The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Luzia Cotado is just a scullion, scraping by with scraps of magic in a crumbling house. But when her mistress discovers her talent for tiny miracles, Luzia is forced to perform for Madrid’s elite—catching the eye of Antonio Pérez, a disgraced royal advisor with plans of his own.
With the Inquisition lurking and her Jewish roots a dangerous secret, Luzia’s survival hinges on an unlikely ally: Guillén Santangel, an immortal familiar who’s as much trouble as he is help. Magic, ambition, and betrayal collide as Luzia fights to outwit those who’d see her burn—and maybe change her fate for good.

What We Thought

Heather

I liked this book. Even though the pacing was sometimes off, I devoured it in just a few days. The characters were well done and crafted, I loved the atmospheric writing and the focus on the Ladino language and the Spanish Inquisition. There were issues like I wanted to know more about the magic system, and I didn’t really buy the romance, but ultimately, I didn’t care that much. This was just a good time.

Kendall

I on the other hand, found this book more difficult to read. I truly did enjoy the story, but I think the final execution was lacking in both consistency and clarity. I found that there were more questions than answers regarding some of the elements of Luzia’s magic, and I felt like with Santangel, we had many opportunities to have them answered. I agree completely with Heather’s comment about not buying into the romance, it felt forced and unnecessary.

I found that it took me longer to read than normal. I feel like Bardugo was trying to go for an omniscient perspective, but it ended up reading as head-hoppy. I was frequently taken from the story trying to understand where I was and who’s mind I was in. Which really sucked, because I really did enjoy the story and wanted to know what was going to happen next, but it was hard to juggle that with the frequent POV rotations.

I do want to be very clear that I did enjoy the book. It was a fun story that had a bunch of twists and turns, and I had no idea of what would be coming next. If you’re able to disconnect a bit from the head-hoppiness and are comfortable with not getting all the answers to your questions, then you’ll breeze through this book. It’s fun, engaging, and a fabulous balance between magic and historical fiction.

Vibes

Dark, gothic, witchy, it’s a modestly atmospheric story. This book occasionally borders on purple prose, but you’ll like it. I promise.

Quotes We Enjoyed

“Her aunt had warned her long ago that some people brought misery with them like weather…”
p.5

“Valentina felt breathless, frightened, as if she’d slipped her reins, as if she’d gone suddenly mad. There was nothing she might not do.”
p. 16

“Well, she hadn’t really known fear, had she? She had tasted spice and found it pleasing. Now she was chewing the pepper, seeds and all.”
p. 43

“If the fear of losing me is enough to marshal Valentina’s wit, Luzia marveled, I must be very valuable indeed.”
p. 68

Across the street, she could see into the second-floor windows of a room with blue draperies where a woman stood beside a harp. She laid her hand on it's wooden frame, as if taking it’s measure, and Luzia hoped she might play. The woman looked up, her gaze barely registering Luzia, and moved on to some other task. What was there to look at or take not of? Luzia was just a seargant who had come in to straighten up the room.
I sleep here now, she wanted to shout.
p. 70-71

“Language creates possibility. Sometimes by being used. Sometimes by being kept in secret.”
p.78

“Fear men, Luzia,” he said. “Fear their ambition and the crimes they commit in its service. But don’t fear magic or what you may do with it.”
p.105

“You are quite mad,” he said.
“One has to get through the day somehow.”
p. 145

Luzia could taste the pomegranate in her mouth, the flavor of her own ambition, her appetite for more.
p. 148

“The Beauty was dressed in cream velvet tonight, embellished with pears and diamonds and braided silver thread so that she gleamed like the first frost.”
p. 199

“Luzia wiped her hands on her skirts and hauled Gracia to her feet. ‘Run, Gracia! Come on, you gorgeous lump, I can’t carry you!’”
p. 210

Because magic was never easy; because food was food, but coins were nothing without the greed of men.
p. 286

“She wanted to crack him open like a pomegranate, but she couldn’t, not in full view of the crowd.”
p. 286

Did it matter who held the power? . . . What difference did it make if the person with the power wasn’t you?
p. 322

Was there anything more dangerous than a man full of hope?
p. 357

Tropes

3rd person POV
Multiple POVs
Historical fiction with magic and fantasy elements
Morally gray everyone
Lots of politicking
The chosen one
Deceased parents
FMC

CW/TW

Physical abuse
Imprisonment
Torture
Religious bigotry
Antisemitism
Classism
Death
Blood
Fire/Fire injury
Infertility
Suicide

Recommendations Like This:

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke

All of these books are gothic, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling. There are touches of fantasy and magic (Sorceress is the most “Fantasy” out of all of them, simply because it’s set in a fantasy world). If you like The Familiar, you have to reach for these reads next.

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo—A Review