A review by shetellsastory2
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

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

this was a surprise to say the least. The quote above hints at the blurred boundaries between the holy and the forbidden that Leigh masterfully explores. This very tension becomes the source of the novel's magic. Leigh's writing felt much more mature, lush and sumptuous. The narration and flow of the story were solid, I was hooked from start to end but I found myself un-caring for the plot at some turns. It wasn't remarkable in its twists and turns but rather the prose itself was unique enough to keep me intrigued. I found that Leigh presented a true social dilemma in between the lines in a very smart way; I'd find myself rolling my eyes so many times at sexist lines by men in the book then I'd find myself understanding that the author's intention is to show how society treated women in the 16th century (sometimes still do!). I was a bit skeptical before starting about how Leigh would treat the religion vs magic and science element of the story but hats-off to her because she truly nailed it with exceptional talent.