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.

I absolutely loved this book, the characters were relatable, I loved everything about it. Definitely would recommend.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the Macmillan Audio giving me an arc and audiobook of this book for my honest review. The narration absolutely helped me keep the storylines straight. Although YA is not usually my go-to genre, I do love magically charged political intrigue and pretty much any storylines with sisters. So excited for the next book in the series!

This was such a treat for me, both the novel and story itself but the voice cast that brought it to life. Bahni Turpin is one of my favorite narrators around and having listened to other books featuring the other narrators it was truly an all star team. This was a great listening experience and caused me to go out and purchase a hard copy of the book for my collection. Benton-Walker is one of my newest an autobuy authors and I cannot wait for what he writes next!!!

First, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me receive an arc and audiobook of this book for my honest review!
A witchy supernatural story in New Orleans following a family of black witches? Sign me up!
Honestly, this was such a fun read, and having the audiobook along with it made it even better!
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 absolutely loved Chris and Clem's relationship and dynamic as siblings I felt like it was very accurate. The magic system in this book made total sense and you never felt like it was confusing. Terry J. Benton-Walker is a very talented writer and I'm very excited about the next book in this series, Blood Justice.

There were a lot of storylines in this one that were trying a lot of things, and though they didn't entirely come together for me, I was definitely entertained!

The audiobook was well-narrated. Unfortunately, the writing style of the book was really not for me, despite the really intriguing premise.