Blood Like Magic (Blood Like Magic #1) by Liselle Sambury
Published: June 15th 2021 by Margaret K. McElderry
Review:
Myth: 4.5/5
This story is set a few decades in our future, where our lives are intertwined with the social media tech that currently exists. Voya, our main character, is a 16 year old black girl excited to pass her Calling, at which point she’ll gain the access to the magic that is her family’s heritage. She’s always only ever wanted what was best for her family, but is unable to make choices for herself - and the plot centers around her indecisiveness. At the same time, we get to see her love of cooking, her friendship with her cousins, messy family drama and her fall in love… it’s a well written story with a little bit of everything.
Magic: 4/5
This book was dark. Magic comes with a price and the families are divided between those who are willing to sacrifice other’s lives for additional power vs those who are not. The reasoning behind the human sacrifices is complex - it has to do with safety and protection of the community, not simply greed. Voya’s family has chosen to remain pure and refrain from sacrificial magic, but her we see her struggle to decide if it’s worth it or not during her calling - and who’s lives she is willing to ruin in order to protect the family.
