The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Book Description

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to improve the family’s social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. 

Review

Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar transports us into the heart of Renaissance Madrid, blending gritty historical fiction with a touch of magic. The story follows Luzia Cotado, a scullery maid with Jewish heritage and hidden magical abilities. Luzia’s journey is all about survival, ambition, and trying to protect herself in a world where both her identity and her powers are dangerous.

In some ways, The Familiar reminded me of Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott. Not only because Luzia and Bellatine each attribute their magic to their Jewish ancestry, but because both novels explore the tension between heritage and self-determination.

The worldbuilding in The Familiar is fantastic. Under Bardugo’s skillful hands, 16th-century Spain comes alive. Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition, the novel brims with political intrigue, danger, and tension. The story is well written, heartbreaking, and beautiful.

A Study of Women

What I found most striking in The Familiar was how Bardugo used the three central female characters to explore how society can limit agency.

Luzia Cotado, the protagonist, is a scullery maid with no power, prospects, or future. She sleeps on the floor, eats what she’s given, and endures the whims and tempers of her employer. But despite owning nothing, Luzia is also the freest. Luzia can use music-based magic to improve small things in her life. She also has some freedom of movement; she can go to the market and attend church by herself.

Doña Valentina de Ordoño is Luzia’s employer. Although she is a married noblewoman, Valentina also has no future. Trapped in a loveless marriage with a man of meager means, Valentina cannot leave her home unescorted. Despite her material privileges (relative to Luzia), her circumstances imprison Valentina in her home with nothing to do.

At first glance, Hualit Cana, Luzia’s aunt, appears to enjoy exactly what the other two women lack. The mistress of a powerful man, Hualit lives a luxurious life of leisure. But Hualit also exists on a knife’s edge; her life and household depend entirely on the largess of her manipulative patron.

Each of these women comes from different social standings and positions of power, but are all confined by the gender-based expectations and restrictions. All three are on journeys of personal growth. I often found myself enraged by the injustice of their circumstances… and grateful to have been born in another time and place.

If you enjoy historical fantasy and stories about women coming into their own power, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

Have you read it? How do you feel about Bardugo’s take on magic in a historical setting?

Content Warning

Antisemitism, Classism, Confinement, Death, Fire, Mental Health, Murder, Misogyny, Religious Bigotry, Slavery, Torture, Violence

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Isabella Fischer on Unsplash