On a long drive, I look for a book with an engaging but swift moving plot, long enough to cover a couple days of driving but short enough to finish during the trip, characters that are interesting without being too subtle (the vagaries of the road sometimes distract my attention), and a reader that I can listen to for hours. The Familiar checks all these boxes. The main character, Luzia Cotado, is a twenty-something house servant for an inconsequential but ambitious family in 16th century Madrid. Luzia has minor magical powers and she employs those powers to gain status for herself and her employers, ultimately leading to a competition for royal favor. At the height of the Spanish Inquisition, Cotado and the others must tread the fine line between miracles on the one hand and witchcraft and other heresies on the other. A lively cast of characters intrigue and scheme their way through the competition, with magic playing a crucial but not overpowering role in the resulting conflicts, at least until the story’s final resolution.
I listened to a digital download of this book.