Mar 9

Mar 9 The Familiar

About the book

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Flatiron

More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.

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Bookshop.org (print) | Libro.fm (audio)

My Review

If Leigh writes it, I read it. It’s that simple. And with The Familiar, our queen has blessed us once again. Boy, does she know how to sweep us away, how to write a love story, and how to knock an ENDING (!) out of the park.

Ninth House was super different from the Grishaverse, and this book is super different from all of them. A standalone adult historical fiction with magic rooted in culture and based on Leigh’s own family history, this book is quieter and slower than her other books, but with plenty of power and momentum.

This book is a love story, yes, but it’s also all about survival and claiming one’s own power. Not surprisingly given her family ties, Leigh’s depiction of Jewish perseverance and community during the Spanish Inquisition is truly chef’s kiss.

Bardugo fans, get excited, and be ready to widen your understanding of what she can do with a story.