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apoppyinthewind's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
I'm going with 5 stars because I could not put it down and just really enjoyed coming back into this mystical futuristic world that's so good at blending realistic and dark elements. I said it for the first book and I'll repeat it for the sequel, the author does a great job of creating a world that feels real and magical at the same time.
My favourite aspect of this book has to be the magic and that the author's not afraid to explore the darker aspects of the blood magic, especially given that this is a YA book. I also liked reading how the family and witch community develop in this book, growing from the foundation set in the first book. They still have their issues but there's growth that feels like a natural progression.
Voya is still pretty angsty & self-critical at times but it felt more understandable and relatable this time around given the grief and pressure she is under in the story. She also had some good moments where she stood up for herself which helped I think compared to the first book.
I'm getting a little spoiler-y going forward here --I was surprised by Eli's reveal and it was nice to be surprised. I expected he was working with Luc but did not expect the truth but once I read and went back to re-read Eli's scenes it was so obvious and well done. I think it was a smart plot device to bring Luc and Voya back into each other's lives without glossing over the incredible trauma they both experienced in the first book.
I knew Johan was up to no good because the foundation for that was set up in the first book but damn, what he did was messed up. I was a little surprised he didn't have more repercussions for what he did but given that dark deeds are somewhat accepted in the blood magic practiced in this world, it wasn't too world-breaking that he would still have some place in the community at the end.
I was also honestly surprised Keis wasn't fully freed from the house as I genuinely expected more of a workaround than giving her access to the internet and an Android avatar. I was kind of hoping she would have been named Matriarch of the Davis family through some deception from April Mae and that might have given her a way to leave. Still, this not happening didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.
I would recommend checking out this series but you absolutely have to read the first book Blood like Magic to follow what's happening in Blood like Fate.
My favourite aspect of this book has to be the magic and that the author's not afraid to explore the darker aspects of the blood magic, especially given that this is a YA book. I also liked reading how the family and witch community develop in this book, growing from the foundation set in the first book. They still have their issues but there's growth that feels like a natural progression.
Voya is still pretty angsty & self-critical at times but it felt more understandable and relatable this time around given the grief and pressure she is under in the story. She also had some good moments where she stood up for herself which helped I think compared to the first book.
I'm getting a little spoiler-y going forward here --
I knew Johan was up to no good because the foundation for that was set up in the first book but damn, what he did was messed up. I was a little surprised he didn't have more repercussions for what he did but given that dark deeds are somewhat accepted in the blood magic practiced in this world, it wasn't too world-breaking that he would still have some place in the community at the end.
I was also honestly surprised Keis wasn't fully freed from the house as I genuinely expected more of a workaround than giving her access to the internet and an Android avatar. I was kind of hoping she would have been named Matriarch of the Davis family through some deception from April Mae and that might have given her a way to leave. Still, this not happening didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.
I would recommend checking out this series but you absolutely have to read the first book Blood like Magic to follow what's happening in Blood like Fate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Drug use, Gun violence, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
librarybookscene's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Body horror
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, and Addiction
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Eating disorder
zias's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
Graphic: Grief and Blood
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, and Eating disorder
theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Well, I did screw myself a little bit with this one, folks. After listening to the audio for the first book, I told myself that for the sequel I would for sure read it rather than listen to it... and guess who didn't follow through on that? This girl. Oops.
Okay, in my defense, I did a little of both--physical reading and listening. But I knew it was a chonky book and I would get through it quicker if I listened to it rather than tried to focus all my energy into reading it with my eyes. The only issue is that this is so full of fantastical depth and magic-building, that I lost a lot of it along the way (the same problem I had with the first book).
However, I also just don't think that this particular series is my jam. While there are parts of it that I really enjoyed (namely the diversity, dealing with the tougher topics like eating disorders and substance abuse, and grief), for the most part, I felt like it was a bit overwhelming. Sometimes it seemed like the author just wanted to cram as much of everything as possible into one plot and it seemed a little clunky.
I think that there are some really interesting things about these books but they just didn't wow me. They're good but not something I would reach for again.
Okay, in my defense, I did a little of both--physical reading and listening. But I knew it was a chonky book and I would get through it quicker if I listened to it rather than tried to focus all my energy into reading it with my eyes. The only issue is that this is so full of fantastical depth and magic-building, that I lost a lot of it along the way (the same problem I had with the first book).
However, I also just don't think that this particular series is my jam. While there are parts of it that I really enjoyed (namely the diversity, dealing with the tougher topics like eating disorders and substance abuse, and grief), for the most part, I felt like it was a bit overwhelming. Sometimes it seemed like the author just wanted to cram as much of everything as possible into one plot and it seemed a little clunky.
I think that there are some really interesting things about these books but they just didn't wow me. They're good but not something I would reach for again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, and Murder
liseylovesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Addiction, and Cursing
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