Common Sense Media Review
By Mandie Caroll
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Witchy sequel enchants yet has serious stumbles.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
BLOOD & HONEY follows Lou, Reed, and their friends as they hide from Morgane, or La Dame de Sorcières, who attempted to sacrifice Lou, her daughter, at the end of Book 1. They need some powerful allies, even if those allies have been enemies in the past, so they pursue help from the blood witches and werewolves. Lou and Reed's romance crumbles as Lou welcomes in the dark side of her magic, and Reed, the former witch huntsman, refuses his own witch magic and rejects the good it can do. Various relationships between Lou, Reed, and secondary characters Coco, Ansel, Beau, and Madame LaBelle complicate their mission to defeat Morgane. An encounter with a mysterious theater troupe, whose members have secrets of their own, bolsters their chances of winning against Morgane. An ominous twist sets readers up for the final book in this trilogy.
Is It Any Good?
This witty, richly imagined sequel certainly enchants, but it's not without serious stumbles. The intricately rendered world of Blood & Honey mostly avoids getting bogged down as it balances many relationships (romantic, platonic, and familial); two systems of magic; werewolves; a monarchy; the magic-hating, religious witch hunters; and an intriguing theater troupe. The smart and funny banter from Book 1 is carried over here. There are new and fascinating characters. Refreshingly, women take on most of the leadership roles.
Problems include an early scene in which Lou and Reed try to have sex surrounded by sleeping friends. One awakes and has to tell them to cool off several times before they actually do. Later, Lou and Beau make fun of a poor, dirty barmaid with missing teeth. Reed and Lou can be annoyingly angsty. Useless character flaws don't help readers feel invested, so why include them at all? Also, Lou and Reed's super-hot romance is, regrettably, on ice for much of this story. All that said, readers will probably get swept up in the quest to defeat Morgane, and with lots of compelling themes and subplots, this is still a worthy read as fans await the final book.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the dark side of magic in Blood & Honey. What about the dark side is so attractive to Lou? What are some real-world ways teens struggle with choosing to do the right things? How can you support friends in making choices that don't hurt themselves or others?
How do the girls and women in Blood & Honey break stereotypes about being a woman? Are there ways in which they conform to stereotypes? How are they positive role models?
Have you read other fantasy books with witchcraft and various magical creatures? How do the world and systems of magic in this book compare with those in other stories you know?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperTeen
- Publication date : September 1, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 544
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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