Is The Familiar just Darklina Fanfiction?
Some thoughts on The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo is an exceptional writer, there is no doubt in my mind about that. I wanted to start this post off by saying that, because I really loved The Familiar.
Reading this book didn’t feel like reading at all. I was living and breathing this. The writing and the plot flowed so smoothly I felt like I was right there in the action.
But, if I had a nickel for every time Leigh Bardugo wrote a book about a plain, ambitious, lower-class woman with unimaginable power who falls in love with the handsome morally grey immortal villain, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird it happened twice.
Now, this might be all in my head. This might be the biggest reach I’ve ever reached for, but I could not get Alina and the Darkling out of my head while reading this.
Bardugo is, in my (probably unnecessary opinion), stuck on her biggest writing mistake.
Alina and the Darkling. The power couple we almost had. Bardugo set out to create a compelling character in The Darkling, and did it almost too well.
But before we get into that, let’s recap a bit. The Grisha trilogy follows Alina Starkov, a nobody orphan trying to survive in a country at war. Ravka is divided by the Fold, a black wall of darkness and monsters created by a powerful Grisha (essentially a shadow magic user). While attempting to cross the fold, Alina discovers she is a Sun Summoner, the antithesis of the Shadow Summoner that created the fold.
From there she’s offered power and riches, and most importantly, to join the Darkling on his crusade to create a safe haven for Grisha - who have always been persecuted and killed. Unfortunately due to her morally pure (and at times naive) beliefs, she gives up power and safety for a farm boy who treats her terribly.
There’s a lot more going on, but that’s the gist of it. Even after all these years, the end of the Grisha trilogy still upsets me. It simply doesn’t make sense for Alina not to side with the Darkling (at least early on in the books and show), and she never really makes her own decisions.
This conversation has been had in many parts of the internet,so maybe Bardugo is aware of it. Or maybe not.
The Familiar feels…familiar
The Familiar follows a similar path to the Grisha trilogy. Luzia is a scullion told to hide her magic. When her mistress discovers her power, she’s pulled into Spanish high society and forced to partner with a morally questionable immortal. The stakes are definitely lower in this book, as it’s Luzia’s own life at stake and not an entire country.
However, Luzia and Alina have a lot in common. Both come from nothing, both are forced to hide who they are. As does Santangel and the Darkling. Both are lonely immortal beings who wanted power above all else. It’s so similar that I couldn’t help but think of The Familiar as Darklina AU Spanish Inquisition fanfiction.
Let me make it clear: this is in no way a dig at the book or Bardugo. Saying something feels like fanfiction is the highest compliment coming from me. It means I was awake until 3am reading and spiralled out of control about how much I loved the writing. I was obsessed, and would do anything for these characters and the author.
Honestly, if I were Bardugo, I would also write fanfic of my two most iconic and complex characters. I would do anything to give them the ending they deserved.
But is the ending of The Familiar the one they deserved? Slight spoilers ahead.
After her quest for power fails, Luzia ends up in prison. Santangel is still bound to his master, so he gives himself up to the Inquisition as well. They are both burned at the stake, but Luzia saves them at the last minute and they live happily ever after. Luzia didn’t have to give up her power, but it feels like she gave up her ambition. I don’t know which is worse.
Here was once again the opportunity to do something different in the genre. I understand that it’s historical fiction - there are certain rules and timelines that need to be followed. It was also based on Bardugo’s own family history. Having Luzia become the all-powerful sorcerer to the King just isn’t accurate within historical fiction. But in my opinion, both of them should have died in the end.
While my heart is grateful that they got a happy ending, my brain is itching for more. This book is wonderful as it is, but I think Bardugo’s brain can do better. I wanted more. More Luzia, more Santangel, more politics, higher stakes and bigger losses.
That’s basically just me using a lot of words to say that I see some similarities between the Grishaverse and The Familiar, and I wanted to dissect it a bit.
One day Bardugo will give an ambitious woman everything she wants, and I will be here for it.