Blood Like Fate

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In the spellbinding sequel to Blood Like Magic, Voya fights to save her witch community from a terrible future in this poignant, smart, and wholly unique (Tracy Deonn, New York Times bestselling author of Legendborn) novel thats perfect for fans of Legendborn and Cemetery Boys.

Voya Thomas may have passed her Calling to become a full-fledged witch, but the cost was higher than shed ever imagined.

Her grandmother is gone.
Her cousin hates her.
And her family doesnt believe that she has what it takes to lead them.

Whats more, Voya cant let go of her feelings for Luc, sponsor son of the genius billionaire Justin Tremblaythe man that Luc believes Voya killed. Consequently, Luc wants nothing to do with her. Even her own ancestors seem to have lost faith in her. Every day Voya begs for their guidance, but her calls go unanswered.

As Voya struggles to convince everyoneherself includedthat she can be a good Matriarch, she has a vision of a terrifying, deadly future. A vision that would spell the end of the Toronto witches. With a newfound sense of purpose, Voya must do whatever it takes to bring her shattered community together and stop what's coming for them before its too late.

Even if it means taking down the boy she loveswho might be the mastermind behind the coming devastation.

Reviews

"Liselle Sambury builds a world not far from our own, where blood is both weapon and salvation.Blood Like Magicis an intoxicating, skillful blend of science fiction and fantasy that reads like an enthralling dream. Poignant, smart, and wholly unique. An ode to the spirits of Black women, this novel demands that the future never forget the enduring power of family or the long, sharp blade of history. A bold, magical debut full of heart, and an author to watch! -- Tracy Deonn, New York Times bestselling author of LEGENDBORN
"With high stakes, big heart, and lots of Black Girl Magic,Blood Like Magicis everything you love about paranormal fantasy. The fast pace, painfully relatable characters, and incredible generational magic system makesBlood Like Magicunputdownable. Liselle Sambury left me with a massive book hangover that wont be cured until I get the sequel!"

-- Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys
A Black teenager faces a difficult choice to bring about her magical awakening.

Voya Thomas is a 16-year-old Black Canadian girl with Trinidadian rootsand a fledgling witch. Her ascension to becoming a proper witch is dependent on her performance at her Calling. Every witch-to-be is assigned a test by one of their ancestors, and if they are successful, they receive their magic and the specially chosen gift of an ability. Refusing to accept the task means no future members of Voyas bloodline will be Called by the ancestors and therefore can never become witches; accepting but failing the challenge set for her will cause every witch in her family to lose the magic upon which their livelihood depends. During the ritual, Voya finds out that the stakes for her Calling are even steeper than she could have imagined: Before the Caribana carnival in a months time, she must kill her first love. But Voya has never been in love, so she must now find someone, fall in love, and then sacrifice him. Samburys prose is fluid and eloquent and will enthrall readers. The protagonists voice feels refreshingly authentic, and the supporting characters are diverse and multidimensional, with well-developed relationships. Sensitive topics and themes, like slavery and racism, emerge in the novels original and compelling storylines.

A breath of fresh air for the genre; readers will be spellbound. (Fantasy. 14-18) -- STARRED Kirkus review of BLOOD LIKE MAGIC * April 15, 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 hasnt failed in 100 years, but Voya worries nonetheless. To pass a Calling, one must make the correct choice between two decisionssomething 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. Voyas one desire is to help her family, but shes never been in love, and she doesnt want to take a life. As her family tries to find loopholes around committing murder, Voya stumbles across an ancestor shes never heard of, whom the adults insist on pretending doesnt exist. Sambury blends technology and fantasy to create a detailed world thats 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 14up.Agent: Kristy Hunter, the Knight Agency. (June) -- STARRED Publishers Weekly review of BLOOD LIKE MAGIC * April 26, 2021 *
In Sambury's downright dazzling debut, Voya has finally started menstruating, which means she's ready to come into her familys magic and receive her gift from her familys ancestors. To receive this gift, each witch needs to complete a task given to them by an ancestor, and failing is not an option. To Voyas misfortune, Mama Jova, who suffered at the hands of slavery, imparts her task: to echo the familys mantra of suffer and survive, Voya is instructed to destroy her first love or risk losing her family forever. This engrossing novel features a world both familiar and unfamiliar, in a near-future Toronto. Sambury vividly captures the vibrancy of Toronto as well as the diversity within the witch community, and her dedication to world building lends authenticity to her characters. Family and heritage are two important themes, demonstrated powerfully in the novel's descriptions of history keeping, food, and daily family life. While this urban fantasy takes place in the near future, Sambury does not turn a blind eye to the persistent history of systemic racism against Black people, the evils of slavery, or police brutality targeting Black people, nor how those impact the Black community on a daily basis, all while keeping magic compellingly at the forefront. This impressive debut will wow readers and leave them eager for more from this writer to watch. -- STARRED Booklist review of BLOOD LIKE MAGIC * June 1, 2021 *

Author Bio

Liselle Sambury is the TrinidadianCanadian author of the Governor Generals Literary Awards FinalistBlood Like Magicand its sequel,Blood Like Fate. Her work spans multiple genres, from fantasy to sci-fi, horror, and more. In her free time, she shares helpful tips for upcoming writers and details of her publishing journey through a YouTube channel dedicated to demystifying the sometimes complicated business of being an author.