The Familiar
A Novel
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٤٫٤ - ٤٣٧ من التقييمات
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- 12٫99 US$
وصف الناشر
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * #1 INDIE BESTSELLER * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“An immersive, sensual experience.” —The New York Times
"Essential." —The Washington Post
GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FINALIST * A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, Kirkus, Women's World, Town & Country Magazine, NYPL
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a spellbinding novel set in the Spanish Golden Age.
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 lump of a 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. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.
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. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santángel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Two people with magical powers and sketchy pasts plot their escape from the Spanish Inquisition in this poignant romantic fantasy from bestseller Bardugo (Hell Bent). After Luzia Cotado, a housemaid hiding her Jewish heritage, allows her ambitious employer a glimpse of her ability to cast spells using "refranes" (Hebrew-Spanish proverbs), he enters her into a competition for royal miracle workers. Sponsored by Víctor de Paredes, a wealthy social climber, Luzia is trained by his "familiar," Guillén Santángel, an undying retainer who long ago traded away his luck and freedom for immortality. Despite being initially suspicious of each other, Luzia and Santángel find that among the competition's fake psychics, dangerous real magicians, and even more deadly patrons, they can only rely on their own powers and their growing mutual attraction. Bardugo puts an earthy spin on heavenly miracles, with much attention given to the mundane drudgery of daily life that is not erased—even with magic that can unburn bread. Luzia's pursuit of her powers, even at risk of burning at the stake, comes across as both empowering and practical compared to a life of unrewarding toil, making it easy to root for her through the competition. The sharp realism mixes with a genuine feeling of enchantment to create a top tier historical fantasy.
مراجعات العملاء
Good, but slow
Leigh Bardugo could write the back of a cereal box and I’d still show up ready to cry over the typography. The Familiar is beautifully written—lyrical, aching, and steeped in history. The Jewish themes of survival and identity are heartfelt, and there’s real power in watching Luzia, a maid with secret magic, fight to exist in a world that would rather erase her. It’s smart, heavy with meaning, and at times genuinely moving.
But then the story remembers it’s supposed to have, you know, plot. What was promised as a magical tournament full of danger and sorcery ends up feeling like a bureaucratic internship with extra candlelight. Luzia performs “miracles” for bored nobles, politics take center stage, and the tension moves slower than holy water evaporating. The competition scenes could’ve had claws. Instead, they had… paperwork.
And the romance. The marketing said “most romantic Bardugo yet.” Lies. Luzia and Santángel are less “forbidden lovers” and more “co-workers who shared one traumatic Tuesday.” He’s supposed to be brooding and immortal; he reads like a centuries-old houseplant who forgot sunlight was a thing. There’s yearning, sure—but it’s the kind that makes you check your phone mid-page.
Still, that ending? Gorgeous. Heartbreaking and full of quiet defiance. Bardugo’s prose saves it from sinking completely, but The Familiar is proof that beautiful writing can only carry so much dead weight. Three stars. Five if you count the pomegranate scene. Best enjoyed with a goblet of wine, a Latin dictionary, and the faint hope your immortal boyfriend eventually says something interesting.
Meh
This book took its sweet time. Like… I aged a little waiting to care about these people. It wasn’t until almost the end that I finally thought, “Oh okay, now I’m invested.”
The romance between Luzia and Santángel? Blink and you’ll miss the entire buildup. It went from mysterious vibes to deep connection at warp speed, which felt especially wild considering how slowly everything else moved.
But, I will give credit where it’s due. The ending tied everything together so neatly it felt like the author gently tucked me in and said, “There there, it all makes sense now.” And honestly, that helped a lot.
A must read
This is on my top ten list of fantasy!