the audiobook is so fantastic with all three narrators being great!

but oh this was awesome! a riveting crime mystery set in urban fantasy new orleans. i could not stop listening and flew through this so fast! it was a bit confusing, but i’m crossing my finger for a sequel which i think i would love even more.

here’s some things you can expect from blood debts
- family drama
- dysfunctional sibling relationship
- 2 fantastic black leads
- gays solving mysteries while desperately yearning for each other (my favorite)
- generational magic with harsh consequences
- older side of ya
- political unrest and tension

overall this was a really great debut and i’m looking forward to seeing what this author does in the future

An impressive blend of magic and real life experiences. Though a little on the dark side for a YA fantasy, the thoughtful way the topics of racism, coming into one’s sexuality, and respecting sex workers were incorporated put this book at the top of my recommendation list. As a bonus, all of the narrators for the audiobooks really added to the story telling, skillfully drawing me into the magical New Orleans world of the Trudeau family.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for netgalley!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan audio and Terry J. Benton-Walker for a complimentary copy of this audiobook to read and review!

This was a wild ride y'all. There are a lot of POVs to keep track of as well as tons of names. I had a hard time remembering who was who, and it was actually a bit jarring once I'd settle in one POV and then it would switch.

Overall this story was fantastical and gritty, but sometimes a bit confusing. An urban fantasy of this stature has a ton of world building to do and I felt lost at times. The magic system didn't make a ton of sense to me and I was confused at some of the side plots (why do they have so many aunts)

The ending when everyone came together was great! I thought the finale was great, the blood debt was paid and justice definitely reigned!

*One little TIDBIT that might just be a me thing, but since this is a YA, I found the love scenes way too much. As a 30 something year old who enjoys YA books, I don't want to read/hear about teens getting it on lololol I just wish the door had been mostly closed for those parts!*

Overall I enjoyed this book, but there were pieces that held it back.
Chris and Clem were fabulous characters and I enjoyed their story and development, however, all the other characters did not feel as developed.
The main story was interesting and addressed real issues in a great way, but I felt like there were too many subplots going on and I would get lost on a few.
I was also surprised by the many adult themes. It's not often that sex, drugs, and murder are listed as YA. While I personally don't mind those subjects, it was jarring compared to what I was expecting for this book.

I also highly enjoyed the narration for the audio book. They did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life

THIS WAS FANTASTIC! This better not be the last book because there are loose ends I need to know about. I’m so excited to see what else Terry comes out with. This was a story of familial love, of justice, and of the appropriation that has happened at the hands of white people. I literally cannot wait for this to release, because I thought this book was amazing.

I don't even know where to start. This book was SO good, I'm not sure I can even do it justice. I listened to the audiobook version. The narrators were born for this book. The voices were just as I would've pictured the characters. In my 52 years, I'm not sure I've read or listened to a book and audio quite this good.

The world building is amazing. There's not a dull moment. There's are a lot of characters and they all feel like they are the spotlight. That's the unique thing I found about the whole thing. And never have I read about a character and loved them, only to then read about their enemy and be able to also love them and sympathize with both sides. But there are also plenty of bad apples in the mix. And the magic, plus magic of the story, really feels like you're a part of it. And I'm so sad I'm not black during the whole thing! It's so beautiful! I loved Clem and his sister. The whole world.

What really blows me away is the author. He's so poetic. There's really no words good enough to use. The sentences flow like a tapestry in front of you. There were some really unique, and funny at times, ways he had with words. I was so captivated. I had to stop and see if he had a huge collection of other works because surely someone this talented has been at it a while.

I know it said it's for young adults but it's also so much for adults. What the young people in the book do and the decisions they make are very wise and beyond their years. Very brave. I do feel I have to warn you, there's hot sex. Stuff a little more revealing than what I would've thought for a young adult. But hey, I'm old, not dead. Thought I'd have to pull off the road a few times. You could easily skip these parts and read the rest if you like. I recommend this book to anyone who loves magic and stories of the real life fights for freedom and rights that are truly deserved.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher

This book was so good! I was totally enthralled by the writing and the story. I really enjoyed Clem and Cris and their growth throughout the book. The epilogue really made me hope for a second book because I want more of this magic.

I struggle with rating this book because in the end I did get invested, and I would read the next book. The production of the audiobook itself was very well done and I always enjoy a cast of characters to help distinguish the voice of multiple POVs.

But on the other hand the writing felt very middle grade, which would have been fine if the content allowed for it to be classified as such. Benton-Walker seems to finally find his stride near the end of the book and that’s unfortunate because had I not been given this audio arc I probably wouldn’t have finished it.

I also appreciated the inclusion of racism and oppressive systems in the book itself but I think it fell short of the impact it could have had.

I’m a big proponent of show me rather than tell me, but this felt like I was being beaten over the head. No subtly and no nuance. On one hand I think that it would be appropriate for members outside of the BIPOC community to get an understanding but for me it felt too forced. It didn’t have the opportunity to breathe and flow within the story so it felt jarring. I also feel he tried to cover so many complex issues in such a short book that half the book came across as structured talking points rather than a flowing narrative.

I wanted more about the magic systems and the clear rivalry between groups but so much of this books was focused on relationships. I’m also not a fan of the instalove trope but it gets a pass because they are teenagers.

I wanted spooky, NOLA, voodoo and instead I got thinly veiled allusions to the current political climate in the states. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but again I prefer a bit more nuance at above a middle grade level.

Overall a good premise, I look forward to seeing development in the sophomore novel but not my favourite. 3 stars because I think it just wasn’t meant for me.

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.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook before the book is released. The audiobook voice narrators were truly fantastic and really helped me visualize the characters, the places and the story.
New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in the world and I was very excited to delve into this book and be surrounded by that ambiance and mystique.
I think the author did an overall good job, especially for a debut novel that is covering such serious subjects and social issues.
It did drag a bit in my opinion, but perhaps with a physical copy instead of an audio book I could've breezed through it faster at a pace more fitting for me.
This was a 3.5 star read for me, rounded to 4, but I think it will be 5 stars for some.
Again, thank you so much for the ARC and I wish you much success in your debut.

Let’s just get this out of the way: some of you will be appalled that this book is classified as Young Adult. There is bloody violence, abundant colorful language, sex, and (some off-page) drug use. I can see you clutching your pearls from here, aghast that Macmillan has set the age range from 13-18. Unclench. No one is saying your thirteen-year-old has to read it. If you feel this book is inappropriate for your young reader, save it for a later date. And I do mean save it because Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker is not a story to be missed. This novel is chalked full of representation and reckoning with the sordid history of racism in the United States, specifically NOLA. There are plenty of fantastical elements, but the story is grounded in the veritable experiences of the not-so-distant history of the South and the mark they have left on the present.

Christina (Chris) and Clement (Clem) are fraternal twins whose relationship has become strained after the death of their father and their mother’s severe and mysterious illness. But that is hardly the only trouble to befoul their family. This magical world of New Orleans in which they live is home to Generational or Gen magic and the seat of the magic counsel. A counsel of which their grandmother was the queen until she was dethroned and her family disgraced. But the reader quickly learns all is not what it seems. While misfortune has caused Chris to retreat from magic, Clem rejoices in it, becoming yet another source of conflict for the siblings. However, with trouble brewing all around them, they’ll need to find a way to unite.

This book is a love letter to Black folks. It is unflinching in its examination of oppressive systems while being a celebration of the grit and vibrant tenacity of the Black community. It validates all the feelings of culture, family, and frustration. It explores intergenerational trauma and the effect of present-day racism. The peruser gets to observe thoughtful characterization of intersecting identities. It lives up to the Author’s Note, in which the reader will have to sit and ponder the many nuanced issues introduced in this novel. And it does so in such a way that younger readers will be able to take part in these conversations about morality and liberation.

I am always super impressed when an author weaves multiple complex storylines into a cohesive and satisfying end product. Sure there are a couple of loose threads, but that has more to do with leaving the door open for a sequel. Clem and Chris feel like real teenagers, even with magic involved. The magical system that Benton-Walker created is rooted in Black spirituality and religious practices. The pantheon of gods is both helpful and meddlesome, and it will be interesting to see where Benton takes them in the next book.

Having the pleasure of listening to the audiobook, I really enjoyed the narration. Because there were so many characters (some with similar names), I had to go back several times to figure out who was who. Although not necessary to the story, I would have loved a glossary of the gods and magical terms. The language used throughout the book prioritizes authenticity and accessibility, so there is no flowery prose to be found here. And while I had no pages to turn, it certainly left me staying up later than I had intended wanting to know what happen next.

Blood Debts is the perfect read for those looking for BIPOC and queer representation who love magical realism and urban fantasy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this one. I was slightly confused about the time period at first but I caught on quickly.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley and publisher for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed listening to this book. I think the story was unique and fast paced. I liked learning about all the characters. I enjoy generational stories. I liked the magic system, the sibling drama, and the action. It ended in a way that makes me think that there will be at least a sequel.

I was all set to purchase this for my school library until I got to the 70% give or take point (the sex scene). Even though it was consensual sex, and a positive experience, it was too graphic for our collection. We have been under a lot of scrutiny in our district and I cannot justify adding this to our shelves. or take the chance of having to remove it if purchased. And I am sad about that.

I’m very glad that I got to read this book as an audiobook. The narrators were absolutely fabulous! In terms of the story and writing, I thought that this book made important commentary on colonialism and how it has impacted racism in the present.

At times, I felt that there were too many characters and subplots. So although I enjoyed this book overall, I wish that the story was more focused.

Blood Debts is a magnificent debut book by Terry J. Benton Walker and if this is what Mr. Walker has to offer starting out, I wait with bated breath for the next book. Blood Debts is a story brewed in magic, steeped in family, and served up hot for those who adore fantasy, especially dark fantasy. I will warn readers that this book does cover darker conversation topics such as sex work and some other traumatic events. The magic system in the book is very intriguing and I want to learn more about it. The characters came alive with the wonderful narration of the book, in which some bias is here due to my love of Bahni Turpin. I enjoyed the twist and turns with each chapter and I know there will be more. I can't recommend this book for lovers of YA and dark fantasy. 5/5 for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to enjoy this wonderful book.

I was so excited to read this book as the description and concept of the book sounded really interesting but unfortunately, the book was just not for me. One of the first things I struggled with was the multiple point of views. We have our two main characters that have POV‘s but then there’s multiple side characters that also get their own POV throughout the book and the main problem with that was that the perspectives will constantly change so the MC’s POV would be in first person, present tense, and then some of the side characters would either be in third person or past tense, and that would constantly take me out of the story and would be jarring. This also made it confusing to follow, which character was witch, and the relationship between the characters. I also did not like it because we have so many characters involved with the stories. The relationship was not properly flushed out, and there was no room for the characters to have proper development. So many things are thrown at you so many life altering event in a matter of days that the characters really did not have a lot of time to properly communicate, despite the length of the book.

I had to keep in mind that the characters are teenagers, so they had very strong feelings for the people that they were meeting and their relationship towards each other. However, the adults in the book were completely ridiculous at times, and there was a lot of inconsistencies between their relationships at points they would not trust their family members because of something that they did in the past, but then would go and completely trust a random stranger that was just introduced to the book.

I really enjoyed how there was great queer and mental health representation throughout the book. The author challenges, a lot of heavy topics throughout the book, such as homophobia, lynching, violence and complicated relationships. The author constructed a great magic system but I found that the execution was not there. I ended up giving the book 2.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC.

I received an audio ARC through Netgalley for an honest review

I absolutely loved this book. The story was amazing, the characters were likable, and it had a great magic system. I do hope that the story continues!

Blood Debts is a story about magic, family, and trauma with a magic system that had me immediately hooked. This is a dark YA fantasy with a lot of violence, but I loved the inclusiveness in the characters and the conversations around sexuality, including consent and sex work. There were a lot of characters in this story, which made things difficult to follow at times, but I wasn't put off by it. This was a great read overall, and I think anyone interested in dark YA fantasy would really enjoy it!

Blood Debts
by Terry J. Benton-Walker

Hardcover, 416 pages
Expected publication: April 4th 2023 by Tor Teen
Original TitleBlood Debts
ISBN125082592X (ISBN13: 9781250825926)

New Orleans magic, mythology and wrapped in mythos that leaves magic connected by generational magic. The idea that oppression may bring magic into the world. The story of crime, and reproduction of generational hatred spice the pages of the story. Two young girls disagreement is more then one level of hatred and jealousy. Their fight shows more and more of the history of the people. The magic has consequence, and evil gives blood debt.
The book is a good young adult story that would connect to children. The book shows that your actions have consequences.

The audible version is clear and extremely helpful for middle school students. The pairing of the audible and book can help class discussions, now allowing reading ability to inhibit the reader.

I wanted to like this book so much but it just wasn't for me. There were some things about this book that I did enjoy though. I think Clem and Cris were very realistic and enjoyable characters. I loved the concept of the book but the writing seemed very juvenile, even for a young adult novel. The plot has some really good twists that I never saw coming. Sadly, those twists were not enough to keep me interested during some of the slow scenes. That being said, I'm sure someone else will give this a try and love it. It just wasn't for me.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this alc in exchange for an honest review.