Jason Furman's Reviews > The Familiar

I was really looking forward to this book from the date I saw it announced about nine months ago. Golden Age Spain, court intrigue, conversos, a bit of light magic, a fantastic cover, what is not to love? I bout it the day it was released. And it was... fine.

It is the story of a scullion maid whose mistress discovers she can do magic (things like making burnt bread unburnt or repairing a broken glass). She starts showing her off to others to advance her social position which results in her getting a patron who is connected to the court and enters her in a series of magic tournaments that are supposed to produce a holy champion for the King. The scullion maid seems mean and uneducated but actually has sharp wits and meets her match and also her eventual love in the patron's fixer, a man named Santángel--The Familiar from the title.

At times there are too many characters with too many names each. The procession through rounds of the tournament feels a lot like the standard formula. But a lot of it was distinctive and it all came together really well in the end.