Author: Leigh Bardugo
Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa
Leigh Bardugo is a very well-known author in the fantasy space, and a few years back, I read her book Ninth House. Considering that fantasy is not my favorite genre, I surprised myself at the time at how much I enjoyed it. Bardugo’s latest book, The Familiar, has its paperback release next month, so I decided to pick it up and see if I liked it as much. It’s still fantasy, but it is also historical fiction with a dash of romance too.
The Familiar is set in the late 16th century in Madrid, during the Spanish Golden Age, and focuses on Luzia, a lowly servant for the Ordoño family. She secretly uses magic to get through the days – making the firewood less heavy to carry, for example, or fixing burnt bread – until her mistress discovers. Next thing Luzia knows is that she is being entered into a tournament to gain the King of Spain’s favor. A victory would mean great wealth for the Ordoños, a promotion for Luzia’s patron, freedom for her tutor Santángel, and obviously no more dreadful servant tasks for herself. Things at the tournament, though, are not as they seem, and Luzia is given over right into the hands of the Inquisition, who see her as a heretic going against the Catholic faith. Can Luzia and Santángel find a way to make it out alive, or will they be burned at the stake?
Overall I do feel a little disappointed with The Familiar, even though I can’t exactly put my finger on why that is. The pacing of the book was certainly slow, and I also found it difficult to keep track of the characters. There are some positives that help redeem the book a little: the dialogue has some great wit, the ending is fantastic, and remarkably, the book is inspired in part by the author’s own family history. I don’t think The Familiar quite matches up with Ninth House and Bardugo’s other popular books, so I look forward to seeing if she can get back in her groove with her next book.
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