Love the bond between the twins and the discussion of racism and culture within the book. Was pleasantly surprised at the LGBT presence and the way it was written. The practice and treatment of voodoo as a religious practice was well written as well.A great debut book.

2/5

I loved the synopsis of this book and think it had a lot of potential, but unfortunately it fell very flat for me. I think if some changes were made and this had been marketed as a middle grade book, I would definitely give it a higher rating. However, it really didn’t have the level of complexity and emotional depth I expect as a baseline for YA books.

Cons:
This book is “complex” in the sense that there are a lot of characters that are confusing to keep track of, but the plot it self is overly simplistic. There were no big plot twists or revelations that I normally expect from YA, but led this book to be pretty predictable and dull.

Pros:
I enjoyed the magic system and wish it was given more emphasis. The two MCs were likeable and I enjoyed that this book was centered around a sibling relationship rather than a romantic relationship.

Overall, I wouldn’t really recommend this book. I think there were a lot of good ideas (maybe too many at once), but the execution was not great and the plot was too complicated for a relatively straightforward story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor for a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review! I was taken with Blood Debts from the very first page. The world that Benton-Walker creates is familiar and new all at once-- New Orleans always seems to have an electric undercurrent, and Benton-Walker's Generational Magic makes the world jump off the page. Clem, Cris, their friends, and their enemies feel real, and I felt myself hanging on for every next word, and rooting for our protagonists at every step. Dialogue sometimes feels heavy and I occasionally felt unsure about magical rules or conventions, but it did not take away from my enjoyment. This was an engaging and intriguing debut, and I cannot wait to see what comes next from Benton-Walker!

Someone should really turn this into a television series because it would be excellent for that. Blood Debts is the start of a new YA fantasy series set in a magical version of New Orleans. It is a high-drama narrative filled with magic, intergenerational curses, political machinations, and deadly threats.

While there are several perspective characters, the main focus is on Black twins Clement and Christina Trudeau who are grieving the death of their father, dealing with hexes, and trying to manage their own love lives and exploring sexuality. Clem has been unlucky in love, but now there's a new boy he's crushing on and things seem promising. Christina is dating a white boy, but sometimes he seems too interested in her magic.

There is a lot of drama, many twists and turns that I won't spoil, but this is a very strong debut and a promising start to a series. I could easily see this being adapted by Netflix or the CW and it could be a hit. There were a could minor things that didn't totally make sense, and I think it might have been stronger with fewer perspectives, but overall I really liked this and wouldn't be surprised if a lot of other people do as well. Note that it is on the more mature side of YA due to things like violence and sexuality. The audio narration is done with a full cast and is excellent. I received an audio review copy of this via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

This book has all the earmarks of a great story.. a family steeped in tragedy, rich culture, a regional setting that always draws my attention, and plenty of societal intrigue. Well-written and moderately-paced, it moves well without leaving the reader behind.

Cris and Clem, the twins at the forefront of the Trudeau family, are both likable, easily relatable characters. Though they have strongly differing opinions at times and tend to bicker like only a brother and sister can, it's easy to see the bond between them. Their priorities align. Family comes first.

Both of the siblings have something they're struggling with and I found them to be sympathetic, but never weak.

The magic system is well thought out, inspired obviously by known ritual magics, but presented in an interesting way. Generational magic is a gift, not a guarantee by birthright. Not everyone can conjure and certainly not as strongly as everyone else, which leaves for some very vengeful rivalries.

The familial warmth is honestly my favorite part of the story. I had really hoped for more of that New Orleans feel, but what little ambience of the fabled city existed.. was a little late to the party for me and not a frequent enough visitor. Though it resulted in me being less immersed and invested, it was still enjoyable.

While I appreciate the opportunity to read this, unfortunately it's going to be a DNF for me. I can't seem to get past the 20% mark.

Thirty years ago, a woman was murdered and a family was lynched. New Orleans saw the worst magical massacre in it’s history.

Clement and Cristina are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until they realized their mother isn’t just sick, she was cursed. Now they are on the hunt to figure out who cursed their mother and what killed their father before New Orleans sees yet another massacre.

I really enjoyed the setting of this book. I love any book set in New Orleans and has magic. The characters were good. Some of them I couldn’t stand but overall, I really liked them. We do get the read from multiple POV’s which made the book even more interesting. Honestly, I have nothing negative to say about this book. I enjoyed my time reading it!

If you love books set in New Orleans, dark magic and a murder mystery, I highly recommend picking this one up on April 4th!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Teen for the e-arc!

a lovely read that I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did, would deffo recommend to people who love SJM!

Blood Debts is atmospheric with great characters and an intriguing mystery that'll make you want to keep reading way past your bedtime. Even though it's a contemporary YA novel I think it's also a great choice for adults who love the genre because it's beautifully written and while it's entertaining it also deals with more adult themes and social issues that make the story richer and more meaningful.

* Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy. =)

"'What is a blood debt?' 'Blood for blood.'"

Genre: Young adult fantasy

Writing: 4.5/5
Pace: 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Character: 4/5
Enjoyability: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

This book was so much fun to read. The writing flowed from character to character so well that every time you'd switch, it was seamless. I loved how even though Clem and Cris were twins, they were written alike but not the same. It showed how they were truly different people yet raised by the same parents and experienced similar things in their lives. I also loved how the Savant family got chapters and how different they writing style changed to show how they are different in not just the family life but also how they view magic.

Clem and Cris both faced obstacles in a short amount of time that showed by the end. Cris was more of the focal character in this book. Her journey with magic and power and love was absolutely perfect. And I loved that Clem, even though he wasn't the main protagonist of this story, we really did get to see him in a light similar to Cris and understand that he was starting his own journey while supporting his twin.

Overall, the layout and fast pace of this book kept me captivated from start to finish. The mystery that Cris focused on to bring her back to magic while Clem was healing from past trauma was paced appropriately. The only criticism I have is about Oz. I wish we got more of a story from him, why he did what he did.

I loved the ending, and I truly hope in the next book we get more Valentina and Clem and they both get to heal and finish their journeys. I also hope that Jean-Louise and Ursula get their 'happily ever after' cause I loved these two characters.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Publishers for giving me an ARC of this book

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker sounded like it was going to be right up my alley and the concept is fantastic. Unfortunately, it never quite worked out for me. I know that this is a contemporary YA fantasy novel, but I had to constantly remind myself that it wasn't a historical fantasy. I mean, sometimes I'd forget and find myself surprised by something simple. I don't know if this was just me, or not.

Loved this read! Cris's and Clem's arcs were wonderful to get immersed into, and the multi-POV narration from them (as well as the handful of side characters) was accessible and entertaining. I thought the ending might have benefited from slightly different pacing, as it felt a bit rushed and undercut the reveal with Clem's decision a bit. But regardless, super excited for the sequel that Terry is working on (according to his social)!

I love the magical aspect of this story and how it blends the mystery of magic practiced by Black people. I also feel like the story had very compelling characters you wanted to root for. I also love the way family history is interwoven into the plot! My only critique it is boggled down by the writing in my opinion. I really struggled to get into the story because it teetered on the beam for its target audience.

Cristina & Clem Trudeau are pure magic, pure Gen magic. As the youngest heirs to an usurped magical throne they are dealing with a lot. Among the other tragic events that have been circling these twins lives, they discover their mother has been cursed. This takes us down an intense rabbit hole on discovering who has it out for the Trudeau family? And it seems that answer lies in the past.

There's a special place in my heart for books that are set in Nola. Benton-Walker described the streets of Nola perfectly and I could see the characters walking in Jackson Square, by St. Louis Cathedral, etc. I love the world building Benton-Walker created along with the Pantheon, I'm dying to know more about Generational Magic and all things related to it. I especially love when authors write the Gods in as characters and can we talk about that art show?! How do I get a ticket to go see it for myself?!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me this ARC, I'll be on the lookout for the next installment!

Blood Debts is an ambitious debut that exceeded my expectations. I didn't want into this book expecting to be as blown away as I was, much less to experience one of the most well-written debuts I've ever read.

This book has a lot to accomplish as the first part of a planned series, especially as a book that feels like high fantasy in a contemporary setting (al la Game of Thrones) -- and I think it does so expertly while doing the unexpected. We have more than just one or even two POVs, but the characters are so distinct that it's easy to tell the characters apart. We see a shift from first to third person with some POVs, but it makes sense and fits with the narrative being told to us -- this is Clem and Cris's story, so it only makes sense for us to see it from their POV. In other books where this might be jarring, it felt natural to me, while expanding the book's world.

I thought the prose was enjoyable and very well-written. I wish I could quote particular lines because there were some EXTRA fantastic ones that made my heart just filled with emotion. There were just *little* details that if you were paying attention, gave hints about later parts of the book -- and I'd guess later events to come in future books. Additionally, the teens SOUND like teens, they're messy like teens. I found these characters, the teens, in particular, extremely relatable despite the fact that I'm not even a teenager (nor am I a person of color -- I am queer though). Blood Debts brings some great, well-developed, Black characters (some who are also queer, neurodivergent, etc) to the table while creating a world with magic similar to our own -- in both our world's negatives and positives.

This debut is something really special and I feel in my gut that Terry Benton Walker is an author to look out for. I know I can't wait for the next books in this series. I really hope this series blows up and finds its audience. Wake me up when book two is out please, I'd rather hibernate until then.

loved the book, would definitely hand-sell and want to get copies into the bookstore that i work at. unfortunately it took me a little while to properly get into the book, which was annoying but once i started i was hooked and wanted to finish it as fast as possible. it was the type of book that i couldn't put down. just because it took me some time, i rated it 4 stars, but otherwise the book was amazing.

Who doesn't want to read about magic, mystery and family dynamics in New Orleans? I am so happy I came across this book while scrolling through Netgalley, thank you so much for allowing me to review it.

The book begins by introducing us to the events of a thirty-year-old murder case which involves the relatives of this book's main character. When a murder is committed it brings out the bigotry that is woven into certain groups and a mob is sent to the house of the suspected culprits, who are then lynched as a warning. This is where the magic comes in, in New Orleans. Gen magic which is used by the majority of the characters in this book is a magic type which was gifted to Black slaves by moon gods and then passed through the generations. There are also Witch Witches who draw magic from the sun and vamps. The story is set alongside socio- political unreset against magic use, a fire which was fed by the murder thirty years before.

The main characters of this tale are Chris and Clem, twins who deal with their family's losses in different ways. Clem stays strongly connected to their magical roots while Chris begins to move away. Both have their secrets but must put their differences aside when they discover that their mother is not simply ill, but cursed. Now the family have to reunite and combat the people that began to destroy their family thirty years before but are still attempting to finish the job.

Told from multiple points of view this book captures the very simple idea that everyone has their own agenda. By giving a voice to Chris's main antagonist the writer gives us two sides of an argument that has been going on for generations but comes to a head through the hands of two young women. The family dynamics are clearly set out, and I look forward to learning more about all the characters in future books. The book explores deep socio-political differences that exist in the modern period as well as being scattered throughout history.

This is a fantastic YA book which will appeal to those interested in magical realism while exploring common issues
that many face daily, such as oppression, homophobia and death. I am definitely looking forward to reading more works by this author.

Be sure to check trigger warnings before picking up this book as it does deal with some difficult and upsetting subjects.

I was really excited for this arc. The cover photo and the description are right up my alley of what I enjoy. The first chapter had me even more hopeful I was going to enjoy this story. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the biggest fan and there were several things I didn’t enjoy.

I typically love multiple POV’s, I think it brings more depth to other characters because you can see more of their thoughts and actions. Zac and Valentina’s POV’s didn’t bring that. Their chapters didn’t really add anything substantial. There were things that you learned from their chapters but it wasn’t anything that the twins didn’t learn quickly themselves. They were unnecessary in my opinion.

The flow of the story got muddied a bit. Thirty percent in and you’re only on day two of the story happening. At seventy percent you’re finally at day five and then at eighty percent you’re suddenly two weeks in. It was a slow progress just to have it suddenly sped up.

Clems development started out really strong just to have his character get ignored towards the end. I understand that there will be a sequel so of course there’s going to be ambiguous endings. Those answers will possibly be answered in the sequel. My problem was we got no information about Yves until the end and even then it was something that was already assumed. We know absolutely nothing of what happened in that house. Yves sister is described as extremely protective, yet Yves go missing and no one is talking about it? It doesn’t make sense. And if Clem had done something to make it seem like all is fine why wasn’t that talked about. Details like that add more information and helps the reader grasp more of the situation.

The sex scene between Clem and Yves was a lot for YA. I was unprepared for the details about that moment. It’s more common for scenes to fade to black and I think that’s what the story should’ve done. It was too explicit for YA. I’m a huge supporter for having sex positivity in YA books. You just have to remember who the audience is when you write sex scenes. In this situation the demographic of who this book is aimed at got ignored.

Overall, the story had a lot of potential. At the end I just couldn’t ignore all the development and world building problems. The magic aspect was interesting, confusing at times but really interesting. Clem was a strong character and I truly wish we had gotten more from him at the end.

“For every child of color who was denied the justice they deserved.”

This was a captivating queer, debut ya novel about magic and revenge shrouded in mystery set in the modern world New Orleans. The twins, Cris and Clement are tied up in a long, twisted history of stolen power and injustice, and they’re onto seeking the truth and reclaiming what was rightfully theirs.

This book had an interesting premise as a ya urban fantasy book and greatly delved into stigmas surrounding mental health and queer representation and societal issues such as generational trauma, systemic racism, and injustice. It was eye-opening and very informative about the pressing realities of what POC and minority communities experience. The world building was unique, and the plot was written well and kept me engaged. The addition of fluff and romance of young love was so overwhelmingly familiar and made the book better than it already was. And even though I feel conflicted as I found this book to be incredibly slow paced and a bit predictable, I would recommend it!

This book was a riot! I loved the magic system and found it so interesting. I loved the relationship between clem and cris, it was always so obvious how much they loved each other even when they were arguing or fighting. I found the relationships between cris and clems mothers and all of the aunts confusing, I wanted to love them but was just confused more that anything.
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overall this was an enjoyable read, I just struggle with understanding different fantastic world, or magic systems sometimes.