Reviews with content warning for Antisemitism - The Familiar

This was my first book by Leigh Bardugo, and I could certainly see picking up another by her. This is historical fantasy with ties to real historical events and figures along with fable, myth, and mysticism woven in. I found the two main characters interesting and complex and their love story believable and compelling. The side characters did seem a bit flat (or perhaps rushed/not as well-developed), but that didn't bother me all that much. I enjoyed this reading experience so much and found myself reaching for this book even when I only had a small sliver of time free - it was great! I don't read a lot of fantasy and felt this had just enough magic to fit into the genre but not so much that the world-building needs to be overly complex or drawn out (which is what oftentimes causes me to struggle with fantasy). Overall, I would recommend this book to those interested in this time period (the Spanish Inquisition) or who enjoy light fantasy with smart women at the center.

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ksbielenberg's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes

4.5

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mad_is_rad's review

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

I’ve never read anything quite like this, and it stretched my brain in a way I very much liked! I just wish I could have felt more connection with the characters.

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daryn's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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ewalkergrace's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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m_a_j's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

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novel_nibbles's review against another edition

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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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lucyford's review against another edition

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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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