Reviews with content warning for Religious bigotry - The Familiar

The Familiar didn’t hit its stride until reaching the torneo about 30% in; I really struggled with whether I wanted to continue up until that point and it took me a while to get that far - after that part, I read the rest in a day. Once they reach La Casilla, the story became varied, interesting, with engaging characters and interactions. The magic never felt very expansive, but that wasn’t necessary for this story. I loved the setting in Spain during the Inquisition, with the right amount of fear, poverty, and riches depicted. I appreciated all of the female main characters, who both felt different in how they were written and all deeply similar as women in this world. I would be interested to read more from this author, but hopefully without the slow start (which is what lowered my score from 4)

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bookedandbusy's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the rich atmosphere and magic system, and I really liked some of the characters!

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thelibraryskeeper's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense 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

5.0

"Fate can be changed," Luzia said. "Curses can be broken."

Leigh has an absolute gift for writing and her adult novels have been such a breath of fresh air. This is a dark standalone historical fiction novel about a young woman who comes from a familia conversa (a Jewish family forced to convert in the face of the inquisition). She has magic in her blood which leads to a competition of piety. The book is tragic and hopeful all at once. The romance was perfection and unlike other readers, I felt it fit perfectly.

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temperamentalprotagonist's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

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aj_mooney's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

This is a spectacular standalone fantasy. The mixture of magic, romance, and political intrigue was absolutely delightful. I love Luzia's character arc, as she comes into her power and claims a future for herself that no one expected from her. I also enjoyed being thrown into the world of the Spanish Inquisition, a time and place that are rarely covered in historical fiction. Overall, I think this is my favorite book from Bardugo to date.

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