While a lot worked for me in this book, some of the dialogue didn’t. I also didn’t fully understand the magical world building. But I did love the characters and how they interacted with each other. I love that the book understood family is complicated and messy. Because it is and a lot of books don’t understand that. It ended on a cliffhanger and I’m interested in the sequel. 3 stars rounded to 3.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

DNF’d at 10%
Review copy provided by NetGalley

I wanted to like this book, but knew after the first two chapters it wasn’t going to be for me. The writing was juvenile and petty, but even more than that, took so many breaks from the plot to go over internal backstory and try to coyly hint at the “bad things” the characters have done, but if you read the plot synopsis (or use critical thinking skills) it’s spoiled for you. I do my want to read a list of plot points that have already happened and I’m not witness to as a reader in between the few pieces of current and relevant plot I’m drip fed. The pacing is already off only two chapters in and I don’t want to keep going.

Blood Debts has a lot going on. There are bucket loads of drama, plenty of twists and turns, and romance.

Cris and Clem are twins dealing with the loss of their father, hexes, their love life, budding sexuality...and that is just their personal life. As heirs to the throne of a strong magical family, the two are torn apart due to the death of their father and are now tasked with caring for their ailing mother. Cris has given up magic due to feelings of guilt in regards to his death. Clem can't get enough of the magic. As a result, the twins barely speak. When they discover their mother's illness is actually a curse, the two are united to solve the mystery.

Blood Debts is told in three points of view: Cris, Clem and briefly a third character. Thanks to Benton-Walker's writing, it's easy to navigate between the chapters and characters. The book is also a pretty solid urban fantasy taking place in modern New Orleans. The magic system is interesting. Readers are introduced to moon magic based off of voodoo which includes the summoning of gods, and sun magic that draws heavily on the use of crystals and incantations. The magic systems are quite easy to understand and are very well explained through the book. There is also a long list of themes and conflicts imbedded in the story to include political challenges, racism, grief, depression, anxiety. Basically, there is a lot going on from the plot, themes, characters, world building and magic. Despite all of this, it's quite an accessible and solid read. Readers be warned, there is on page sex, sexual assault, and violence.

I enjoyed the read, but I think at time I found myself overwhelmed. There is just a lot going on in this story. I would have preferred a little more focus thematically rather than tackling several things all at once. I also struggled to like and emotionally connect with Cris and Clem. Of course this is more a me thing than the actual book. The ending also left a lot of loose ends and occasionally, parts of the plot and world building could have used further explanation. That being said, I think it's a pretty solid book. I look forward to seeing what Benton-Walker has to write in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Blood Debts is a story of family and a story of revenge, set in a world of magic stemming from the divine granting the oppressed power. I loved the concept of this work and was initially intrigued by its promise to interrogate the meaning of justice.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to feel more than annoyance for the main characters, even as I was extremely curious about how the story would unfold.

In part, this was an enjoyable story, I do wish that the world building had more meat to it, and I wish that the story had less going on. The story of their grandmother and the mystery of her death was riveting but how it related to the present was weighed down by so much relationship drama and family secrets. This was a story pumping on all the gears, when it needed a bit more restraint and tightening.

I see that the story tried to take a sex positive outlook on the YA genre, but I think it undermined itself a bit when the main characters all ended seemingly holding their, um, purity in high esteem.

The story, ends on a bit of a cliffhanger with so many threads left to follow. So I hope there’s a book 2, I’m not promising I’ll read it, but I’ll definitely try to find out what happened.

All in all, a mixed bag. I will recommend this for those 17 & up, who like a bit of fantasy elements in their stories, but nothing too deep.

Taking place in New Orleans, Blood Debts focuses on twins, Cristine and Clement Trudeau. After losing their father and realizing someone tried to kill their mother the twins set off to reconnect and figure out the mystery entwined with their family history while hopefully reclaiming what was stolen from them thirty years ago.

It took me a little bit to get into this one, probably about the 30% mark but it's so worth it! Once the world building and characters were established, Cris really started diving into the mystery and connecting with her inner Nancy Drew. This is when the story really flourished.

The mystery to this was fantastic, I loved the twists and turns and new elements that kept getting added. For the most part, I knew where things were going but only because the author did a wonderful job of subtly hinting and laying out the story. I say for the most part because the ending still shocked me and I would like the sequel yesterday please. I need closure 😭

Sidenote: Can we talk about this cover and how gorgeous the twins look 😍 - Cris' blue gown, Clem's red suit - absolutely gorgeous!

Blood Debts came out this last Tuesday, 04/04/2023 - GO READ IT!

Especially if you're looking for:
✨Black Queer Rep
✨Powerful Families
✨Family Drama
✨Mulit POV
✨Magic
✨Intergenerational Curses

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Teen for providing an egalley copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had no expectations going into this book but the more I read the harder it was to put down. It was a wonderful read I would recommend to anyone looking for an amazing and enthralling YA book.

This YA urban fantasy sucked me in! I fell in love with Terry Benton-Walker's version of New Orleans. The world-building is easy to follow and the magical system is interesting. I'm so glad I gave Blood Debts a chance.

Clem and Cris are twins who come from a prominent magical family who has an unfortunate past. Their grandmother was accused of murdering the mayor's daughter 30 years ago, and as a result, their family fell from grace and another magical family became head of the generational magic counsel.
All of that is to say, these two families do NOT get along.
Clem and Cris are determined to find out what really happened that night 30 years ago, who hexed their mama, and if their dad died of natural causes.


What to expect:
- multiple POV chapters
- Black main characters
- queer representation
- family drama
- murder mystery
- necromancy and hex dolls
- themes of grief and justice

I absolutely adored the setting of this one and I think it’s an important story that really did need to be told. Sadly this book really wasn’t the one for me, I wish more of the story had been fleshed out for me which hurt my overall enjoyment of the book. I encourage people who enjoy this setting and type of story to give it a chance because I honestly truly wanted to love it and it’s sooo clear that the author put a lot of time and effort into this book. It just isn’t the book for me.

WHAT A DEBUT!!! I fell hard for this book, which is fiery and tender and exciting and atmospheric and everything I want when I feel like escaping into a novel. Typically, multi-perspective chapter structures are a hard sell for me, but I loved Clem and Cristina's distinct voices so much (and definitely appreciated poor, awful Valentina's chapters) that I didn't mind at all. I listened on audiobook for the first few chapters and then had to switch to a hard copy because I wanted to read faster than my ears would allow. The family drama, the layered cultural complexity and expansive world-building, the beautiful description of first love, the agony of grief, the pulse of revenge--just an absolute banger of a book. I am already desperate to get my hands on the next one!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge as this eARC was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Blood Debts is a YA modern murder mystery fantasy novel that follows the story of twins Clem and Cris who have been drifting apart in the year since their father died. However, as their mother falls ill and the twins risk losing her as well, they uncover a curse that not only impacts their mother’s health but their whole family’s survival.

There is a lot going on here.

There’s the mystery, there’s romance, there’s Clem and Cris’s relationship with each other, there’s relationships between all the adults that you feel like you need newspaper and red string for, there’s Cris’s falling out with her ex-best friend, there’s a necromancy bit, there’s the conflict with the branches of magic, and more.

And following all of those plots is commentary on intergenerational trauma, how legal regulation impacts groups differently, and themes of grief and justice.

Most of which I can’t reliably comment on, but I can comment on the magic.

The story never really goes over how the generational and other magic systems work. Which might throw off people expecting more worldbuilding out of a fantasy novel. And I feel like that’s on purpose.

There are places where the magic is explained in more detail, usually when it’s less “realistic” like when the characters create moonlight, but I felt that the whole idea of not explaining the magic because it was hereditary was very grounded in reality and I found it similar to hereditary magic systems in the real world. I also really felt Cris’s pushback on other characters trying to learn generational magic as true to the real world because theft from closed practices and practices that require initiation occur more often than they should. And much like in Blood Debts, that cultural theft can cause harm.

I think most readers can get their bearings without fully understanding the magic systems, as the mystery is the core of the story, but it is something to be aware of.

I would rec this book to people who are looking for the following:
- Messy family drama
- Murder mysteries with a sprinkle of magic
- A story grappling with several complex social issues

I will also say, if you’re NOT a fan of the miscommunication trope, or the “character withholds critical information from another” set-up, this is NOT the book for you, because there is a lot of secret hoarding happening to make the plot work.

TWs: Death of Parent, Magical Violence, Protests, Car Crashes, Lynching, Racism, Arson, Guns, Necromancy, Sexual Content

I am giving this book 3 stars on NetGalley because with all the plot lines occurring, I felt as if the book could have used another round of editing to tighten everything up, and specifically the middle felt bogged down to me. I also understand that I might be older than the target demographic of this story, but I found Cris very repetitive for about the first half of the novel. It is not the best thing I've read this year, but it is certainly not the worst, so average it is.

My social media review is tentatively scheduled to post April 6th on Instagram.

I am loving this book, it is Nancy Drew, magic, family, New Orleans, supernatural and yet rooted in a believable world.

Cris and Clem are interesting characters and the depths that secrets go are truly insidious.

Recommend! I wrote this at 68%,

Edit: Life got in the way of getting through the book before the publication date, but I ignored the rest of the world to finish the book. I really liked it. I grew up on Nancy Drew and magic, so when I saw the premise of New Orleans, mystery, and magic, I was instantly intrigued. I loved Clem and his story line, Cris was good - but honestly, parts about her annoyed me. I am looking forward to reading what happens next.

Recommend for mystery lovers, queer (Clem is gay), magic, urban fantasy. 4 out of 5 stars, there is on page sex (entirely consensual but between 2 minors - 16), so upper YA age recommendation.

Unfortunately, I am DNFIng this at about 50%. Blood Debts should have been everything I loved. Diverse characters. Magic. NOLA. But I struggled to pick the book up. I hated every character. I don't mind unlikeable characters, usually, I prefer them. However, here they aren't interesting enough for me to like them. They are all whiney and petty. It got old very quickly.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5464004671


Okay so let me start by saying the cover ??? Absolutely stunning. Literally exactly what drew me in lol BUT - I just couldn’t quite click with the pacing at times and I wasn’t obsessed with some of the dialogue. HOWEVER, that could be a me problem as I am older - YA readers may love this!

I enjoyed the talk about family and the shared purpose - I just felt like it could develop a bit more.

Would recommend to someone younger/getting started on their fantasy journey.

Cris and Clem are from a powerful line of gen magic users, though Cris hasn't practiced ever since their father's death. But when Clem asks her for help creating a talisman to protect their dying mother, she does--and with the talisman's help, they discover that she's been hexed, setting the twins of a path of discovery: about who has it out for their family, the twisted backstory as to why, and how the twins fit into everything, now.

Blood Debts is full of fraught family bonds, betrayals, and love of all kinds. It's steeped in magic that's described with breathtaking beauty, as well as all the pain that lives alongside it. This book is beautiful, and tough, and sweet.

tw for sexual assault in the form of a love spell, and death of family and of a romantic partner

Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and there was the largest magical massacre that New Orleans had ever seen. In its wake, the magical queen was dethroned. Now, sixteen-year-old twins Clement and Cristina Trudeau mourn their father and care for their sick mother. They accidentally discover she's not sick, she's cursed by someone who will come for them next. Cristina stopped practicing magic after she cast an ancient spell that killed her father, and Clement uses magic as a distraction. While they no longer speak to each other, they must team up to defend their family and solve the murder, or else New Orleans may see another massacre.

We switch primarily between the perspectives of the twins and Valentina, Cris' former best friend and the granddaughter of the current council family. They're subject to thirty years and generations of secrets, and the enmity between them all is due to misunderstanding, jealousy, and in Valentina's case, a drive to prove herself as well. Add this to a backdrop of political and racial landmines, and it's a very tense world for the Trudeau twins. Cris discovers that her boyfriend wasn't who she thought he was, and magic isn't the terrible thing she feared it was. Clement finds love and has a running gag with Yves about the meaning of life; its heartbreaking when he decides what it actually means. As the story progresses we see more of their family and the influence of the council, as well as how far the corruption goes.

The magic is first presented as sun vs moon, with the voodoo-inspired generational magic coming from the moon. It can do very impressive things, and the gods invoked are real and can manifest if they choose to. Sun magic, using crystals or jewelry as well as other incantations is a different realm and one that isn't called to be regulated. Most of that is in the background, but I have no doubt that it will make an appearance if future books are set in this world. We have a satisfying ending, but lots of loose ends left. I can't wait to see what happens next for the city and the Trudeau family. All magic and choices have consequences, which are fascinating to see.

I absolutely loved this book! It's visceral, magical, heartbreaking, affirming, and has the perfect sprinkling of rot-your-teeth cuteness. There are quite a few points and events that were predictable (ex: "Is that a Van baby?", the silver pickup), but I really don't think that predictability detracts from the story at all. Cris and Clem are all kinds of messed up and looking desperately for any kind of relief from their trauma and guilt, which makes for some messy drama. Actually, the whole family is messy, but in a way that feels real, like they're real people. They've been through hell and are trying so hard to makes things better, if not right.

The villains are absolute scumbags and I even love that. Their terrible deeds and terrible attitudes make their conclusion in the story that much more satisfying. The inclusion of two not-really-human characters had me grinning so much :)

I really hope there's a follow-up book because I've got to know how things turn out for certain characters and if my guesses for some mystery events/characters are right or if I'm way off.

Also: Terry. Mr. Benton-Walker. Sir. LET CLEM AND YVES BE HAPPY, DAMMIT!!!

Magic and a whodunit a perfect pairing set in Louisiana where siblings out to rewrite their family legacy.

I really enjoyed this story. For the main characters to be teenagers it was very dark and gritty. I loved the family aspect of it and how magic was used to talk about the struggle for power but it also was a commentary on race with one form of magic being a powerful magic that was given by the ancestors and passed down from generation to generation and the other form being a sort of "watered down" version of that other that was "learned" or "borrowed" from the other culture. The characters were all very strong, especially the women and i love a good revenge plot and the final revenge was very satisfying. I will say i had a bit of trouble with the pacing in some parts. In some parts it was seeming to take forever to get to a new reveal or clue. I also was conflicted about the ended. i was satisfied that they were able to win against the antagonist but im still let with a lot of questions about some of the character. I also dont really understand that need to happen to the Yves character , not just because i really liked him as a character but because i just didnt understand why it was necessary the plot other than i guess to get Clemont to embrace his necromancer power. I really do hope there is a Book two, i really enjoyed these characters and would be curious to see how their story continues especially with them reclaiming the throne and the fact that there are still some enemies out there that we didnt get a resolution for.

BLOOD DEBTS by Terry J. Benton-Walker is an exciting, magical story set in New Orleans amongst rival factions of witchcraft. The characters are complicated and sympathetic, and the setting is fun and evocative. The mystery at the heart of the story makes for a compulsive reading experience, while the characters remain front and center. Like any good fantasy, this one reflects reality, highlighting racism, homophobia, and injustice.

I really enjoyed Blood Debts!! The magic system was super intriguing, and I really felt the New Orleans atmosphere. Both the main characters' voices were so endearing, and I enjoyed their sibling bond. The queer aspect of the brother was a big plus too. I am looking forward to what Terry J. Benton-Walker puts out next. Overall, a fast-paced, consuming fantasy with diverse elements that only elevate the narrative.