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A review by madlysoph
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book was delicious, you can tell how personal it was to Leigh, particularly when it comes to Luzia. Her character is crafted with so much thought and care. Watching her grow and bloom over the course of the story is a delight, as she comes into her ferocity and boldness, things she has shied from all her life.
The intensity of both her and her love interest makes the moments of tenderness all the more beautiful. They so easily understand one another and are constantly awed by each other. Their relationship was easy to fall in love with, they are tender and fierce, and unapologetic. There is some smut, mostly concentrated in one portion of the book, it was the way I prefer it, vague and mostly fade to black. There is also a lot of crude language as well (see 1500s Spain).
The way everything plays out and how all the threads weave together is done very well. When the pieces are put together it is a surprise but not a shock as the foundation has been properly laid. The women in this book are unapologetic, what they make of the situations they find themselves in they do not apologize for.
This book felt surprisingly tender, there was a tremendous amount of care and love put into it as well as research, she cites many sources in the author's notes. The themes and symbolism were done masterfully, fortune and curses are a theme that is woven into the story seamlessly. The symbolism of the orange blossoms throughout was beautifully done and felt very tender. I love pomegranate symbolism and I loved the way it was done here.
This book was funny, not consistently funny but on occasion I would be caught off guard and have to laugh out loud. The background character of the playwright (whose name escapes me at the moment) was incredibly humorous as she manages to appear in the background from the very beginning and stays until the very end.
I love how Leigh does endings, I closed this book content with the fates of nearly every character. Of course a good book makes you want more, but I didn’t need more for the story to feel whole and complete. This is a book that I will definitely reread and will most likely fall more in love with each time I reread it.
I was not the biggest fan of the love interest being an immortal man, but their romantic relationship doesn’t begin until roughly 60% of the way into the book, when the two have an established relationship and are on a more level playing field when it comes to power. Both are servants, her a scullion and him a familiar, cursed to tend to and give luck to generations of a family. This provides them an easy understanding of one another and helps bring them to the same level. Him being devoted to her rather early on helps this as well.
The intensity of both her and her love interest makes the moments of tenderness all the more beautiful. They so easily understand one another and are constantly awed by each other. Their relationship was easy to fall in love with, they are tender and fierce, and unapologetic. There is some smut, mostly concentrated in one portion of the book, it was the way I prefer it, vague and mostly fade to black. There is also a lot of crude language as well (see 1500s Spain).
The way everything plays out and how all the threads weave together is done very well. When the pieces are put together it is a surprise but not a shock as the foundation has been properly laid. The women in this book are unapologetic, what they make of the situations they find themselves in they do not apologize for.
This book felt surprisingly tender, there was a tremendous amount of care and love put into it as well as research, she cites many sources in the author's notes. The themes and symbolism were done masterfully, fortune and curses are a theme that is woven into the story seamlessly. The symbolism of the orange blossoms throughout was beautifully done and felt very tender. I love pomegranate symbolism and I loved the way it was done here.
This book was funny, not consistently funny but on occasion I would be caught off guard and have to laugh out loud. The background character of the playwright (whose name escapes me at the moment) was incredibly humorous as she manages to appear in the background from the very beginning and stays until the very end.
I love how Leigh does endings, I closed this book content with the fates of nearly every character. Of course a good book makes you want more, but I didn’t need more for the story to feel whole and complete. This is a book that I will definitely reread and will most likely fall more in love with each time I reread it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Torture