From the Publisher
"Reading Bardugo is an immersive, sensual experience... One can’t help sinking into Luzia and Santángel’s world and wishing never to leave."
—The New York Times
"The Familiar feels distinct from similar tales — including Bardugo’s own — because it explores a brutal and shameful real-life history... Bardugo brilliantly explores the wavy line between the supernatural and the divine: Magic is forbidden, but miracles come from God."
—The Washington Post
"Full of hidden perils and twisting machinations, The Familiar is Bardugo’s most assured and mature work yet, a remarkable portrait of the magic of exiles and the traumatic echoes of the Spanish Inquisition."
—BookPage (starred review)
"The sharp realism mixes with a genuine feeling of enchantment to create a top tier historical fantasy."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The Familiar highlights all of the things that make Bardugo so well loved: a romance with maddening chemistry, an artfully built world, side characters with their own deep backstories, and a plot full of dark twists and spiderweb connections."
—Booklist (starred review)
“Lush, gorgeous, precise language and propulsive plotting sweep readers into a story as intelligent as it is atmospheric.”
—Kirkus (starred review)
"Bardugo masterfully weaves magical realism with historical fiction and romance, which makes this book impossible to put down."
—Library Journal (starred review)
"At this point it seems fair to wonder—is there anything Leigh Bardugo can’t do?"
—Paste Magazine
"If you appreciate rich historical fantasy with gorgeous descriptions and powerful displays of magic, check out The Familiar."
—Geek Girl Authority
“A richly imagined, intricate tale... I loved every word of this novel, and it’s a must-read for those who are seeking a little magic in their lives.”
—Deborah Harkness, #1 bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches
"Riveting... Leigh Bardugo's characters are so three-dimensional you want to reach through the page."
—Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Outlander
"A wonderful, transporting ride through a moment in history, where you can see the height of Spanish power but also sense the rot underneath. I really enjoyed it, it definitely made me think, and, of course, it's deeply romantic."
—Katherine Arden, author of The Warm Hands of Ghosts
MAY 2024 - AudioFile
Narrator Lauren Fortgang channels the currents of magic and intrigue running throughout Bardugo's layered historical fantasy. Scullery maid Luzia Cotado hopes to remain unnoticed, but when she uses a spell to restore burned bread and fix a torn dress, her ability to cast "little miracles" comes to light. Forced to compete in a dangerous magic competition, she is tutored by the darkly enigmatic Guillén Santángel, who has a mysterious past. Fortgang's expert characterizations capture Luzia's sharp intelligence, frustration at being dismissed and used, and growing confidence in her own abilities. Fortgang portrays Santángel with a cold gruffness that gradually transforms into cautious tenderness as his feelings for Luzia deepen. Skillful narration combined with an enchanting storyline makes for great listening. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2024-02-03
In 16th-century Madrid, a crypto-Jew with a talent for casting spells tries to steer clear of the Inquisition.
Luzia Cotado, a scullion and an orphan, has secrets to keep: “It was a game she and her mother had played, saying one thing and thinking another, the bits and pieces of Hebrew handed down like chipped plates.” Also handed down are “refranes”—proverbs—in “not quite Spanish, just as Luzia was not quite Spanish.” When Luzia sings the refranes, they take on power. “Aboltar cazal, aboltar mazal” (“A change of scene, a change of fortune”) can mend a torn gown or turn burnt bread into a perfect loaf; “Quien no risica, no rosica” (“Whoever doesn’t laugh, doesn’t bloom”) can summon a riot of foliage in the depths of winter. The Inquisition hangs over the story like Chekhov’s famous gun on the wall. When Luzia’s employer catches her using magic, the ambitions of both mistress and servant catapult her into fame and danger. A new, even more ambitious patron instructs his supernatural servant, Guillén Santángel, to train Luzia for a magical contest. Santángel, not Luzia, is the familiar of the title; he has been tricked into trading his freedom and luck to his master’s family in exchange for something he no longer craves but can’t give up. The novel comes up against an issue common in fantasy fiction: Why don’t the characters just use their magic to solve all their problems? Bardugo has clearly given it some thought, but her solutions aren’t quite convincing, especially toward the end of the book. These small faults would be harder to forgive if she weren’t such a beautiful writer. Part fairy tale, part political thriller, part romance, the novel unfolds like a winter tree bursting into unnatural bloom in response to one of Luzia’s refranes, as she and Santángel learn about power, trust, betrayal, and love.
Lush, gorgeous, precise language and propulsive plotting sweep readers into a story as intelligent as it is atmospheric.
