The Familiar is a sweeping historical fantasy novel of survival, deception, resourcefulness, cunning, and resilience.
Luzia has a gift for magic. She sings the songs of her ancestors, and God, or something like it, answers. It’s little things that help her in her daily life as a scullery maid: multiplying beans, mending small tears, or restoring burnt loaves of bread. Harmless things. Until her mistress begins to suspect her and devises a plan to use her magic to win friends and favor. Word spreads quickly of the maid who can wield magics, and soon the great Victor de Paredes becomes her patron for a contest to become the King’s champion. Politics are powerful, and everyone, even the greatest men in the land, are beholden to the whims of the King. Even Victor. But he’s feeling lucky, and Luzia’s gifts are real. Paredes sends Guillen Santangel to foster Luzia’s talents, to teach her to harness and hone them into something the King cannot deny. As the contest progresses, the stakes ratchet ever higher, and instead of just winning the King’s favor, it becomes clear her own fate is not the only thing on the line in this contest.
The setting is 16th century Spain, in the throes of the Inquisition, where heretics are being persecuted and often burned. Luzia’s parents are both dead, and her ambitious aunt is the only family she has left. Unlike most women of her rank, Luzia can read and write, which makes her existence as a servant even more droll. She wishes for finer things, but also knows there is danger in the spotlight, especially in times like these. She is a strong female lead who knows when to pick her battles, and ultimately creates her own path forward despite the advice flying at her from many directions.
The characters in this book are something special. Each of them are unique in their own authentic way. They are each driven by their own selfish motivations, which I feel is a very difficult thing to pull off and their stories follow through to endings they (mostly) deserved in a tingle-inducing finale.
I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Lauren Fortgang and man, did she do an incredible job. I found it so immersive to hear all the words I might’ve otherwise not known how to pronounce perfectly spoken so beautifully and naturally. Sometimes a narrator really adds to the reading experience, and I feel like The Familiar certainly falls into that category.
It may not be a page-turner, pacing-wise, but if you go into it with patience, Leigh Bardugo will weave you a story that is captivating, rewarding, and really quite romantic.
If you are a fan of V.E. Schwab, specifically The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I feel like you will certainly find value in this book. I found myself thinking of Addie’s story frequently while reading. I might even recommend this for people who really loved the Outlander series. The Familiar is not as spicy, but there is something similar about the complex characters woven within a historical context. This is the only thing I’ve read so far by this author, and I’m looking forward to reading Six of Crows now more than ever!