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.

This was super enjoyable! Definitely a new YA contemporary fantasy series to keep an eye on. This first installment does have some debut growing pains - mostly repetitiveness and some minor pacing issues - but it's overall a solid debut.

I personally could have benefited from a little more worldbuilding - I wanted to know about Vamps and how all the sects of magic fit together - but I can be patient to learn more in future installments.

I've seen a lot of commentary about the content feeling too adult, and I actually disagree. These are things teens are doing and conversations teens are having and it's dealt with in an age appropriate way. I think this book really meets Gen-Z where they're at.

The narrators are great and do a great job at embodying the characters.

The cover may have misled me, but I ended up in a pretty fabulous place anyway.

This was such a solid debut! It was a lot of fun to read with some great characters at its heart and on the periphery to keep things constantly interesting. There are magical gods, revealing twists and terrible betrayals, and big family love. Clement and Christina are twins, but they approach magic very differently. For Cris, she is a natural with Gen magic but turned her back on it a year ago after a spell she crafted dealt her a heavy loss. On the other hand, Clem tries so hard to get better at it and just can't, so his frustration with his sister is palpable, especially in the beginning.

I guess I should quickly explain why the cover misled me, and it's nothing dramatic. Without looking too closely I had assumed this was a historical fantasy. I came into it expecting 1920's New Orleans and was surprised to find it modern day. I don't read a lot of urban fantasy but books like this just prove to me I need to change that. And for what it's worth, I think the magic system fit best into this setting. It gave the story extra nuance that I appreciated reading. As a whole, the magic system was quite neat, even if I did wish for more of it throughout the entire book. Gen magic, moon and sunlight magic, necromancy--there are so many possibilities for it that makes me want more books in this world.

Audio was a great way to read this. The narrators were absolutely fabulous, especially Joniece Abbott-Pratt. I've not read a single book narrated by her that I'd call a flop, and anything she touches is a must-read for me. I did see a few reviews complaining about the prose, but I honestly didn't notice and am a little shocked that anyone found it "bad." When given the voice of the characters, it is perfectly done. Maybe hearing them is what's missing from the physical version, but I had zero concerns.

The last quarter is what knocked a star off for me. It lost it's footing a bit. I read this pretty much back to back across a few days and I genuinely forgot who certain characters are. Don't even remember them being introduced, actually. Aurora? Don't know her. Xavier? Never met him. And the problem is they were involved in a large part of what Cris was doing in the last half of the book, and I didn't know why or what the connection was.

The ending itself was great though! So much excitement and very satisfying. It does mostly wrap up, but there are definitely some loose threads that need to be tugged further. I know a sequel is coming and I saw the author tweet he was hoping to do his planned five(!) books, but I'll happily take the sequel to this when it comes.

I picked this up because the premise sounded really good. The setting and the promised storyline sounded like it could be something right up my alley. However, I don't think I am the right reader and I was not able to get through the entire book.

The execution did not meet my expectations. The writing lacked depth and I felt like I was hearing the author's voice come through, instead of letting the story guide where he wanted to make a point. This is a book turn-off for me when I'm reading fiction.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I really, really wanted to like this book but it was just okay tbh. It turned out to be a lot more family drama than magic, which wasn't what I was expecting.

I really liked the chapters where we read from Chris and Clem's viewpoints. I received the audio arc and the narrators were wonderful and brought out the twins' personalities. Listening to first person perspectives from Chris and Clem gives the audience intimate knowledge of their family, their history, and how they're intertwined with race, magic, and the city of New Orleans itself. I also really liked the setting of the story, and being an urban fantasy gave it a unique twist.

While I ultimately didn't love this book, I do like how it brought up the issues of race and magic and wove them together, such as generational magic being practiced by black people and how it's a mixture of magic, Christianity, and traditional African beliefs to how magic in general is seen as a divisive issue within society i.e. should it be regulated or not? The book excelled on that end and I'd love to read a second book based on that type of magic system.

I think the book could've been shorter and viewpoints other than Chris's and Clem's weren't really necessary to the story. It was a bit jarring to listen to the twins in first person and then listen to a third person perspective from Valentina (who honestly sounded very one-dimensional) or some other minor character with only one chapter.

It only became interesting halfway through the book, so it could've been better paced. Some secondary plotlines could've been cut without affecting the storyline. (Like what was the point of that one guy tormenting Clem?)

Anyway, I'd love to read another book by Terry J. Benton-Walker. He has a talent for world building.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this arc.

This is not a genre I usually gravitate too, but this book intrigued me. I enjoyed the story but the side characters made the story more complicated than it needed to be. If you are a fan of books with voodoo and hexes, give this novel a try.

Blood Debts is an urban fantasy novel set in present-day New Orleans where magic is openly practiced and managed by different organizational bodies. I would describe the plot as a two-fold murder mystery, one from the past and an attempted murder of the present.

Clement & Christina are twins whose family has a dark history. Their grandmother was accused of murder many years ago which resulted in not only her fall from Queendom of their magical community but a family lynching from a local mob. In the present day, the twins’ mother falls ill and when they discover a hex doll in her room, the teens decide to figure out who is attacking their family and why. As the reader moves through the plot, they stumble upon information surrounding the notorious grandmother as well as complicated politics plaguing the magical and non-magical communities of New Orleans at present.

I finished reading this book yesterday and have been struggling with how to rank my final review for this book. On one hand, it contained many elements I loved but then it also included a lot of shortcomings as well. I suppose the best place to start is to share what this book left me wanting.

First off, I felt like the plot twists and outcomes were not overtly surprising, so I was missing the shock factor. The novel weaves a decades-old murder as well as a present situation, and therefore the cast list was incredibly long. As the climax approached and it was revealed who was tied to which plot points, I realized just how overwhelmed I had been with the numerous characters. I had a hard time connecting who was who and how they were interconnected to others in the mass web; to me, the many threads of characters convoluted the story. I was also missing information about the motivations behind the opposing communities and their overlapping relationship with the gods.

The story contains information about two main warring families in this magical community, and we see a generational cycle of targeted abuse from one to the other. This toxic vengeance carried the theme of, “an eye for an eye,” and I kept hoping for a character of good conscious to stop the cycle. This volatile relationship felt unsustainable and gives the reader a sense of hopelessness that there will never be peace amidst the community. My last critique ties into the previous one as well, which is that I felt like elements of the story lacked depth. The main characters didn’t show substantial character growth. If anything, they spiral more into chaotic choices and traits than finding strength or growth.

Okay, I know that seems like a lot of issues and you may be asking why I was struggling to review this book. Well, that’s because there were many elements I really enjoyed in this story! The setting of modern-day New Orleans was very atmospheric, and I loved seeing how magic was performed on the page for each of our character’s POVs. The reader gets to witness several instances of conjuring and the resulting aftermaths. I loved the simplicity of the objects needed for the spells and how when tied with their generational gifts, it brings magic into the world.

I also felt like the family dynamics were a highlight. I love a good sibling bond, where twins add a double layer of tension. I felt like Clement & Christina had a realistic sibling dynamic and their relationship was one of the most interesting for me to see unfold. The extended family was a messy element in the best of ways; I bask in dramatic family relationships like we see in this story.

A theme explored in Blood Debts surrounded the sexual activity of the teens. I personally like seeing this in young adult books, because it would have been the type of story I’d of sought out during my adolescence. There are mentions of sex workers, safe sex practices, consent, and LGBTQ+ representation with one of the main characters. All of which I felt were handled beautifully and included important messages for the reader.

Finally, I listened to the audiobook format of this book and absolutely loved the production. The story contains multiple POVs, and the narration includes a full cast of voice actors for each one and included some of my favorites such as Bahni Turpin, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Torian Brackett, and Zeno Robinson. Jazz music was an appropriate and fun special effect that opened the book and served as an interlude between each section of the novel.

So, you may ask, what’s my final review? I decided to settle on 3 stars. I’m glad I gave this book a chance and though it had many elements I enjoyed, there were too many faults to ignore. Blood Debts will be a series, and this first book ends on a cliff hanger with many elements needing to be explored in the sequel. I don’t see myself rushing to pick up the next book, but if raving reviews poor out – I may reconsider. So it isn’t a hard no, but just unlikely. Coming to this decision is what moved me to keep my final review at 3 stars instead of bumping it up to a 3.5/4 star review.

The writing almost killed me i kept pushing so hard but nothing kept me going. Not the plot, nor the characters. The writing felt too passive in my opinion I may as well just read a summary

I think I must note something important that my issue was with the craft itself, not the subject matters tackled in the story. I do think so many people will truly enjoy this book, I am just not the target audience for it

Speaking of the audiobook, I personally have not read many audiobooks to give a proper review, but I would say this was done well for a pre-release. I could distinguish between the two main protagonists pretty well. Nothing more to add on

Told in dual POVs I was immersed with the siblings story. It follows a brother and sister, Cristina and Clement as they figure out their own life, and attempt to solve a mystery. Filled with magic, hope, and curses. I was lost in their world and before I knew it-that ending!! It’s dark, but the author does a phenomenal job of keeping me engaged to every word.
The narrators, Bahni Turpin, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Torian Brackett, Zeno Robinson did a phenomenal job elevating the story and keeping me engaged till the very last word. I enjoyed the jazz music played at certain chapters too. I highly recommend the audiobook.
Old mystery, curse, and gods…what could go wrong?

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
Publishes: April 3, 2023

Rep: Black gay mc, Black gay li, Black mcs and scs, gay scs
Rating: 3.75 stars

This was a pretty good read. Twins Clem and Chris are magic wielders who are trying to uncover the mystery and truths behind how their grandmother was falsely accused of murder, and in turn was murdered herself. They’re also dealing with their mother’s illness and the more recent death of their father. This is told in 2 major povs, Chris and Clem’s, with a few side character’s povs. It’s got messy characters and deals with some heavier topics such as racism, death, abusive relationships and depression.

The magic system was unique and really cool. The idea of passing down your magical powers through your ancestry is great. And of course we have white people trying to steal it from Black people for themselves. It really mirrored our society. It did not shy away from systemic racism.

I really liked the twins and was rooting for them. They had grown apart and I just wanted to see them get closer again, but they each had their own struggles going on and issues to deal with. I really liked Clem’s love interest. I was not expecting what happened with him. I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers.

This book was a lot heavier than I thought it would be. I anticipated a nice story with magic, but wow the author really put these characters through the wringer. I also didn’t expect there to be necromancy, but it was pretty interesting to see everything unfold.

The cover is gorgeous!! The narrators did a good job. I love when multiple pov books have different narrators for each character. I wasn’t a fan of the side characters povs though. They had me confused a few times. I also liked the addition of jazz music in the interludes between parts.

Check trigger warnings before reading this.

Overall, it’s a great book for magic in a contemporary setting.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book

Blood debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker was an interesting book basically following different characters throughout time. I enjoyed the fact that the narrators were both a male and a female voice for the different characters that they portrayed.

The story itself was traveling through different issues investigating and the characters mind murder and its resolution.

Although I expected this to be a little more fanciful it was in fact started in current times and flashing back and forth depending on which character the chapter was focusing on.

I felt it was well written and engrossing and a good pick up and read. Just make sure you don't get too spooked.

When I saw the synopsis for this, I got very excited. A queer, YA fantasy about a Black magical family, set in New Orleans?! Yes, yes, yes. The vibe of this book was so unique and engaging, definitely a release to be excited for in 2023. Clem and Cris are twins fighting to uncover the mystery of how their grandparents were framed and murdered for a murder they didn't commit. It's up to them to bring their feuding family together so that justice can finally be served.

What I Enjoyed:

-Loved how this book got historical with its examination of systemic racism. The themes of overcoming generational curses and reparations for wrong-doings were so badass, I was rooting for Clem and Cris the whole time.
-Enjoyed the magic system and how there were different types of magic, some used only by the Black people and some specifically used by white folks. Thought it was very interesting that there was a whole magical aspect to the Civil War, which impacted the present day racism within the different factions. The Black magical families are calling on their ancestors and the white magicians are trying desperately to appropriate it for themselves. Very apt because I see this all time in the witchy community in real life!
-Loved all the messy Dupont family drama and Aunt Ursula was such a great character.
-Loved Clem and thought he was awesome queer representation because he was such a fierce defender of himself and his family. He did not take anybody's shit and I adored him.
-The overall atmosphere and vibes of this book were everything I wanted them to be.
-I listened to this as an audiobook and I would recommend it that way because all the narrators were awesome and the jazz playing between parts really added to the whole production.

What I Disliked:

-The writing style/prose was not my favorite and felt too young at times. This is YA, I know, but certain parts did make me cringe a bit.
-The world building was oversaturated and there were a few too many things going on with the plot. I loved the deity worship and different gods but in combination with the magical royalty system and different factions of magic, it got confusing and felt a little all over the place. Sometimes less is more. Had this been executed differently, it would have made for a more cohesive read. There were also some characters that could have totally been omitted and felt unnecessary.

4.5/5 Stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC!

I loved this book and am crying that I have to wait for the sequel! New Orleans, witchcraft, necromancy, greed, revenge, this book had it all! It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger.

★ 3.5 // 5

TW: racism, homophobia, misogyny, sexual assault, abusive relationship (romantic), gun violence, extreme grief depictions, terminal illness (parent), loss of a parent (before start of book), bullying, corpse imagery, death

For starters, getting to listen to this on audiobook was so much fun. I loved the interludes between parts where jazz music from New Orleans played. Those moments made me feel truly connected to the setting, and it made me want to take the six hour drive to the city itself from my own home.

Blood Debts was a very interesting debut. I think it does fall into the typical issues that reside with debuts, but it surprised me a hell of a lot more than I thought it would. Cristina and Clement Trudeau are twins descended from some of the strongest magic users of New Orleans. Their grandmother was accused of murder, so she was stripped of her title as queen. Then, the twins decades later lose their father under mysterious circumstances, leading to the events of this book. Cristina believes she inadvertently caused her father's death due to a spell gone wrong, and Clement is trying every spell in the book to get more answers about his father's death.

Cris and Clem are very compelling leads. I loved getting to squat inside their heads and see their world through their own eyes. Twins in general have always been very interesting in literature, so I loved getting to have their very different perspectives on magic, etc. Plus, the twins go through some very serious trauma/ realities for teens now-a-day. These chapters in particular surprised me because the writing is a quite simple (telling based rather than showing), so I didn't expect shootings, SA, or even necromancy. Looking back I should not of assumed this book would not be heavy, but I was looking for a fun YA ride and I still got that.

My biggest critique is the writing style and pacing, which is typically my biggest issue with most debuts. The telling vs. showing part of the writing was definitely unbalanced, so there's a ton of instances where the author goes into heavy detail recounting a moment or telling the readers about a moment. Moreover, the pacing was quite sporadic, so I felt some whiplash going between the chapters, especially ones that weren't Cris or Clem. Usually when Cris's chapters were intense and gripping, Clem's were slower and calmer, and then, the chapters would flip flop back and forth between this for the two of them. It made my reading harder because I wanted to stay with that twin instead of the other, and When I'm about to switch back, I suddenly find out big information to want to stay with that current twin. It was tug of war between the two, so I really didn't like that element. Finally, the pacing did skyrocket at the end. Every book increases its pacing at the end, but with all the new revelations and emotional intensity, I didn't have a big chance to breathe and take in those scenes. It was just BOOM BOOM BOOM. End. I'm really excited to read the sequel and see if this part of the author's writing improves.

I definitely want to continue this series to see more gods too!!

Thank you Tor Teen and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There aren't enough stars in the sky to give Blood Debts, but I guess I'll have to settle for 5. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this AudioARC.

Chris and Clem are pure magic....Generational or Gen magic that is. In a world where the African American community has access to their Gods and power via the moon, Chris has sworn off the use of magic after she fears a spell she conjured led to her father's death. Clem is wading through the waters of depression and anxiety while trying to help his mother, who fell ill after their father's death. When the twins discover a hex doll is the cause of their mother's ailments will they find who is gunning for their family before it's too late, or will they all find themselves at the wrong end of a blood debt?

I have been ITCHING to find the right words to do this book justice. For a debut there is nothing else the author could have done to make this novel better. It is perfection on page: a FANTASTIC new magic system, characters with depth and purpose, a who dunnit mystery, pacing of THE GODS, and the narration is bliss. I felt for these characters, I wanted to lift them up when they needed it, be a force behind them when they were throwing punches, and just be friends with them on a personal level. These are obviously teens, they make mistakes and you find yourself verbally saying "oh, no! Don't!" However you root for them even in those moments. The magic system is unlike anything I've read before, and it's just that....magic. The history of their Pantheon is rooted deep in African American stories and it's great to see a group of Gods with true teeth. The violence was done tastefully and perpetuated the story rather than just going for gore factor. I could go on forever about Blood Debts, but I hope you get to experience this for yourself; I really don't think you'll regret one second. Final thought: there better be a book 2!!!!!

5 beaming stars as bright as the sun for Blood Debts. Recommend for readers who enjoyed Shadow and Bone, Ninth house, and the Devouring Gray. Age recommended for 15+ as there is a little sexual content and some violence.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I listened to the aduobook version.

I had high hopes for this one: New Orleans and magic and lots of hype.

Maybe it was due to the audiobook, but I had trouble following along or getting into the story.