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YA
Voya Thomas is a sixteen-year-old Black Canadian girl living in 2049, descended from a long line of powerful witches. In order to inherit her magic, she must pass the Calling, a trial given by a revered ancestor that requires her to make a difficult choice. Voya's Calling task is harder, and involves greater risk, than anyone in her family has ever known. She must destroy her first love--which means finding one first. If she refuses to accept the task, she and her descendants will lose their chance at magic. But if she accepts it and fails the trial, she risks the magic powers of all her family members, present and future, which also means risking the life of a beloved relative. Throughout the novel, Sambury engages in genre hybridization, combining fantasy, science fiction, and intrigue into a cohesive and engaging story filled with a diverse cast of multidimensional characters. Although the novel includes difficult depictions of enslavement, violence, and drug addiction, its core is love of family, others, and self. Creative in its vision, captivating in its high-stakes conflict, and compelling in its execution.
Reviewer: S. R. Toliver
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2021