The Familiar

3.5 Stars

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD (I'll let you know when):

I enjoyed this quite a bit. Each time I sat down to read, I looked forward to the story and the character development (for the main players, in particular. There are a lot of characters here and many are not interesting or seem sort of flat and predictable...a few though could have used more air time because the potential was there: Quiteria Escárcega, for example). The love story was interesting and I found myself most invested in this aspect of the story and found that it was what kept me coming back (which makes sense as this is the main part of the story...). The political aspect of things as it relates to King Phillip and Antonio Pérez was tepid. Like, oh yeah...we have to talk about the King and Pérez and the Inquisition (which wasn't portrayed as all that intimidating here) because this is what's supposed to raise the stakes...ok, let's get on with it. However, predictable the love story was here, it was still satisfying and enjoyable. Sort of how ice cream is satisfying and enjoyable. You know it's going to be yummy. And when it is yummy, you're happy that it was yummy, but you also expected it to be, soooo....yeah. Know what I mean?

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD:

Valentina is interesting. Probably my favorite character in this whole thing and I felt like her story...especially where it ends up...could be its own tale. What a gray character, but one you find yourself rooting for some (not so) inexplicable reason. And that scene in the woods with the horse and Marius? It could have been longer because it was so well-placed and so important for the development of both Marius and Valentina...a lost opportunity in my opinion, but not bad by any means...I just wanted more.

As for the setting and atmosphere, I wanted this to be more “fleshed out” (if you can say that about things like atmospheres and settings). I knew when this was taking place only because of the events closely preceding and during the story (defeat of the Spanish armada by Queen Elizabeth I, Inquisition), but other than that, very little in the story reminds you of when this takes place or what the environment was like or even how the environment actually does its own work to raise the stakes. I think I need to think on this one more...but I just didn't visualize the environment a lot with this one...and I am GREAT at visualizing a story. It's what I LOVE about reading. But with this, Bardugo didn't ask much of you in that respect...and for me, that's a let down.

Ok, this is a lot for a standalone “romantasy” of 379 pages, but I had thoughts. Overall, I rate this a 3.5. I enjoyed it. I looked forward to picking it up and for what it's worth, if this were to become a series (which based on the ending, I don't think it would), I'd spring for the next one.