This was the first book by Leigh Bardugo I’ve read, which is embarrassing, and I’m so grateful to the friend who put it on our agenda for our book club. I feel like there is a ritual common to all American children attending a certain kind of extremely basic public school, and that is the moment when you choose between taking Spanish or French. I chose the latter, and so while I have lived in France on and off for more than ten years, I’ve spent less than a week of my life in Spain. I mention this because part of what I loved about this book was how deeply it installed us in the world of 16th-century Madrid — what it smelled like, what it looked like, how it felt.
The plot: Luzia is a scullery maid in a not-especially-prosperous home — but she has something up her literal sleeve (as seen on the cover), and she can do magic. (BTW, I would love to do magic.) This, of course, is a dangerous talent — only slightly more dangerous than Luzia’s Jewishness, which her family has taken great care to hide. (The Inquisition, of course, being a non-felicitous time for most people, but particularly Jewish people.) However, as with many dangerous abilities, it may, with care, lead to a more comfortable future than the reality Luzia currently inhabits. That is, if she doesn’t get burned alive for being a witch. If only there were a slightly spectral, definitely sexy, possibly immortal guide around to help her figure out how to handle it….
I would love for this book to become a movie, because I would love to see all of Luzia’s great powers made real (I would also love to see who would play Santángel, to the extent that I went looking on Reddit for other people’s ideas.) It reminded me quite a bit of The Hunger Games — in the best possible way, in that a young woman would face a series of great challenges that, if she failed, could lead to her death. It’s like The Hunger Games but historical fiction, and exploring what might have happened if Cinna wanted to make out. Also I loved the the last 100 pages — I feel like there’s nothing more important to me right now than stories that stick the landing, and this one absolutely does. Highly recommended!
