#Nesha Reads Blood Like Fate

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Chapter 5

I feel bad for her, more this time around than the first time, but like.. she is TRYING. She's just not good at any of this. I don't think that the family should just TRUST her to be the matriarch, but they are failing her by not just being good fucking adults to her. So, I'm on Voya's side in that they not respecting her. Not so much on that they should simply trust her to make decisions. She oughtta have a council within her family, or at the very least, the elders should be advisors.

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I've had the beginning of this review in my drafts since October and now I can't even remember everything I wanted to say about it, so I have rented it again. Lol.

Going to finish this duology. The audiobooks reader too. 

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I can't believe I'm letting Voya Thomas have me upset again, but here I am, on my lunch break, rereading Blood Like Fate and asking myself, "Weren't you this basic as a kid? Weren't you a stupid ass teenager, Nesha?" And, well, yes... but not like this. 😭😭😒

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It's Kinda Hard to Stay Mad at the Girl Who Stay Losing

Chapter 4.

Voya's Matriarchal Era is abysmal.

She's avoiding her family to stalk that boy. She's not telling her family anything that she would have told them before.

Her relationship with her mom is awkward

Her relationship with her dad has been undone again

Keisha respects her but is in the minority

And they do not get HOW MUCH SHIT she's been going through, whether or not some of it is her fault.

Shit is sad.

And Keis? Keis has never done anything wrong in her life. Voya can gon' and receive the L she deserves from Keis.

Deserved.

A little less deserved, but what with what she did to her, I won't judge Keis for it.

She so pitiful I simply cannot keep being mad at her... until the next time she makes me mad.

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Blood Like Fate Reread

Every time, I'm reminded the ways that Voya is the Eric Andre meme. Here, she's like, "The conversation would need to happen *soon*"

And she wants to try to unite ALL witches via a council..

But, she literally goes to one person who she's fucked over who ISN'T her family, and still HASN'T even told HER FAMILY!

And for context, it is her family that she's seeing be slaughtered in the vision and hears the implications that all witches are in danger. You WATCHED your family die and was like, "I'll tell them when I get a moment. Because they need to know I can handle this."

It makes me cuss.

And now this... Voya is talking to these other adults. She goes to Johan, who shoots her down, and these Baileys who (she visits, uninvited) and they politely decline her help.

Her family still doesn't know about the horrid vision she's had of their very near future. And only because she simply doesn't want to tell them yet.

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Aqua! Underrated Queen

Chapter 3.

I decided to pay far more attention to Aqua this time around. Of the things that did catch me off guard the first read, Aqua's arc was a surprise to me.

The eldest sister always be having to sort of be a parent, but I don't even think that's exactly what we witness here, despiter her nurturing and support.

This happens a lot too. She quiet, so she gets kinda ignored a bit, so then I wasn't paying attention to things. Or maybe her arc came out of nowhere. But I am seeing little hints.

Voya in a moment of clarity about someone else for once.

Also.. the way that Aqua is 19 and having these memory lapses should've clued me in that something something, something something just ain't right!

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Meeting Eli

Chapter 2. Part 2.

I think I'll keep coming back to this, because Eli is one of the things that I was unsure if Liselle intended for us to be able to know quick what the deal was and make us watch Voya go through it, or if he was a surprise for the average audience of the book.

Let me ask you this... How you at somewhere where they have hella technological advancements, robots, AI, genetic alterations, etc, and the FIRST THOUGHT when you see a nigga that you do not know who acting like he got Grade A Beef with you, you don't immediately wonder, "Who is this nigga? How he know me? Why he like this?"

Both these Thomas girls right now are a little silly, but Keisha, far more than Voya this time.

Voya. Baby, has the witch community got you so down on yourself that you was like, "Well, I GUESS this stranger could be Big Mad™️ with me just for knowing who I am from word of mouth.

Because THIS. Seems personal, Voya. Maybe because I am grown up? Maybe because I'm paranoid.

But I said, "Is this motherfucker with Luc?" Because "Why are you here?" Is NOT something you ask a stranger that you only maybe heard of from not being a great witch? Far more believable that somebody with some girth to them gave this boy real reasons to grimace at you.

Sidenote: CRYING LAUGHING that Henson says, "Let me go get my sister to meet you. She has the shittiest gift!" YOUNG MAN! LET YOUR SISTER LIVE! 😂😂😂

How not, Beloved? You DESTROYED lives. You thought you'd be chillin? What? Lol.

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Stalking Luc

Chapter 2. Part 1.

This whole little portion of pining over Luc. I get it. Luc was something good and you purposely messed it up and then changed your mind and ruined your cousin instead, but like... you didn't and COULDN'T undo what you had already done him AND, you did more afterwards!

I guess I do not understand how she could possibly EVER be confused about how Luc and Keis BOTH are simply not here for her anymore. She says she gets it, then she acts like she doesn't get it.

Same as her many complaints about how her family treats her.

I love this description so much. Relatable. Voya, in this, and only this, you are relatable, Kid.

I wonder if Luc transitioned since the last time she saw him....

They never say, but that's how I am gonna take these descriptions. Especially since he is the head of genetic technology right now.

Because. Foolery. That's why, Vo.

I forgot the voice Joniece goes into whenever she reads Luc's voice. I love it. ❤️

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A Favorite Fictional Fuckup - Voya Thomas

Chapter 1

Voya starts out telling us that she knows better than the community, at large, but also pointing out that the community do not care about her and her family.

Voya beat herself up this chapter via thinking about how everybody disrespectful, even her family.

She... has NOT shown US that she's not the same girl. She mostly is trying to keep everybody happy and already admitted that she hasn't earned anybody's respect. So... I guess I completely understand everybody thinking you the same person, Girl. We seeing the same person. Lol.

Except her cousin

In conclusion... she been sounding like she feeling sorry for herself, but then she's upset that nobody reapects her as a matriarch.

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Nesha Reads 2023: My Not Organized Liveblogging of Books.

I never made a 2023 list because I didn't get to read much. 🙃 But, I did read a lil'

Blood Like Fate | Blood Like Fate Re-Read

Pet

Bitter

He's Harmless, I Swear

High Spirits Neoma

The Uncommons

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Nesha Reads 2022: My Not-So Organized Liveblogging of Books.

This Poison Heart | This Wicked Fate

Raybearer | Redemptor 

Skin of the Sea

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin | A Psalm of Storms and Silence

The Tea Dragon Society Series: The Tea Dragon Society | The Tea Dragon Festival | The Tea Dragon Tapestry 

Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens

The Dreamer Trilogy (Not Black books, but features a prominent Black female character.) I don’t believe that this is the case for the other books by this author. The reason I’m pointing it out here and didn’t for the Tea Dragon Society is that this series is hella long and I wanted MY audience to realize that this trilogy’s representation may not necessarily reflect the remainder of the author’s work and is the only portion of it that I intend to feature in this Black femmecentric space. Call Down the Hawk | Mister Impossible | Greywaren (Releases October 2022. Potentially will not be read until next year)

Iron Widow (This is not a Black story)

Akata Woman (Third installment in The Nsibidi Scripts) 

Bayou Magic *Didn’t liveblog. Very short read and cute story, though

Pinned 

The School for Good and Evil  (Not Black books, but features a prominent female character who will be played by a multiracial girl with some Black ancestry.)

Maya and the Rising Dark Series: I read the first book last year, then reread it this year, along with the sequels. Maya and the Rising Dark (Re-read) | Maya and the Return of the Godlings | Maya and the Lord of Shadows

Blood Like Fate (Sequel to Blood Like Magic)

I am currently not reading anything because of the two job, one off day thing happening, but lemme gon’ head and post this since we’re coming to the end of the year. :)

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I have something that I need to come back to here:

Hopefully, I'll remember. I can't comment on this part yet.

But, I'm here to drag Keis this time, actually. Because

So... You already know this fucked up vision that she had and you were waiting until she decided to tell the family to mention it, AND you're being spiteful about it.

Here is my problem: This vision effects EVERYBODY. NOW, of all times is the time where your individual grievances do not fucking matter. Girl, you saw yourself have to kill yourself to try to escape the fate and instead of y'all coming together about what to do, you are taking shots at Voya? It absolutely isn't the fucking time, Keis. I'll let you have that one, because I was mostly terrified of your fate in that flashback. But, nigga you gotta chill. All you niggas gotta chill. Y'all are continuing to fuck Voya up in her development.

Irritating. Our fucking LIVES are on the line, Keis. I mean... I might be this bitter every day if I was her, but when the entire family is in jeopardy? Come on bitch.

I'm back on Voya side.

I can't believe I'm letting Voya Thomas have me upset again, but here I am, on my lunch break, rereading Blood Like Fate and asking myself, "Weren't you this basic as a kid? Weren't you a stupid ass teenager, Nesha?" And, well, yes... but not like this. 😭😭😒

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

Going to finish this duology. The audiobooks reader is the same too. 

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

Keis is SUCH SUCH SUCH a bad bitch and Voya really fucking ruined her life and squandered her gift and talents. I'm back on Keis side.

I can't believe I'm letting Voya Thomas have me upset again, but here I am, on my lunch break, rereading Blood Like Fate and asking myself, "Weren't you this basic as a kid? Weren't you a stupid ass teenager, Nesha?" And, well, yes... but not like this. 😭😭😒

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

I'm sorry, but when your crackhead uncle dunks on somebody, it can be something so funny.

I can't believe I'm letting Voya Thomas have me upset again, but here I am, on my lunch break, rereading Blood Like Fate and asking myself, "Weren't you this basic as a kid? Weren't you a stupid ass teenager, Nesha?" And, well, yes... but not like this. 😭😭😒

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

The thing is... I expect Voya to disappoint me now, so, whatever she does do, I'll probably not be as surprised as I was when she did what she did last time. #JusticeForKeis

Going to finish this duology. The audiobooks reader too.