Summary

While most of the characters in Leigh Bardugo ’s unexampled bookThe Familiarare fictional , there are a few real - life historical figure who play supporting roles . The Familiaris a love story set against a backcloth of conjuring trick and immortality , but evenly against a backdrop of history . Scullery maid Luzia Cotado is thrust into a world of political intrigue and power when her talent for create lilliputian miracles is discovered , and she ’s forced into a partnership with the immortal Guillén Santángel . As they make for together , a deep sexual love flush between them .

Though the twomain grapheme inThe Familiarare wholly made up , The Familiaris rich for being a elaborate historical study of tangible events and real hoi polloi . Most of those real fictitious character wager only small part in the taradiddle , but their contributions are peachy . Their living , and the color they contribute to the story , help make the rich arras ofromantic and racy diachronic fiction ofThe Familiar .

Leigh Bardugo ’s The Familiar ends on a fiery twist , with multiple fictitious character experience karmic circles as their narration electric arc come to a close .

A cover of Leigh Bardugo’s book The Familiar on a yellow patterned background

King Philip II

King of Spain From 1556-1598

King Philip II predominate big over the events ofThe intimate , despite only one abbreviated passage really getting into his head . Otherwise , he ’s mouth of by everyone else , but he ’s not a fibre who move through the page of the level . It ’s King Philip who unintentionally typeset the events of the narrative into motion when his fury at his former royal secretary , prompts the secretaire to go to extreme lengths to either get back into the power ’s good grace or fly the country .

The substantial King Philip was part of the House of Habsburg ( hence his Habsburg mentum ) and bear in Valladolid Spain , to Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal . He inherit his Spanish imperium from his father , finally becoming the Duke of Milan in 1540 , Lord of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands in 1555 , King of Spain in 1556 , King of Portugal in 1580 , and the King of Naples and Sicily from 1554 . Under his rule , Spain entered its Golden Age and the tiptop of its power .

However , Philip ’s ambition and his god-fearing Catholicismalso saw Spain at the height of the Spanish Inquisition , when any non - Catholic was seen as a heretic and people could be execute for even the most innocuous of accusations . His war with England , specifically the Protestant king Elizabeth I , finally saw Spain ’s famous armada ruin in a series of ocean battles . By the end of his life , Philip ’s wellness had importantly started to decline , with historians attribute his demise to some physical body of malignant neoplastic disease .

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Antonio Pérez

Royal Secretary From 1543-1579

Of all the tangible - life figure inThe Familiar , Antonio Pérez plays the most pregnant role . It ’s he who organizes the competition between themilagrerosto become the Billie Jean Moffitt King ’s next miracle worker and holy champion . He format the competition , he organize the various trial execute the competitors will undergo , and he offers to hold the contention and house the competitors and their cortege at his Pancho Villa , La Casilia . However , it ’s all a ruse as Pérez merely wants the competition to pretend as a distraction so he can escape Madrid .

Though a challenger of miracle proletarian , of course , never happened , most of Antonio Pérez ’s story beats inThe Familiarare true to history , though the precise date were fudged a bit for dramatic effect . Pérez was King Philip II ’s imperial secretary for decades , beginning when Philip II was still a prince and not yet a tycoon . It was also Pérez ’s own machinations that saw him fall out of the good graces of his royal patron .

In 1575 , Antonio Pérez convince King Phillip II to set up Juan de Escobedo as his twin to Don Juan of Austria - Don Juan being Philip ’s half brother , and someone whom Philip suspect of conspiring against him . Pérez used this to his reward , set suspiciousness in the king ’s ear and drumming up foeman to Escobedo and Don Juan . Eventually , Pérez took matters into his own hands and stage to have Escobedo assassinated . After this , King Philip II actualise his secretary had been manipulate him the entire time , and leave the call for Pérez to be arrested . Pérez ultimately escaped with the aid of his supporters and take flight to France , where he died in 1611 .

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Lucrecia de León

The Prophetess Of A Country’s Doom

like to King Phillip II , Lucrecia de León is a character who is spoken of more than ascertain inThe Familiar . She was the veridical - liveliness precursor to the fancied Teoda Halcón of the level , a prophetess who was granted visions , many of which were spectacularly precise . In the book , Lucrecia ’s vision auspicate the downfall of Spain and Phillip II himself and see the court turn against her holy gift and accuse her of roguery . The first time she ’s actually seen in somebody is toward the terminal of the al-Qur’an , in an Inquisitor ' prison in Toledo , Spain .

The veridical Lucrecia de León also reportedly saw visions , though she came from no particularly unparalleled ground . bear in Madrid in 1567 to the daughter of a merchandiser , Lucrecia was born a common person . Though she was said to be quite clever and polite , Lucrecia was ignorant . Most women at the clip were prepare only in the ways of faith and marriage , as that was what could be have a bun in the oven in life , but things changed for Lucrecia when she was not yet a teenager and enter the service of a lady of the court .

Around this meter , Lucrecia begin to live prophetic dreaming , which she and her family initially essay to hide for fright the Inquisition would declare her a hereticand condemn her to destruction . However , her prophecies started to be disseminated when her confessor , Don Alonso de Mendoza , learned of them . As a staunch opponent of the Habsburgs , he tweaked many of Lucrecia ’s prophetic visions to be more political in nature , with her dream apparently foretelling even the licking of the Spanish Armada .

Crop of the cover of Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar

For a while , Lucrecia was celebrated , though her dreams in reality were n’t quite as precise or neutrally influenced asThe Familiarmakes them seem . When her dreams protrude to include King Phillip II himself in an unflattering way , however , Lucrecia was incriminate of being a booster of Antonio Pérez . She was ultimately check and found guilty of sedition , falsehood , blasphemy , sacrilege , and having a pact with the heller . Despite this , a portion of the court still strongly supported her . As such , she was n’t put to death , but merely sentence to 100 lashes , banishment from Madrid , and confinement to a religious convent for a period of two years .

Mateo Vázquez de Leca

Royal Secretary From 1573-1591

Mateo Vázquez de Leca encounter a very small part inThe Familiartoward the end of the story , but it ’s an crucial one , still . He is sent in King Philip II ’s stead to oversee and judge the final test of the challenger . Of of course , the competition and assembled guests make out this for the purposeful slight it is : the world-beater has no such interest in go through Antonio Pérez ’s contention , a thoroughgoing rejection of his former secretary ’s attempts to get back into his secure graces .

The substantial Mateo Vázquez de Leca did indeed succeed Antonio Pérez as the Billie Jean King ’s majestic secretaire , though the dates were shifted a bit forThe Familiar . Little is known of Vázquez ’s early life , just that he was born in Corsica , Italy , as the boy of Santo de Ambrosini of Lecca and Isabella of Luchiano . As a immature human , he entered into the Church , becoming an ordained priest . In March 1573 , he became the second royal escritoire to Philip II , and , despite his unwashed station , became a trusted confidante and close advisor to the baron . Vázquez died in 1591 at the age of 49 from gout .

The Familiaris useable wherever Christian Bible are sold , or as a digital download .

A painting of King Philip II of Spain

Portrait of Antonio Pérez with others in the Spanish opposition

lucrecia de leon

Leigh Bardugo The Familiar book cover

Custom image by Yeider Chacon