The Familiar Book Review
“Your ambition will destroy you, Luzia.”
“Maybe,” Luzia admitted.
“But let it be my ambition and not my fear that seals my fate.”
Synopsis
From the New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent, and creator of the Grishaverse series comes a highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age
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.
REVIEW
Set in 16th-century Spain during the Inquisition, The Familiar is all about danger, superstition, and hidden power in a world where being different can be deadly.
The pacing was slow at first, and it took about a fifth of the book for the story to really gain momentum. But once it did, the mix of historical detail and supernatural elements made for an interesting read.
The setting was one of the strongest aspects of the novel, immersing me in a world of political machinations, tension, intrigue, and just a little bit of ✨️magic. A world in which the disgraced secretary of King Philip II of Spain desperately searches for a way to defeat Queen Elizabeth I (England’s “Heretic Queen”) after she wiped the floor with Spain’s armada. But what stood out the most was the interesting relationship between Luzia and Santángel. Their dynamic, along with Santángel’s complex past, added a bit of emotion to the story, making them the highlight for me.
While it wasn’t a perfect read, it had compelling elements that kept me engaged, especially as the plot picked up. Fans of historical fantasy with a darker edge may find a lot to enjoy here.
Original publication date was 9 April 2024.
Author Profile
Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology—and much more. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University.
