In This Edition of
The BookBrowse Review
The BookBrowse Review
Published December 4, 2024
ISSN: 1930-0018
The BookBrowse Review
Published December 4, 2024
ISSN: 1930-0018
Contents
Highlighting indicates debut books
Discussions are open to all members to read and post. Click to view the books currently being discussed.
Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Essays
Poetry & Novels in Verse
Mysteries
Thrillers
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Biography/Memoir
History, Current Affairs and Religion
True Crime
Travel & Adventure
Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Mysteries
Thrillers
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Graphic Novels
History, Current Affairs and Religion
Science, Health and the Environment
| BookBrowse: | |
| Critics: | |
| Readers: |
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a spellbinding novel set in the Spanish Golden Age.
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2024 by The Washington Post, NPR, Goodreads, LitHub, The Nerd Daily, Paste Magazine, Today.com, and so much more!
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.
Chapter One
If the bread hadn't burned, this would be a very different story.
If the cook's son hadn't come home late the night before, if the cook hadn't known he was hanging around that lady playwright, if she hadn't lain awake fretting for his immortal soul and weeping over the future fates of possible grandchildren, if she hadn't been so tired and distracted, then the bread would not have burned and the calamities that followed might have belonged to some other house than Casa Ordoño, on some other street than Calle de Dos Santos.
If, on that morning, Don Marius had bent to kiss his wife's cheek before he went about the day's business, this would be a happier story. If he had called her my darling, my dove, my beauty, if he had noted the blue lapis in her ears, or the flowers she had placed in the hall, if Don Marius hadn't ignored his wife so that he could ride out to Hernán Saravia's stables to look over horses he could never afford to buy, maybe Doña Valentina wouldn't have bothered going down to the kitchen, and all of the tragedy that was to follow would have poured out into the gutter and rolled down to the sea instead. Then no one would have had to suffer anything but a bowlful of melancholy clams.
Doña Valentina had been raised by two cold, distracted parents who felt little toward her beyond a vague sense of disappointment in her tepid beauty and the unlikelihood that she would make a good match. She hadn't. Don Marius Ordoño possessed a dwindling fortune, lands crowded with olive trees that failed to fruit, and a well-proportioned but unassuming house on one of the better streets in Madrid. He was the best that Valentina, with her unremarkable dowry and less remarkable face, could hope for. As for Marius, he'd been married once before to a redheaded heiress, who had stepped in front of a carriage and been trampled to death only days after their wedding, leaving him without children or a single coin of her parents' money.
On Valentina's wedding day, she wore a veil of golden lace and ivory combs in her hair. Don Marius, gazing at their reflection in the watery mirror propped against the wall in the front room of his home, had been surprised by the jolt of lust that overtook him, inspired perhaps by his bride's hopeful eyes, or the sight of himself in his wedding clothes. But it's more likely he was moved by the brandied cherries he'd been eating all morning, tucking them into his cheeks and chewing them slowly rather than making conversation with his new father-in-law. That night he fell upon his bride in a frenzy of passion, whispering poetry into her ears, but he had managed only a few awkward thrusts before vertigo overcame him and he vomited the plump half-chewed bodies of brandied cherries all over the nuptial linen that Valentina had embroidered with her own hands over a period of many weeks.
In the months and years to come, Valentina would look back almost wistfully on that night, as Marius's cherry-fueled ardor was the only sign of passion or even interest in her that he had ever shown. And while it was true that she'd simply gone from one loveless home to another, that didn't mean she didn't feel the absence of love. Doña Valentina had no acceptable name for the longing she felt, and no idea how to soothe it, so she filled her days irritating their few servants with constant correction and existing in a state of relentless dissatisfaction.
That was why she went down to the kitchen that morning—not once, but twice.
The cook had grown increasingly erratic as her son's obsession with the playwright Quiteria Escárcega became known, so Doña Valentina made sure to check on her every morning. That day, as she came down the stairs, feeling the heat rise around her, she was greeted by the unmistakable odor of burning bread and nearly swooned with the pleasure of something tangible to complain about.
But the cook wasn't there.
Valentina intended to remain, sweating in the heat ...
Excerpted from The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo. Copyright © 2024 by Leigh Bardugo. Excerpted by permission of Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Flatiron Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
Here are some of the recent comments posted about The Familiar.
You can read the full discussion here, and please do participate if you wish.
Be aware that this discussion will contain spoilers!
Are there any quotes you found particularly memorable, and if so, what about them rang true for you?
"There are different types of suffering. Valentia thought. The kind that takes you by surprise and the kind you live with so long, you stop noticing it." p. 368 Survive is essential, but to thrive is a bonus. Blindspots to some suffering is... - robinsb
Did the language used by the characters seem appropriate to the time period of the novel?
Not having read a lot of books during this time frame, I felt the language was appropriate. Bardugo's research is pretty extensive, so I am sure she also delved into what words were appropriate for the time frame. - taking.mytime
Do you think each of the characters deserved their fate? Who, in your opinion, deserved better, who deserved worse, and why?
I enjoy an ending where the author gives you detail about each character However by the time I got to this point I was just done with this book - taking.mytime
Do you think Santángel was a good man? Do you think Luzia loves him because he’s good in some respects, or in spite of it?
I think Luzia found the good in Santángel that she wanted to see. He started out as self serving, but as we got to know him he was no worse than any other. - taking.mytime
How much control do you think Luzia has over her circumstances?
She was a woman during the Spanish Inquisition - she had no control. She was controlled in every aspect of her life. - taking.mytime
How would Luzia's life have been different if she'd refused Valentina's demand to perform for guests?
Luzia would ahve probably been thrown out of the home and then who knows what would ahve happened. Remember Luzia was a slave - she had no other option than to do as she was told. - taking.mytime
In what ways do you feel the Spanish Inquisition influenced the competition, its participants and its audience, if at all?
Prior to the Spanish Inquisition Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand had been fighting in a 10 year long war to conquer the Kingdom of Granada. This ended the last Moorish Muslim territory in Iberia. The new vision of Isabella was to aggressively ... - robinsb
Luzia believes that Santángel had been using her, but that he also cared about her, thinking that "Both things can be true and still mean nothing." Do you agree?
I believe that statement is correct. Santángel was a compound person...or Familiar. He used her for his own good, but also fell in love with her. - taking.mytime
Luzia is warned to proceed with caution. How do you think her society regarded female ambition, and is the advice she was given still valid today?
Women are still controlled today. Either by men or open opportunities, or daily circumstances. Told to harness their ambition.
However back when this novel took place Luzia was virtually a non entity. She had no place or standing.... - taking.mytime
Luzia tells Santángel, “Let it be my ambition and not my fear that seals my fate.” Why do you think she's not more afraid to take the test?
Luzia has confidence - she is a strong willed woman who has faith in her own ability and she is okay with the consequences of the outcome. She believes she do well at anything she attempts. - taking.mytime
Luzia’s aunt tells her that “some people brought misery with them like weather.” What do you suppose she means?
There will always be pessimists. And for some a bad omen jsut seems to follow them, regardless of what they want. People of a lower status, those having more problems, are often looked upon as being more miserable than others. - taking.mytime
Many scenes in the novel seem to have hidden meanings. Which did you notice, and what do you suppose they meant?
I struggled through this book, so hidden scenes alluded me. - taking.mytime
Overall, what do you think of The Familiar (no spoilers)
I think that this was a well researched novel, but it is not the type of historical work that I enjoy. I had to restart this book three times to really get into it and I am not sure that I even got into it then. I felt that the characters were ... - taking.mytime
Santángel tells Luzia that “it is a danger to become nothing.” What does he mean, in your opinion?
In their period of time it would have been dangerous to just float along. You then become under someone else's control and lose all control of your own life. Then there is no guarantee how you will live. - taking.mytime
To what kind of audience would you recommend The Familiar?
I would recommend this book to those who like this era - historical, Spanish Inquisition, castles, Kings, mild fantasy, magical realism. But mostly to those who like this era in time. - taking.mytime
Valentina believed meeting King Philip “would change her, give her value.” Do you think this is why people seek out celebrities?
Valentina wanted to be seen as worthy and she thought that this was the path to make her notable.
I have been around various 'notable' people in my life - from politicians to singers to actresses. I have never seen them ... - taking.mytime
Valentina thinks, “There are different kinds of suffering…The kind that takes you by surprise and the kind you live with so long, you stop noticing it.” Do you agree with her?
Yes, suffering abounds thru our lives. Some is brought on by our own actions, some by the actions of others and some thru no one's fault. Suffering will always exist - it is just how we react to what we are given that shows true character. - taking.mytime
Were you surprised by who ended up befriending Luzia, and who ended up betraying her?
Many of the characters melded together for me. Since I do not read a lot of this era the names were strange to me - and I am not sure I followed them very well. - taking.mytime
What are your thoughts about immortality? Would you want to live forever?
Barring bad health, I would hope to live to a ripe old age. As long as I have my health and my mind the years can just continue to roll on. As far as immortal - I am not sure. Don't they say "all good things come to an end"? - taking.mytime
What did you know about the Spanish Inquisition and their methods before reading the book?
Not much - this is not an era that I enjoy reading about. - taking.mytime
What did you know about the time period before reading the novel? Had you heard of any of the real-life figures before reading it?
Not my time period... I rarely read about this period in time - taking.mytime
What role did religion play in the lives of Luzia, Hualit, and Valentina? How was religion different from belief for them?
Their Jewish beliefs were kept hidden - their Jewish religion also hidden to preserve their very lives. - taking.mytime
What surprised you most about the plot? Which scenes resonated with you, and why do you think you found them remarkable?
I struggled thru most of this book, so surprise was not an element that came to light. - taking.mytime
Why didn't the women push back more generally on societal roles and positions given them?
They are women who live in a society controlled by men who have God on their side. Still, the women do find ways and the courage to push back as they can.
At the beginning of the story, Luzia asks Santangel, "Who has more ... - lindao
Luzia, the heroine of Leigh Bardugo's novel The Familiar, is a young woman employed as a scullion in the home of the decidedly middle-class Marius and Valentina Ordoño. Although she appears to be just an ordinary servant, Luzia can perform simple magic — unburning a loaf of bread, fixing torn clothing, turning six eggs into a dozen. She does her best to keep this talent hidden; it's the age of the Spanish Inquisition, and she fears coming to the institution's attention, well aware that her gift would be viewed with mistrust. Making her situation even more precarious is that she's a "converso" (a Jew who's converted to Christianity) and would very likely end up being tortured and then burned at the stake if arrested. One day her mistress accidentally sees one of these "milagritos" — little miracles. Eager to improve her status, Valentina invites important people to dinner and forces Luzia to perform. As Luzia's fame spreads and her talent grows, she comes to the attention of wealthy and powerful men who intend to use her abilities to improve their status at the court of Philip II — ultimately putting her life in grave danger.
Bardugo's prose is lovely throughout, with lush descriptions that bring each scene to life:
"A woman had entered the ballroom. Her hair was smooth and so black it shone nearly blue. Her milky skin seemed to catch the candlelight so she glowed like a captured star. Her staid gown was black velvet and covered her completely, but it was so heavily embroidered with diamonds and metallic thread that it no longer looked black, but like quicksilver, sparkling beneath the chandeliers."
She brilliantly conjures up a sense of magical wonder while casting it against the menacing shadow of the Inquisition. It's this tension that drives the plot and keeps the pages turning.
The author's attention to historical detail is also superb. She completely captures the everyday life of the times (Luzia must walk to a fountain to get buckets of water, sleeps on a cellar floor and attends mass daily). Beyond that, many of the characters are real-life historical figures, including Lucrecia de León (see Beyond the Book), Antonio Pérez and Miguel de Piedrola. While none are major characters, they're inserted so skillfully that their inclusion feels like a natural outgrowth of the story.
The real highlight, though, is Bardugo's fictional characters and their development. I was especially impressed with the depth she gives each. We gradually learn, for example, that Luzia isn't as oblivious and obedient as she appears to be, and we come to understand why she takes the risks she does. Valentina, too, transforms in unexpected ways by the end. Each character, in fact, is imbued with complexity, and it's this intricacy that makes the novel such a winner.
The Familiar should be of interest to a young audience in addition to an older one with its emphasis on fantasy, both magical and romantic. It's a fun, fast read that reminded me of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and those who enjoyed that book will likely find this one equally enchanting. It will also appeal to historical fiction readers, especially those interested in Renaissance Spain, and it's sure to become a book club favorite.
Reviewed by Kim Kovacs
Deborah Harkness, #1 bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches
Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Outlander
Katherine Arden, author of The Warm Hands of Ghosts
Rated 5 out of 5
by Gloria M
Captivating Tale
I LOVE reading books! However, I usually first borrow books from the library (occasionally from family/friends) and then if I feel the novel deserves five stars AND I would happily re-read it, I will purchase it for my own collection. This is primarily because I have limited space and limited funds. Occasionally I do buy a work of fiction immediately-when it is part of a series I already have or it is just so intriguing I am 100 confident it meets my criteria.
I was surprised by how quickly I became engrossed in Leigh Bardugo's latest book, "The Familiar." I have other works by Bardugo, but it usually takes a chapter or two for me to become totally invested in the characters, setting and plot. Luzia is a strong protagonist who unfortunately lives during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. She is a converso (one of the Jewish faith who converts to the Catholic religion to stay alive) and an orphan and a destitute servant, forced to sleep on a dirt floor and work constantly with no hope of a better life. She is intelligent (having learned how to read as a child) and ambitious-yearning to improve her lot. She is also gifted with a talent for magic (restoring broken items/healing injuries) and once her mistress, Valentina discovers this power things begin to get interesting.
She is forced to perform and we get to go along for the ride. We watch her grow and discover her true nature and just how powerful she can be and also find love for the first time with Santangel-an immortal man who is not a good person. We also see Valentina blossom as a better woman and realize her husband, Marius, will never make her happy. There are evil priests, there are powerful wealthy men with their own agendas, and an aunt that is more concerned with her own survival than really helping her niece..
Bardugo weaves a captivating tale, full of detail and richly constructed personalities. It is difficult to put down! It is ideal for those who love historical fiction and those who love literary fiction. I am grateful to BookBrowse and Flatiron Books for the ARC- but I definitely would have gone out to buy it!! It is a keeper!!
Rated 4 out of 5
by Jill
An Entertaining Read
THE FAMILIAR By Leigh Bardugo
Thank you to BookBrowse for the ARC of The Familiar
read
An entertaining read of speculative fiction, historical fiction and doses of magical fantasy, set in late 16th century Madrid at the height of the Spanish Inquisition. The prose is lyrical and lovely.
Luzia Cotado is a scullion and orphan who sleeps on a filthy floor and dreams of having a better life with money to give her the freedom she yearns for and the love she doesn’t have. To help her get through the menial tasks of her days, she uses a bit of magic, which she keeps secret from everyone.
Luzia’s mistress finds out she can perform “milagritos,” and seizes on the opportunity to benefit herself. To raise her social status she has Luzia perform for her dinner guests. Soon the entertainment catapults her into fame and danger. Luzia fears her secret of Jewish blood will be discovered and she tries to steer clear of the Inquisition. Luzia is thrown into a magical contest to find the king a new holy champion. She is forced to train with, Guillen Santangel, a supernatural servant who is the “familiar” of the book’s title.
Touching on trust, betrayal, belief, survival and love.
This my first read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more by this author.
The fictional heroine of Leigh Bardugo's novel The Familiar interacts with several characters based on people who really did live in Spain during the 16th century. One of these is a young woman based on the figure Lucrecia de León, also known as "Lucrecia the Dreamer." Like the main character Luzia, Lucrecia comes under government suspicion for having certain abilities that are not easily explained, a detail that is consistent with the facts of De León's life.
Spain's ruler, Philip II, moved his court and imperial residence to Madrid in 1561, and by the end of the decade the city had become a hotbed of political intrigue. Conspiracies and rumors ran rampant and talk against the king was common. Many felt the monarchy had become corrupt and greedy, working for the benefit of the wealthy rather than its subjects. Prophecies were used as a tool to both validate the king's rule and to protest his policies.
Lucrecia de León was born into this environment in 1567 or 1568, the daughter of a solicitor of modest means who received little education. She had vivid dreams from an early age and could relate them in stunning detail. When some of the dreams came true, people started asking her to divulge her visions to them. She began charging a fee for the information, against her father's wishes.
As Lucrecia grew into adulthood, news of her talents reached the ears of a powerful clergyman, Alonso de Mendoza. Mendoza was obsessed with prophecies and arranged to have Lucrecia's dreams recorded regularly. Ultimately these "Dream Registers," compiled from November 1587 through April 1590, would contain over 400 entries.
Lucrecia ran afoul of the government in February 1588, when her dreams predicted the defeat of Spain's Armada, and the deaths of Philip and his son and heir. Her arrest was ordered by the vicar of Madrid. Mendoza appealed to the papal nuncio and the inquisitor general, asking for time to determine if Lucrecia's dreams were a gift from God. He prevailed and she was released, and the following August the Spanish Armada was, indeed, crushed as she had predicted. She consequently became even more popular.
During this same time, the king's secretary, Antonio Pérez, fell from favor. Once Philip's confidant, Pérez manipulated and deceived him; when this betrayal was discovered, Pérez was arrested. He escaped from prison in April 1590, with the help of a supporter who also championed Lucrecia, and she came under suspicion of plotting against the monarchy and supporting Pérez as a result.
She was questioned — sometimes under torture — for the next five years. She may have been held for so long because some of her visions had come true, and so some wondered if she was divinely inspired. The court finally issued a verdict in July 1595, convicting her of blasphemy, witchcraft and sedition, among other things. Her auto-da-fé — a public ritual of penance — was held five days later. She was sentenced to 100 lashes and imprisonment for two years, followed by permanent expulsion from Madrid. This was actually a light sentence, as many accused of such serious crimes were burned at the stake. There's no documentation as to why she was shown such leniency, although the authorities may have concluded she was just an ignorant girl who was used by unscrupulous enemies of the crown.
Lucrecia's ultimate fate remains unknown; she disappears from the historical record at this point.
An auto-da-fé in the Great Square in Madrid
Illustration courtesy of Wellcome Collection via Look and Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Filed under People, Eras & Events
By Kim Kovacs
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
