| "Santangel had lived only one life, and it had been both long and remarkably boring. His early years of travel and debauchery, of scholarship and pleasure seeking, seemed like a dream someone else had and then tried to relate to him. He had forgotten fear, forgotten rage. What had remained was a kind of scholarly curiosity about the world and its workings, a dim hope that one day in one of his many books, he would discover the secret of the bad bargain he had struck with Victor de Paredes and would find a way to undo it. There were no surprises. Everyone reminded him of someone he’d met before; every moment was one he’d already lived. He had thought this unrelenting march of sameness would continue until he found a way to break free or he found the courage to die. Then Luzia had entered his life.” |
— Leigh Bardugo, The Familiar
This is the story of a young magician's quest for freedom during Medieval Spain's Inquisition. I loved the blend of magic with history. The story follows Luzia Cotado, a twenty-year-old kitchen maid whose small, domestic acts of magic—doubling eggs, mending bread, heating water—seem as commonplace to her as cooking supper for her wealthy patrons. Her grandmother had taught her ancient refrains—fragments of Hebrew, Arabic, and Greek—and through these songs and phrases she can subtly alter the world around her. The magic feels mysterious, expansive, and real.
As Luzia's abilities become known, her life expands dramatically; she draws too much attention from various nobles, some more powerful and potentially dangerous than others. Soon she finds herself transported from kitchens and courtyards into a magical competition in Madrid, where sorcerers, frauds, patrons, and inquisitors, all seek to use Luzia for their own ends.
As Luzia's abilities become known, her life expands dramatically; she draws too much attention from various nobles, some more powerful and potentially dangerous than others. Soon she finds herself transported from kitchens and courtyards into a magical competition in Madrid, where sorcerers, frauds, patrons, and inquisitors, all seek to use Luzia for their own ends.
| “God gave women beauty to tempt men and speech to drive him mad.” — Don Gustavo |
Throughout the exotic setting and magical system, the novel's characters are for the most part trapped. Luzia hides her Jewish heritage behind Catholic conformity. Teoda, another prodigy magician, is constrained by family expectations. Even the wealthy and powerful seem imprisoned by ambition, fear, and enforced conformity. Guillén Santángel, the book's most fascinating character to me, is literally bound by a centuries-old curse that forces him into servitude.
I found The Familiar to be a refreshingly easy and intriguing story. Its best moments involve ordinary people seeking freedom in a world determined to control them. The magic system and competition are exciting and memorable. The setting is rich. Santángel is a complex character. And while I wished for greater dramatic intensity and a more convincing romance, I never stopped wanting to know what came next. [JG]
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