Leigh Bardugo described The Familiar as romantic and character-driven, but I found it to be neither of these things. The premise is interesting and the protagonist enticing, but the narrative is slow and struggles to keep up with its own plans.
Burned bread becomes a fresh loaf, a meager basket of eggs begins to overflow, and a tear in a worn gown mends. These are the small bits of magic Luzia Cotado uses to aid her chores as Doña Valentina’s scullion. Luzia’s hard life leaves her wanting, so when Valentina discovers her abilities, she takes the opportunity to entertain her mistress’ guests and elevate her station. However, Luzia’s magic captures the attention of a powerful and wealthy nobleman who is itching to find someone talented enough to impress Spain’s king. Despite the warnings, Luzia will dance with the devil and enter the spotlight for a chance to have a life worth living.
I did enjoy this story immensely up until the halfway mark. The last half suffers from slow pacing, and I am ashamed to admit that this is the first Bardugo book that bored me. Not only was the story slow, but it snagged on odd plot points and had random character vignettes that felt important at the moment but ultimately didn’t add anything to the story now that I’m looking back. The most disappointing part was the romance. It was building up nicely for the first half, and then it went from zero to “I will die for you” at the turn of a page. There were some lovely moments between these characters but overall their relationship lacked emotional depth, so I felt disconnected from the intense way they were feeling towards each other. Engaging with this romance was like drinking a flat soda; the sweetness remained, while the lack of carbonation made for a dull indulgence.
While the story didn’t win me over, Luzia certainly made things interesting. She is a compelling protagonist because she is a woman who wants, damn the consequences. Luzia is hungry for power and wealth, and she will be the first to admit it. Even though she’s supposed to be a humble scullion, Luzia cannot smother her pride and can be a poor actress when having to show deference to her betters. She is smart enough to have fear, but her desire is more powerful. Luzia never wavers in her path even when knowing how spectacularly she could fail. She welcomes the horrible end that awaits her with open arms which was insane and awesome to see unfold. Bardugo doesn’t let the story swirl in a young woman’s doubt and instead drags us kicking and screaming through a confident Luzia’s bad decisions.
Bardugo’s brilliance did appear in the story behind the story. Underneath the magical and mysterious Luzia is a Jewish woman forced to conform to Spain’s oppressive Catholicism. Luzia laments losing pieces of herself while also living in constant fear of being found out. Her magic is tied to her family, history, and heritage and she must somehow be seen to rise above her station without revealing anything that would earn the pious Spain’s ire. I applaud Bargudo for making Familiar feel suffocating as we watch Luzia move through the hypocrisy of the time period. One character says it best stating “Luzia, I might be the holiest and most pious of Christians and it would not be enough for them.” Spain rules with the heavy hand of God, forcing Luzia to make desperate decisions and endure bleak outcomes.
I am a huge Leigh Bardugo fan and feel disappointed in myself for not loving this story. I can see glimmers of the author that I love, but there is something about The Familiar that did not vibe with me. It is what it is, and despite my mid experience with this story, nothing will stop me from picking up Bardugo’s next release.
Rating: The Familiar – 6.0/10
-Brandee
