, I expected a cunning underdog MC who survives by staying under the radar after angering royalty. Instead, I got a protagonist stripped of all agency—constantly labeled a thief, trapped in the kingdom, and forced to beg for validation from the very people who wanted him dead.
The story hinges on him proving his worth to avoid execution, but rather than outmaneuvering his oppressors, he spends most of his time trying to *befriend* those who were ready to murder him in the opening chapters. The constant scrutiny, inability to escape, and lack of resistance make for a frustrating read.
Worst of all, the MC doesn’t feel like he’s playing the long game ,he’s just reacting, surviving at the mercy of others. If you dislike protagonists with no real agency, this might not be for you.
July 19, 2025
I loved it and I hated it. The author wrote it so the MC is on the older side, so he should be maybe in his early 30s if he is a real doctor and not one still in school calling themselves that. So this is also the rub, he supposedly is highly educated and not some naive YA.
He gets tossed into this new world which is very barbaric and authoritarian. He is first called a thief, the MC didn't point out the obvious, I mean why not the King called for his execution at that point why not?
Big issue 2: The battles are way to long and very tunnel visioned on the MC, what about the 3 or 4 people who are with the MC, what are they doing while the MC fights this one monster? Cheer squad?
Big issue 3 and the ending. Are you serious author? The MC had multitude of times , to just leave. He has dimensional travel powers!!! No one is gonna catch him in the middle of the night or on one his many trips outside the town. He didn't think to drop an dimensional anchor ANYPLACE outside the city?
Big issue 4: The church in this kingdom. They are psychopaths who kill anyone who goes against the church. ( kind of aligns with a current church ). Again why is the MC staying around with those idiots around and I guess the King let's them do whatever.
He gets tossed into this new world which is very barbaric and authoritarian. He is first called a thief, the MC didn't point out the obvious, I mean why not the King called for his execution at that point why not?
Big issue 2: The battles are way to long and very tunnel visioned on the MC, what about the 3 or 4 people who are with the MC, what are they doing while the MC fights this one monster? Cheer squad?
Big issue 3 and the ending. Are you serious author? The MC had multitude of times , to just leave. He has dimensional travel powers!!! No one is gonna catch him in the middle of the night or on one his many trips outside the town. He didn't think to drop an dimensional anchor ANYPLACE outside the city?
Big issue 4: The church in this kingdom. They are psychopaths who kill anyone who goes against the church. ( kind of aligns with a current church ). Again why is the MC staying around with those idiots around and I guess the King let's them do whatever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2025
This just drops you in with no world state, so the characters carry the story. That is where it failed. The main character is not fun loving, he is an idiot. The blurb that sets up the book covers the entire first half. At the point the story finally catches up, I quit reading. There was nowhere near enough investment for me to care for any of the characters.
June 10, 2025
Title: Feels New Despite the Title
Content Ratings: Language – PG13; Violence – PG13; Other – PG13
I've read some blurbs that compare this book to another book series and some video games. Although I get why those things are said in general terms (like having pets or fighting giant monsters), this book didn't feel the least bit derivative to me and reminded me of none of those things. Sure, it has all the tropes we expect (or even demand) from LitRPG, but it feels like its own thing. For a first published book, I thought this was well constructed - strong world building, interesting progression system, and characters with some dimension - not enough to be particularly memorable, but also not one dimensional. There are quite a few plot lines woven together as well.
The number of plot threads in this story sometimes led to slightly uneven pacing as different plot elements were advanced. That's not necessarily a complaint, as I'm not sure how it could be improved, and the ending showed that everything came together exactly as the writer intended. Speaking of the ending, it was quite the cliff hanger, and I hope that the author is as speedy as his alternate namesake.
Content Ratings: Language – PG13; Violence – PG13; Other – PG13
I've read some blurbs that compare this book to another book series and some video games. Although I get why those things are said in general terms (like having pets or fighting giant monsters), this book didn't feel the least bit derivative to me and reminded me of none of those things. Sure, it has all the tropes we expect (or even demand) from LitRPG, but it feels like its own thing. For a first published book, I thought this was well constructed - strong world building, interesting progression system, and characters with some dimension - not enough to be particularly memorable, but also not one dimensional. There are quite a few plot lines woven together as well.
The number of plot threads in this story sometimes led to slightly uneven pacing as different plot elements were advanced. That's not necessarily a complaint, as I'm not sure how it could be improved, and the ending showed that everything came together exactly as the writer intended. Speaking of the ending, it was quite the cliff hanger, and I hope that the author is as speedy as his alternate namesake.
June 12, 2025
This is the first book I have read by this author and I know I am in love, his LitRPG first book in a new series is a real page turner which ends on a real cliffhanger and which has me on tenterhooks waiting eagerly for book 2. Dr. Nathan Bishop is from Earth, however he suddenly finds himself transported to a world called Nexum, one which is full of magic, monsters which once bonded share their powers and where the church considers anyone with medical knowledge to be a heretic, and thus needs to be assassinated. Nathan knows that he cannot ever use his knowledge as a doctor to heal, and the monsters he bonds with are not ones aimed at him as a doctor, but ones which turn him into an assassin. He works hard to prove himself, as he is being used by the monarchy and has a deadline to do so, he is to be used as a double for the chosen prince, and to be used as a weapon. Nathan realises that there is something inherently wrong with Nexum, but can he save the world he finds himself on, and what role can he take if he is to do so? The ending to the book is brutal and the 2nd book needs to be read asap. Well done K.L.A. Spanjer for a great 1st book.
June 25, 2025
Best book evarrr! Even though I haven't seen this author before, the book was published by Shadow Alley and they put out good stuff! Also the book seemed perfect for my taste! I wasn't wrong, taking only a hot minute to realize that it's one of the my top favorites!
This is Doctor Ethan Bishop's story! Ethan while on vacation climbing the Rockies gets hijacked through a rift ending up in Nexum, where magic and monsters are real! And a whole lot of peoples/beings share this realm... where healing is one of the absolute taboos! If caught you will be executed as will those who have been healed by your Heretical magics! Oops 😬... Ethan has been far to busy leveling all of his skills and finding his perfect three familiar's, to worry about that! And wow that ending! You already had me mesmerized from the first chapter, but no you had to set the hook! So now I'm dying for the release of the second book!
This is Doctor Ethan Bishop's story! Ethan while on vacation climbing the Rockies gets hijacked through a rift ending up in Nexum, where magic and monsters are real! And a whole lot of peoples/beings share this realm... where healing is one of the absolute taboos! If caught you will be executed as will those who have been healed by your Heretical magics! Oops 😬... Ethan has been far to busy leveling all of his skills and finding his perfect three familiar's, to worry about that! And wow that ending! You already had me mesmerized from the first chapter, but no you had to set the hook! So now I'm dying for the release of the second book!
September 15, 2025
The book starts off very slowly and feels like every generic isekai in this genre. Guy comes in doesn't know anything, weirdly sassy with some funny quips to himself or others, some random references to games or movies, gets somewhere he shouldn't be, gets OP power. This book shines when he settles down. All of a sudden you have some interesting political manuvering happening while the main character plays it well. There are multiple plots introduced that give a lot of world building while giving the reader many things to look forward to. Everything in the book just seems to click together seamlessly once you get to this point
The main characters class while generic is done very well and is helped along with the way the magic is set up and the bonding of familiars. Overall it takes a bit to get into but has a sold story that comes out later in the book.
The main characters class while generic is done very well and is helped along with the way the magic is set up and the bonding of familiars. Overall it takes a bit to get into but has a sold story that comes out later in the book.
June 11, 2025
He Who Fights With Monsters With Monsters
The MC has a great voice, funny without trying too hard to be funny. There's a lot of plot threads, which could be a bit to keep up with at times, but it all came together in a satisfying way.
The tension of a doctor being a world where medicine is severely frowned upon was interesting and different. But the main thing for me is the familiars part. It was a great way to set up the system.
As the headline suggests, it's a good story for fans of HWFWM, and I hope the series continues to the point where it can become a part of the LitRPG canon as well.
The MC has a great voice, funny without trying too hard to be funny. There's a lot of plot threads, which could be a bit to keep up with at times, but it all came together in a satisfying way.
The tension of a doctor being a world where medicine is severely frowned upon was interesting and different. But the main thing for me is the familiars part. It was a great way to set up the system.
As the headline suggests, it's a good story for fans of HWFWM, and I hope the series continues to the point where it can become a part of the LitRPG canon as well.
July 11, 2025
Good Read
I enjoyed this book. It was well written with hardly any typos and the pacing was good. I really enjoyed the side/supporting characters, but Ethan was hard to like. For a doctor, I found him naive and utterly stupidly trusting of people he had no idea about. He knew he was in a new world with differing customs but was too sharing about his abilities and his personal feelings on their religion. I didn't find him too likeable until Tomo became his familiar. But I will definitely read book 2 because I want to see if he learns anything from being to trusting/naive about the people he thinks are his new friends.
I enjoyed this book. It was well written with hardly any typos and the pacing was good. I really enjoyed the side/supporting characters, but Ethan was hard to like. For a doctor, I found him naive and utterly stupidly trusting of people he had no idea about. He knew he was in a new world with differing customs but was too sharing about his abilities and his personal feelings on their religion. I didn't find him too likeable until Tomo became his familiar. But I will definitely read book 2 because I want to see if he learns anything from being to trusting/naive about the people he thinks are his new friends.
July 20, 2025
Magic or Madness
This...is a story of desperation. Every piece of humanity trying to make itself known and find a label for itself. Finding only black and white labels that never fit.
It's all wrapped up in a beautiful sparkly package filling the reader's eyes with wonder. Inside that package though is a terrifying box of chocolates. Is there really a perfectly delicious treat mixed in with all the other pieces? Or is it rancid and bound all along to be spit out and destroyed?
This...is a story of desperation. Every piece of humanity trying to make itself known and find a label for itself. Finding only black and white labels that never fit.
It's all wrapped up in a beautiful sparkly package filling the reader's eyes with wonder. Inside that package though is a terrifying box of chocolates. Is there really a perfectly delicious treat mixed in with all the other pieces? Or is it rancid and bound all along to be spit out and destroyed?
July 27, 2025
Cool concept. Having a system that is tied into the familiars that you have bonded is a cool idea. The MC is interesting. His behavior seemed more phd than md to me wanting his doctor title. The church hoarding healing magic is a trope I see every now and then and it is fun. The system was the coolest part for me which led to some cool abilities with the MC.
October 31, 2025
predictable
Ends with a cliffhanger you can see coming from the start of the book and I consider cliffhangers a cheap trick to get you to read the next book in the series I won’t be doing that the book was only interesting about the first 25 percent started to pick up near the end then fell off again
Ends with a cliffhanger you can see coming from the start of the book and I consider cliffhangers a cheap trick to get you to read the next book in the series I won’t be doing that the book was only interesting about the first 25 percent started to pick up near the end then fell off again
October 3, 2025
-1 star for the Stupid Cliffhanger end.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews