The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Introduction: A Historical Lens on Fiction

Leigh Bardugo The Familiar is not merely a historical fantasy novel, it is a profound, layered tapestry woven with the threads of real-world 16th-century Spain. It captures an era dominated by the Spanish Inquisition, social and religious intolerance, and a society built upon fear, power and secrecy. At the heart of this evocative setting is Luzia, a young Jewish woman navigating a world that demands silence and obedience. Yet, Bardugo transforms her journey into one of reclamation and resistance through mysticism, love and defiance.

This article aims to delve deeper than surface-level admiration, breaking down the historical authenticity, religious symbolism and the emotional resonance of the characters that make The Familiar a compelling portrait of love and identity under oppression.

The Setting: Spain in the Shadow of the Inquisition

The Spanish Inquisition, formally established in 1478, reached terrifying intensity during the time The Familiar is set. Under the reign of King Philip II, Catholic orthodoxy became synonymous with political loyalty. Heresy, witchcraft and deviation from the Church’s doctrines were met with brutal punishments, often culminating in public executions.

What makes this period so historically complex is the targeting of conversos Jews who had been forced to convert to Christianity, often still suspected of practicing Judaism in secret. Bardugo’s world doesn’t fictionalize this danger; it makes the audience feel it, as Luzia lives with the constant threat of exposure. Her daily life, from the food she prepares to the prayers she whispers, is shadowed by the risk of denunciation.

The novel subtly integrates the " limpieza de sangre” ("purity of blood") ideology, where ancestry determined one's societal value. This pseudo-racial caste system was not only dehumanizing but created generational trauma for those labeled as impure. Through Luzia, Bardugo places the reader inside the suffocating grip of these regulations, showing how laws shaped not just public actions but private thoughts.

LUZIA: A Woman of Hidden Power and Resilient Spirit

At the story’s core is “Luzia Cotado”, a woman who symbolizes countless silenced voices of history. She begins as a scullery maid, a lowly position that reflects her marginalized status a Jew, a woman, a servant. But Luzia is not powerless. Her connection to “Kabbalah”, the mystical tradition within Judaism, is her source of secret strength.

Unlike conventional fantasy heroines, Luzia’s power is not flashy. It is deliberate, rooted in ancient numerology, Hebrew script and spiritual symbolism. Bardugo masterfully uses Jewish mysticism not just for flair but to illustrate how cultural memory and spiritual resilience can become acts of rebellion. Luzia's spells and miracles mirror historical practices that were passed down quietly, often at great risk.

Her character development reflects the journey from invisibility to agency. Luzia slowly recognizes that her hidden identity is not a burden, but a source of divine and ancestral power. In a world that seeks to erase her, she learns to etch her existence in magic, memory and defiance.


Guillén Santángel: Nobleman, Outsider and Mirror

Guillén Santángel, Luzia’s love interest, is more than a romantic figure; he is a foil, a symbol and a paradox. Born into nobility, he should be an embodiment of the system. Yet Guillén exists on the margins of that very world an aristocrat who challenges expectations, whose identity and secrets make him an outsider within his own class.

Their romance is intoxicating because it is transgressive. It violates every social norm: Luzia is a servant and converso; Guillén is powerful and privileged. But their love is forged in danger, trust and shared alienation. It is this shared sense of not belonging that binds them, even when society demands they remain apart.

Historically, such relationships would be scandalous and possibly fatal. Yet Bardugo doesn’t romanticize their love merely as rebellion; she frames it as “truth” in a world of lies. Theirs is a love that strips away artifice, revealing humanity in its rawest form.

“Jewish Mysticism: The Power of the Unseen

One of the most striking elements of “The Familiar” is its portrayal of **Kabbalah** and Jewish magical traditions. Unlike the sensationalized versions of magic found in many fantasy stories, Bardugo’s treatment is respectful, researched and reverent.

Kabbalah is not spellwork in the traditional sense. It is a spiritual philosophy that seeks to understand the divine through sacred texts, symbols and meditative practices. Luzia’s magic often involves Hebrew letters, amulets, incantations and numerological patterns. These are drawn from real traditions practiced in secret across centuries.

This spiritual magic becomes a metaphor for survival. When Luzia performs miracles, it is not for glory but necessity to protect, to endure, to be seen. Her miracles give voice to the generations of Jewish women whose intellect and intuition were overshadowed by the men who authored religious texts. In Bardugo’s hands, the mystical becomes a feminist reclaiming of sacred space.


Thematic Depth: Resistance, Reclamation, and Romance

Resistance Through Identity
Luzia’s story is ultimately about the power of embracing identity. She begins the novel in fear of being discovered, punished, forgotten. But as the narrative unfolds, Luzia reclaims her lineage, her faith and her voice. This transformation is not just character development; it is a “historical resurrection”. She becomes the embodiment of those who endured the erasure of forced conversions, who whispered prayers in secret, who buried family names for safety.

Love as Rebellion
Romantic love, in “The Familiar”, is an act of rebellion. Luzia and Guillén’s relationship is a declaration that love cannot be legislated. Their passion is not reckless, but conscious they understand the risk and still choose each other. In doing so, they challenge not just social norms, but theological ones. Their love becomes a radical act of choosing one another over dogma, caste and fear.

The Power of Storytelling
Bardugo herself participates in a long tradition of Jewish storytelling, where fiction becomes preservation. “The Familiar” is both a narrative and an archive, preserving the lost voices of Sephardic Jews and reminding modern readers of histories that were intentionally obscured. Luzia’s magic is powerful, but so is the act of “telling her story”.

In this light, every miracle Luzia performs, every decision she makes, becomes part of a larger resistance, a refusal to be forgotten.


Symbolism and Subtext

Throughout the novel, Bardugo plants symbols that echo real-world Jewish rituals and esoteric knowledge. The use of candles, incantations, and sacred symbols are not fictional inventions, but reinterpretations of centuries-old traditions. Even Luzia’s name which means "light" is symbolic of her role as a beacon in dark times.

Guillén’s name, derived from the Germanic "will/desire," suggests internal struggle and longing. His connection to Luzia is not just romantic but spiritual. He is drawn to her light, even as the world seeks to extinguish it.

The house Luzia serves in, with its decaying grandeur and oppressive hierarchy, reflects the rot within Spanish society. Its structure mimics the Spanish caste system, with Luzia buried at the bottom, her power hidden beneath the stairs of power.


Historical Echoes in Modern Times

While the novel is set in the 16th century, its themes echo loudly today. The policing of identity, the use of religion as a weapon and the vilification of the "other" are not relics of the past. Bardugo subtly reminds readers that the systems Luzia fights against still linger in different forms, perhaps, but no less dangerous.

By reclaiming a story from the margins and infusing it with heart, romance and dignity, Bardugo does more than entertain. She educates, honors and “illuminates”.



Conclusion: Illuminating the Forgotten

“The Familiar” is a love story, a spiritual journey and a historical reclamation all at once. Leigh Bardugo has taken a dark chapter of Spanish history and imbued it with beauty, magic and hope. Through Luzia and Guillén, we do not just witness love we witness survival.

Their tale reminds us that identity can be hidden, but never destroyed. That truth may sleep, but it can be awakened. And that in the face of silence, the most radical act is to speak or to cast a spell that makes the world listen.

In honoring the forgotten, Bardugo ensures that they remain “familiar” to us all.