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yvonne_cl's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Slavery, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Medical content, Terminal illness, Grief, Addiction, Abandonment, Torture, Police brutality, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Infidelity, Gun violence, and Eating disorder
theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Alright, I gotta do it. I gotta start off this review with the part that really made me struggle to read Blood Like Magic:
The book literally opens with a character bathing in her own period blood. I'm sorry, but that is really gross. It made me nauseous just reading about it. And while I have no problem with books using blood magic or talking about periods.. that combination really, really hit me the wrong way. Not a strong start. It almost felt like clickbait. Like they added a shock factor right there at the jump to get you to stick around. And it worked. I stuck around. But that knocked a whole star off my rating from the get-go.
The moment I read that the protagonist had to kill her first love, I rolled my eyes. I thought, here we go again. How many times have we read that trope? HOWEVER, I will say that this was executed really well. It was rather unexpected as far as that part of the story goes (and it's basically the biggest part of the story).
I felt connected to the characters. I really liked a few of them, hated a few others, and worried about a few more. I wasn't particularly drawn to the MC because of her personality. It was slightly off-putting. But I did enjoy the love interest and the family dynamic. In fact, the family dynamic was probably my favorite part.
There was such a strong emphasis on the different relationships within the family and that's what tugged at my heartstrings and convinced me to keep reading. It's also what caused me to add the sequel to my TBR at the end, despite not loving this particular book.
Again, I feel like if the book hadn't started out so strangely, I would've been way more in love with it from the beginning.
The book literally opens with a character bathing in her own period blood. I'm sorry, but that is really gross. It made me nauseous just reading about it. And while I have no problem with books using blood magic or talking about periods.. that combination really, really hit me the wrong way. Not a strong start. It almost felt like clickbait. Like they added a shock factor right there at the jump to get you to stick around. And it worked. I stuck around. But that knocked a whole star off my rating from the get-go.
The moment I read that the protagonist had to kill her first love, I rolled my eyes. I thought, here we go again. How many times have we read that trope? HOWEVER, I will say that this was executed really well. It was rather unexpected as far as that part of the story goes (and it's basically the biggest part of the story).
I felt connected to the characters. I really liked a few of them, hated a few others, and worried about a few more. I wasn't particularly drawn to the MC because of her personality. It was slightly off-putting. But I did enjoy the love interest and the family dynamic. In fact, the family dynamic was probably my favorite part.
There was such a strong emphasis on the different relationships within the family and that's what tugged at my heartstrings and convinced me to keep reading. It's also what caused me to add the sequel to my TBR at the end, despite not loving this particular book.
Again, I feel like if the book hadn't started out so strangely, I would've been way more in love with it from the beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Gore, Child death, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Eating disorder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
Minor: Deadnaming, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Homophobia
aliciawhatsthestory's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Set in the near future in Toronto, Canada where both sci-fi-esque technological advances like aesthetic genetic alterations and witchcraft exist, Voya’s story is really about coming of age and learning to trust yourself. The magic system in this world, the focus on Trinidadian culture and the witch community, and the family drama are all high points that really give this book its shape.
I do wish that the love interest had been developed a bit more, though that is limited by the short amount of time that Voya is given. I also thought that the story of missing girl Lauren would be more central, since it is one of the first things mentioned in the book. The way that Lauren’s story is mentioned throughout but never really developed in any way made it a little difficult to be invested. Similar pacing issues and occasional confused moments in the plot are the reason this book is a four star instead of a five for me.
Still, I found this book very easy to get sucked into and difficult to put down. I enjoyed Voya’s relationship with her family, especially, and I am looking forward to seeing that developed more in the second book as she steps into a new role. I’m hoping that some of the many vibrant side characters in this first book will get their chance in the spotlight in book two, as well.
I do wish that the love interest had been developed a bit more, though that is limited by the short amount of time that Voya is given. I also thought that the story of missing girl Lauren would be more central, since it is one of the first things mentioned in the book. The way that Lauren’s story is mentioned throughout but never really developed in any way made it a little difficult to be invested. Similar pacing issues and occasional confused moments in the plot are the reason this book is a four star instead of a five for me.
Still, I found this book very easy to get sucked into and difficult to put down. I enjoyed Voya’s relationship with her family, especially, and I am looking forward to seeing that developed more in the second book as she steps into a new role. I’m hoping that some of the many vibrant side characters in this first book will get their chance in the spotlight in book two, as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Police brutality, Blood, and Torture
Minor: Racism and Slavery
bookhoarderbea'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: Torture, Blood, Murder, Death, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Addiction, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Transphobia, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Drug abuse
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
canascorner's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The book started off slower than I would have preferred. Once we finally got into the meat of the story I began to enjoy it a lot more. The biggest source of irritation for me was that throughout the entirety of the story the MC was really indecisive like to a point where I was getting annoyed. I don't feel like we were every provided an actual explanation as to what she was basically allergic to decision making. There were a few times where her choices didn't make sense to me and the justification seemed like a stretch. In spite of those small things, I still really enjoyed the story and her cousin Keis was my favorite. This also really made me ponder what love actually is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent
megandherbook's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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
3.75
Review to come
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Murder, Abandonment, Eating disorder, and Racism
Minor: Torture, Police brutality, Addiction, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Slavery
tiannakelly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content and Trigger Warning:
Drug use, whipping, disordered eating, misgendering, child neglect, and generational trauma.
Our MC Voya has been asked to perform an impossible task within a tight deadline for her family to maintain their ancestral magic.
She must fall in love and destroy her love.
This book, I believed was pitched to me as Urban Fantasy due to the setting (Canada) in combination with the witchy elements. I think this would have done better if it was marketed as SciFi because of the biotech and advanced technology. (Sometimes, for me as a reader trying to imagine advanced tech is so distracting, and I wasn't prepared for it)
Sambury has a diverse cast that comes from non-traditional family structures. The blended family that Voya is a part of was challenging to watch because of their lack of support and the generational trauma. Alex being comfortable in her body and her family accepting her was so good to see with BLACK families that are okay with LGBTQAI+ people outside of their family. When someone within the family identifies with LGBTQAI,+ all bets are off. (I am speaking from my experience within the Black Community) Voya's relationship with her cousins was relatable: bickering one moment and heartfelt moments the next. Luc being sponsored to work for the major Biotech company was new. The complex feeling surrounding identity isn't; Luc is from Mexico but grew up and spent a hefty amount of time away from Mexico that he is an outsider whenever he has the opportunity to visit.
When Voya finally starts to see the cycle of drama and trauma is when the story picks up and becomes something I truly enjoyed. Voya tries to find a way around destroying Luc and falling in love with him, but as the story unravels, love takes over in the driver's seat. However, this is not an urban fantasy romance, as romance within the book is for the plot but nothing more.
Be prepared for a story that allows for family to be your love and heartache.
Drug use, whipping, disordered eating, misgendering, child neglect, and generational trauma.
Our MC Voya has been asked to perform an impossible task within a tight deadline for her family to maintain their ancestral magic.
She must fall in love and destroy her love.
This book, I believed was pitched to me as Urban Fantasy due to the setting (Canada) in combination with the witchy elements. I think this would have done better if it was marketed as SciFi because of the biotech and advanced technology. (Sometimes, for me as a reader trying to imagine advanced tech is so distracting, and I wasn't prepared for it)
Sambury has a diverse cast that comes from non-traditional family structures. The blended family that Voya is a part of was challenging to watch because of their lack of support and the generational trauma. Alex being comfortable in her body and her family accepting her was so good to see with BLACK families that are okay with LGBTQAI+ people outside of their family. When someone within the family identifies with LGBTQAI,+ all bets are off. (I am speaking from my experience within the Black Community) Voya's relationship with her cousins was relatable: bickering one moment and heartfelt moments the next. Luc being sponsored to work for the major Biotech company was new. The complex feeling surrounding identity isn't; Luc is from Mexico but grew up and spent a hefty amount of time away from Mexico that he is an outsider whenever he has the opportunity to visit.
When Voya finally starts to see the cycle of drama and trauma is when the story picks up and becomes something I truly enjoyed. Voya tries to find a way around destroying Luc and falling in love with him, but as the story unravels, love takes over in the driver's seat. However, this is not an urban fantasy romance, as romance within the book is for the plot but nothing more.
Be prepared for a story that allows for family to be your love and heartache.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Blood, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Slavery
bookswhitme's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Wow. That's all I can say is WOW! Everything about this was out of this world to be honest. The magic system that Liselle created had be sucked in from the beginning. While this could definitely classified as an urban fantasy, I loved the contemporary-esque elements involved. The focus on familial pressures, how secrets destroy relationships, and trying to figure out how to find yourself when you have no idea who you want to be, hit me right in the chest. Don't get me wrong, Voya frustrated me throughout the entire story, but I also understood her. She had a lot placed on her shoulders and it's hard to break out of people pleasing and stand strong in your decisions when you've had a life of people disappointing you and also telling you that your worth is measured in the gifts you have or what you can provide to your family. I can't wait for the next book.
CW for blood, discussions of murder, ritual sacrifice, dysfunctional family relationships, systemic racism, torture, familial death
CW for blood, discussions of murder, ritual sacrifice, dysfunctional family relationships, systemic racism, torture, familial death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Gore, Grief, Medical trauma, and Violence
stephy_mu's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Slavery, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Drug abuse and Death of parent
prairieraven's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
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