The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Historical Fantasy. Magic. Pretty Writing.

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 400

Started: 2 August 2024

Finished: 5 August 2024

Summary:

    Luzia is a scullery maid, a nobody in a nobody's house in 16th century Madrid. All her life, she has been warned to keep her milagritos--little miracles, like making a sack of wood a little lighter or a slice of toast un-burn itself--hidden. Conjured by singing Ladino refranes that belie her Jewish heritage, Luzia has spent her years of toil keeping her secret close. But when she begins using her powers not just to make her days less agonizing, but instead to show off to high society, Luzia finds herself swept up in royal intrigue and the perils of the Spanish inquisition. Though her powers make her invaluable to Victor De Paredes, her new patron, as well as his ghostly Familiar, Santángel, they also place her in the spotlight--a dangerous place to be while in a nation obsessed with the hunt for witches and heretics.

Thoughts: 

    Reading this book a second time (while I was not feverish out of my mind) was much more fun. While I maintain that Luzia is a bit of a difficult character to like or to understand, since she vacillates so rapidly between maintaining the illusion of subservience and machinating her way to a better future, it was fun to track her character development while I was in the right state of mind. Her use of power, and her cleverness in applying it, was satisfying, and her determination was refreshing to read. I also did quite like her relationship with Santángel; it felt a bit too convenient but Luzia's sass, and the way their relationship reframed her lack of conventional beauty, were very nice. Also, witches and Catholic symbolism and torture. All very fun.

    The writing of this book, though, it its real draw. Bardugo uses such beautiful language, in a way that sings like a fairytale; it's so immersive and textured and satisfying to read. I listened to a flamenco playlist while I read most of this book, and the combination of music and writing created a very intense and satisfying sensory experience. I might not recommend this book as highly as Bardugo's others, but it was a fun historical fantasy read that I would immediately suggest to anyone looking for pretty writing and glorious historical accuracy.