Trigger Warnings: knife, death of family member, illness, cursing,
gun violence, murder, homophobia, racism, sexual assault, sex, lynching, loss of bodily autonomy, bullying

Representation: Black, Gay, Twins,

Blood Debts is a young adult, queer fantasy. Clement and Cristina Trudeau are the twin heirs to a throne stolen from their family thirty years ago. When they accidentally discover their ailing mom is actually cursed, they must work together to figure out who is coming after their family. With tensions high in the city already, New Orleans depends on the twins to avoid another massacre or worse.

I want to start by saying this book was very good. It’s written well and very enjoyable. That being said, this isn’t my normal cup of tea. I struggled to get invested in the storyline but it’s not the book’s fault. I tried my best to keep an open mind but in the end, I couldn’t connect enough.

Overall, this is a great story- just not meant for me. The magic and setting are great, the writing is very clear and concise, the author gets so many things right with this one. I think any fan of this type of surreal fantasy will enjoy this story!

I have been pushing myself to read this book on and off for 2 months. I'm 25% in and I just can't keep going. There's like a weird, subtle misogyny running through it. All the main players are women, but they're all terrible or abused. I think this author should have stuck to writing it from the brother's perspective. The women just aren't right somehow. It's unpleasant. Also the writing doesn't grab me. The subject matter is very cool but I'm just really bored. We're spending way too much time on things that don't appear to move the story forward at all. By the 25% mark the 16yo twins are acting and sounding more like teenagers, but the book starts in a way that suggests they are in their early 20s and continues that way for a while.

The narrator does a great job with the bland material

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker is a novel filled with intergenerational magic, curses, and drama. The main characters in the story are Clement (Clem) and Cristina (Cris), 16 year old twins. Cris has given up on magic, believing that it has only brought her family grief and despair, while Clem is working to embrace his magic. The majority of the book is told in chapters that alternate between these two main characters. The audiobook narrators do a fantastic job giving the characters personality and emotion!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The author did a fantastic job providing enough backstory about the families and the history of magic that it was easier to understand what motivated the characters. There were quite a few characters to keep track of, but this was essential with the amount of family and community drama built into the story. Clem and Cris both grow as characters as they learn more about themselves and how magic has impacted their family. The main conflicts were satisfyingly resolved, but I feel like the author left some of the side stories intentionally unresolved and there could be a sequel.

The main complaint I have about this book is that the publisher has it rated as YA with an intended audience of 13-18. There is a lot of profanity, which I could easily overlook but there are also more sexual references than I would expect from a YA book. Specifically, there is one fairly detailed sex scene. I believe that this inclusion of this scene makes the book more mature than what my students are used to and I would be hesitant to add it to my middle school or high school library. As previously stated, I don't think that Blood Debts is a bad book, but I do think that the intended audience is a bit off.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review an eARC audiobook of this title!

Absolutely loved this one. I've been truly anticipating this one. Dark and delightful, and a beautifully narrated audiobook!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

I have been very drawn to books that display the connection we have with our ancestral roots so I was very excited to be able to experience this book in advance. This YA displayed teenage love woes, family drama and, of course, magic! The story took a moment to build up to but once we got into the thick of things, I became thoroughly invested on getting this mystery solved. Very excited to see how the next part of the story will go.

4.5/5

I am not an own voices reviewer so I will not be speaking much on this book as I have no authority to speak on many of the subjects addressed in this book.
I want to say that I absolutely adored this book. The magic was cool and I really liked the characters. I read this whole book in one day because I just could not put it down. I would definitely recommend this book!

BLOOD DEBTS is a contemporary fantasy of a family's struggle to reclaim their birthright and protect their magic. After finding out their sick mother was actually cursed, twins Clement and Cristina start to unravel the web of family secrets, feuding magical families and an unsolved murder. Clem and Cris's approaches to unearthing the truth lead them in different directions, expanding the network of distant family, friends and enemies encountered. The complexity and large cast of characters in BLOOD DEBTS will appeal to readers fond of world building fantasies or court intrigue narratives.

Story is told mostly through the perspectives of Clem and Cris with occasional chapters from others. Audiobook is excellent, featuring different, engaging narrators for the different POVs. Recommended for high school and public libraries.

I was expecting a story set in the 1920s. The cover made it look like it was historical fiction, normally I don't like historical books so I was so excited. One of the best books I read in February. I loved the characters, the setting, and the magic system. It was a lot of fun to read.

5 stars

First and foremost, thank you Macmillion Audio for allowing me to listen to this. What intrigued me first was Chloe Gong saying this was, "an extravaganza from start to finish." I trust Chloe Gong and this was certainly that.

If you know me, you know I have a deep love/hate relationship with YA. But it's gems like this that gravitate me towards YA Fantasy. Siblings seeking out justice within New Orleans magic system was captivating. That epilogue had me wanting more. I can't wait to buy my copy this April because I wanted to tab up lines so bad. If you love the AHS coven season with a hint of Ace of Spades and The Hate U Give, pick this up!

When I hear “New Orleans book”, I usually have to at least see what it’s about. Blood Debts, being a contemporary fantasy about two siblings trying to uncover their family’s tragic past and present, I had to check it out and was fortunate to get an ARC of the audiobook. Turns out, it was an interesting and compelling book with expansive magic, gripping characters and strong themes, and an intriguing murder mystery, and despite some issues, won’t forget about anytime soon.

Me and others had initially assumed Blood Debts is Historical Fantasy based on the eye catching cover that felt very 1920's New Orleans, but it is in fact, a Contemporary Fantasy, with the majority of the story taking place in June 2019.

In terms of content, this book felt more New Adult than Young Adult. This book deals with a lot of heavy topics and subject manner like racism and adjacent racial issues, sexuality (including sexual assault and homophobia), drinking, body horror, among others. This book also loves it's F-bombs and other profanity, multiple times, it felt like there was one a minute (I would be surprised if the count is under 100). There's also an explicit sex scene (that shouldn't belong in YA), ironically at the 69% mark of the audiobook (chapter 26). I sometimes wondered if the twins were supposed to be 19-22 and aged down to 16 in order to be sold as YA.

The prose was gripping and vivid at its best, though there were parts where I got confused and had to re-listen, so there could have been some parts that were cleaned up. As someone originally from New Orleans, I pictured much of the settings without too much trouble, but I did sometimes question some settings in my head, mostly due to regional logistics. I loved the world building of the types of magic and how it works and how it’s governed. It was in depth and I also wanted more of it as the story went on. Some of the prose describing how spells worked were vivid and I really loved it. Though I wish there was some things that were cleared up.

The themes of revenge, justice and betrayal were explored deeply in the story, mostly about where the line between justice and revenge lie, overcoming endless pain and hurt and making a mark on a world that feels like it’s against you. It explores the importance of family ties and community, which is especially big in the Black community. It also explores modern social issues, and while many do fit and advance the story, there are a few moments where it felt like the author’s viewpoints was shoehorned without relevance of the current scene.

The main POVs are Christina and Clement, fraternal twins who were heirs to a magical throne until it got stolen via murder, and after their mother is almost killed, they have to uncover why their family is cursed to tragedy for the past three decades. Both voices were distinct, with their anger being expressed and channeled in different ways, and approaching magic in different forms as their relationship changes throughout.

Christina’s arc deals with uncovering her grandmother’s legacy and her fractured relationship with magic, having giving it up after her father died, and my favorite of the arcs, as it deals with her pursuit of justice and rising over the trials that she has to face, like relationships gone rotten. Clement’s story arc is about coping with pain after dealing with so much of it in his life. Most of his arc is dealing with revenge and getting into a relationship with his new boyfriend, which was enjoyable in a whirlwind romance sort of way.

The other POVs were interesting and mostly un-intrusive, though it took me a while to understand Valentina in a way. I did remember most of the characters of this book, especially the family and their complex and somewhat soapy relationships, which were well developed and felt homey at times. I blanked on a couple of them, as they randomly popped up out of nowhere and I forgot why they were important.

The four narrators were great, though I especially loved the ones for the twins, Joniece Abbott-Pratt as Christina, and Zeno Robinson (who anime fans might know as Hawks from My Hero Academia) as Clement.

I was more or less hooked on the story from the start, but I took my time until I got to the halfway point when everything got really interesting with the murder mystery and I just had to finish the book as soon as possible. While the main storyline of this book is resolved by the end, there’s lots of small hints and foreshadowing to future installments. Maybe too much for its own good, as many elements were dropped or obscured without much advancement or closure, especially with Clement’s POV and arc. This feels like this could have benefited more from a serialized format based on the structure.

This was an enjoyable listen and I'll look forward to more books in the series to see where things go, especially after that epilogue.

*I received an ARC of the audiobook from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio. All opinions are my own.*

I really enjoyed the plot and the characters in this book. It was way too long though. Could have totally cut out Valentina’s entire POV. Neither of those things are enough to deter me though. I still liked it overall.

Something worth noting is that this is a YA book but there is a fairly open door sex scene if that is something that bothers you. I guess I don’t mind but it definitely surprised me that it was there. In a YA book…

The magic was cool, the twins were interesting, the twists of all the drama held my attention.

It was good, just not something I will rave about. I would recommend audio though if you do chose to read it. The narrators were very good.

Interesting concept, but I didn't feel that the execution was great. I didn't really care about the characters, and the plot was a bit muddled. The cover is great, though! Also, unfortunately there was a bit too much sex for my high school library (in a small, rural town).

This audiobook took me longer to get through than my typical listens; I attribute this mostly to the multiple POVs, complex plot lines, and trying to grasp which direction the story was attempting to go. I am glad I stuck to it, and think it is going to be a well-received new young adult series that diverse audiences will adore.

Readers who love:
Urban, New Orleans setting
Queer MC Rep/POV
Young Adult friendship drama and romance
Deep rooted family drama
Unique magical realism
Fresh, honest and unique voices
Commentary on past/current racial discrimination within America

This book had a lot going on and it was difficult to figure out what it wanted to be.

There was magic, racial oppression, a murder mystery, and young romance.

The pacing of this novel challenged how I understood the genre of this book. There was a lot of focus on the romantic relationships but the plot was all about the mystery and family.

Some of the writing felt designed for a younger audience but the content is definitely YA+.

For a casual read, this book covered the bases.

I enjoyed how different this story was from my usual reading and from what I would expect from a fantasy novel.
The magic system was unique and quite beautiful at times. The concept of moonlight being tangible and cable to be captured and contained in a jar was may even cooler by the fact that it can be drawn and manipulated in fluid way. The imagery that the author is able to invoke with words is stunning.
There were so many layers to every character that unravel slowly as the story progresses. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the plot as I listened to the audiobook over a period of a few weeks when I had a spare moment to listen. The author kept me engaged by revealing just the right amount of information well spaced out. By the last third of the book I was listening to much larger chunks of the story at a time because it became even more compelling and I had become deeply invested in the characters and their fates.
This story is ultimately about family, the bonds that hold them together and the things that could tear them apart.
The main mystery of the story is resolved by the end, but there is potential for so much more to come with an open ending. I look forward to learning more about how that could be resolved.
The opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with a copy of the ebook to listen to and review.

Thank you to TOR and NetGalley for the E-Arc!
I was so excited to receive this book, and I read it so quickly! The moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. Dear characters and representation in the story are phenomenal. I am always excited to see queer characters, and think the author did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. The magic and mystery are written very well, and I was on the edge of my seat throughout it.
This book had political intrigue, magic, mystery, murder, and wonderful characters. If you were looking for your next fantasy read, definitely give this a try. The audiobook adds an extra layer of feeling and environment. I am always a big fan of audiobooks, and this didn't disappoint.

I love the idea, concept, and setting but couldn't get into it and I found it a little hard to follow. I thought this was a historical fiction/ fantasy but this actually takes place during todays modern age. liked the darker parts of this book, the gods, the queer representation tho.
If you're a fan of YA novels and NOLA settings with voodoo and hexes, give this novel a try.

I struggled a bit through the opening of Blood Debts -- I found the way the worldbuilding was tied into the introduction of the characters clunked more than it wove the upcoming story. However, once I got to know Clem and Cris and their world I was hooked. Cris's struggles and power were inspirational and I LOVED the way New Orleans shone through Benton-Walker's lens. Three stars for me as a non-fantasy reader, but I recommend it to all readers of magical realism and lovers of powerful protagonists.

This book is incredible. What a way to set up a new series!

There was one character that I could have definitely done without their POV and then another was added in late and I am not sure why. Hopefully that will be explained in a later installment.

The old mystery was interesting, although like most my age, when I heard 30 years ago I kept having to remind myself that it meant the event occurred in the 1990s, not 1960s/1970s like my brain wants to go to.

I love the narration of this book and am really glad that I had the chance to listen to the audiobook version. I loved the New Orleans sound that played to indicate the next part of the story.

This books was absolutely fantastic! I loved the urban fantasy set in New Orleans. The new adult magic system based on gen magic. It was a beautiful way to express the feelings of race going on in our society today. I absolutely loved the characters…and can’t wait for the next book.