Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Blood Magic (Blood Journals, #1)

by Tessa Gratton

The murder of her parents has left Silla damaged and lost, and Silla's insistence that her father is not to blame only alienates her further from her friends and family. When a mysterious spell book arrives, Silla hopes it will lead to some answers about her parents' killer. In her first attempt at magic, in an old graveyard near her home, Nick, the new boy in town spies on her; he recognizes the magic that Silla is performing as the same magic his mother performed with him, before she went mad. Before long, Silla and Nick connect, though Nick is unwilling to share his history with blood magic with Silla. When Silla's friends start showing signs of possession, Silla, Nick and Silla's brother, Reese, must contend with a deadly, immortal woman who will stop at nothing to take the book of spells from them.

Reviewed by Amanda on

4 of 5 stars

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Actual rating: 4.5

Blood Magic is told from a total of 4 different character perspectives, all of them in the first person. This was probably my only complaint. One first person narration I can handle, but more makes the switch difficult, even with clearly marked headings. The transitions between Silla and Nick were the most difficult to make, but I found myself overlooking this annoyance after realizing how each character was given his or her own voice that was as subtle as it was profound.

Josephine – who we are introduced to first – baffled me at first because there is no indication of the role she plays in Silla’s and Nick’s story. But it was a bafflement that I knew would not last, and served to make me curse the story for not going faster, at the same time wishing I could read it forever. The romance between Silla and Nick was sweet, and didn’t feel forced or too fast; I felt the inexplicable draw they felt toward each other. Between Silla and Nick, I liked Nick better and looked forward to the portions that he narrated, but I don’t think that is really all that relevant. Perhaps it was just my personal preference.

Knowing that every character in the book was important in some way kept me engaged. Even characters that did not narrate – Nick’s mom, Silla’s brother – play a vital role in how the story and various plot lines are woven together into one glorious tapestry. Tessa Gratton knows how to tell a story, and her writing style is descriptive without being overdone and tedious. We were told everything we needed to know for this story, and at the same time, there are tendrils that remain waving free and unanswered, hopefully to be addressed in the second book of this series. There is a delicate balance between the knowledge we are given right away, and the knowledge that is held back for us to piece everything together at the end, and Tessa manages this balance with skill.

Full review: http://onabookbender.com/2011/06/15/review-blood-magic-by-tessa-gratton/

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 3 June, 2011: Finished reading
  • 3 June, 2011: Reviewed