The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo
The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo
7 Rating(s)
List: $26.99 | Sale: $17.82
Club: $13.49

The Familiar
A Novel

Bestseller

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Narrator: Lauren Fortgang

Unabridged: 12 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/09/2024


Synopsis

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * #1 INDIE BESTSELLER * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“An immersive, sensual experience.” —The New York Times

"Essential." —The Washington Post

"Narrator Lauren Fortgang channels the currents of magic and intrigue running throughout Bardugo’s layered historical fantasy...Skillful narration combined with an enchanting storyline makes for great listening."—AudioFile

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a spellbinding novel set in the Spanish Golden Age.

“A must-read for those who are seeking a little magic in their lives.” —Deborah Harkness, #1 bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

About Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Alex Stern series and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology—and much more. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University.


Reviews

Goodreads review by emma on August 01, 2024

leigh bardugo writes it, i read it. for better or worse. guess which one it is in this case. welcome to THE FAMILIAR, the genre-bending, worst-of-both-worlds historical fantasy universe of luzia. luzia is a maid. she is also magic. she is also boring. luzia is an orphan who works in some middle class e......more

Goodreads review by Robin on April 16, 2024

LEIGH BARDUGO YOU GENIUS another hot immortal man who’s just a funky little guy that treats his love interest like she literally makes the sun shine🤲 the familiar is a brilliant twist of magic and circumstance, of bargains gone wrong and words that can undo even the most powerful of bonds. this really......more

Goodreads review by Leigh on September 18, 2023

I've never done this before, but I see that it is permitted, so FIVE STARS FOR ME. * This is an all-new novel. * It's historical fantasy set in late 16th century Madrid. * It is adult, a standalone, and inspired by my own family history. (Most of my books get written in the daylight hours, but this o......more

Goodreads review by chan ☆ on October 09, 2024

edit: i was right and also…. this might be the most romantic thing i’ve read all year? 😅 ----------------------------------------------- ready to poppeth thine pussy merrily to what is sure to be a sexy lil semi- vampiric escapade......more

Goodreads review by Clace on May 04, 2024

3.75! “She would build herself a life of plenty. She would force her world to bloom as she’d made the pomegranate tree grow, and Santángel would help her do it. Even if blood watered the soil.” I am bumping it up a bit because I really like the ending but besides that for me it was still very subp......more


Quotes

"The sharp realism mixes with a genuine feeling of enchantment to create a top tier historical fantasy."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The Familiar highlights all of the things that make Bardugo so well loved: a romance with maddening chemistry, an artfully built world, side characters with their own deep backstories, and a plot full of dark twists and spiderweb connections."
—Booklist (starred review)

“Lush, gorgeous, precise language and propulsive plotting sweep readers into a story as intelligent as it is atmospheric.”
—Kirkus (starred review)

"Bardugo masterfully weaves magical realism with historical fiction and romance, which makes this book impossible to put down."
—Library Journal (starred review)

“A richly imagined, intricate tale... I loved every word of this novel, and it’s a must-read for those who are seeking a little magic in their lives.”
—Deborah Harkness, #1 bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches

"
Riveting... Leigh Bardugo's characters are so three-dimensional you want to reach through the page."
—Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Outlander

"
A wonderful, transporting ride through a moment in history, where you can see the height of Spanish power but also sense the rot underneath. I really enjoyed it, it definitely made me think, and, of course, it's deeply romantic."
—Katherine Arden, author of The Warm Hands of Ghosts


"Leigh Bardugo’s lush prose rolls off the tongue of narrator Lauren Fortgang in a most magical way, making the listener want to stay ensconced in the fantastical world of Luzia and Santángel. You’ll want to linger to learn what comes next in this Gothic fantasy filled with peril, personality and passion. Fortgang’s ease with Bardugo’s text is perhaps the most enchanting part of this audiobook, as she deftly slips between characters. The Familiar is a compelling listen that will leave you wanting more."—The Berkshire Eagle


Awards

  • New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year
  • NYPL Best Books of the Year
  • Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year
  • Amazon.com Best Books of the Year
  • NPR Best Book of the Year
  • Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year