Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

30 reviews

novel_nibbles's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

As a long time fan of Bardugo I was delighted to get tickets to her recent UK event in London and pick up a  @waterstones special edition. 

I throughly enjoyed this magical standalone. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy historical romance and the addition of magic was just *chefs kiss*. I was rooting for Luzia from the start I enjoyed her transformation as she stopped hiding her true nature and personality. 

I enjoyed the romantic element but I would have prefer to experience more of the developing relationship on the page. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Slavery, Bullying, Misogyny, Abandonment, Confinement, Antisemitism, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, and Torture

lucyford's review

adventurous dark informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was the first historical fantasy book I’ve read, and I loved the setting so much! The magic was so well thought and it was interesting to see how it was perceived by people at the time. The plot was also very exciting.

The only thing is that I really didn’t like the ending. Like I know they were “together” in the end or whatever, but not in the way I would’ve liked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Hate crime, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Death, Murder, Violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Sexual content, Deportation, Police brutality, Infertility, and Emotional abuse

riaroo400's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Racial slurs, Sexism, Death, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Blood, Grief, Antisemitism, Classism, Racism, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, and Physical abuse

probablytoolate's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infertility, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Torture, Murder, Antisemitism, Sexual content, Sexism, Body horror, Death, and Domestic abuse

alexisdillon725's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Torture and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Death of parent, Mental illness, and Death

stormeno's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Blood, Mental illness, Gore, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death, Gaslighting, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

syd991's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

God I love Leigh Bardugo books

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Religious bigotry

cedence's review

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Sexual content

aileron's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Death, Antisemitism, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Blood, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, and Mental illness

pewterwolf's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Set in Spanish Golden Age, we follow Luzia, a scullion. She tries not to be seen, but she uses scraps of magic to make life a little easier. But when her mistress discovers that Luzia can perform  little miracles, she demands that Luzia uses them to better the family’s social position. But what begins as simple amusements for the bored nobility takes a dark turn when  disgraced secretary of the Spanish King, Antonio Pérez, and his familiar, Guillén Santángel, sees her and takes a dark interest in her. 

Luzia seizes the chance to better her self, but as her notoriety grows, the danger of her Jewish blood grows as, if she gets found out, the Inquisition’s wrath will be unspeakable. She has to stay several steps ahead. But the rules are always changing in the Spanish court and not everyone gets out alive.

I think I have to finally admit to myself that historical fiction and me aren’t going to get along and I need to stop pushing this genre onto my TBR lists. 

I struggle with them. This audiobook took me a month to get through. I started it the week of release, but I really struggled to connect with this. Plus, my brain was all over the place So I couldn’t really focus on this. But, when I did sit down and listen, I found myself bored and not connecting with the characters and the story. 

The story felt very slow and quite heavy (at times) for me. I like stories to have some pace when it starts, but it felt as if it took an age for the plot to charge forward. If you are a fan of slower burn of a plot where you get to know the characters, this is for you. But I find I like to know characters when they are doing something or when the plot is moving. 

While I wasn’t a fan of the story and the characters (they’re flawed characters, but not exactly likeable. I understood why they behaved the way they did, but I found it them frustrated and every time I found an element of them that I liked, something happened and I would be back at square one with this character), I am a fan of Leigh Bardugo’s writing and it fits so nicely with the audiobook’s narrator, Lauren Fortgang. I know she has read several other books by Bardugo, but this partnership works.

But this wasn’t for me. If you are a fan of historical fiction with an edge of magic, you should check it out. But be warned, it is a slow burn of a plot and can be heavy in places. 

As for me, like I said earlier, I think I have to admit that historical fiction, while a genre I like dipping my toe in and out of, isn’t the genre for me. I do have some on my TBR but I have heard really positive things about them so going to take the risk, but am going to go into them with low expectations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Violence, Vomit, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Blood, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, War, Antisemitism, Gore, and Misogyny

Moderate: Cursing and Infertility

Minor: Dementia and Death of parent