SYNOPSIS

After the fallout of getting her gift, Voya has to live with the decisions of her choices. Keis is pissed, barely hanging out with her or anyone in the family. The family has run out of product from Granny for the business, and can’t figure out how to replicate it, putting them at risk to moss out on clients and money. Voya still struggles with having her family’s trust and respect. She feels lost and overwhelmed, especially with Granny gone.

In a fit of emotion, Voya has a vision of the future where she sees her family house burning and everyone, witches throughout her community, dying. She sees Luc crying outside of her house, regretful of what’s occurred. Voya is terrified but knows it’s up to her to prevent it. What could possibly happen?

MY RECAP AND REVIEW (WITH SPOILERS)

I ride for this duology so hard. I want everyone to know about it and to read it because Blood Like Magic is my favorite book of the year so far. I think this one is well done and I am fully invested in the characters and the storylines. I want another book, even though this book wrapped the series up nicely.

Voya struggles with being a young Matriarch. She is learning her generational trauma and other people’s past. It’s like when you grow up and start hearing all of the family drama. She’s realizing nothing was ever sunshine and roses, even though it seemed like that when she was younger. She sees everyone struggling with their own past, choices, and the choices of those around them. She understands her family’s mantra of “We suffer and we survive.”

Because Keis is so distant, her relationship with her cousins, Alex and Keisha, get deeper. She always thought Keis and herself just happened to be closer, but didn’t realize it was because her and Keis would keep to themselves. She realizes that her actions also have an affect on the way things are, were, and can be. Life doesn’t just happen, and sometimes we feed into narratives without realizing it.

Voya is yet again trying to prove herself. She still lacks confidence in herself and in comparing herself to Granny and trying to prove she’s capable, she pushes people away. It is hard to read how she constantly feels the need to prove herself, but it seems to be one of her core issues. I honestly can’t blame her when everyone is always doubting her.

Voya wants the community to stop dividing itself between being “pure” and “impure.” She wants to strip the labels and bring everyone together. Her vision is to start a roundtable of sorts with the Matriachs from each of the powerful families like they had before everything with Auntie Elaine. Voya and Elliott who works at Nusap are tasked with finding out as much information as possible to avoid the fall of the witch community.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

The book also goes to show that sometimes labels are overdone and do more harm than good. The secret ingredient in the skin and hair products is blood from a Matriarch, which is technically impure. Labels leave out room for nuance.

From the start, it’s made obvious something is off with Elliott. I guessed that he was a robot somewhere in the middle because he makes references that are reminiscent of Luc- like confirming that yes, he is a boy.

What surprised me was his step siblings involvement in it all to the extent they were involved. It was also surprising but expected who from their community betrayed them in the hopes of saving themselves from Voya’s vision. It’s interesting to see how they are treated after the fact.

It’s also reassuring that in a way, Voya was right because Keis ended up with a work around to her curse of being unable to leave the house. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better.

SPOILERS OVER

I would say this book developed the side characters more in depth than the first one. It really made Voya live with her choices and explained her powers, though there’s limitations that she discovers. It made me question what fate means to me, because of how linked her present and future was to her Calling. The book argues that we can change the future and control our own destinies.

OVERALL

My biggest lesson from this book is that “right” or “wrong” choices are kind of redundant. We make choices and often times they’re the best choice at the time for what we know. Even if it isn’t the “right” choice, we have to live with it, adapt, and move on in the hopes the next decision is just as good or better.

Like with the first, Liselle does a great job with weaving life lessons into this series. It makes the characters likable and helps us relate, even though it’s set well into the future.

Overall, this book was a great sequel to the first one. This one was needed, didn’t disappoint, and tied things up nicely. Nothing from the first book was forgotten or put on the back burner.

I really want more from this universe, though it really isn’t necessary and I understand if the author is done with it. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars because the plot was better in the first one and the end felt a little rushed. Still I highly recommend it.