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Blood Like Magic

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
"High stakes, big heart, and lots of Black Girl Magic...unputdownable." —Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys

A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family's magic. The problem is, she's never been in love—she'll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him.
After years of waiting for her Calling—a trial every witch must pass to come into their powers—the one thing Voya Thomas didn't expect was to fail. When Voya's ancestor gives her an unprecedented second chance to complete her Calling, she agrees—and then is horrified when her task is to kill her first love. And this time, failure means every Thomas witch will be stripped of their magic.

Voya is determined to save her family's magic no matter the cost. The problem is, Voya has never been in love, so for her to succeed, she'll first have to find the perfect guy—and fast. Fortunately, a genetic matchmaking program has just hit the market. Her plan is to join the program, fall in love, and complete her task before the deadline. What she doesn't count on is being paired with the infuriating Luc—how can she fall in love with a guy who seemingly wants nothing to do with her?

With mounting pressure from her family, Voya is caught between her morality and her duty to her bloodline. If she wants to save their heritage and Luc, she'll have to find something her ancestor wants more than blood. And in witchcraft, blood is everything.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from April 26, 2021
      Afro-futurism meets urban fantasy in this strong YA debut. Descended from a long line of powerful Black witches and having just started her Bleeding, 16-year-old Voya Thomas anxiously plans for the Calling that will follow, an ancestor-given trial that she must pass in order to inherit magic. A Thomas hasn’t failed in 100 years, but Voya worries nonetheless. To pass a Calling, one must make the correct choice between two decisions—something Voya has notorious difficulty with. Her concerns threaten to become reality when she receives the most impossible task ever known to witches, one with equally unheard of consequences: if Voya does not destroy her first love in one month, all current and future Thomases will lose their magic. Voya’s one desire is to help her family, but she’s never been in love, and she doesn’t want to take a life. As her family tries to find loopholes around committing murder, Voya stumbles across an ancestor she’s never heard of, whom the adults insist on pretending doesn’t exist. Sambury blends technology and fantasy to create a detailed world that’s both futuristic and magical. Featuring a cast of BIPOC and queer characters of all ages, this novel focuses on familial love, individual desires, and making choices that will lead to the greatest good. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kristy Hunter, the Knight Agency.

    • School Library Journal

      August 19, 2022

      Gr 9 Up-Voya's family has a long history with magic: everyone is charged with a task before their individual gifts are bestowed by their ancestors. Voya's task is killing her first love before the end of the month or her family will lose their magic and her sister will lose her life. She has never had a boyfriend, until she is matched with someone in a new genetic relationship matching program. Their first meeting is a disaster, but Voya knows she must fall in love with him so she can eventually kill him, though she and her family hope to find a loophole. Set a few decades in the future in Toronto, genetics and gene manipulation are commonplace while magic is still hidden from the general society. The magical and scientific worlds seamlessly blend together. Characters are well developed, with side-characters having thoughtful backstories. Cousins of Voya identify as trans and queer, which is more accepted in this future society, though one points out that there is still work to do. History of BIPOC people being treated differently is also addressed. Voya, who is Black, says things are better but there are still times when skin color affects how people are treated. The book includes an officer-involved shooting and death of an unarmed Black man. Veteran YA voice actor Joniece Abbott-Pratt provides excellent narration throughout, giving each character a distinct voice that resonates with their personal traits. Unresolved conflicts expertly set readers up for a follow-up book. VERDICT A good addition to YA audiobook collections and an excellent choice for students who enjoy urban fantasy or a bit of sci-fi combined with their fantasy.-Courtney Pentland

      Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:720
  • Text Difficulty:3

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