Scan barcode
pagesofplatypus's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of the best YA fantasy books I've read. With a lush, slightly futuristic world and rich magic system, Loselle Sambury crafts a pulse-pounding novel of magic, choice, and sacrifice.
Voya is a compelling protagonist with crippling indecision and immense care for her family. She's faced with an inpossible task and readers greatly sympathise with her conflict between saving her family and destroying her first love.
There are plenty of shocking twists that lead to a pretty satisfying ending, despite this being only book 1 of 2 there's no frustrating cliffhanger and it feels like it could be a standalone.
The famy dynamics are messy and strained but with loce and trust serving as the main conflict points. I really like how all the characters felt fully developed no matter how much page time they were given. Keis and Alex are standouts.
Part of the premise of learning to trust in yourself, what determines your worth, and what you're willing to do to protect your family remind me a bit of Encanto especially with the aspects of a large family, a Matriarch, fading magic/threat of loss of magic for the entire family, and magic being tied to a family house.
I definitely look forward to reading the sequel and highly recommend this as a teen/YA sci-fi/fantasy read.
Voya is a compelling protagonist with crippling indecision and immense care for her family. She's faced with an inpossible task and readers greatly sympathise with her conflict between saving her family and destroying her first love.
There are plenty of shocking twists that lead to a pretty satisfying ending, despite this being only book 1 of 2 there's no frustrating cliffhanger and it feels like it could be a standalone.
The famy dynamics are messy and strained but with loce and trust serving as the main conflict points. I really like how all the characters felt fully developed no matter how much page time they were given. Keis and Alex are standouts.
Part of the premise of learning to trust in yourself, what determines your worth, and what you're willing to do to protect your family remind me a bit of Encanto especially with the aspects of a large family, a Matriarch, fading magic/threat of loss of magic for the entire family, and magic being tied to a family house.
I definitely look forward to reading the sequel and highly recommend this as a teen/YA sci-fi/fantasy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Grief, Hate crime, and Slavery
Minor: Addiction, Eating disorder, Abandonment, and Drug abuse
annorabrady's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The magic system is interesting and well designed, though I won't lie and say it was particularly nice to read of some of the uses. Especially in instances where blood mixee on open wounds or when Voya poured the blood into her eyes. The first drew me out of the story with thoughts of bloodborne illnesses and the latter triggering thosd thoughts AND completely grossed me out.
I understand and appreciate the resolution, and the point of the challenge. Though I feel angry about how the story wrapped up because Keis deserved betted.I kept waiting for Voya to realize that self sacrifice was an option, or that revealing the truth to Luc about Justin was also an option. Also, binding Keis to the house with no contract with the outside world was especially cruel and selfish – the opposite of what she claims to be her goal. Hell, bringing down Justin would have succeeded in destroying both Keis and Luc while better appealing to the goal of helping everyone. The ending is why I can't rate this higher. Though it's not bad enough for me to rate this lower.
I do greatly appreciate the representation of various minority groups in this story, as well as the social commentaries on racism, colonialism, slavery, generational trauma, family dynamics, communities, dependencies on technologies, etc at various points in history. It's both timely and timeless.
I understand and appreciate the resolution, and the point of the challenge. Though I feel angry about how the story wrapped up because Keis deserved betted.
I do greatly appreciate the representation of various minority groups in this story, as well as the social commentaries on racism, colonialism, slavery, generational trauma, family dynamics, communities, dependencies on technologies, etc at various points in history. It's both timely and timeless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, Mental illness, Police brutality, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, and Medical content
halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Blood Like Magic is pure perfection. I may have found my favorite book for 2022🥰😍
That was quite an emotional rollercoaster...I am speechless. It's impossible to add specific lines (I annotated this like crazy) without gushing over what happened that it felt like watching a movie series.
It was quite indept... going through the various magic systems, magical families, scientific use of genes and the list goes on!!!!
There were so many laugh out loud moments and one in particular was comic relief at the PERFECT moment 👏🏼🤌🏼 relating to a "certain" family member, it would be a HUGE SPOILER.
I ADORE Voya and find her to be a truly relatable character. From being afraid to making mistakes to her passion for baking to her fierce love for her family and grandma🥰🥺🦋.
I am so enthused its the first of a duology and will soon purchase physical copies to enjoy over and over again. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BLOOD LIKE FATE, released August 9th. I know for a fact it will NOT disappoint🔥🦋🦋🦋
That was quite an emotional rollercoaster...I am speechless. It's impossible to add specific lines (I annotated this like crazy) without gushing over what happened that it felt like watching a movie series.
It was quite indept... going through the various magic systems, magical families, scientific use of genes and the list goes on!!!!
There were so many laugh out loud moments and one in particular was comic relief at the PERFECT moment 👏🏼🤌🏼 relating to a "certain" family member, it would be a HUGE SPOILER.
I ADORE Voya and find her to be a truly relatable character. From being afraid to making mistakes to her passion for baking to her fierce love for her family and grandma🥰🥺🦋.
I am so enthused its the first of a duology and will soon purchase physical copies to enjoy over and over again. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BLOOD LIKE FATE, released August 9th. I know for a fact it will NOT disappoint🔥🦋🦋🦋
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Addiction, Blood, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Alcohol, Child death, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Vomit, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, Infertility, Medical content, Body horror, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Bullying, Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, and Stalking
prairieraven's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence
quejk25's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Racism, Slavery, and Torture
Moderate: Abandonment, Classism, Death, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Dysphoria, Gun violence, Hate crime, Outing, Transphobia, and Violence
16rcampbell's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Another reader would probably rate this a lot higher, I just did not love the sci-fic elements. It was unexpected and not my preference. I really liked the family dynamics. Keis is my favorite. Voya was a frustrating character to follow because she just needed to make a choice and she’s so good at choices for other people that when she can’t make one for herself it’s almost infuriating. It had some pretty heavy imagery for a YA book in terms of blood and violence. At times it felt a little repetitive but I feel like that’s mostly due to the nature of YA books. I liked the twists, everything wrapped up nicely and there wasn’t a bunch of extra stuff to address that got in the way of the main plot. I liked seeing Voya grow and I thought the choices she made in the end were creative solutions and really showed how far she came. I’d recommend this book, I liked it, but I would not read it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Abandonment, and Eating disorder
Minor: Transphobia, Police brutality, and Hate crime
Trigger warning - hanging, described in detailmadarauchiha's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara 💜 💙 💚 💛 🧡 ❤️
The character voices are wonderful, and I love the sibling interaction. The magic system is so interesting and has variation to it, which makes it more compelling to hear. And oh thank god theres a trans black character. It is slow paced. This is a good story to settle into. You dont want to rush it.
I liked the variety of relationships that is shown in the novel. I think its compassionate to show teen readers there isn't only One True Love fairy tale relationships. especially towards young Black readers.
▪ “I should have never made you make that promise.”
“I’m going to—”
She shakes her head hard, braid whipping across her shoulders. “You’re a child. I’m an adult. Holding two lives in your hands is more responsibility than anyone should be given at sixteen.”
I swallow. My mouth opens to talk back, but I don’t have an argument. It is a lot. Too much.
“I take it back,” Priya says. “You are responsible for you. I am responsible for my daughter.”
“I won’t let Eden die.”
The morality these adult characters have is chefs kiss! Yes the MC is literally a child, yes the MC is being protected by adults because hello, she is a child!! Trope? Overthrown. Please welcome Liselle Sambury to the throne.
▪ The intersection of Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue is marked by the gigantic Dragon City mini mall on the corner made up of green tinted glass and masses of people. I rush out and wait for Granny outside. She steps out of the streetcar as the doors close and mumbles a thank-you.
I force down a laugh. Mom does the same thing when she gets off non-subway public transit. “You know it’s automated now, right? There isn’t any driver to thank.”
Granny shrugs. “Habit.”
It strikes me as being painfully Canadian to say thank you to the computer for dropping you off.
My heart... same. I think theres a decent balance of totally horrifying scenes and heartwarming ones.
The genetic match up thing IS a lil weird to me. But it gets resolved later in the plot if anyone is thinking it's another generic YA dystopia plot line a la a hunger games rip off.
I do like the way they scoot around swearing. It is a lil goofy but it's a ya novel, the characters are teens and it's pretty in universe to say hack instead of fuck.
This book was sickening and badass and stunning. I cannot sing Its praises loud enough.
content warnings:
minor anti black racism, blood, child death, child birth, emetophobia / vomit, medical scenarios, misgendering, murder, suicide, toxic relationships, unsanitary
medium ableism, addiction, alcohol use, blood, child abandonment, child abuse, domestic abuse, eating disorder, eugenics, gentrification, misogyny, slavery, torture, unsanitary, violence
major anti black racism, black slavery, body horror, child abuse, child death, classism, gore, gun violence, injuries, intrusive thoughts?, kidnapping, medical scenarios, menstruation, murder, poison, police brutality, spree killing, torture, unreality, unsanitary, misgendering?, context is genetic markers on government ids.,
major asphyxiation/lynching(?) scene, context mc sees her sister being asphyxiated via hanging. the love interest is present and might be involved with the action. it doesn't seem racially motivated but she is a Black character so like. implications. it is a psychic vision and may not occur in actuality. The imagery of a Black person being hung to death may be upetting.
The character voices are wonderful, and I love the sibling interaction. The magic system is so interesting and has variation to it, which makes it more compelling to hear. And oh thank god theres a trans black character. It is slow paced. This is a good story to settle into. You dont want to rush it.
I liked the variety of relationships that is shown in the novel. I think its compassionate to show teen readers there isn't only One True Love fairy tale relationships. especially towards young Black readers.
▪ “I should have never made you make that promise.”
“I’m going to—”
She shakes her head hard, braid whipping across her shoulders. “You’re a child. I’m an adult. Holding two lives in your hands is more responsibility than anyone should be given at sixteen.”
I swallow. My mouth opens to talk back, but I don’t have an argument. It is a lot. Too much.
“I take it back,” Priya says. “You are responsible for you. I am responsible for my daughter.”
“I won’t let Eden die.”
The morality these adult characters have is chefs kiss! Yes the MC is literally a child, yes the MC is being protected by adults because hello, she is a child!! Trope? Overthrown. Please welcome Liselle Sambury to the throne.
▪ The intersection of Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue is marked by the gigantic Dragon City mini mall on the corner made up of green tinted glass and masses of people. I rush out and wait for Granny outside. She steps out of the streetcar as the doors close and mumbles a thank-you.
I force down a laugh. Mom does the same thing when she gets off non-subway public transit. “You know it’s automated now, right? There isn’t any driver to thank.”
Granny shrugs. “Habit.”
It strikes me as being painfully Canadian to say thank you to the computer for dropping you off.
My heart... same. I think theres a decent balance of totally horrifying scenes and heartwarming ones.
The genetic match up thing IS a lil weird to me. But it gets resolved later in the plot if anyone is thinking it's another generic YA dystopia plot line a la a hunger games rip off.
I do like the way they scoot around swearing. It is a lil goofy but it's a ya novel, the characters are teens and it's pretty in universe to say hack instead of fuck.
This book was sickening and badass and stunning. I cannot sing Its praises loud enough.
content warnings:
minor anti black racism, blood, child death, child birth, emetophobia / vomit, medical scenarios, misgendering, murder, suicide, toxic relationships, unsanitary
medium ableism, addiction, alcohol use, blood, child abandonment, child abuse, domestic abuse, eating disorder, eugenics, gentrification, misogyny, slavery, torture, unsanitary, violence
major anti black racism, black slavery, body horror, child abuse, child death, classism, gore, gun violence, injuries, intrusive thoughts?, kidnapping, medical scenarios, menstruation, murder, poison, police brutality, spree killing, torture, unreality, unsanitary, misgendering?, context is genetic markers on government ids.,
major asphyxiation/lynching(?) scene,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Slavery, Torture, and Transphobia
Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Blood, Racism, Child death, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Vomit, Medical content, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
More...