Title: The Familiar
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Historical Fantasy
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Date published: April 9, 2024
A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.
In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.
What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England’s heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king’s favor.
Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.
⤖ My Review ⬻
When I picked up The Familiar, I had already read everything else Leigh Bardugo had written, so I had a good sense of what her style was like. Despite this, the premise of the story—plus the added factor that The Familiar is a standalone rather than part of a series—left me feeling like I didn’t actually know what I was in for. The idea of a historical fantasy set in 16th century Spain intrigued me, and I was eager to see how Bardugo would use this new setting to weave her skillful storytelling.
My first impression when I started reading The Familiar was that Bardugo spent a lot of time researching and/or immersing herself in Spain’s history and locales. I’ve personally never been to Spain, but the descriptions matched what I had learned of historic Spain while also making me almost feel as if I was walking the streets, hearing the sounds and smells, alongside the main character, Luzia.
As for Luzia herself, I didn’t really identify with her and her struggles and way of thinking, but I did root for her. What also kept me coming back to The Familiar were her interactions with the other characters—especially Santangel. The dynamic between Luzia and Santangel was quite compelling for me personally. I really had no idea where the plot or any of the relationships would go because like I’d said, while I’m familiar with Bardugo’s work, The Familiar just gave me the sense that it wouldn’t match anything else I’d read by her.
For the sake of those who haven’t yet read The Familiar, I will neither confirm or deny whether my intuition here was correct. But what I can do is recommend this book to anyone interested in falling into Luzia and Santangel’s lush and dangerous world—16th century Spain with a dash of magic. Bardugo masterfully blended historical elements with fantasy, creating a unique and immersive experience that I think fans of both genres will appreciate.
⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻
⤖ Let's Chat ⬻
Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? What did you think? And if you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!
