There were some clunky parts of the plot and unnecessary charter povs that I didn't love but overall The main characters' culture and queer rep were terrific. 3.5

Did Not Finish (DNF). This book had a lot of potential, but it was not a good fit for me at this time.

This isn’t a bad book, it’s just kind of a confused book. It’s not really sure what it wants to be. Is it about magic? The Black experience? The queer experience? Difficult family dynamics? Politics? Two bars fighting to take each other down? Hexes? Zombies? Some mystical experiences that I still don’t understand? Bullying?

My read of Blood Debts is that it is primarily a book about the Black experience, especially as it’s linked to a particular kind of magic. And, on this concept, it really shines. There’s also a secondary commentary on the Black experience as queer people. Again, good.

It starts to devolve a bit though when it jumps from perspective to perspective to perspective, two of which added more confusion than help. The first half of the book we get a dual POV from twins Clem and Christine, as they try to figure out how to help their sick mother, who has been hexed.

But then the story splinters like a piece of paper tossed into a shredder. I was able to follow Chris’s investigation of their hexed mother to some degree, as well as Clem’s relationship and general poor treatment in life by family and schoolmates.

Although this book professes to be about magic, it’s really about tangled family politics, in-fighting, and confusing ancestor and spiritual connections. I honestly didn’t understand why an aunt’s former fling was resurrected as a zombie, and a lot the book is given over to this plot line that just didn’t seem to add anything but more words to an already confusing story. Though the cliffhanger suggests that the necromancy plot point will be explored further in the next book. The pacing on this book was also slow.

Overall, I enjoyed the twins’ stories and their personal life experiences, but the rest of it was a bit of a tangled confusion for me.

Also, the narration was superb. As a Louisiana native, I often find Southern narrations overdone and grinding, but the narrators of this book had the soft NOLA accent down. It was a comfort to listen to!

I was expecting to be super scared throughout this book but I was more on edge. This is a story of generational trauma and how far it can reach and affect us within its path.

Twins Clem and Christine have discovered that someone is trying to kill their mother and the next. But could this be something new or stem from the way their family was thrown off the throne of gin magic?

I enjoyed this story and I will be reading more should the story keep going. I did think that some of the storylines went on kinda long.

I didn't mind the multiple POVs however of them I don't think we needed

All in all, I had a good time reading and enjoyed the magic and the family eventually coming to get her to break the things that were holding them back

This was narrating by Narrated by Bahni Turpin; Joniece Abbott-Pratt; Torian Brackett; Zeno Robinson

- all the voices were great and with the number of characters, I am happy that there was more than one voice actor. I enjoyed the difference and the emotions that went into this production

This book had all the makings of a winner for me: politics, family feuds, NOLA backdrop, a budding romance, and of course magic… but it just didn’t seem to click for me. I never connected to any of the numerous characters despite their unique backgrounds and the plot never grabbed me like I had hoped. This took me far longer than books usually do because there was always a more interesting option available.

Ultimately, I think I wanted more NOLA roots and more magic maybe? It’ll be interesting to see where the supposed sequel takes us. It hints at more of what I was hoping for in this book, and maybe we’ll continue to see growth and gain connection to the characters.

I listened to this fantastic YA fantasy new release in the car with my teens during our ski trip over New Year and several other long car rides - we all loved this one and the well built urban fantasy world set in modern day New Orleans sucked all of us in.
Here are my daughter’s words: “The audiobook „Blood Debts“ follows a pair of twins Clem(ent) and Chris(tine) - just living beside each other, Christine has her relationship with her boyfriend and has sworn off magic whereas Clem firmly believes in their family‘s moon magic and has his own life. What divides them are their very different reactions to their father‘s death a couple of months before this book starts and their mother‘s grave illness that makes them caretakers far too early. They need to join forces and find the root to their mother‘s illness and get rid of it. Old family secrets begin to unravel, a whole circle of aunts has very different ideas and wishes on how to proceed, old hostilities and old enemies start to turn up and Chris and Clem will have to get their whole family to work together - and use the moon magic they have wisely to stand a chance - this means first the two of them need to come to terms with their legacy and start working together.”
The book is for older teenagers (14, 16 and 18 in our case and their was one scene that I would have liked to have skipped for the 14yo. It was great world building and the magic was well constructed definitely the kind of YA fantasy an adult can read and listen to and love as well !
We were provided this audio through @netgalley and @macmillanaudio and Bahni Turpin one of my very favorite audio narrators narrates this dual viewpoint book. Joniece Abbott- Pratt is the second narrator and she does a fabulous job as well - this book kept us very well entertained and has been out since Tuesday April 4th.

This is not a YA book, but was a thrilling tale no matter what!

Mourning their fathers death and fearing the worst for their sick mother, twins Clement and Cristina begin unravelling a series of questions about their family's history soon to set off a bomb in their life. The first being that their mother isn't sick, she's been cursed by an unknown magician and one of them could be next. Their only clue lies within a three decade's old murder that claimed the life of their grandfather and grandmother--who used to seat the Queen of the Magical Council in New Orleans. If they cannot figure out the true culprit, their family might just implode more than it already has...and take New Orleans with it.

Blood Debts was an amazing story, filled with magic and murder and mystery. The narrator for the audiobook leaves you hanging on every word, wondering what will happen next. The ending leaves you wanting more and clutching for hints of what's to come in the next book! But like I said, this book is not YA. I was so excited to vet this, because I had requested it to be added to my branch's YA collection, but immediately had to take it off my Teen list. This would best be classified as New Adult (NA) due to sexual content and I would advise librarians to take care when recommending this title to teens, especially in our current state of having to fight against censorship. It's a wonderful and thrilling story that, if not for one explicit scene, would be a perfect YA book centered on POC characters and New Orleans culture.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgally for an ALC of this one.

Twins Clement and Cristina know magic, but will it be enough to save them when they discover a plot thirty years in the making to hurt their family and keep someone else on the magical throne?

This was so good! I love the atmosphere and the magic system. Honestly the magic spells and things are so cool to read about! I really like the characters and loved the story!

CW: sexual assault/rape, racism, homophobia, bullying, death, death of a parent, grief, murder

I absolutely adored the setting of this one and I think it’s an important story that really did need to be told. Sadly this book really wasn’t the one for me, I wish more of the story had been fleshed out for me which hurt my overall enjoyment of the book. I encourage people who enjoy this setting and type of story to give it a chance because I honestly truly wanted to love it and it’s sooo clear that the author put a lot of time and effort into this book. It just isn’t the book for me.

Recently released is Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker IG: @icecreamvicelord I recommend with reservation.

I'm struggling with this being categorized as YA. Although the main characters are teens, I don't think this qualifies as YA. The sexual scenes are more graphic than any other YA novels I've read before. I like the twists and turns, the magic, integrating racial conflicts, and the excellent descriptions of being in NOLA. I just wish the author had either made the main characters adults or backed off some of the graphic sexual content. I would be reluctant to recommend this to a younger high school student or the parent of a high school student.

As for the actors who are performing the audio book, they are amazing!! It transitions back and forth between two main characters - brother and sister and the actors have such a unique ability to voice for each other. And based on the ending, I'm looking forward to seeing where Clem and Cris go next.

Unfortunately, I am DNFIng this at about 50%. Blood Debts should have been everything I loved. Diverse characters. Magic. NOLA. But I struggled to pick the book up. I hated every character. I don't mind unlikeable characters, usually, I prefer them. However, here they aren't interesting enough for me to like them. They are all whiney and petty. It got old very quickly.

The audiobook was done well. I always like a full cast.

This. Book. Is. Long.

It’s so freaking long and for no reason…at least not one I found. If you’ve been looking at my reviews for awhile though, you’ll find that I like there to be a reason for all of the words and if I can’t find one then I’m not a fan - but I don’t even think that’s the main thing here.

I went in expecting magical realism with a YA setting and characters. While technically I got this, it was more hormonal teenagers and equally hormonal acting adults than just young adults and that caused the excessive wordiness - the hormones did the talking.

The representation was here, but I felt it was almost overshadowed by the a lot of POVs and on audio it was hard to keep up with. I’m sad - I really thought I’d like this a lot. I just don’t. I think maybe I’m not the target audience. It happens!

⭐️⭐️💫

3.5 stars

I overall enjoyed the performance of this audiobook. The cast did an excellent job and I enjoyed the different narrators for the dual POV. I really enjoyed the writing and the complicated relationship dynamics. However, this book suffers from the same problem that many other “YA” books struggle with and that is, that this book was very obviously not written for the majority of the YA audience. This was a book written for 17-25 years olds, but with 16 year old characters. This is one instance of a greater trend in publishing that does disservice to both teen readers and authors alike.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

As a 44-year-old married white suburban mother living in the west, I'm pretty sure I'm not the target audience for this novel. That being said, I really enjoyed this book. The book was immersive, with likable but flawed main characters.

At the center of the plot was a complex tangled mystery. At times, that plot felt a little overly complicated and perhaps the world was populated with more minor side characters than strictly necessary, sometimes making it a bit difficult to keep track of everything and distinguish what was important from details that were there for atmosphere and context. However, that's also what made the world feel lived in and rich. Another consequence of the complexity of the side plots and characters is that many questions never resolve in the book; just like in real life, the reader doesn't get to see how the story ends for many characters and many issues of interest remain up in the air.

Ultimately, the main story line has a satisfying resolution and the book's diverse cast of characters and approach to issues like oppression, generational trauma, and coming of age is refreshing when set against a fantasy background of magic.

Blood Debts is a YA story that took me on quite the journey. There was a suspenseful element to the story that intrigued me. Twins, Christina and Clement are on quest to find out who has tried to bring harm to their mother. While uncovering the culprit, the twins find themselves discovering many secrets spanning back 30 years. They uncover the death of their father and their grandparents, including the Queen. Although they were twins, the two are very different. Christina has a chip on her shoulder and is eager to bring justice to their family. Clement is a bit more reserved, though he finds his voice later in the story. The story features many characters but was easy to follow; it is also broken into three parts. I will say parts two and three were my favorites. I felt that was when the story started to make sense and when questions were answered. The author was very vivid with her descriptions and explained the magical elements well. I listened to the audiobook, and I felt the story translated well. It almost felt like I was watching a movie, without seeing it. There were so many secrets harbored by so many characters, I didn't know who to trust. The ending is open, so I am curious to see what else is next for the Council. I would recommend this story; the narrators did a great job.

I received an arc copy from the publisher and netgalley, all thoughts are my own.

Justice will reign.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and Tor Books for the #gifted ALC/ARC of BLOOD DEBTS!

When TJ Klune posts about how amazing a book is, you obviously run to @Netgalley to request an ARC which is exactly what I did for BLOOD DEBTS!

Like many other reviewers, after looking at the cover I thought this book was set in historical New Orleans. But it’s actually a present day, urban fantasy book. And I think that the present day setting for this story about generational magic and trauma was the perfect choice to tell this story.

The setting of New Orleans was so perfect for a 30 year mystery surrounded by magic. And I found the different magical systems fascinating. The author really nailed the racial tensions and political machinations in this book and it feels like he left it open for a sequel which I will definitely be reading.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and it was fantastic with a full cast. The narrators’ voices and inflection just added that extra layer to make this listening experience fabulous. Some other reviewers complained that the writing was really young and petty… ummm this is a YA book. The characters are teenagers. Teenagers are whiny and petty! It would be weird if they were written so that they weren’t!

If you’re a fan of YA books with mystery and magic or books with meaningful discussions about racial justice and generational trauma, do not miss out on this one!

BLOOD DEBTS comes out on April 4, 2023.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4877643425
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqnrEi8J7SN/

I greatly enjoyed this atmospheric and intriguing YA mystery. Its setting is a magical New Orleans and the book oozes that milieu from start to finish. There is an important message behind the story but it never overwhelms or hits the reader on the head. I think because I listened to an incredibly well done audio version that my appreciation of the book was heightened. As such, I highly recommend the this first rate audio production featuring several voice actors.

Story: It is in New Orleans that magic was found and has been practiced by both the white community and the black, each with their own affiliations and affectations. Teen twins Chris and Clem know of magic's effects personally - they are the grandchildren of the former generation queen who was responsible for governing the black mages. But now their mother is dying, Chris is afraid to touch magic despite a huge talent, and Clem is frustrated by a series of bad romances. The past never stays buried and the events that led to their grandparents' deaths (and perhaps even their father's) is rearing its ugly head. It's time Chris and Clem fix what was broken 30 years ago before another massacre happens in New Orleans.

The book has several POVs: twins Christina and Clement, Valentina (daughter of the current queen), and occasional side characters. The POV transitions are smooth and never feel abrupt or annoying. I can't say that Valentina's was needed at this point in time and since she is coming from an antagonist position as a former best friend to Christina perhaps we'll see her more in future books (though this ended on a clean arc). But I enjoyed the different view points and how each one was distinct to the character.

The story is serious with a lot of swearing and grit - it feels modern even with the fantastical setting. The magic system isn't thoroughly explained but it isn't just thrown out there either. It feels like an organic part of the world. The characters act like their age and don't fall out of character: they make mistakes that are expected but also can be heroic when pressed. But the real star is the setting of New Orleans.

The audio version has three different voice actors who embodied the characters perfectly. I can't imagine enjoying this half as much with out their stellar performances. The audio version was easy to follow and I loved every Louisiana drawl. It is definitely one of the best audio versions I have heard and well worth the time over reading in this particular instance. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

OHMYGOD. Y'all this was so good I literally could not put it down!!! I was so wrapped up into these charcaters and I loved the family elements and black history and experiance within these pages. Walker does a fantastic job of playing with morals and the choices one has to make when it comes down to it. I was ranting and raving about this book to my group chat (without spoilers of course!) I am so excited that I had the chance to read this! Do not walk, RUN and go pick this up right now!

Happy Release Day Blood Debts you're a star and congragulations Terry J Benton-Walker, your work is fantastic!

Thanky you netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC

This book blew me away. Despite a slow start it was able to discuss what most authors would consider “difficult subjects” with relative ease in such a way that YA readers of all ages can understand and empathize with.
The story follows, mainly the twins Clem and Christine, who work hard to protect their feuding family and overcome the fallout from a decades-old mystery. To protect their family, however fractured it is, they must first find out how it broke. The story goes deeper than they expected, and it was precisely what I yearned to learn the moment I read the mystery! Who killed the mayor’s daughter all those years ago?
By splitting the MAIN PoVs stories, we are able to see 2 sides of magic, 2 sides of New Orleans, 2 sides of the same coin, and we see them work both together and apart. There are more PoVs than the main 2, such as Valentina, the mean girl with trouble at home, and I appreciate that they used each PoV to add depth to an already existing character.
It’s nigh impossible to approach the context of race in the South without first giving a very painful and frank history lesson, but this author manages to. By spreading the experiences of PoC in the South, both through current events happening to the characters as well as flashbacks and establishing history throughout the book, this author manages to not infodump all at once. It’s a fantastic read, especially for YA readers who might have been exposed to topics such as implicit racial bias within law and political structures. This author does not flinch from calling out systemic racism, and at one point illustrates that even though 2 teens hate each other and wish harm, they don’t wish harm on each other enough to call the police. Because they are Black. They are Black, and they are 16, and they have grown up in the American South, and not even a blood feud such as theirs goes deep enough to throw each other to the mercy of an inherently racist police force as well as system.
Okay, hard topics aside: This story was amazing! There are several PoVs, and the number only grows at the end of the book-all of which suggests a sequel that I am SO buying!
Only problem: Zach. Justice? No justice? What about his dad? What happened??? I MUST HAVE THE SEQUEL.

I was fully engrossed in this book from the very first chapter. It was so good from start to finish. I love the magic and all the different representation within the book. I highly recommend to everyone.