Spells of Blood and Kin

Starred review from February 29, 2016
Human warmth underlies this exciting and furiously paced fable of fur, fangs, and family. Emphasizing intricate family dynamics alongside shape-changing and magic, Humphrey’s debut merges victim and victimizer, reality and the occult. Lissa inherits the role of koldun’ia (witch) and is instructed by her grandmother’s spirit to aid Maksim, a shape-shifter in Toronto. Maksim is remorseful after accidentally infecting Nick, a college student, with lycanthropy. He begs assistance from Lissa and Augusta, a woman he turned, to find Nick before he fully transforms. While Maksim battles internal demons, Lissa struggles to master her powers and faces family rifts exposed by her stepsister’s sudden arrival. Intimately constructed relationships and domestic strife enrich bursts of violence and sensuality. Genre tropes are strengthened by fully realized characters and confident prose. Humphrey dissects the monsters who walk among us—and those hiding within our skins—with a critical yet understanding eye. This paranormal tale stands out even in its very crowded field. Agent: Connor Goldsmith, Fuse Literary.

May 15, 2016

After the death of her grandmother, Lissa Nevsky takes over her duties as a local witch. This mostly involves making small charms for sleep or fertility for her Russian neighbors in Toronto. Her grandmother had made a special amulet for Maksim Volkov, a man with a dark animalistic side, and its power is broken at her death. Now Maksim needs Lissa's help to leash his animal nature, especially as he has infected another man who now stalks Toronto's streets. VERDICT This serviceable debut urban fantasy is slower paced than typical of the genre. Maksim's nature is more subtly described but seems to be that of a shapeshifter. Too many diversions into his past interrupt the story's flow, and Lissa's character fails to leap off the page. However, a subplot involving her reconciliation with her stepsister adds a humanizing touch.--MM

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