Viking seizes Bardugo's new 'spellbinding' novel in six-way auction

Viking has signed Leigh Bardugo’s latest adult novel The Familiar after a six-way auction.

Publishing director Harriet Bourton and senior commissioning editor Vikki Moynes acquired UK rights in a one-book deal from Kerry Nordling at Macmillan Publishing. The Familiar will be published simultaneously in the UK and US in April 2024. 

The Familiar is Bardugo’s first book with Viking having previously published her other two adult novels — Ninth House and Hell Bent — with Gollancz. Set in the Spanish Golden Age, the novel tells "the darkly decadent" story of Luzia, a servant girl whose magical powers draws the attention of a disgraced secretary to the king who will do anything to win back his favour.

The synopsis continues: "Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both." 

Moynes commented: "Leigh is a remarkably original storyteller and I’ve long been a fan of her richly imagined worlds, page-turning plotting and sharp wit. In The Familiar, we see Leigh take her astonishing ability to create characters that defy expectations within a spellbinding world to a whole new level. This is a novel where danger and desire rumble beneath the surface, but ultimately The Familiar explores what it means to be human – those questions of identity, faith and love. The Viking team can’t wait to make it a huge bestseller next year."

Bardugo said: "The Familiar is a departure for me: a story rooted in the real history of Phillip II’s Spain and my own family’s history as well. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Viking on this new journey."