Scan barcode
rorikae's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
4.25
'Blood Like Magic' by Liselle Sambury is a heart-filled story about one girl coming into her own for her family and for herself.
Voya has long struggled with making choices. They give her lots of anxiety and this is only heightened with the task that she is given at her Calling, a witch ceremony that will determine if she receives her powers or not. Where many Callings are simple, Voya's is more complex than her family has ever heard of: She must destroy her first love. When a matching service by a local genetic corporation is put into Beta, Voya signs up for the program in hopes that it will help her to find her first love. But when she starts to fall for the boy she has been paired with, her task is complicated, especially because if she fails her Calling, her whole family will lose their magic, not just her.
Sambury has crafted an engaging story that utilizes continually heightened tension to keep you rooted to the page. Though the story starts a bit slow, once the meat of what is happening starts to kick off, I found this book incredibly hard to put down. Voya is a complicated character but she's also deeply relatable. Sambury made it easy to both get frustrated with Voya for her trouble with making decisions while also completely understanding why she finds them so difficult.
Though the cast of characters is relatively large, it was easy to keep them all straight in my head because Sambury has made each character unique. The love, care, and conflict that comes with being part of a big family who all live under the same roof is a central part of the story and Sambury makes it easy to care about every one of the Thomases even when we are faced with their flaws. I also appreciated the inclusion of trans and queer characters.
Another highlight of this story is the way Sambury weaves together a near future setting with magic. Though this story is quite firmly a fantasy, it also skirts into the science fiction realm with a near future setting, the inclusion of genetic advancements, and the everyday advanced tech that Voya and her family live with. Both the fantasy and science fiction elements play off of each other in engaging ways that only add to the overall story.
Other than a few pacing issues at the beginning, 'Blood Like Magic' is a gripping story that made it hard to put down the book. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book and where Sambury's stories will take us in the future.
Voya has long struggled with making choices. They give her lots of anxiety and this is only heightened with the task that she is given at her Calling, a witch ceremony that will determine if she receives her powers or not. Where many Callings are simple, Voya's is more complex than her family has ever heard of: She must destroy her first love. When a matching service by a local genetic corporation is put into Beta, Voya signs up for the program in hopes that it will help her to find her first love. But when she starts to fall for the boy she has been paired with, her task is complicated, especially because if she fails her Calling, her whole family will lose their magic, not just her.
Sambury has crafted an engaging story that utilizes continually heightened tension to keep you rooted to the page. Though the story starts a bit slow, once the meat of what is happening starts to kick off, I found this book incredibly hard to put down. Voya is a complicated character but she's also deeply relatable. Sambury made it easy to both get frustrated with Voya for her trouble with making decisions while also completely understanding why she finds them so difficult.
Though the cast of characters is relatively large, it was easy to keep them all straight in my head because Sambury has made each character unique. The love, care, and conflict that comes with being part of a big family who all live under the same roof is a central part of the story and Sambury makes it easy to care about every one of the Thomases even when we are faced with their flaws. I also appreciated the inclusion of trans and queer characters.
Another highlight of this story is the way Sambury weaves together a near future setting with magic. Though this story is quite firmly a fantasy, it also skirts into the science fiction realm with a near future setting, the inclusion of genetic advancements, and the everyday advanced tech that Voya and her family live with. Both the fantasy and science fiction elements play off of each other in engaging ways that only add to the overall story.
Other than a few pacing issues at the beginning, 'Blood Like Magic' is a gripping story that made it hard to put down the book. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book and where Sambury's stories will take us in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Racism
foreverbookwandering's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Slavery, Violence, and Child death
Minor: Terminal illness
sunsetcity's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
amivireads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death of parent, and Police brutality
Moderate: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Murder, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Transphobia
Death of a motherbellasbookmark's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.0
I really wanted to love this book that had such amazing representation and creative plot but the storytelling fell short.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Police brutality
Minor: Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Racism
nova_quill's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think that the main character constantly messing up was refreshing, and I love that cover and colors of the book are very bright and even the title is a little hearted and then open the book up to this dark world that only seems sunshine and rainbows on the outside, just the main theme of the book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, and Violence
nschweitzer21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I generally liked this book but there were definitely some sticking points. First, though the book features a fantastically diverse cast of characters, this diversity features as a plot point that isn’t always handled well.
For instance, though multiple main and supporting characters are trans, Voya (our main character and narrator) seems content to assume gender and be corrected later, rather than simply read their pronouns on their easily accessible “feed” profile before making judgements. Gender neutral pronouns are not featured in this book, despite Voya’s insistence that trans and non-binary individuals are accepted. Similarly, descriptions of characters are sparse, rather than describing physical characteristics, style, or the way someone holds themselves, Voya’s narration frequently only introduces characters by race/ethnicity. Characters are introduced by saying “a Black woman with distinctly East Asian eyes” which 1) sometimes reduces characters to stereotypes and 2) doesn’t do much to paint a mental picture of the characters.
Speaking of trans people, the book also seems to push a very medicalized version of trans identity. All trans characters are insistent on getting the genetic treatment that alters their DNA to replicate transition surgeries “naturally” and Voya questions whether or not certain characters have had the procedure. Characters don’t really discuss their identities or feelings beyond the very “physical” aspect of trans identity. While this isn’t a bad thing, I feel that by having trans characters (and their feelings/needs surrounding transition) feature heavily in the book, the author could have either done more to explore this or allowed trans characters to exist separate from their “transition status.”
That being said, I enjoyed the plot of this book and the insistence Voya has on her family and her ancestors, and her desire to protect the people she loves while maintaining her sense of self. The Thomas family traditions and Trinidadian culture also features heavily and are really great additions. The magic system is well defined and has strict rules. I found myself simultaneously hating Voya and sympathizing with her. Luc is a fun character with layers. The family is well fleshed out and I never had trouble remembering who was who, despite the extended supporting cast.
Overall, this is a good book. I just wish some of the characters and identities featured in the book were more fleshed out.
For instance, though multiple main and supporting characters are trans, Voya (our main character and narrator) seems content to assume gender and be corrected later, rather than simply read their pronouns on their easily accessible “feed” profile before making judgements. Gender neutral pronouns are not featured in this book, despite Voya’s insistence that trans and non-binary individuals are accepted. Similarly, descriptions of characters are sparse, rather than describing physical characteristics, style, or the way someone holds themselves, Voya’s narration frequently only introduces characters by race/ethnicity. Characters are introduced by saying “a Black woman with distinctly East Asian eyes” which 1) sometimes reduces characters to stereotypes and 2) doesn’t do much to paint a mental picture of the characters.
Speaking of trans people, the book also seems to push a very medicalized version of trans identity. All trans characters are insistent on getting the genetic treatment that alters their DNA to replicate transition surgeries “naturally” and Voya questions whether or not certain characters have had the procedure. Characters don’t really discuss their identities or feelings beyond the very “physical” aspect of trans identity. While this isn’t a bad thing, I feel that by having trans characters (and their feelings/needs surrounding transition) feature heavily in the book, the author could have either done more to explore this or allowed trans characters to exist separate from their “transition status.”
That being said, I enjoyed the plot of this book and the insistence Voya has on her family and her ancestors, and her desire to protect the people she loves while maintaining her sense of self. The Thomas family traditions and Trinidadian culture also features heavily and are really great additions. The magic system is well defined and has strict rules. I found myself simultaneously hating Voya and sympathizing with her. Luc is a fun character with layers. The family is well fleshed out and I never had trouble remembering who was who, despite the extended supporting cast.
Overall, this is a good book. I just wish some of the characters and identities featured in the book were more fleshed out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Eating disorder, and Racism
Minor: Abandonment, Kidnapping, and Slavery
The book does go into graphic detail regarding a whipping scene in the context of slavery. There is also graphic descriptions of blood and violence.bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Child death, Murder, Violence, Torture, Addiction, Blood, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Terminal illness
reviewsbyleyla's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I am so torn about this book. On the one hand, this world that Sambury created is unique and interesting and I loved learning about it. The characters added a lot to the story, and for the most part, they were nicely fleshed out and added to the world that was being built. However, there was a ton of world-building right at the beginning, and the main plot didn't really seem to start until about 100 pages into the book. Which could be your cup of tea! But I wanted the action to start a little sooner.
Overall, I think my main issue is this book felt too long. For me, this meant that a lot of the plot felt repetitive, especially with Voya's task. I was actually much more interested in the mystery with her aunt and how that was going to pan out. As the first book in a series, I think this might have just taken on a bit too much. Pairing it down would have allowed some of the plot elements to breath a bit, and some of the other parts of the story could have been explored in future books.
I don't want to giveaway spoilers, but I also felt "meh" about the ending. Voya's choice ended up feeling a bit harsh, and even though I kind of figured where the plot was going, I didn't know it was going to go to that extent.
Definitely mixed about this book, but still 100% in love with this fantastic cover.
Overall, I think my main issue is this book felt too long. For me, this meant that a lot of the plot felt repetitive, especially with Voya's task. I was actually much more interested in the mystery with her aunt and how that was going to pan out. As the first book in a series, I think this might have just taken on a bit too much. Pairing it down would have allowed some of the plot elements to breath a bit, and some of the other parts of the story could have been explored in future books.
I don't want to giveaway spoilers, but I also felt "meh" about the ending. Voya's choice ended up feeling a bit harsh, and even though I kind of figured where the plot was going, I didn't know it was going to go to that extent.
Definitely mixed about this book, but still 100% in love with this fantastic cover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Slavery
Moderate: Addiction, Violence, and Eating disorder
Minor: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Transphobia