jammasterjamie's review against another edition
5.0
Terrific! I really enjoyed my trip through Spells of Blood and Kin and thought it was a fantastic debut novel from an author I will definitely be reading more of. The story started strong and went into some great world-building, accomplishing this without breaking or slowing down the narrative flow. Humphrey's characters felt real, and although I have to admit that I didn't really love Lissa as a person, that's part of the charm and depth of her realness. No spoilers, but the ending wasn't exactly what I expected, and that's not a bad thing. All in all, this is a good piece of escapism and a strong first showing from a promising author.
plaidpladd's review against another edition
3.0
I've had this on my TBR since it came out in 2016 and I finally read it! I liked it over all, although when I turned the page and got just "About the Author" I actually said "what?" out loud because it didn't feel like it really had an ending. Unless you consider Nick the main character, I guess, but I really could care less about him so I do not. I liked the switching POVs and the flashback sections. I think the world building was really cool, and I would definitely read a sequel.
toadfairy's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to love this book... For its uniqueness and being based in Toronto. But it just didn't do it for me. I found it boring and unfulfilling.
raeallic's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this fresh take on witchcraft. Would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy or even Karen Marie Monings Fever Series, as I am most definitely a fan of both. Looking forward to seeing what's next.
carolynf's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite as good as "Discovery of Witches" but comes close. A young modern witch in Canada someplace assumes her grandmother's role upon her death. The story begins with "Baba had been dead for four days by the time Lissa got to speak with her," which sets the tone for the book - mysterious but a little campy as well. Lissa's job is complicated by the appearance of a vampire, whose keeping-it-together spell dissipated with her grandmother's death, so now he feels the pull to do Very Bad Things. Should she recreate the spell and bind his nature once again? I felt there was a Clockwork Orange connection here that could have been emphasized a little more. A lot of the plot devices seemed more like unpleasant fate that cannot be avoided than an actual choice that the characters had to make. But maybe that is just the Russian influences.
beccagomezfarrell's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Interesting look at Russian egg spellcraft set in Canada, with main characters learning more about themselves and the lives they've stumbled into. Unique take on vampire-like tropes as well. The ending may surprise some readers, but it felt right to me.
lolajoan's review against another edition
4.0
It's not life-changing, but it's a fun, light, and very readable supernatural story. I'm a bit of a sucker for books set in locales I'm familiar with, so that was a plus for me, and I quite enjoyed the characters. The language isn't particularly poetic but it is nicely descriptive, with some very pleasing turns of phrase. The arc of the story is a little asymmetrical - it really feels like the lead-up to a sequel. I'm not crazy about tales that are so obviously serialized, but since it was a quick, easy read, I'm not too bitter. (I'm looking at you, Patrick Rothfuss.)
lulustjames's review against another edition
3.0
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Baba had been dead for four days by the time Lissa got to speak with her.
This is how Spells of Blood and Kin by Claire Humphrey begins, and boy is it a great first line! A solid debut novel by Ms. Humphrey, the book features solid character building, and an incredibly interesting take on kitchen witchcraft featuring what seems like eastern European berserkers. However, at points, it does feel like perhaps there may have been chunks edited out as the story seems to jump around or over certain points, leaving it up to the reader to make of it what they will.
Humphrey does a good job depicting the grieving process with Lissa. It doesn’t feel over the top or hysterical, while at the same time manages not portray Lissa as cold or uncaring. It’s a sombre, sober portrayal of grief that fades to the background during the novel, but is still felt; which is appropriate considering Baba and her death is the catalyst for everything in the novel.
Hearing of Baba’s death, Lissa’s somewhat estranged step-sister Stella decides to visit to help see Lissa through such a trying time, or so she says. In actuality, she’s running away from her life in London and looking to start anew in Toronto, while at the same time looking to form an actual relationship with her step-sister. Lissa, unaccustomed to the company, is resistant at first. It seems being a witch’s apprentice left her little to no time to socialize or understand how to be around people. The bonding done between the two was well done and believable. They’re different, and remain different, but understand and appreciate the other. It’s great to see each sister take the other one under their wing.
The undercurrent of romance between Lissa and Stella’s coworker, Rafe, whom I loved was fun! It was definitely just a small background thing that I want more of! I’m not really a fan of romance, but maybe I just really liked Rafe? The perfect mix of approachable, relatable working class man with hints of an upper class upbringing, I just kept thinking I WANT ONE! I think, he might be a big part of why I’d like to see a follow-up to Spells of Blood and Kin.
But, then we get to the flip side where I’m uncertain I’d like to know more about this world and the “kin” section of the story. On the surface, it’s pretty cool and interesting. The kin seem like berserkers, humans that have been tainted with insatiable blood lust where they are always looking for a fight. Constantly drinking and fighting, theirs is a constant internal struggle to retain their humanity. World weary Maksim is forced to deal with the return of his raging frenzy after Baba dies. Tagging along is progeny Augusta who sees the world a bit differently than her maker. Their relationship is interesting and I’d love to see more back story between them. That said, this is where the story clipping I mentioned earlier happens.
There seems to be something going on, unsaid, with the three kin you see in the book. This is getting to mild spoilers right now, so if you want to read the book, TURN AWAY AND STOP HERE. It is said that Augusta is into women; that she is a lesbian. It is alluded to that Maksim is gay. It is alluded to that Nick is angry with himself for being unable to maintain a heterosexual relationship, is possibly bisexual/pansexual, and in love with his best friend Jonathan. That being said, these three potential lgbtqa* characters are the three infected characters that are full of rage, always drinking, always a danger to society. Then, we have Lissa performing what is essentially an illegal spell to leash Maksim’s nature, which infuriates Augusta claiming that it isn’t natural what is being done to him. That’s not something I want to read. That’s not something I’m comfortable with. I don’t know if I’m reading this incorrectly? Especially since I know that the author has written queer friendly material before. Maybe I’m missing the point?
I hope that there’s a follow-up simply to see the inclusion of heterosexual kin, which funnily enough is never something I expected to say — that a book needed more straight people. But in this case, I think having a straight person be afflicted as kin would at the very least dissuade me from jumping to conclusions as to what sort of commentary one can jump to. The writing is solid, the relationships are great, the magic simple but believable, Spells of Blood and Kin by Claire Humphrey is a solid debut novel.
// I received this title for free in exchange for an honest review //
bookfessional's review against another edition
4.0
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
To begin, for all of you non-English majors:
Postmodern literature: is a form of literature which is marked, both stylistically and ideologically, by a reliance on such literary conventions as fragmentation, paradox, unreliable narrators, often unrealistic and downright impossible plots, games, parody, paranoia, dark humor and authorial self-reference. Postmodern authors tend to reject outright meanings in their novels, stories and poems, and, instead, highlight and celebrate the possibility of multiple meanings, or a complete lack of meaning, within a single literary work.
Now that you have the convoluted definition, here's mine: depressing crap and trash that is often utterly pointless.
Or I should say, what mine used to be. Before SPELLS OF BLOOD AND KIN by Claire Humphrey.
But that's not entirely true either, b/c I don't think I can label it as 100% postmodern. I'd say it's somewhere between 66 - 75% postmodern, so it would seem that the 25 - 34% of non-depressing crap and trash that isn't utterly pointless is all I needed to make the literary trend redeemable to mine eyes.
It's the dash of hope that keeps life from being meaningless that makes the difference.
SO. From what I can tell, SPELLS OF BLOOD AND KIN isn't doing too well in the advance review ratings department. Based on my experience with the book, I'm going to guess it's for one of the following reasons:
1. It's a relatively short book told from three main POVs.
Lots of people don't like more than one POV, if they aren't reading 600+ page high fantasies. I can't comment on the why of that, b/c I'm not one of those people.
2. It's told in the third person.
I do generally prefer first person narratives, but, if done well, it doesn't take long for me to adapt, and this book is a good example of exactly that.
3. That element of postmodernism I was fussing about earlier.
There are two separate plot threads that make everything building up to their conclusions feel--at a glance--like wasted time, one of them concluding rather abruptly in the last 3%, the other leaving you wondering about what will happen in forty or sixty years when the character finds himself in the same situation as he began this story in.
That's off-putting. No way around it.
BUT.
I was fully engaged in the story within the first couple turns of POV changes. That's hard to do under normal circumstances, but Humphrey managed it after dropping me head first into the story, no background, no nothing, so . . . *tips hat*
BEHOLD, the first line:
Umm . . . say again?
And it doesn't stop there. The first time we meet our three MCs, one wakes groggily in alley after being mugged, one inexplicably goes skinny dipping in Lake Ontario, and the aforementioned Lissa is dealing with the death of her grandmother.
But the way Humphrey slowly doled out information kept me on the hook. She gave just enough to keep me from being frustrated, and consistently threw out things so bizarre or so reprehensible that I had to keep reading to find out why? What was the twist? Surely Maksim didn't just show up at some chick's house, break down the door, and punch her in the face? It can't be that simple? He isn't just some abusive RAGE beast . . . is he . . .?
No. He's not. And Lissa isn't just a hateful bitch.
But if you want to know ALL THE THINGS, you have to stick with it, which isn't a hard task, IMO.
SPELLS OF BLOOD AND KIN by Claire Humphrey isn't your typical urban fantasy. There's no Bad Guy trying to do a Bad Thing who must be stopped by a sassy heroine and her merry band of accomplices. There's no supernatural governing council either keeping the peace with the humans since their existence was revealed or keeping the silence to ensure they aren't discovered. There's a young woman who can work small magics during the full moon, there's a man who's lived several lifetimes, his battle to control his bloodlust getting increasingly more difficult as time passes, and there's a young man whose life was spinning out of control long before he met the other two. But, for a short time, their lives become entangled, and this is that story. I happen to think it's a good one. Highly recommended.
To begin, for all of you non-English majors:
Postmodern literature: is a form of literature which is marked, both stylistically and ideologically, by a reliance on such literary conventions as fragmentation, paradox, unreliable narrators, often unrealistic and downright impossible plots, games, parody, paranoia, dark humor and authorial self-reference. Postmodern authors tend to reject outright meanings in their novels, stories and poems, and, instead, highlight and celebrate the possibility of multiple meanings, or a complete lack of meaning, within a single literary work.
Now that you have the convoluted definition, here's mine: depressing crap and trash that is often utterly pointless.
Or I should say, what mine used to be. Before SPELLS OF BLOOD AND KIN by Claire Humphrey.
But that's not entirely true either, b/c I don't think I can label it as 100% postmodern. I'd say it's somewhere between 66 - 75% postmodern, so it would seem that the 25 - 34% of non-depressing crap and trash that isn't utterly pointless is all I needed to make the literary trend redeemable to mine eyes.
It's the dash of hope that keeps life from being meaningless that makes the difference.
SO. From what I can tell, SPELLS OF BLOOD AND KIN isn't doing too well in the advance review ratings department. Based on my experience with the book, I'm going to guess it's for one of the following reasons:
1. It's a relatively short book told from three main POVs.
Lots of people don't like more than one POV, if they aren't reading 600+ page high fantasies. I can't comment on the why of that, b/c I'm not one of those people.
2. It's told in the third person.
I do generally prefer first person narratives, but, if done well, it doesn't take long for me to adapt, and this book is a good example of exactly that.
3. That element of postmodernism I was fussing about earlier.
There are two separate plot threads that make everything building up to their conclusions feel--at a glance--like wasted time, one of them concluding rather abruptly in the last 3%, the other leaving you wondering about what will happen in forty or sixty years when the character finds himself in the same situation as he began this story in.
That's off-putting. No way around it.
BUT.
I was fully engaged in the story within the first couple turns of POV changes. That's hard to do under normal circumstances, but Humphrey managed it after dropping me head first into the story, no background, no nothing, so . . . *tips hat*
BEHOLD, the first line:
Baba had been dead for four days by the time Lissa got to speak with her.
Umm . . . say again?
And it doesn't stop there. The first time we meet our three MCs, one wakes groggily in alley after being mugged, one inexplicably goes skinny dipping in Lake Ontario, and the aforementioned Lissa is dealing with the death of her grandmother.
But the way Humphrey slowly doled out information kept me on the hook. She gave just enough to keep me from being frustrated, and consistently threw out things so bizarre or so reprehensible that I had to keep reading to find out why? What was the twist? Surely Maksim didn't just show up at some chick's house, break down the door, and punch her in the face? It can't be that simple? He isn't just some abusive RAGE beast . . . is he . . .?
No. He's not. And Lissa isn't just a hateful bitch.
But if you want to know ALL THE THINGS, you have to stick with it, which isn't a hard task, IMO.
SPELLS OF BLOOD AND KIN by Claire Humphrey isn't your typical urban fantasy. There's no Bad Guy trying to do a Bad Thing who must be stopped by a sassy heroine and her merry band of accomplices. There's no supernatural governing council either keeping the peace with the humans since their existence was revealed or keeping the silence to ensure they aren't discovered. There's a young woman who can work small magics during the full moon, there's a man who's lived several lifetimes, his battle to control his bloodlust getting increasingly more difficult as time passes, and there's a young man whose life was spinning out of control long before he met the other two. But, for a short time, their lives become entangled, and this is that story. I happen to think it's a good one. Highly recommended.