Blood Debts deals with not only generational magic but generation trauma and how unchecked trauma by those who came before can poison those that follow. At the start of this tale we are introduced to Cristina and Clement Trudeau. The sixteen-year old twins are both Gen which means they practice moon magic. Once as close as the womb they shared, these two have steadily drifted apart due to how they view the magic that is a part of their bloodline. For Cristina, magic is what destroyed her family, including her grandparents and dad. For Clement, magic gives him purpose.

Terry J. Benton-Walker does an amazing job of introducing a sizable roster of characters and making sure each of them is given depth and motivation. Before long we are introduced to the remaining members of Cristina and Clement's family which includes their mother and four aunts. Both of our main characters have love interests as well. Then we have Cristina's rival, Valentina, whose grandmother is the reigning queen.

Magic, betrayal, generational trauma, LGBTQUIA rep and revenge are the main things I loved about this book.
I absolutely adored the cast or narrators for being this book to life. They captured the soul and message of this story so perfectly.
I went into this book pretty much blind. Which sometimes is the best cause the book resonates with you more. I loved Clement and Christina’s journey of uncovering the truth behind the brutal murder of their grandparents while navigating their own personal journeys through fear, depression, anxiety and negative self image.
I found myself submerged in their world of magic, betrayal and revenge.
I honestly can’t wait to get into the next book in this series. Terry for sure created a compelling world and characters that you can’t help but root for.
Highly recommend.
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for an Audio Edition of this book. Y’all are the best. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

I cannot give this enough stars. This was F***** fantastic! I cannot wait for the sequal. Terry J Benton Walker has fan in me forlife. The mix of hoodoo and ancestral work and fantasy... chef's kiss!

Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this AudioARC in exchange for an honest review!

This story is a WOW! There are so many layers to the story, the world, and the characters, it is hard to know where to start. Add in the narration from multiple fantastic voice actors, and you've got an easy, instant hit in the audiobook world.

I initially knew I wanted to read this story just from the synopsis - I am also from New Orleans, and the queer and mental health representation caught my eye. However, the way that Terry J. Benton-Walker captures the beauty and hardships of the Black spiritual community of NOLA, from the dedication all the way to the final lines of the book, are just gripping and achingly realistic.

Our story is about the Gen-Magic (or generational magic) community in NOLA, in particular the Dupart family. While we do have multiple POV characters (each with unique voices in both writing style and narration), the story is mostly told through the eyes of twins Clement and Christina. I'm usually not a huge fan of multiple POV's beyond maybe three (ala Game of Thrones), but I appreciated the moments where we were able to get the whole picture of what was happening along with getting to know the ins and outs of our twin protagonists.

Clement begins our story as an anxious gay young Black man learning the Gen-magic and grieving the death of his father and illness of his mother (who we later find out is not sick, but cursed). I felt connected to Clement's vulnerability very quickly. His story is one of rage, love, and consequences, and there were many moments that I had my mouth wide open in shock at the twists in his story. I don't want to give any spoilers, but there is one facet of his storyline, something traumatic that seems like maybe a throwaway with Zack, that leads to a massive consequence - I really hope in the sequel that this part is addressed more. I feel like it had to be moved to the backburner to address the Big Bad at the end of the story, but I have a lot of feelings and questions!

Christina starts the story very closed off, even to herself, because she blames herself for the death of her father after using magic to seek revenge. She has sworn off magic, is dating a white boy that everyone in her family is suspicious of, and her walls are all the way up. As her story progresses, we see her walls come down, see her pick herself up again from pain after pain, and eventually see her come into her own power and confidence both magically, and as a strong Black woman surrounded by strong Black women. I grew to feel very protective of Christina, and it was easy to celebrate when she triumphed.

There are many important and interesting side characters in this book from the many Dupart sisters, the darker magic being done by the political scheming inside the Gen-Magic Council, the Gods intervening, and then we have a whole other conflict with the White Mages - magical white people who have had years of conflict with those of Gen-Magic descent. We even have a nod to the evangelical right with the anti-magic folks protesting and the election for mayor - with generations of trauma and fighting between the the communities. I must repeat - the narration with all of these characters is a stunning addition to the audiobook, and I think it sets it apart as a quality piece of art.

Terry J. Benton-Walker's urban fantasy rides the tricky and lovely line between modern day challenges (and this felt very real-world) and the magic its characters carry as a part of their heritage. This is a story about family and revenge, owning your truth and the consequences of our actions, regardless of intentions. I'm very excited for the sequel to come out, and I hope that anybody who loves audiobooks or fantasy will check this one out, especially folks in the upper young adult and new adult range. A definite 5 stars!

A powerful story of black and queer justice! 4.5 stars ⭐️

In Blood Debts we are following an array of characters, mainly twins Clement and Cristina. After finding a hex doll under their mother’s bed, together they unravel the story of the death and magical dethroning of their grandmother who was framed for murder. They seek justice for their family’s right to rule the council of magic.

Although there were many characters and POVs, this story was weaved so intricately that not once was I lost or confused. I love a book where small clues are woven in and piece together perfectly at the end. This book screams, you need to pay attention to every detail, but in the best way possible. The characters were so throughly crafted and there was great character development. Also THE DRAMA!! I was reeling. I loved it.

The magic system was throughly explained and as an avid fantasy reader, this is really big for me. The magic system was weaved into the book instead of info dumped on us and I loved that.

The queer representation was well done and the history of racial injustice was well discussed.

I received the ARC via audiobook and I think this was the best way to experience the story as there was a full cast which made it a lot easier to follow along.

Thank to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know why, but I had the impression that this book took place in like an alternate 1920s. Maybe it was the clothes of the characters on the cover? But this is definitely a modern urban fantasy.

Pros: There are some pretty excellent small moments (my favorite may be when Cris confronts her boyfriend about race, Clem and Cris working on their relationship, the magic system as an allegory). Where is does shine is the antagonist chapters with Valentina. She often comes across as a mean girl stereotype (in the worst way possible), but her chapters where you get to see the layers to her are great. I think that's how you can tell this is a debut author: strong in some sections and incredibly weak or relying on tropes in others.

Cons: It took a while to explain the magic systems and the different types of magic. Gen magic was referred to so often by Cris and Clem, but I couldn't figure out what made it so special. I also never understood the whole "queen" aspect of this world. What do they even do? There's a board that can remove them. How does the "crown" get passed down? Ultimately, there were too many questions around the worldbuilding for me.

This book is so strange. It's YA, but it's like the author wants to be able to make the teens more adult-like. Ex. Ursula giving Clem whiskey and him pretending like he hasn't had it before. Both twins having partners sleep over all the time as if they're bed hopping (where's the adult supervision for either party).

The narrators: Holy cow, I can't believe the range the narrator for Clem has. From teenage boy tenor to deep velvety bass, it's freaking amazing. Altogether, there are four narrators and they all hold their own very well.

I wasn't the biggest fan of this YA fantasy and don't see myself picking up the next in the series.

I read the sequel, Blood Justice, before reading Blood Debts, so I already had an idea of the characters and a few of the events that occurred. Because I read the second book first, I also prepared myself for whatever feelings this book left me with by the end, even if disappointment was one of them.
Fortunately, this book did not disappoint! Blood Debts definitely provides you with details on each character, as well as their development, which I truly appreciate! I got a better understanding of Cristina and Valentina's relationship, I saw the development of Yves and Clem's relationship (which was beautiful), and I understand why Clem did what he did. He loved Yves, bad! It was also good to see the aunts and their personalities (loved Ursula), and more background on the relationship between the Trudeaus and Savants, and what caused their rivalry. Two magic families beefing over matters both major but also petty- I loved every minute of it!
I appreciated the incorporation of real-life issues, such as discrimination, oppression, and representation (both queer and black), and I loved that Terry J. Benson-Walker mentioned these topics in a way that didn't apply too much pressure to where it made reading uncomfortable.

Thank you NetGalley and Terry J. Benson-Walker for another wonderful read!

Love that this book has a gay character . Teens and young adults need to have diverse characters in books. The audiobook started off interesting but lost my interest 30% in. The author did a really good job with describing the scenes in the book.

Such a great story 🥰 I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I am here for it, I felt like I was watching a movie and the narrators pure Perfection *chefs kiss* ! I’m ready for part 2 now 🥰

This novel was gorgeously written and was a unique reimagining of our world. It was an intriguing/compelling story that kept me hooked throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OHHH MY GAWWDDDD. This book was such a great story! So many twist and turns and emotions that happened during the reading of this. I really enjoyed the twins characters. I loved that Cristina was standing on business! If you love a good read about generational family issues and justice, you'd love this!

I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Blood Debts was so good!! Such a fun story with amazing characters and a brilliant mystery! I loved the journey we go on and the twists and turns we take to get there. This was an easy favorite of 2023 for me and Blood Justice is one of my most anticipated reads of 2024! I love the world this author created with these amazing characters and unique magic. That ending was amazing and I have so many questions! I cannot wait to dive back into this world!

I absolutely devoured this book! I need book 2 and I need it now! The author said he wrote this for black audiences and for people who aren't black, this is a window for you to look through. He also said if you don't get it, then it wasn't meant for you. He is absolutely right. Most people I see here on goodreads that rated this book poorly are white and just did not understand the social commentary. Sorry to burst your privileged bubble but these things happen to black people every day. This book is rich with the rage that is deserved and lets the oppressed find justice. It is so good. The magic system is wonderful, absolutely wonderful. It is set in New Orleans, and having grown up in Louisiana, this book really captures the essence of what it means to be black in the south. 100/10, 1 million/10 this book is so good. I highly recommend it!

The story told within Blood Debts was enthralling, connecting me to the magical world that exists around us. My largest struggle and purpose for not finishing the book, was the narrator, as I struggled to connect to their voice.

This urban fantasy has all the elements to be a great YA coming of age book. The setting in New Orleans gives a very good witchy atmosphere for this book. I enjoyed the different points of views from the twins.
It wasn’t a book I would usually have selected but I still very much enjoyed it.

Stories about New Orleans magical community always feel like they are from another world. Clem and Christian have their families lives and magic on their shoulders. There is the story of the slight the family faced, but each of the twins has their own things to overcome. I definitely enjoyed clems chapters more than Christina's. I didn't like that Christina's was written in the typical women second guess and everything is my fault thing. All of the stories the were woven together to give you this rich deep world, kept you interested until the end when you realized you have to wait for another book.
The narrators were perfect for the twins, I felt like I was actually hearing conversations from them.
I received a copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this title
I listened to an audiobook

I think I would have enjoyed this book more had it not been a single title. The plots that were happening were so interesting and intricate that it felt like there was never enough time to really flesh anything out. I'm an avid fan of urban fantasy and was so excited for this title however pieces of it went too fast for me while others seem to drag on forever.
2.5 stars

This has been on my #tbr practically all year so I loved when I finally got a chance to listen to it, it did NOT disappoint!!

Part YA fantasy, part romance, part coming of age story and filled with a fantastic cast of queer characters, family secrets, magic, revenge and lots of great commentary on race and class in America/NoLo.

EXCELLENT on audio narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Bahni Turpin and others. Highly, highly recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and @librofm for my ALC!!

I wanted to like this book SO BAD! I am sad to report I just could not connect with it.... this is a very "it's a me thing" not a "its the book thing". Some amazing things this book did have were great representation, magic, and the setting of New Orleans.

I really enjoyed this rich and compelling debut fantasy that had a sprawling list of characters and intertwined magic with history. There were some surprising plot twists that I did not see coming and I'm definitely going to pick up book 2 to find out what happens next. Because there are so many characters to keep track of, I'm not sure the audiobook would a good pick for all readers.