Someone needed to give her a reality check. Honestly, the scenes where Marshall gave Maddy a piece of his mind, was my favourite. They were such amazing friends to Maddy, even if sometimes she didn’t deserve it.

On the other hand, Marshall & Lauren had my heart. During the climax, when she was facing the ‘classic moral dilemma’, I wanted to enter the book & smack her across the face. She was selfish, bratty, childish & only ever thought of herself. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I hated her, but I didn’t like her. Talking about the characters, needless to say, I did not like Maddy. I liked how the author talks about the fact that when someone performs magic, they have to pay a price for it. The concept of the novel gets brownie points from my side.

The plot was also curiously entangled & every chapter brought the reader closer to the final reveal. The start was a little slow but then the book picked up pace. The entire story revolves around Maddy trying to find out the truth about her stepmom’s death & always endangering her friends due to her reckless decisions & obstinate personality. The reader is dropped headfirst into the story & told to find their way through. The book is written in first person from the perspective of Maddy, a 15 year old, unlicensed Blood Magic Practitioner. The title is apt as it clearly justifies the theme around which, the book is written. The cover of the book is vibrant & will sure look good on everyone’s shelf. However, all the magic performed, has a price. Obsessed with finding out the truth, Maddy undertakes a dangerous journey filled with magic, betrayal, & a lot of suspense. Needless to say, she’s shocked & disturbed but she is also determined to find out the truth about Cora’s death. Madison ‘Maddy’ Cooper is the one who finds her stepmother, Cora’s body in the bathtub – with her wrists slit – a mere thirty feet away from where Maddy was sleeping. Blood Spells is a well-rounded, standalone YA Fantasy novel.

Blood Spells by Alicia Ellis