A review by lrenkate
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark tense slow-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

3.75

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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