Blood Magic - Review

Title: Blood Magic
Author: Tessa Gratton


Synopsis: “It starts off simply. Draw a circle… place a dead leaf in the center… sprinkle some salt… recite a little Latin… add a drop of blood…
“Maybe that last part isn’t exactly simple. Yet somehow if feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents’ horrific deaths. She’s willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family- even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep… and spill some blood.
“The book isn’t the only recent arrival in Silla’s life. There’s Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She’s not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes that this may not be Nick’s first encounter with blood magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can’t deny the dark presence lurking nearby – waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.”



Review: I have mixed feelings about Blood Magic. First, I thought that part of it was predictable. About halfway through the novel I had figured out who the “bad guy” was and I could easily tell who Gratton wanted us to think the “bad guy” was. Nick’s issues with his new stepmother were highly cliché and therefore, boring. Also, Silla’s interest in Nick felt rather forced. Both of her parents have just died, her life is in an upheaval. I need a stronger reason for their relationship than “OMG He saw me do magic and he’s really hot” for this to be believable. My last complaint, and this is a purely personal complaint, is that the sections that were letters from Silla’s Dad are in a font that is supposed to look more like true handwriting and these were really hard to read. I ended up with a wicked headache even though I was wearing my reading glasses.
Thus said, even though it was kind of predictable and I kept telling myself: “You know what’s going on and who did it. Why don’t you go watch some tv instead?” I read Blood Magic in two sittings and had trouble putting it down. It took me little while to figure out why. But I had an epiphany while I was eating breakfast this morning (a cheddar and broccoli omelet with whole wheat toast and coffee); it was probably an effect of the coffee waking up my brain. So here it is. I really liked the story. I love the idea of magic being something in the blood of a person. And I couldn’t figure out everything. The story about who Silla’s Dad really was caught me by surprise, and Silla’s use of imaginary masks to hide behind amused me. . Even though parts of it were predictable, and I got a headache from the silly handwriting font, I found the story engrossing and enjoyable.

Publisher: Random House
ISBN:978-0375867330

If you like this book you may want to read:



Other by Karen Kincy (ISBN: 978-0738719191)Read my review here.



Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan (ISBN: 978-0142409862)