I enjoyed the characters in this book and wish it had focused more on them.
The book dragged a lot since it focused more on things surrounding the twins, rather than the twins themselves.
Most of which could have been left out and the story would have been more interesting.
Keeping track of all the bits going on was frustrating and in the end made me resent the book a bit.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my DRC.

Blood Debts is about fraternal twins that use magic to help their mother beat her sickness and help their mother take back the magical throne that was taken from her. Along the way, they uncover a 30 year old mystery that clears their grandmother’s name in the end.

So good! I felt completely immersed into the story from the first chapter and I love prominent family connections in books so this was perfect. There are multiple POVs and every single character in them felt unique and had an important part to play, not only in their own but also in the overarching plot progression. All of the full circle moments made me happy, but idk how to actually explain how fun this story was to read. Clement and Christina were such real siblings, and their family was hella real too! I found myself laughing so much with them. Benton-Walker had me feeling every kind of emotion and I’m only upset that now I have to wait for the second book. 😭

I did not finish this book.

I think the potential was there, but unfortunately it was really boring. I’m not sure if it was too much wordy or unnecessary dialogue, however, I was not a fan of this writing.

I think narrators did well for content they were given.

Due to rating, I will not share in my public platforms.

As someone from the U.S. South, yet not from New Orleans, my next statement may scream tourist, but Blood Debts has the most inviting depiction of a fictional New Orleans that I've ever read. Now, is the New Orleans unveiled in this conflict-heavy novel full of danger for the main family - the Trudeaus? Yes. Do I remain, nonetheless, interested in living in this world? Absolutely.

The first thing to know about the magical universe in Blood Debts, is that magical ability is largely passed down generationally. Thus, there are some major beefs between families who have jostled for power in one of the world's magical capitols. By the time we are invited into this power play through Blood Debts the youngest generation has become involved. Have little doubt, the adults are also contributing far too much to the mess which lends toward a propulsive plot where no character is always right or holding back. I would've benefitted from getting earlier introduction to some generational understanding and additional character development, which I hope is to come in future installments to the series.

I'm not sure how to review this book. I think of it as a cross between Euphoria and Charmed. There were definitely interactions and plot points that I enjoyed. However, I found myself a little taken aback by some of the overt sexual content and viciousness of the teen characters (since they all were 16).
I liked the relationship between Clem and Chris, it showed that siblings can still love each other, but be impacted differently by the same life changing events.
The generational magic aspect was also cool, I just wished there was more of it throughout the story. Instead, a majority of the plot was showcasing the drama between the 50-11 different characters that you had to keep track of.
There were also a few plotlines that were left hanging and not tied up.

I enjoyed listening to this book and I am really excited to read the next book in the series when it is released. I like that Cris and Clem are able to get the family back together to save their mom. I am hopeful that the family will be better at working together in future books and stop letting secrets keep them apart.

Narrators Torian Brackett, Bahni Turpin, Zeno Robinson, Joniece Abbott-Pratt all did a great job bringing this book to life and I hope they narrate the remaining books planned for this book series.

Thank you to NetGalley, and MacMillan Audio for this audiobook ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The cover and description had me immediately interested. I was excited to read this one set in New Orleans with magic, racial injustice, political intrigue, and generational trauma and healing. I was looking forward to seeing how the author broached these difficult topics in a way that would make us readers examine these societal issues

I honestly had a really hard time getting through this book and eventually stopped after reading almost 75%, it just couldn’t pull me in and hook me. It was, to me, way too much personal angst between all the characters, and so much fighting. I understand that anger was a large feature in the story when dealing with the issues of racism in society, but the way it came off in the writing felt petty and juvenile. I tried so hard to keep going and read the entire story, but I eventually gave up and stopped reading because I just wasn’t enjoying it.

I did like that there was diverse representation as well as seeing mental health rep.

I had high hopes for this read, and it was sadly a let down.

An interesting and semi-successful attempt to fuse magical tropes with a modern sense of racial injustice and issues of cultural appropriation.

Conceptually this was interesting and I think Benton-Walker did a good job of creating a magic-infused New Orleans meant to serve as a hotbed of racial
Inequality and a locus for the idea that the proverbial rich get richer on the backs of those they exploit.

All of the above is a good piece of framework for a YA fantasy. For me, the book beyond this suffered from a common issue in YA, which is that is suffused with entirely too much personal angst. I think this often plays well for the teen audience in YA, which is of course why we see it so often, but as an adult YA reader it just makes for a tedious time reading something that was already overlong.

And it’s too bad, because that same sense of fury coupled with helplessness when it’s used for the parts of th e plot that address racial injustice are both poignant and well rendered. This book wasn’t one that needed the filler, and the filler bloated an otherwise good story.

The magical system here is fine and the sense of place is quite good. And I liked the characters when they weren’t busy mooning over petty drama and were more focused on the big stuff.

Thank you Netgalley for my alc.

I loved the full cast of narrators for this audiobook. I did enjoy the story, but the pacing was an issue for me. The slow parts were SO slow and then when we got to the action it was over so fast. Based off the way the book ended I'm guessing there will be another book to address the unresolved issues. If there is I wouldn't be against listening to the next book in the series providing the pacing is better.

Full disclaimer: My latest trip to New Orleans was a few weeks ago so I’m still operating from that high lol. NOLA is one of my favorite places ever, and because of this bias, I adored the setting of this book. Regardless of my bias, this is a fantastic book!!!! Can we adapt it to a tv series??? Please???

Okay, so I deeply appreciated the tension between Clement & Cristina — it didn’t feel two-dimensional or using the same ol’ tropes of “we are siblings So We BiCkEr”. Nope! I sympathized with both twins and their drives and intentions behind their behaviors. They’re sixteen! Can we pause to remember that?! Let them sift through their feelings for a bit! Conflict, misunderstanding and miscommunications are ~*~inevitable~*~ at this age and if you don’t think so, how does it feel to be the gods’ favorite?! My sister and I put each other through the ringer during high school lmao. So again, the tension and backhanded comments felt incredibly authentic for Clement & Cristina!

Okay, the magic?! AHHHHHHH JUST LET ME FANGIRL FOR A BIT BECAUSE I AM OBSESSED! Though Clement & Cristina begin with such different mentalities and attitudes towards magic at the beginning of the book, the way magic is described and explained throughout the entire story is so rich, vibrant and dreamy. Benton-Walker paints a lush picture of how magic operates and represents New Orleans culture so beautifully.

The only thing I’m confused about is if this is supposed to be the first in a series? Or if it’s a standalone? Either way, I loved this so much!

I highly, highly recommend this book if you appreciate books that include:
-discussions of generational trauma and the healing journeys of the present-day characters
-twists & turns that keep you turning the page quickly!
-discussions of mental health in the Black community
-siblings coming together to save the world!!!
-generational drama (family rivalries)
-Black queer representation!

I quite enjoyed this book and the narrators set the scene for me as they put the perfect amounts of emotion into their vocal inflections and didn't overdo the voices of the multitudes of characters throughout Benton-Walker's book. I will say that I found this book to be a little uncomfortable in areas - part of that could be me dealing with my own white fragility and not wanting to even partially align myself with the white characters in this book (they're all pretty terrible people).

Overall, though, I really enjoyed the mystery of the story that came together piece by piece. Even if it was a little predictable at times, I never quite felt like I had all the facts needed to say whodunit and why. A couple of things I didn't love about this book: (1) There were too many POVs to switch between (although I did like that there were multiple narrators to separate some of these POVs). I enjoyed the switch between Cristina and Clem, and even Valentina, but there was a random chapter from the POV of the kid who torments Clem in school, which didn't seem super relevant to the story itself. (2) There was ANGER woven throughout this book, which is to be expected when looking at the experiences with racism and the corrosion from absolute power. However, the anger experienced through the injustices that our characters have to endure quickly turns to pettiness, which takes away from the depth of the characters. I also didn't love Cristina's blood-thirsty "attitude," for lack of a better word, as this book progressed as I felt like "an eye for an eye" wasn't a good look for Cristina when used for every encounter she had with the people who have crossed her.

3.5/4 - I would definitely read the next in the series as the cliffhanger seemed intriguing to me!

Thank you to Terry J. Benton Walker, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book and give my honest review!

This is the first book in this new YA fantasy series that's set in a magical version of New Orleans. It follows the twins, Clement and Christina Trudeau, who are dealing with a ton of stuff like grief, hexes, and their love lives. The book is packed with drama, curses, political intrigue, and threats - it's a wild ride! Although there are a few minor things that didn't quite add up, the story's debut is solid overall. Oh, and heads up, it's more for older YA readers because it has some violence and sexuality. The best part? The audio narration with a full cast is amazing! Definitely worth checking out.

Our Thoughts:
Blood Debts is an alternate history where magic has always been around. The siblings of Clem and Christina make for fantastic main characters, they draw you in and make you care about the world while doing vital world-building. The story overall left me wanting more as any good story will as well as answering all the important questions. The book beautifully sets up the world as well as accurately portrays the mindset, the mannerisms, and the feel of Louisiana. At times I would find myself thinking about things moments before the characters said them.

The audiobook version was delightful with its addition of music to the beginnings of the different sections and the various voice actors for the different characters. Ursula was a favorite character, with the spunk that is so common in New Orleans.
Content:
There is magic in this story, as well as a bit of gory descriptors near the end, though very mild. There is also some sexual content though not a ton, and very easy to skip past if you choose.

This is one of those stories where you fly through it because it is fast paced and extremely interesting but it holds on for a while when you are done. I wasn't necessarily waffling on my rating for this book but ruminating on the themes explored here: grief, guilt, power, agency, and family. This was a powerful debut by Terry J. Benton-Walker and I am SO intrigued to see where this series will go. The magic system is powerful and I LIVE for witch councils that experience a dramatic coup. I almost wish I was able to read this on a sprawling porch in New Orleans during a rain storm. I don't really know how to summarize this book in a distinct way - I'd say if the blurb appeals to you then RUN and snag a copy of Blood Debts because it is so good. I'd say fans of Tracy Deonn and even Kalynn Bayron will enjoy this title!

This was a very enjoyable YA contemporary Fantasy. It has well-developed, complex characters and a compelling plot. There are multiple twists I didn't see coming which really helped me stay engaged.

The one thing I didn't care for in this book was all of the "high school" feeling drama. That being said, I'm not the target audience for this book, and if I had read it in my teens, I would've eaten this is up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun audiobook to listen to! I absolutely loved the full cast. The narrators really brought the story and characters to life.

There was definitely a lot going on and many characters to keep track of.. but I loved it all! The magic, the drama, the mystery and the setting of New Orleans! Based on how this book ended, I’m hoping there is a second book soon!

This is a tough one to rate because while I was incredibly excited to read Blood Debts, it didn't quite work for me as I had hoped it would.

The good:
- I LOVED the setting, it was perfect for the story
- There was fantastic mental health rep
- Great representation
- It's obvious the author put a lot of care and passion into writing this novel

The bad:
- The writing was a little too juvenile for my tastes
- There was a little too much going on with so many POVs and plot points that I had a hard time following and felt a little unsatisfied by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eArc of this book.

I put this book down, thinking I may not finish it.I decided to give it another chance and ended up loving it. The story gets gritty, bloody, and deadly. I love New Orlean stories and this one did not disappoint. There was a little bit of info dumping in the beginning but it all came together and spread out nicely in the end. The different POV made it interesting and real. Will love to continue these character’s stories in the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

This book was WOW! The writing was so real. It was very easy to fall into the story. The characters were relatable on many aspects. (For myself it was trauma and mental health as I'm a basic white girl 😅.) I loved the difference in magic systems. Some twists were a bit predictable but over it made sense for the story. The character development was great and I loved how Clement stayed true to himself in the end. I don't know if there is a book 2 in the works but I really hope so! I need more this family ASAP!