Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Blood Like Fate

what a delightful and dark sequel! i thoroughly enjoyed this, and only found myself frustrated or rolling my eyes at some of the purely teenage moments from the literally teenagers so that wasnt too bad. i will say, the alternate curse words did start to bug me more in this book, but it didnt take away from the story. on that note, i love how this depicts the complexities of family and community, especially with respect to black folks and their unique experiences in north america, especially as slave descendants. i also loved how dark this was for a ya, it was great and turned the stakes up quite high. and seeing voyas overall growth was really wonderful. i really enjoyed this series!!

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apoppyinthewind's review against another edition

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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.

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jadejade's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

5.0

I enjoyed this book more than the first, and I was satisfied with the ending of the series. There were a few twists that I had guessed before they were revealed but I didn't unravel the whole mystery of what was going on myself. Everyone's relationship within their family and their community is fundamentally changed by the end. I will point out that the sometimes-hostile family and community dynamics was actually a little triggering for me, so be aware of this if you are sensitive to such topics.

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queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

3.5 ⭐ CW: (provided by the author) gun violence, reference to police violence, discussion of eating disorders, blood/gore/violence, death, discussion of substance use/addiction, mentions of child neglect, sickness/infection

Blood Like Fate by Liselle Sambury is the final installment in the Blood Like Magic duology. Don't let the rating fool you, I did enjoy reading this book, but it had some pacing issues, and I was able to guess the twist not even half way through the book. It was just so painfully obvious.

We pick up with Voya after the events of the last book, heartbroken and grieving. In the first book we see Voya's struggle to make decisions, any decision, and realizes that even not making a decision is a decision. This time she now has to deal with the consequences of her decisions and the fallout therein. Voya is also struggling with being the new Matriarch. She doesn't believe in herself, and neither does her family. They only see her as a kid making all the wrong choices. Even though Luc is one of the reasons her life is a mess, she still pines for him throughout the book (which honestly was really annoying).

One of the things I love about this series is the family dynamics and importance of history and ancestors. Voya's family is large and complicated, and they don't always agree on everything, but when it comes down to it, they love each other and will fight for one another. There is also a major thread about community as extended family, and how pooling their resources makes everyone stronger. I also really appreciate the examination of grief and other mental health issues such as substance use disorder and eating disorders.

Sambury describes her writing as "messy black girls in fantasy situations", and she delivered. Voya is messy AF, and I found myself grumbling at her throughout the book, but I try to remember, she's only 17. She's a great character, and I wouldn't mind seeing how she grows as matriarch as she gets older. It's also nice to read about Canadian-Trinidadian families and other families from the Caribbean. The speculative science in this is so interesting! It's very much science run amuck. The main message is science without ethics is violence.

Check out my review of book one for the representation in the series.

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bookswhitme's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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mitzee's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

While magic is an aspect of the book and the characters, the main focus of the story is really personal relationships and solving a mystery. It’s weird to say but really this book has everything: crime/mystery, family relationships, personal growth, magic/fantasy, sci-fi, queer relationships, Black history, trans issues.

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twistykris's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

5.0

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cakt1991's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

Blood Like Magic was a stunning debut, so I had high expectations going into Blood Like Fate. And while I don’t think this book is as strong as its predecessor, it’s nonetheless compelling, and adds to the whole story the duology is telling impeccably well.

The world continues to be well-realized and expansive, and I’ve grown to love the mingling of sci-fi technology and fantastical witchy magic. It felt very grounded in the first one, and continues in a similar vein here.

I continue to love Voya’s growth this time around. She remains flawed, making sometimes fatal mistakes and struggling with tough choices. But she’s always trying to be better, and I love the care she has for her family and coven. And the stakes are higher for her here, as she’s stepping into the role of the family’s Matriarch, and I love seeing her reckoning with all her new responsibilities.

There’s a pretty large cast of characters, and I love how diverse and colorful they are. Each of them feels distinct and is easy to distinguish from the others.

Plot and pacing wise, I feel a tad mixed. It absolutely merits the length it is, although I do feel that initially it is a little slow to start. However, it soon gains momentum, especially when the mystery subplot comes into play to amp up the suspense.

This is a solid conclusion to the duology, and will leave readers who enjoyed book one satisfied. If you enjoy stories that blend sci-fi and fantasy elements, with a generous dose of Black Girl Magic, I recommend checking this duology out!

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