Liselle Sambury

After failing to come into her powers, sixteen-year-old Voya--a Black witch living in near-future Toronto--is forced to choose between losing her family's magic forever, a heritage steeped in centuries of blood and survival, or murdering her first love, a boy who is supposedly her genetic match.

Blood Like Magic

Jasper

Her words are like a noose tightening around my neck. A promise of pain. It's the truth in them that stings.

'Names are tough.' He tucks his hands into his jeans pockets. 'You don't choose it. Someone else does, and it ends up defining your whole life. And when the name and who you are don't match, you have to spend time changing what people think when they look at you. Not just people who already know you, but everyone else too. How the whole world sees you. You know?'

Everyone is moving toward something, and I'm floundering.

Stamped on my back is a piece that represents my my culture and family. Drawn by a boy who I'm supposed to kill in their name.

What must it be like to know exactly what you want? Whenever I try to imagine my future, I come up against a block.

Rebecca Hurd

Absolutely loved the book and premise but it took me a long time to get into it. It takes place in the future but you don’t realize that until a few chapters in which kinda threw me. I also was in a reading slump so that’s partly why it took me so long to finish the other reason was because it didn’t really pick up until more than half way through!! In the end I was really pulled in and couldn’t wait to see how it turned out. The last 5 chapters were my favorite!! Will be reading the sequel soon!!

The concept was good, but the execution fell flat for me. I’ll start with what I liked:

1- the world building was enjoyable. It was exciting to see Black / Caribbean representation in a fantasy book. The foods described are foods I’m very familiar with. The dynamics of the family and the intergenerational household also felt identifiable. Matriarchs in Black families are often upheld like this so it was nice to see.

2- the diversity inclusion was good, though I have some points on this later as to why I think it was poorly executed. However, I rather have attempt at inclusivity than none at all.

3- I liked the magic system and how it tied into the whole family

1- the romance was very insta-love. There was no chemistry or build up between the two love interests, which is kind of the point of the whole thing. Both of them were annoying in their own way, but the mmc was actually obnoxious by the end.

2- the diversity felt like pandering to majority audiences. Instead of writing as if people understood queerness or Blackness, the book came with a lot of explanations about both of these identities that made the whole thing feel like an after school special at some points. For example (this isn’t a spoiler btw): the fmc mentions her bonnet at one point, but then goes into unnecessary detail about the point of wearing a bonnet to go to sleep. This makes it obvious that despite it being a Black centered book, the author didn’t write this FOR Black people. She’s explaining our stuff to others, and she does the same with the various queer characters. That distinction means a lot to me.

Nik ✨

The concept was good, but the execution fell flat for me. I’ll start with what I liked:

1- the world building was enjoyable. It was exciting to see Black / Caribbean representation in a fantasy book. The foods described are foods I’m very familiar with. The dynamics of the family and the intergenerational household also felt identifiable. Matriarchs in Black families are often upheld like this so it was nice to see.

2- the diversity inclusion was good, though I have some points on this later as to why I think it was poorly executed. However, I rather have attempt at inclusivity than none at all.

3- I liked the magic system and how it tied into the whole family

Things I thought could be better:

1- the romance was very insta-love. There was no chemistry or build up between the two love interests, which is kind of the point of the whole thing. Both of them were annoying in their own way, but the mmc was actually obnoxious by the end.

2- the diversity felt like pandering to majority audiences. Instead of writing as if people understood queerness or Blackness, the book came with a lot of explanations about both of these identities that made the whole thing feel like an after school special at some points. For example (this isn’t a spoiler btw): the fmc mentions her bonnet at one point, but then goes into unnecessary detail about the point of wearing a bonnet to go to sleep. This makes it obvious that despite it being a Black centered book, the author didn’t write this FOR Black people. She’s explaining our stuff to others, and she does the same with the various queer characters. That distinction means a lot to me.

3- the entire ending pissed me off.

kitty 

Tatiana

Blood Like Magic: 3.5/5


  "Don't feel bad for taking up space with your body. People are always going to force you to be smaller to fit what they want"

Premise:
Set in a future Toronto, Blood Like Magic is a YA Fantasy with science fiction and paranormal aspects. The book follows Voya, who is a young witch living with her witch family. It's something of a coming of age because the book follows one major event in Voya's life called "The Calling." During The Calling, every young witch is visited by an ancestor and given a task. Once completed, that witch will gain powers, also known as a gift. 

Voya is called by Mother Jova and is given the almost impossible task of killing her first love, or her entire family will be stripped of their magic. Voya must now fall in love and kill them before time is up.

Writing & Plot:
I loved the plot of Blood Like Magic. It reminded me of a better Bone Criers Moon meets The Infinity Courts but with witches. It had a big twist at the end, which I appreciated, and overall it was a solid plotline that kept me intrigued throughout its entirety. 

My issues with the book come from the writing style. I don't think there is anything outwardly "wrong" with it; it's just not my cup of tea. The beginning is slow and full of info dumps. One of the main plot points is that Voya is difficult at making decisions, and the first 150 pages are filled with Voya repeating the same dilemma over and over. The repetition got frustrating, especially when the reader knows her choice from the book's description.

The writing is extremely detailed to where it borders overkill. The reader doesn't need to know what every character smells like and precisely what they're wearing every time they're introduced. There was so much unnecessary description that it feels like the author doesn't trust the reader enough to come to their conclusions. For example, each plot point is specifically spelled out for the reader and repeated every time it comes back into importance. This made it difficult to be surprised at twists because the reader is reminded every page of the book's plot and the issue at hand. This yielded a predictable and anticlimactic twist.

One last thing about the writing to keep in mind is that there are many graphic explanations of death and killing. Please read the trigger warnings before picking this book up.

Characters:
One place where Blood Like Magic shines is the diversity of characters. The reader is met with an onslaught of wonderfully diverse perspectives, and Liselle Sambury does a great job of bringing them to life. I loved the setting of a large family juxtaposed with Luc's character of having nothing. The book's meanings and harder messages really hit home through the experiences of these wonderful characters.

Conclusion:
Although the writing style is not my favorite, I would still recommend this book. The plot is fantastic and the characters are superb. If you can get over a bit of over-explanation I think this is worthwhile. I believe this is going to be a duology, and I will definitely pick up the second book in the series when it's released!

Jasmine

“High stakes, big heart, and lots of Black Girl Magic…unputdownable.” —Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic. The problem is, she’s never been in love—she’ll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him. After years of waiting for her Calling—a trial every witch must pass to come into their powers—the one thing Voya Thomas didn’t expect was to fail. When Voya’s ancestor gives her an unprecedented second chance to complete her Calling, she agrees—and then is horrified when her task is to kill her first love. And this time, failure means every Thomas witch will be stripped of their magic. Voya is determined to save her family’s magic no matter the cost. The problem is, Voya has never been in love, so for her to succeed, she’ll first have to find the perfect guy—and fast. Fortunately, a genetic matchmaking program has just hit the market. Her plan is to join the program, fall in love, and complete her task before the deadline. What she doesn’t count on is being paired with the infuriating Luc—how can she fall in love with a guy who seemingly wants nothing to do with her? With mounting pressure from her family, Voya is caught between her morality and her duty to her bloodline. If she wants to save their heritage and Luc, she’ll have to find something her ancestor wants more than blood. And in witchcraft, blood is everything.

Meghan Thompson 

** spoiler alert **
           let me just say that the idea for this book was really cool now the execution is what I have beef with. 
for the majority of the book nothing happened and when something did actually happen it pissed me off. I know intimately about being a girl who has a difficulty making decision and worrying about whether or not the decision to be made is the right one. however it was annoying to read about Voya struggling to trust herself especially when all the adults in the book made it difficult for her. her blind allegiance to her family was also annoying. it was like she couldn't figure out how to be within her family but also be a separate entity. 

also how tf are you supposed to fall in love with someone within a month and then proceed to choose that love over the well being of your own cousin. she spent the majority of the book pushing her cousin ensuring she could become something outside of magic and the family. then proceeded to get scared that she was leaving and trap her in the house to save a guy she knew for a month. i think that's what pissed me off the most. how are you going so obsessed with saving your family to then proceed to screw your own family over??? 

idk I'm disappointed because this book had so much potential especially being about Caribbean heritage and family. it was something I could relate to. however all the adults in this book deeply disappointed me and the ending was lacklustre.

Jordan /

Elizabeth Hagenlocher

This book was such a fantastic blend of avi-fi and fantasy in a world that still resembles our own. Set in a slightly futuristic Toronto, Blood Like Magic follows Voya, a young witch from one of the most powerful families of Black witches. She’s started her Calling, a time when young witches come into their power and receive their magical gift, IF they can pass a test given by their ancestors. But the task Voya gives seems impossible, especially for someone as indecisive as she is. The task is to destroy her first love, but there are major consequences if she chooses otherwise.

I loved this story so much. For starters, Voya is an incredible character who loves her family and always puts them first. The problem is that she pours so much of her love and energy into everyone else that her belief in herself is flimsy at best. Seeing her learn, grow, gain confidence, and find balance is an incredible journey. And her love interest is trans and I love him. The two characters have great chemistry together. 

The story takes place in a future that’s both hopeful and grounded in reality. The technology is definitely believable, and the added quips like “back in my day we Googled” were hilarious to me. Everything is based in AI and genetics, which totally tracks. The hopeful part? We see a world in which people of all identities are treated more equitably than ever, even on a systemic level. Or at least, this works is getting there, as there’s definitely still work to do. I think it’s amazing to see a sci-fi-esque setting that isn’t a complete utopia or dystopia. It’s real and hopeful.

The story was just so good, and the more I read the more I got sucked into Voya’s journey. I cannot wait for the next book. There are so many things I want to say, but I feel like they’re too spoiler-y. 

(The antagonist of the book was so creepy too. Every time a certain trait of theirs was mentioned I got the heebie jeebies.)

Jana Jenkinns 

So much love for this book. Like, so so so much love.

Nicki

Squints.. TBQH I picked this book simply because of the cover and the description. I am a simple woman and Black witches speak to me. Unfortunately, the most I enjoyed about this book was the homage to my Caribbean roots even if I like to drag Trinis from time to time. I thought this was a decent debut and even though I wasn’t in love with it, I’m still willing to read the sequel because surely it must get better from here. I don’t know if I would say much of what happened was predictable but listen the last few pages were not for me…. and my major compliant would be that there was a lot of repetition for a solid chunk of the book which made it so hard to get into for a while. Also it was a lot more Sci-fi than I had anticipated. The diversity was also excellent and noteworthy.

Sofie

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the e-ARC for review!


  From the start of this, Mama Jova has wanted me to take control of my future and my choices. And this whole time I believed that I would make the wrong choice. Thats how it’s been with everything in my life. Ever decision was another chance to mess up.

I don’t know if this is the right one either. But it doesn’t matter.

It’s my choice, and I have to make it.

So I do.



When Voya Thomas, a young witch, fails her Calling, she begs her talker for another chance. And to her entire family’s surprise, she gets it. But the task seems impossible: to get her gift, Voya must destroy her first love, or else her entire family will lose their magic.

A strong 3.5 stars.

Fantasy and sci-fi are wonderfully blended in Liselle Sambury’s Blood Like Magic. Reading the blurb, I was initially worried this would be too similar to the Bone Grace series, but the novel was one of the most original and impressive fantasies I’ve read in a long time. I wasn’t expecting such an immersive, black mirror-esque component to the world building; Sambury’s sci-fi ideas were mildly uncanny, and I don’t doubt they’ll be part of our reality soon.

There was a diverse familial cast of characters, wherein everyone felt distinct and purposeful. Voya was an imperfect protagonist, riddled with self doubt, and tasked with an impossible calling that kept me guessing. And most excitedly, the book showcased a vast variety of cultures and backgrounds, and Toronto was the perfect setting for it all. I loved learning about Voya’s Trinidadian background, especially through her cooking, as well as the other witch families and their own histories. I also appreciated that, despite being set in the future, Sambury still addressed issues of race and bigotry that, like Voya mentioned, likely will take centuries more to dismantle. Similarly, I loved that social issues we are currently working through were near old news.

There were a few story-telling issues that brought me out of the book. Comprehensive world-building is so important, especially for such a unique story, but the novel was a bit slow to start. I’m also a bit torn on how I feel about Voya’s task, about Justin’s ideology, about the pure vs. impure magic concept. I won’t post any spoilers, but some reasoning felt a bit weak, and I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to let it slide.

That said, this is a strong debut and great for young adult fantasy and sci-fi lovers everywhere.

Jessica Williamson

5 Stars

Reading Vlog: https://youtu.be/aNf_yRqP9pQ

This book was so epically fantastic. I cried so much. I haven't felt personally attacked by a book this much in a long ass time. Like. It hurt me.

Here are the things you need to know. Liselle did a fantastic job of merging real world issues of today into what they might be in the future as well as adding in a magical society and new issues for that time period.

There's a lot of hits on culture and identity within the Black communities (because not all Black is the same, in case you missed the memo) as well as the magical communities and how the community you belong to and the company you keep doesn't necessarily make you good or evil. Every choice we make has a consequence and it's those choices that decide who we truly are. And it's a gray ass area.

There were SO MANY plot twists. Just left and right things were jumping out at me like, you should have seen this coming, but I didn't. and it was fantastic.

It was hella queer, just a whole dang lot of queer love (as there should be). And the magic system and the family aspect and gods y'all, I can't even form coherent thoughts anymore.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It was bloody fucking brilliant.

 I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm also friends with the author.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received the e-arc from the publisher and the arc copy from a local bookstore (not bought, they had it set out to take). Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Blood Like Magic

Author: Liselle Sambury

Book Series: Blood Like Magic Book 1

Diversity: Big family, step parents and a trans cousin (male to female), Black MC and main/side characters, Trans (female to male) love interest, Not skinny MC (she has big hips and butt), Pronouns used and normalized, Hispanic love interest, LGBT+ characters, Demiromantic character

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: ya readers, LGBT+, fantasy, witchcraft, sci-fi, urban fantasy

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Publication Date: June 15, 2021

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 496

Recommended Age: 15+ (Discussion of slavery, Gore, Violence, Language, Alcohol mentioned, Discrimination, Microaggressions, Mentions of police brutality, Media protrayal of Black people as violent)

Explanation of CWs: Slavery and the trauma of it in the family is discussed. Damn is the only curse I saw used. Alcohol is mentioned in the context of the adults drink and one of the teens tries to sneak some, at a family function the MC had some shandy, and the MC drinks rum to watch a very gorey scene. Police brutality a thing of the past and officers now from convicted, but still happens. This is very brief in the book. Media protrayal of Black people as violent is still happening and is frowned upon by MC and by the tone of the book in general.

Synopsis: After years of waiting for her Calling—a trial every witch must pass in order to come into their powers—the one thing Voya Thomas didn’t expect was to fail. When Voya’s ancestor gives her an unprecedented second chance to complete her Calling, she agrees—and then is horrified when her task is to kill her first love. And this time, failure means every Thomas witch will be stripped of their magic.

Voya is determined to save her family’s magic no matter the cost. The problem is, Voya has never been in love, so for her to succeed, she’ll first have to find the perfect guy—and fast. Fortunately, a genetic matchmaking program has just hit the market. Her plan is to join the program, fall in love, and complete her task before the deadline. What she doesn’t count on is being paired with the infuriating Luc—how can she fall in love with a guy who seemingly wants nothing to do with her?

With mounting pressure from her family, Voya is caught between her morality and her duty to her bloodline. If she wants to save their heritage and Luc, she’ll have to find something her ancestor wants more than blood. And in witchcraft, blood is everything.

Review: Okay so in the running for my favorite book of 2021, no other book really stands a chance against this one now I think LOL. This book absolutely blew me away and it's so unique and phenomenal I cannot not rave about it. The book is like this weird love child of a Sci-Fi mixed with techno mixed with murder mystery elements and witchcraft. And it works! I really love all of the characters and there is so much diversity in this book. All the characters, even down at the miniscule small ones are so well developed. The world building is absolutely amazing. The plot, though a little complex, immediately draws you in and refuses to let you leave. And the pacing is very consistent throughout the book. And bonus points because the cover is in like one of my favorite colors LOL. And I also want to talk about how the main character, who is painted to be in that "not like other girls" trope in the beginning is totally not like that at the end of the book and the book does really well to show that that character comes into their own. I also want to highly commend the book for involving periods as a coming of age rituals and making the male characters also experience a version of this lol. I have to say that this was one of the most unique books I have read in a long time and I am stoked to see the other books in the series and where this author goes from here because this author is going to be someone that you want to keep on your radar.

The only little bit of criticism that I had in this book is that there was a lot going on, especially in the beginning, and it forced me to slow down in my reading. But I think that was completely intentional by the author and while my brain was rushing to memorize a lot of facts, I love how the author wrote the book.

Verdict: Absolutely amazing and I highly recommend!

Katheryn Haskell

Alright, so that was awesome.

First of all, I'm also keen on a book set in Canada, and as someone from that area of Canada (I lived in Etobicoke xD) I loved the use of typical Toronto things. 

Honestly, I'm giving it a 4.5, cause aside from my dislike of some of the choices Voya makes, I had zero bad things to say. I think it addresses how racism can evolve and still exist in a beautiful way, and I hope people can see that. The characters are all very distinct and loveable. I hurt me when any of them faced any hardships, even the ones we didn't see a lot of. I also enjoyed the writing style.

But the story was goooooood. It took a bit to get started, but not in a boring way. However it picks up pretty quick when the story starts to unfold and it's GOOD. I don't like some of the events that happen, because they're not what I wanted to happen, but they definitely happened for a reason and the definitely makes the story more enjoyable than if the author had gone a more "everyone is happy in the end!" Route. 

Super good. Highly recommend, definitely excited for the next one! 

Kelsey Holtaway

A wonderfully developed world, magic system, and cast. I could not put this down

Gubbles

Let’s start by saying I never knew what was going to happen next. (Granted I rarely knew what was currently happening, I found this book to be rather confusing) The story had great messages but they just felt so hammered in it felt counterproductive. 

This book has amazing POC representation and LGBT representation! For a book set in the future there was an amazing out look on change for both communities and it also touched on some current world issues. 

I’m not gonna lie I didn’t like the ending of the book. It felt very rushed. The strings were tied but it was a loose knot that could unravel at any point.

Amivi

REVIEW TO COME SOON BUT I LOVE THIS BOOK 
AND IM IN PAIN

Kate

4.5* WOW. This was fan-freaking-tastic. Honestly, one of the most unique and interesting fantasies I've come across in a long time. Not only was the magic system interesting and easy to understand, the characters were complex and lovable, the relationship dynamics multilayered and fascinating, the world was captivating and felt eerily close to our own future. The plot built slowly in a way that had me utterly hooked from the first page until the last. The way Liselle blended fantasy with science fiction, whilst never forgetting the history it was built upon, was creative, clever and, at times, utterly terrifying. The food moments were e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g and the way Liselle created a future so casually accepting of all genders, identities and sexualities was wonderful to read. 

Voya as a character was wonderful to follow. She was smart, powerful, insecure, bold and her struggle with decision making and uncertainty surrounding her future was painfully relatable as someone who can't make a decision to save her life. 

Blood Like Water has not only made me super excited about Liselle as an author, but sparked an excitement for fantasy/dystopia/sci-fi I've been missing. I just want all the urban fantasy stories please.