Scan barcode
cosmicwillow's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.25
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!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Slavery, Eating disorder, and Addiction
Minor: Transphobia, Police brutality, and Racism
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
jadejade's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Murder, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Child death, Medical content, Slavery, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, and Genocide
mitzee's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Murder and Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence, Eating disorder, and Slavery
lemonlord_of_the_south's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.75
This was a great duology and a great continuation for the first book. I found the characters were more fleshed out in this one and the motivation was a lot clearer.
I felt the ending wrapped up the story in a very satisfying way and made up for a lot of the frustration I felt in the first book.
Some of the miscommunication didn't make sens but only small parts for me at least.
I felt the ending wrapped up the story in a very satisfying way and made up for a lot of the frustration I felt in the first book.
Some of the miscommunication didn't make sens but only small parts for me at least.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Murder, Blood, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Addiction, Slavery, and Police brutality
madamenovelist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Eating disorder, Death, Colonisation, Classism, Racism, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, Medical content, and Grief
twistykris's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder, Addiction, and Eating disorder
Minor: Transphobia, Child abuse, Slavery, and Gun violence
More...