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ladyrfc's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood and Violence
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury is book one of the Blood Like Magic series. This book was so much more than I expected! Sambury blends urban fantasy magic with science fiction/speculative fiction. We have witches, we have robots, we have trans, bi, gay, and demiromantic rep. There is so much good stuff packed into these pages!
We follow Voya (I'm a sucker for V names) as she comes of age as a witch during her calling. The Thomas witches have been around for generations and each witch goes through a task they have to pass in order to become a full witch and to receive their specific magical gift. Usually the task is as simple as choosing between two things, but the ancestor who gives Voya her task breaks the rules and gives her, what she and her family think, is an impossible task: Find her first love, and destroy them.
Voya struggles throughout the book with making choices. She has a hard time making choices that don't affect anyone and now she has to make a choice that will end with someone dying. This was a great theme for a coming of age novel. Voya has to learn to trust herself, as does her family, to make this choice. It was a little annoying at times to see how indecisive Voya was about everything, but I think that is because I also struggle with making decisions. The curse of overthinking everything to the point that you're too paralyzed to make any decision at all. The main theme here is that not choosing anything is also a choice, and it may not have the outcome we want.
I loved that Sambury discusses different types of love and doesn't put them in a hierarchy with romantic love on top. Platonic love is a big price of this story. We also get some great speculation on what it could look like in the future for it to be safer for BIPOC and trans people while also examining the effects of colonialism, slavery, and racism that weave throughout past and future.
There were so many good messages here about being okay with your body taking up space. People with big hips and butts unite! We also get a very Star Trek like message about not tampering with immortality and science (see ST:TOS Miri and countless other episodes). I also found it hilarious that we got the most Canadian villain ever. He apologized for raising his voice for crying out loud 😂.
If this hasn't convinced you to read this series, idk what will. Now I have to anxiously wait for Blood Like Fate.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery, Self harm, Eating disorder, and Terminal illness
Minor: Addiction, Gun violence, Drug abuse, and Police brutality
rocksicle's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Slavery and Racism
Minor: Murder and Violence
bookswhitme's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CW for blood, discussions of murder, ritual sacrifice, dysfunctional family relationships, systemic racism, torture, familial death
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Gore, Grief, Medical trauma, and Violence
kristakp's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Grief, Slavery, Violence, Murder, Blood, and Self harm
Moderate: Gore, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, and Medical content
djreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Violence and Slavery
prairieraven's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
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
niita's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
cemeterygay's review against another edition
- 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
Between the wonderful focus on family, the amazing cast of characters, the interesting worldbuilding, and interesting exploration of choice and generational trauma.
I love Voya as a main character and her compassion comes through, although her initial indecision could be somewhat of a problem. I adored her relationship with her complicated relationship with her family. The author did a great job with building empathy for Voya and the stresses and mistreatment she at time faces from her family.
I also really liked Luc as a romantic interest and I adored him as trans Latino rep. I love the asshole who only likes one person kind of person and he hits that mark so well. I love the complicated relationship he has with his identity as a Latino boy and his sponsor.
I also loved how Voya's ancestors played a role in her growth and her involvement with her family.
The blend of sci-fi and fantasy was great and I love how well-integrated Toronto was into the story and worldbuilding. I liked the world as a whole and I thought it was well blended into the story. I like how contemporary issues were addressed in context of the future time period.
I love the full cast of side characters and I think quite a bit of the characters were given depth, especially other
I am intensely excited for the next book and I did ultimately like how the primary conflict was resolved in this book.
Graphic: Blood, Police brutality, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, and Child death
Moderate: Racism, Drug abuse, Death, Murder, and Eating disorder
Minor: Transphobia
Death of a mother