Double, double, toil and trouble!
Are you forever obsessed with YA books about witches?
Then I’m here to tell you that Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury should be on your radar in a major way.
But I’ll warn you now: if you’re looking for…
👱♀️ cutesy blondes who comically botch their spells
⚡ clueless eleven-year-olds with lightning scars
🧙♀️ harmless old hags covered in wrinkles and warts
…then this book is definitely not for you.
So what can you expect from Liselle Sambury’s 2021 YA debut?
Keep reading my Blood Like Magic review and I’ll clue you in!
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Blood Like Magic Summary
Blood Like Magic #1
Written by Liselle Sambury
Published June 15th, 2021 by Margaret K. McElderry
On the day that Voya Thomas turns sixteen, she’s finally old enough to inherit the magic passed down in her family for generations and become a full-fledged witch.
But when her coming-of-age ceremony takes a deadly turn, Voya has to make an impossible choice—destroy her first love, or say goodbye to her family’s magic forever.
FOR FANS OF: Black Girl Magic, YA books about witches, urban fantasy novels.
Content + Trigger Warnings
“Whipping scene within the context of slavery, gun/police violence, discussion of and character with an eating disorder, blood/gore/violence, death, substance abuse/addiction, mentions of child neglect.” -From Author’s Note
Blood Like Magic Review
What I Liked About Blood Like Magic
1. Literal Black Girl Magic at its finest
According to Goodreads, witches are a hot 2021 YA trend that’s on the rise.
And all I can say (scream) is: HECK TO THE YES, GIVE ME ALL THE WITCHY VIBES!
So when I discovered Blood Like Magic is about a Black-Canadian witch who loves to cook Trinidadian food and take long soaks in literal blood baths…
I couldn’t grab my library card fast enough.
(I don’t even want to know what that says about me.)
“There’s something about lounging in a bath of blood that makes me want to stay until my fingers shrivel enough to show the outlines of my bones.”
Liselle Sambury is not afraid to push back against pop culture’s preconceived notion of what a witch should be and reclaim the popular trope for Black girls everywhere.
But more than that:
The author introduces a compelling magic system tied to blood and family.
This shows that knowing who you are and where you come from is empowering.
At its core, Blood Like Magic is a story about connection—to our ancestors, to our family, to our community—and how those relationships imbue us with strength like magic.
“Blood and intent. Two simple ingredients that make up the recipe for magic.”
2. A seamless blend of fantasy and science fiction that will leave you spellbound.
The official Publisher’s Weekly Blood Like Magic review describes Liselle Sambury’s debut as, “Afro-futurism meets urban fantasy,” and you know what?
I couldn’t agree more.
Genetic modifications, AI robots, witches, and magical families all collide in this unique Sci-Fi Fantasy mashup that shouldn’t work together but totally does.
(Just like french fries and milkshakes.)
“We don’t have money or their kind of status, but we have magic.”
Set in a not-so-distant future, Liselle Sambury deftly constructs a complex and multidimensional world that is alarmingly similar to our own.
(Give or take a few witches.)
And what’s more—she makes it feel effortless.
Social commentary about casual racism, misgendering, technology ethics, gentrification, and classism underpins the worldbuilding in a natural way that is far from contrived.
If anything, it’s a sad but true extension of our own harsh reality.
And that’s why, despite all the fantasy and sci-fi elements, this fictional world rings true.
“Gene manipulation already costs a fortune. Could you imagine the price tag and gatekeeping on that sort of treatment? It would be a bunch of rich people living until five hundred and the rest of us struggling to reach eighty.”
3. Voya’s inspirational character arc is *chef’s kiss*
Here’s the deal:
If the wild popularity of Zuko’s redemption arc proves anything, it’s that we love to see characters change and grow for the better.
And the protagonist of Blood Like Magic is no different.
(Well…minus the part about being obsessed capturing with the Avatar.)
“Voya, who can’t choose at all, and Voya, who can never make the right choice. Two halves of a coin worth nothing.”
Voya Thomas is a self-conscious teenager, uncertain about almost everything in her life—her future, her magic, and her choices.
She gets so caught up in making decisions that she’s immobilized by the fear of making the wrong one.
Have you ever felt like that?
I know I have.
Her indecision makes Voya an extremely relatable character that I could easily connect to and cheer for.
Throughout the narrative, Voya learns how to trust in herself and confidently move forward, even if the outcome is painful.
“It’s not about being bad or being good. We decide who we are, not the magic we practice. And I need to trust myself enough to know, however I choose to use my power, it’ll be for the right reasons.”
All in all:
Voya’s emotional journey to self-discovery is a skillfully executed character arc that strikes the perfect balance between satisfying and bittersweet.
What I Disliked about Blood Like Magic
4. A bumpy beginning that dragged out
Sadly, we’ve reached the part of my Blood Like Magic review where I share what didn’t work for me.
My chief complaint is this (it’s actually the same one I discussed in my Lost in the Never Woods review):
The pacing.
Blood Like Magic is a story that builds slowly.
Liselle Sambury takes her sweet time setting up the main conflict, and what’s the result?
- a choppy exposition
- lengthy infodumps
- worldbuilding overwhelm
- too many character introductions
And it bogs down the entire reading experience.
However!
If you can slog through to the halfway mark, that’s where things pick up. And fast!
Turns out:
Despite its slow pace, the beginning of Blood Like Magic lays the groundwork for an explosive finale that’s guaranteed to have you gripping the edge of your seat.
Blood Like Magic Review:
The Final Verdict
So what does my Blood Like Magic review all boil down to?
Is this just another run-of-the-mill YA book about witches?
Good news:
If you don’t mind a slow-paced book, then this 2021 YA release won’t disappoint!
Debut author Liselle Sambury explodes onto the Young Adult scene with a genre-busting urban fantasy that defies stereotypes and gives witches a much-needed makeover.
Now all that’s left to do is to anxiously wait for the Blood Like Magic sequel.
Rating: 4 Stars
To learn more about how I rank YA books, check out my Book Rating System.
Now it’s time to hear what you have to say:
What did you think of my Blood Like Magic review?
Jump into the comments and share one thing about the book that piqued your interest!
