Bardugo has done is again!

“There is a fine line between a saint and a witch, and I wonder if you are prepared to walk it"

I'm usually not the best with historical fiction but the magic that Bardugo threads through the novel really kept me hooked. There was so much love in this book, from an unexpectedly heart felt romance to the stories as a magic in themselves. Give me a protagonist who doesn't realise how powerful she is and an immortal brooding love interest written by Leigh Bardugo and I'm there in an instant.

I’m a huge Leigh Bardugo fan, so when she first announced that her next book was going to be a standalone historical fantasy - I was hyped.

Then came my dreaded reading slump earlier this year and I was so scared that I wasn’t going to enjoy this as much as I was hoping to. I needn’t have feared, I flew through this in two days, my reading slump was conquered and I had a new love interest to swoon over and story to cherish!

As with most of my reviews for hyped releases like this, to avoid spoilers I do a little ‘reasons to read’ checklist. So, if you like the following, then you have to pick up ‘The Familiar’.

💛Historical Fantasy
💛Spanish Inquisition
💛 Darkling-but-healthier love interest
💛 Touch her and die vibes
💛 Writing so beautiful it sings
💛 Language as Magic
💛 Bardugo Twist and Turns
💛 Multiple POVs
💛 Pomegranates

I bestow upon this beauty the easiest of 5 stars to give.

I was not able to read in time. I apologise for this. I have had friends read this and talk to me about it and have said that it felt plotless

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one and was genuinely delighted by how much I enjoyed it. I thought the setting was fascinating and the juxtaposition between the obvious debauchery of the upper classes and the threat from the Inquisition for fornicating was really well done. The writing was lyrical without straying too far into flowery and I really enjoyed the plot. I thought the characters were great and although the pacing felt a little slow to start, overall I found this to be a compelling read.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. Incredible characters and a captivating plot all wrapped up in Leigh Bardugo’s lyrical writing. An easy five star read and proof that Bardugo is at the top of her game.

This review is for The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo which releases in the UK on the 11th April! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Viking/Penguin Random House UK for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

You have now idea how loud I screamed when I got the email to confirm this had been sent to me by the publisher. I’ve been a massive fan of Leigh since the Shadow and Bone series, and then became a fan of her Alex Stern adult series. Anything this author writes, I’m going to read. And then this actually got sent to me???? Craziness.

This book was everything it was hyped up to be and more. I loved the more historical setting, and how they perfectly weaved the best amount of fantasy into this world without turning it into something unrecognisable. It’s a brilliant mix of magic, luck, and stubborn badass women. What’s not to love??? It takes place in the Spanish Golden Age, during a time of religious intensity and political strife. It follows our main character Luiza, who accidentally shows her mistress the magic she has hidden for most of her adult life. They then force her to show her gifts to up their own social standing, which then causes her to be seen by the wrong type of people.

Of course it has a tall, immortal, white haired, morally grey male love interest which is literally my dream, I literally could not put this down. And he’s a secret softie, who just wants to treat her right and save her life??? *chefs kiss*. Luiza was also a perfect female main character for this book. She is clever, ambitious, works extremely hard and knows exactly what it would mean to fail. I couldn’t help but fall in love with her a little.

This story was such a whirlwind and I loved every minute of it. It does start a little slow, but picks up so quickly you won’t want to put this down until you finish it. The ending was literally perfect, and I couldn’t have asked for anymore. Absolutely worth the read and would 100% recommend this to any fantasy historical readers out there.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

I loved this book so much! This was a beautifully written historical fantasy set in a part of history that I think is notoriously overlooked. Luzia was a main character that I could get behind, and I completely understood her wanting to better herself, to have a life of luxury. This was so well researched and so well written, you could feel Bardugo's passion for the story in every line. The romance was a subtle slow burn, and kept me wanting more with every page turn.

I think that this is Bardugo's best work and I can't wait for others to get their hands on this so I can talk to them about it!

Luiza is a servant, in Madrid, in the 1500s. Considered the lowest of the low, unloved and unlovely, she has only a life of drudgery to look forward to. But Luiza has a secret- she can perform little acts of magic, a talent she must keep secret or risk attracting the attention of the dreaded Inquisition.
She becomes a pawn in the political manoeuvrings of nobles keen to find favour with the king. Can she learn the full potential of her magic. And will it save or damn her?
Exciting, atmospheric magical realism, and full of twists. Leigh Bardugo develops her characters and plot lines very well. This is something a wee bit special from a very good author.

The Familiar is an expertly crafted dark fantasy novel set during the Spanish Inquisition. Luzia is the brilliant, sharp and, prideful protagonist through which Bardugo explores what it’s means to live a life of servitude and subjugation where your only chance of survival is to mask your true identity.

I was fascinated by the magic system and the way it spotlights the power and complexity of languages -the way they are intertwined and meaning can be deduced from seeming nonsense idioms. Bardugo’s interrogation of religious hysteria was equally fascinating often it seemed faith was a double edged sword of fear and hope.

The romance plot was enticing and will satisfy any Kaz and Inej shippers from the Six of Crows duology especially as the slow burn romance does eventually ignite…

Bardugo’s research and attention to detail shines through and this is certainly her most considered novel yet.

Evocative and lyrical, what a fantastic feat! Leigh Bardugo is a masterful writer and she does not disappoint. Luzia and Santangèl feel like real people to me now, I can’t stop thinking about them! This is a compelling, magical, book. I loved it!

Another absolute stunner from Leigh Bardugo.
While the author herself calls this one of her more quiet novels (and it is, in many ways), it packs no less of a punch than her previous work. THE FAMILIAR feels intimate, the kind of book that lends itself to reading by candle light on a quiet evening (or, indeed, if you are in Ireland in the month of February and wish to read first thing in the morning and last thing at night, with a strong cup of tea and a lamp softly glowing in the otherwise pitch darkness).
This is a book about exile, about living on the margins, about loneliness and resilience and resistance. It is a book about stubborn hope in the face of -and, in many ways, in spite of- the world around you. It is a book about letting magic into your life even when you've had it for so long; about embracing the quiet miracles of how you can test the limit of the real and bend it just slightly in order to carve a space for yourself. Also, indeed, it is a book about love.
I already dream of rereading this novel and feel content in the knowledge that Leigh Bardugo has not once let me down.