Book review: Creative language-based magic, but weak relationships in historical fantasy The Familiar

The Familiar

By Leigh Bardugo
Fantasy/Flatiron Books/Paperback/385 pages/$22/Amazon SG (

amzn.to/4aUaubN

)
3 stars

Leigh Bardugo, best known for her Grishaverse young-adult fantasy books, dips her toes into historical fantasy with The Familiar, a standalone novel set sometime towards the end of the 16th century.

It follows scullery maid Luiza Cotado, whose lack of sense puts her under the bidding of Victor de Parades. Caught using magic to perform miracles, she is presented with an opportunity to raise her station. The challenge is to win a competition by the Spanish king’s former secretary, Antonio Perez, and turn the tide for Spain to win the war against the heretic English queen.

Bardugo, an Israeli-American author, rose to popularity with her young-adult novel Shadow And Bone (2012), the first in a trilogy that later spawned two spin-off duologies, Six Of Crows (2015) and King Of Scars (2019). Known for their rich world-building and witty dialogue, the books became bestsellers, leading to the Netflix series Shadow And Bone (2021 to 2023).

Catholic Spain’s religious conflict makes for an interesting premise in her latest book, as Luiza’s magic is a result of her Jewish heritage, a lineage she cannot admit to for fear of torturous death.

A tad heavy-handed with its discussions about Catholicism, Protestantism and Judaism, the story fittingly questions the origins of unnatural powers that were equally feared and sought after during this period in history.

Forced to demonstrate her magic fully for the first time, Luiza falters. “Maybe the magic she used was demonic after all. She had wondered sometimes who answered when she sang her little songs. What if it was the devil who heard her whispered prayers?”

Descriptions of Luiza’s connection to her magic and her use of language and song to create spells are robust. Occasional murkiness about the exact boundaries of her and her competitors’ magic can be chalked up to the characters themselves not fully understanding the extent or source of their powers.

However, the competition takes a back seat, with the few scenes of any real excitement quickly swept away by pages of dialogue. A more generous sprinkling of action and grand magic could have perked up the pacing, which drags at times despite many attempted murders.

While Bardugo typically has no issues balancing a wide cast of characters and perspectives, adeptly building relationships that feel fleshed out, The Familiar is an exception. Beyond the predictable romantic relationship between Luiza and Victor’s servant Santangel, and the familial ties to her aunt, Luiza forms no substantial bond with any other characters.

In a story rife with political intrigue, where tensions between characters could be played up for betrayals and alliances, the novel disappoints as it focuses on the many conversations Luiza and Santangel have about the tests of her magic and her monologues about the dangers of her Jewish heritage being revealed.

It is a shame that none of the female relationships flourishes, as Bardugo has frequently paid attention to making sure her strong female characters are matched with equally strong female friends. The closest equivalent here is Luiza’s relationship with her aunt, whom she also feels animosity towards for giving her little help until the competition begins.

Though the novel wraps up well with the clever ways Bardugo gets her characters out of sticky situations, it lacks a certain oomph compared with her other works. While a gentle end to the story is no bad thing, one wishes it did not feel so simple and convenient.

If you like this, read: A Magic Steeped In Poison by Judy I Lin (Feiwel and Friends, 2022, $19.58, Amazon SG, go to

amzn.to/4e9qUQh

). Desperate to save her sister’s life, Ning joins a competition to find the kingdom’s most powerful shennong-shi – masters of the magical art of tea-making – and a chance to discover how powerful her magic truly is.