Whether you are a longtime fan of bestselling author Leigh Bardugo’s young adult novels or have only discovered her work through her adult debut, NINTH HOUSE, you know this to be true: a new Bardugo book is a gift, an excuse to drop everything, suspend your disbelief and rush unflinchingly into whatever magical world she has crafted for you next. When it comes to her latest release, THE FAMILIAR, this means journeying back to Inquisition-era Spain, where miracles are in short supply, and paranoia --- of the devil, of sin, of saying the wrong thing to the wrong person --- is at an all-time high.

Luzia Cotado came into the world on the same day that the queen died. Her mother often warned her that being born to the performative wails of the city’s grief flipped something in her as an infant, tricking her into believing that she was destined for more. Now a shabby scullion living on a shabby street in a shabby townhouse reporting to a --- you guessed it --- shabby señora, Luzia can’t say for sure that it was the queen’s death that awakened her desire, but she knows one thing: she doesn’t just dream of more, she longs for it.

For as long as she can remember, Luzia has cast simple spells to make her life easier: doubling the number of eggs in her basket, restoring burned bread, mending tears in her only dress. Her magic is controlled by refranes as she pairs simple sayings with a melody that feels innate to her. The language of her spellwork, of her music, is not one she knows fluently. Rather it is a mishmash of Spanish, Turkish, Greek…and Hebrew, the language of the Jews, her people.

"The book is equal parts history, fantasy, political intrigue, coming-of-age and even romance. And true to form, Bardugo doesn’t begin a theme, plotline or twist that she can’t finish successfully. In this case, she knocks each one out of the park."

If there is one thing even more dangerous than being magical, it is being Jewish, particularly one of the conversos. These are Jewish people who converted to Christianity under duress and are permanently suspected of practicing their own faith in secret, which is a prosecutable offense. With the Inquisition’s alguacil forever hunting down heretics and other sinners, Luzia has learned to become invisible, pairing her tepid beauty with ratty frocks and a dull, empty gaze that belies her shrewd intelligence. That is, until the day that her señora, Doña Valentina, catches her in the act.

A social climber whose lack of beauty and wit has set her firmly on the lower rungs, Valentina knows that a magical scullion is a guaranteed invite into the elite --- lavish parties, expensive dresses and powerful friends. But as Valentina begins to slowly announce her maid to the masses, she catches the ears of much more powerful men and women who have been searching for milagritos of their own.

Unbeknownst to Luzia and Valentina, Antonio Pérez, former secretary to the king, has been searching for a way to get back in the king’s good graces. So he has decided to host a tournament to find a holy champion. But the Torneo Secreto is not just a game, nor is it polite entertainment or pageantry. Pérez’s life and fortune are at stake, and winning the tournament will mean not just impressing him, but also walking the fine line between illusion and miracle.

Searching only for a way out of Valentina’s control, Luzia is shocked when she is offered a patron: Victor de Paredes, one of the wealthiest men in the city and the well-known patron of Luzia’s own aunt, a professional mistress who has guided Luzia from afar, instructing her in the words of her spells even as she refuses to pull her out of a life of servitude and poverty. Victor’s patronage draws aunt and niece close together publicly, but at a cost. They cannot reveal their shared lineage without drawing attention to Luzia’s muddied name and history. It should be obvious by now that the holy champion can be magical, spellbinding, even sensual, but they absolutely cannot be Jewish.

Victor also brings Guillén Santángel, a captivating, hauntingly handsome man who is feared by nearly all who come into contact with him. Known for carrying out Victor’s more gruesome tasks (such as the murdering of snitches and the disposing of bodies), Santángel is a familiar, forever tied to the de Paredes bloodline, forever tortured with the promise of freedom. His eyes set on winning the torneo and beating Pérez once and for all, Victor instructs Santángel to tutor Luzia and help her refine her magic. But Victor doesn’t know that magic is magnetic, a force beyond our own senses…and Luzia’s magic, her power and even her stubborn personality are awakening Santángel’s magic as well.

As Luzia prepares for and begins the Torneo Secreto, it becomes obvious that in a world of charlatans, heretics and holy (or at least holier-than-thou) men, she can rely only on her own powers and her growing connection with and attraction to Santángel. Exploring her magic and setting herself free means risking arrest, torture and even burning at the stake. But Luzia is a heroine worth rooting for, an empowered and empowering protagonist who only Leigh Bardugo could craft as convincingly, beautifully and urgently.

It almost goes without saying that Bardugo’s ability to produce magical, fantastical worlds with believable, clever magic systems and characters grappling with serious, timely questions of morality is unparalleled. In THE FAMILIAR, she pairs her trademark fantasy writing skills with real-life history, creating something even stronger than the sum of its parts: a finely written, meticulously researched work of historical fantasy that pushes the envelope on what the genre can do.

The book is equal parts history, fantasy, political intrigue, coming-of-age and even romance. And true to form, Bardugo doesn’t begin a theme, plotline or twist that she can’t finish successfully. In this case, she knocks each one out of the park. Paired with her lush, precise prose, every single theme --- of empowerment, of radical delight, of identity, of betrayal and even of love --- is expertly explored, gorgeously rendered and employed perfectly to propel the plot and help her characters grow and develop.

While hardline fantasy readers may find the blend of fantasy and history a bit jarring here, the beauty of Bardugo’s words, the galvanizing nature of her protagonist and the lush splendor of her magic can paper over any quibbles or complaints. Whatever she does, Bardugo does it best.