The best part about this book is the relationships between these family members. I read for character, and this book mainly focuses on character development and interpersonal relationships. It definitely reads as a true YA, so the characters can be a bit impulsive and selfish at times, but it didn’t bother me too much because that is true to teenage brain development lol. The only thing that really bothered me was that the author leans heavily on telling versus showing, especially with the emotional aspects of the story. Overall, great twists and great setting! I would pick up the sequel for sure.

I enjoyed this! The beginning of the book was a bit slow, but there was a lot of intriguing plot points and I liked the mystery element overall. I really enjoyed the commentary on race and how it paralleled with the different types of magic in this world. Cris and Clem read a bit immature at times, but they are only 16 so I guess they were acting their age lol! The plot ended up going in a direction I wasn’t expecting and it set up nicely for the mystery that’s to be explored in the second book.

i knew when i read the synopsis for this book i had high hopes for it and i’m pleased to say it lived up to expectations! the first page is captivating and intriguing making you excited to read on which is always good for a book and not something found easily. i found the relationships and the plot both to be intriguing with good twists and turns. i don’t want to give too much away but if you’re considering picking this up i would say you won’t be disappointed.

The best part of this book was the unique magic system. Unfortunately, it was hard to get excited about it since there was so much anger in these characters. Every character was lying or hiding something and was angry or ashamed about something. It was hard to read because of how heavy every characters emotions were on the reader. Each character rightfully had things to be angry about, but reading a 400+ page book where every character has anger brimming in their almost every move can be exhausting. I wish the author had written the book so that we felt the anger instead of just constantly being told they are angry because of x,y, and z. The few times the author showed us why the characters were angry instead of just telling us they were are some of the best scenes in the book. The lighter moments of the book felt disingenuous because of it and had such a tonal shock that it felt insincere. I enjoyed the plot, but it wasn't a very good reading experience.

Blood Debts uses a backdrop of magic to explore the trauma and racial tension of being black in New Orleans. Clement and Cristina, twins who have generational magic, spend the novel trying to solve a decades old murder that led to their grandparents being murdered by a mob. The book is full of petty drama, displays of magic, and lots and lots of secrets.

I think I expected too much from this novel. I wanted to be immersed in the cultural (and humidity) of southern Louisiana. I wanted to be in awe of the magic. Instead, the plot could have been happening anywhere in the US and the magic system seemed confusing. One of Benton-Walker’s strengths is creating emotionally compelling characters, but the pacing of this novel was slow; it took a long time for the action to pick up.

This is Benton-Walker’s debut novel, so I’m interested to see what he writes next. I also won’t be surprised when Blood Debts gets opted as a Netflix series. In fact, I think the plot would work perfectly for episodic TV. It would mix the drama of Roswell with the magic of The Umbrella Academy—people would love it.

I received a complementary e-book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I requested this book because the premise sounded so intriguing. I was down for magic, witches, and New Orleans. I thought it started off really strong. I was able to easily connect to the characters. I thought the writing was accessible and flowed nicely.

What didn’t work so well for me was the overall pacing. This book felt slow and fast at the same time. It seemed like it would take forever to build up to a point but as soon as we arrived, it was over. I wanted those scenes to be more drawn out and other scenes where the characters are just talking to be more condensed. I feel like there was a lot going on in the plot. Some tings worked while others didn’t quite make it to the satisfactory level. I thought the ending was well done for the most part. I wouldn’t mind reading the sequel in hopes of better world building and a more detailed description of the magic system.

Really liked this one, especially the New Orleans setting and the magical twin relationship. The writing, plotting, and world building was good all around. The one critique I have is that Clement's arc towards the end felt a little silly and maybe even out of character. (Haven't any of these magicians read The Monkey's Paw? LOL!) If he was going to have a sudden and dramatic moral descent, I wanted more nuance there.
Recommend this urban fantasy YA though, especially as it's the start of a new series.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Cristina and Clement are the 16 year old twins whose grandmother was the queen of all the generational magic holders on New Orleans. That is, she was queen until she was accused of killing the mayor's daughter, and she was killed in a lynch mob 30 years ago. But now questions about the veracity of that accusation start Cris and Clem on a dangerous path to find out what really happened.

This is supposed to be a YA fantasy. A lot of the themes are really heavy, though, and the characters don't really seem like they're really teenagers, except when they break their investigations to whine about how former friends treated them in school or something. I think it's set in the summer time, which is why they're not actively going to school, but the characters are mature enough that they don't act all that much differently than the whiny, petty adults in their lives.

The magic ideas in the book are interesting, and seeing magic from a different viewpoint than other fantasy books was pretty cool. I like the idea of New Orleans as a backdrop for the story. I feel like I could've used a little more of the flavor of New Orleans to remind me where it was set.

Overall, it's a decent story, but the characters were kind of flat.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

It was hard to get into this book and I couldn't connect with the story at all. I wish I could have loved this but I didn't,=.

I loved this fantasy book set in New Orleans. The characters were great and I loved the story of inter generational curses and magic!

Decent story and great setting. Liked the magic and the plot twists. Great representation and love the New Orleans background.

I’ve only read the first few chapters but I have the audiobook from the library and want to finish it that way. I’m loving this story and I love the setting of New Orleans

I had to DNF unfortunately. The synopsis sounded great and is what drew me in and I was very excited to start it. Unfortunately the dialogue and the crazy amount of POV's really threw the pace of the book off. There were so may characters to keep track of and then the bouncing around a lot of those POV's made it even more confusing. The dialogue also felt really choppy and not cohesive or natural. It felt like there was an attempt to include phrases and conversation styles of young adults but it was very awkward and cringy at times.

Wow! Terry J. Benton-Walker does not pull his punches! I read Blood Debts a week ago, and my jaw is still dragging on the floor. This book is a stunning combination of magic, revenge, family, and social commentary.

Set in modern-day New Orleans, Blood Debts tells the story of the Trudeau-Beaumont family. Twin siblings Clement and Christina Trudeau have grown up under the weight of their family’s history - one of power, trauma, and loss. When they learn the truth behind their family’s fall, they use their skill, cunning, and dark magic to bring those responsible to justice.

According to Benton-Walker, the idea for this story was originally a planned screenplay. Eventually he decided the scope was better suited to a novel format (a sequel is already in the works), but the writing retains a cinematic feel. Reading this book is like a movie playing in your head.

Character development is another strength, especially in regard to the story’s young antagonist, Valentina. Christina’s friend-turned-nemesis is ruthless. But she’s written in such a generous manner that you can’t help but feel bad for her. I’m very curious to see how her arc plays out in the sequel.

If you read YA, run to get your hands on Blood Debts now. If you don’t normally read YA, this book is a great introduction. Packed with memorable characters, a driving plot, and themes of generational trauma, cultural appropriation, racism, acceptance, safety, and forgiveness, this is not a story to pass up.

Many thanks to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the eARC!

HOLY WOW. I just loved this story. Two siblings who definitely have issues are going to solve their problems all the while also dealing with some very supernatural nonsense that may or may not end everything. I just adored the writing and the story and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

In Blood Debts, Terry Benton-Walker has created a novel that is powerful and emotional, the debut of a contemporary fantasy series. Both Cristina and Clement are emotionally engaging, powerful voices, and take you on a thrilling ride of drama, magic and intergenerational pain and curses. The other characters in the novel are well developed and equally intriguing, three dimensional and layered with complexity. The novel engages the reader in an exploration of power, history, and justice and whether justice can ever truly satisfy, especially if there is blood at the end of it. It also asks the question of when one must stand up and fight for one’s family. Terry Benton-Walker raises these questions, deftly answers them in different ways and voices but leaves the reader to decide for oneself the response that speaks to them. 

One of the aspects that I loved the most is the different point of view that we get in the novel. Not only do we get both Clement and Cristina’s point of view but also Valentina, a rival of Cristina. Despite being at odds, the viewpoint gives a realistic picture of Valentina’s thoughts, never painting her as black and white, letting the reader see both her flaws and her struggles. No one is completely innocent and this is well explored in this novel. I also love how different Clement and Cristina are from each other. They do not agree on what justice is and what it entails. While they come together at the end to protect their mother and family, some of these thoughts and considerations clearly are set up to address in future books. And I love that we see how powerful and emotional the situation is for both Clement and Cristina, how each struggles to resolve. The ending is impactful and while there are notes of hope, there are also questions left unanswered. 

If you love contemporary fantasy, you will love this novel. It is diverse, full of vibrancy, power and emotions. The characters are full of depth and the novel explores ideas that any person should ask, whatever their circumstances. I found the characters easy to connect with, even though my background is vastly different and it gave me insight into the generational trauma people of color experience. The ending leaves questions and yet the novel provides hope to readers. It is powerful and emotional.

I started this book in October, made it past the halfway point, put it down, and never felt the urge to pick it back up. My main problem was the pacing. I was 55% into this book and I feel like the things that had happened could’ve happened in the first 65 pages. I also didn’t like these characters at all. I was interested in the story at one point, but it just didn’t keep my interest. The story had so much potential. I wish I had been able to stay interested.

Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

TW: racism, murder, magic, betrayal, Attempted SA, attempted murder, mention of lynching & pain.

The plot twists & secrets coming to light kept coming, and they did not give up!

The slightly different writing styles for each twin helped capture each character in my reading. It brought out their uniqueness and similarities perfectly.
The characters in this book were all grey. Some are more on the evil side than others, but I loved seeing their pov. You can feel for them & recognize that they are terrible people - rival families.

I will say that I was surprised that this was set in the current day and not the 40s. I got a 40s vibe from it. However, I think I realized why.... the family was lynched, and we like to pretend that happened 100 years ago, but that still happened today, and we aren't as welcoming & in the future as a society like to pretend. Those not affected can pretend, but those who suffer don't.

The structure being a bit too fast & too slow is the only complaint; it gives some whiplash.

Blood Debts by Terry J Benton-Walker published April 4, 2023. Not a fan of the writing style or the first couple chapters - did not finish.

The characters and worldbuilding were absolutely PHENOMINAL!!!!!! The writing style was simply unique! The descriptions of the world were creative and also so vivid I pictured everything and the story came to life the farther I read into story!The magic was chefs kiss! The main characters had such depth and Prowse!!!!! The plot was carefully placed and will now live rent free in my head!!!! Wish and hoping for a part 2!!!!!!