A review by readingwithtemperance
Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

Ancestors give tasks as a right of passage in order to gain magic. Voya is tasked to destroy her first love. And if she fails everyone in her family present and future will no longer have magic. This is especially stressful as her family uses their magic to make a living. So. Much. Pressure. And she doesn't even know who her first love is! 

We aren't too far into our future in this book. So while lots of things have changed a lot has stayed the same. Our MC for instance still experiences micro aggressions wherever she goes. And there is prejudice and classism within the witch community as well. 

People look down on you for not having body customizations/ the money to afford them. People are unwilling to help those who they deem "unpure" /spread misinformation about them. And some families even shun those without magic or who fail their calling/task. 

These were all very important things to include. While we are living in the future/making many advancements as a society there are still things to work on/unlearn/do better on. 

Another important thing included was remembering the uncomfortable and painful history. Our MC/her family is able to talk to their ancestors/see their history first hand. This is a privilege, but the pain is still there. I can't imagine seeing that amount of generational trauma with your own eyes. 

I loved the blend of magic and futuristic tech in this book. It was so cool to see all of the different gifts everyone in the family had and how it went with their personalities. I also thought that the matching program based on genetics was so interesting! This was a perfect urban fantasy. I'm really looking forward to the sequel!