This was a great follow up to Blood Debts which I had so much fun with when it came out! I loved how the world was expanded on and we got to know some of the side characters more. My only issue was the pacing was a bit off especially in the beginning. It picked up by the midway point but there was definitely a feeling of repetitiveness?

I read the first installment of this series last year and was very impressed. I went into this book hoping for the same level of excitement that the first book stirred within me. However, it never quite got there,

This is not a “bad” book. I still really liked the world and most of the characaters/events. I think what ultimately brought my rating down was the pacing. The previous installment had a nice pace that kept me engaged throughout. This book really seemed to drag in places. I also didn’t enjoy Cris as much as I did in the Blood Debts. She seemed to be acting recklessly and was extremely negative for the duration of the story. That didn’t work for me.

I still loved Clement and found myself eager to get back to his chapters. I think he has the most compelling storyline. I would love to continue with the series just so I can spend more time with him.

Overall, it was still a decent read. I’m hoping the next book will take care of some of these issues and I will return to fully loving this witchy world.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I'm a solid citizen of the TJverse after reading this book! The twins are just... I don't have the words to express how much I enjoyed their growth!

This was a loottttt!!! From the beginning, the pot was stirring with where we left off in Blood Debts. I already knew the drama was coming, but I didn’t expect that ending.

The character development was there for sure, but mainly for the twins. This book actually gave more insight into how those characters felt, their emotions as situations occurred, and how it was affecting them over time. This actually made Clem my favorite character. Always the lover boy, trying to help people, but who helps him when he’s drowning? Cris didn’t really do a good job of that in Book 1 or 2. Maybe she can redeem herself in Book 3 (because there’s definitely going to be another right?).

Valentina’s character is still developing because we know how she was in the first book, but she’s changing little by little. It’s hard for me to see her as this one person when I feel as though she’s going to blossom into something completely different. She will be humbled and her ice will crack eventually.

Lastly, I loved the variety of the characters and the fixation on justice. I liked the quotes from our historical leaders as well. I could feel the rage that Cris felt and understood the things she did. I can see why each character wants Blood Justice, but does the blood of someone else have to be spilled for you to feel at peace? Hmmm…

I’m super late to the party, but I would like to thank NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC of this book.

So when i requested I had no idea it was a sequel. When I was talking to a friend about it and they were like umm hey Blood Debts is book 1. I immediately went and grabbed that. I was blown away I really found it mesmorizing. It had so many layers to it. And this book is no different. I have grown with these characters, I feel so connected. I also feel challenged as a reader because this book and world is just so engaging. It was truly a great read !

This book felt like a CW Teen drama in the best way possible. It feels very much like a soap opera, and honestly? I love Terry J. Benton-Walker for it.

This was such a good book! I loved this follow up! This was so well written and made me ravenous for the next one!!!! Watching these characters grow even more was awesome!

"**Blood Justice**" by Terry J. Benton-Walker is a powerful and electrifying novel that masterfully blends suspense, action, and profound emotional depth. Benton's gripping narrative and richly developed characters create an intense and unforgettable reading experience. This book is a remarkable achievement in contemporary fiction, offering a compelling and immersive journey from start to finish.

This book had so much going on! This has been one of my most anticipated releases this year and it did not disappoint. I loved getting back into this world and seeing what happened after that epic ending. This book definitely improved from the first installment and I found the POV's to be alot better and make more sense in this book than they did in book 1. All the scheming, murder and secrets had me on the edge of my seat for the most of the book. I could do without the romances that Clem and Cris are in, I do not feel like it adds much to the story and I find myself not being interested in them at all. I will say the beginning of the book was a little slow for me but it did pick up towards the middle and the ending left me satisfied. book 3 has not been announced yet but the way that ended will keep me on the hunt for the next installment.

Honestly just a fantastic wrap up to a duology. While not my speed because of it’s modern setting and YA-ness, I think if I were younger I would enjoy this a lot.

This was a solid sequel! Initially, I had a hard time remembering some of the characters and their motives from book one. It also dragged in some places where I found myself skimming. I did feel that there was a bit too much going on, especially near the end. Also, liked that we got more Valentina in this book because she’s a fav. Overall, Blood Justice was full of rage, trauma and grief and for the most part I enjoyed t!

4 Stars
Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the E-Arc and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Blood Justice follows the Trudeau Twins Nine months after the events of Blood Debts. After they successfully cleared their grandmother's name and reclaim the Gen Council Throne.  A new murder mystery with the Twins Mom, Marie Traudeu ,who is the new Gen Queen and the main suspect. History is repeating itself as the Traudeu twins have to save their family yet again while trying to keep themselves together from falling apart. Old and new enemies come out as they form alliances to try and get the Gen Council Throne away from Trudeaus once again. 

I loved this one but for some reason, I felt like the first one was still better. I guess it has the case of "Second Novel Syndrome" where certain things Terry did approve on but for some reason it felt longer than the first one.

So lets play a game of What Worked and What needs to be approved on

What worked for me.

Unapologetically Black- Just like the first one, this one is Blackity Black to the bone while it does tackle issues like racism and homophobia . It still feels like a love letter to the Black and LBGTQ communities.

Chris's Rage- She did what had to be done and it was justifiable to the people she did it too. You just get tired of our people being treated the way we have been treated for centuries and you just want to do something about it.

The Political Intrigue- It was better in this one with certain characters making allegiances with people.

Getting more of Valentina and her mom bonding which we got more of her heritage.

Clem feels anger and hopelessness which he feels like he has to do on his own. Clem is still my favorite so the ending had me in pieces. BRING MY BABY BOY HOME TERRY! lol

The Moon King introduction, backstory, and the upcoming war. His whole introduction at the end felt like the ending of HP and The Goblet of Fire which was a total " Oh Shit" moment .

The fourth and fifth acts of the book which is the reason why I'm giving it a four and not lower. Those two acts was a total " What the fuck is going on!!" for me.

The Body Count- Terry said it is supposed to be the Black Game of Thrones and with the political scheming, the body's dropping and a potential war, it's getting there.

The Narration of the audiobook was still good as hell.

What could be approved on

Chris' Rage- It went from " Chris Girl Yes!" to" Chris Girl No!" towards the end she almost made a terrible terrible mistake. I'm glad her grandma saved her from herself which should give her a chance for development for the 3rd book.

Mama Trudeau barely being Queen of the Gen Council- The fact that she was out of commission again for the majority of the book with her being framed for murder thus being in jail. I can forgive the first book for her being sick because of the curse on her but barely seeing her in action again? Especially the fact we know thanks to the first one that she is powerful as hell and pretty much the rock of the family. She better get part of the action in the 3rd one.

The Trudeaus need Gen-Magic allied families-The fact the Trudeaus still feel like they really don't have allies while everyone else is scheming against them. There are maybe three people I would consider allies but they need whole families now.

Where the hell did Ursula go? - There was not enough Ursula in this book which is a shame because she was one of the strongest side characters in the first book. She is my fave aunt and I love her relationship with Clem so it's sad we really didn't get a lot of her in this book like the first one. We also need more of the sisters as a whole.

Eveline Beaumont being a villain- For some reason I just can't get behind her being a villain like Lenora was. Even if she was pulling the strings behind Lenora with her being a puppet and Eveline being the main puppeteer. I do like her scheming with Val but something about her character is missing. I guess Lenora was the grandma who kept up the mess while Eveline did her shit behind the screens. She is supposed to feel like a bigger threat with her doing what she is trying to do with Gen-Magic but she honestly doesn't.

The whole Mystery this time felt like it was solved too quickly. Like do you really believe people are going to believe what happened? I know it's a magical and spiritual community but come on!

The Third act of the book was dragging which took me forever to finish.

This is still one of my top reads of the year but first got the edge on it by a hair. Can't wait for the third one!!

A wonderful sequel to a fantastic story line.

The characters i this book are so well developed that it makes the plot that much better.

In "Blood Justice," Terry J. Benton-Walker crafts a thrilling sequel that continues the saga of Cristina and Clement Trudeau's quest for justice and power in a magically charged New Orleans. Following the events of "Blood Debts," where they reclaimed their family's throne, the Trudeaus face new challenges and enemies determined to undo their hard-won victory.

Central to the narrative is the formidable Valentina Savant, who seeks retribution after losing her grandparents and her rightful place as Queen. Her efforts to undermine the Trudeaus are mirrored by a relentless detective and the looming threat of a vengeful god, all converging to test the limits of Cris and Clem's resilience.

Benton-Walker weaves together themes of power, revenge, and the complexities of leadership against a backdrop where magic intertwines with everyday life. The narrative crackles with tension as alliances shift, mysteries deepen, and personal desires threaten to unravel their carefully constructed plans.

The author's prose is electric, drawing readers into a world where justice is not simply sought but fiercely seized. "Blood Justice" captivates with its richly imagined setting and compelling characters, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next twist in this captivating magical thriller.

For fans of urban fantasy with intricate world-building and high-stakes drama, "Blood Justice" delivers a spellbinding tale of ambition and consequence that resonates long after the final page is turned.

This is the sequel to Blood Debts and after reading that amazing first novel over a year ago, this one was a bit hard to get into. It definitely picked back up after a while but the first book was definitely better. If you need more of these characters in your veins though I would recommend reading this to get more!

I am a huge fan of Terry J. Benton-Walker and the follow up to Blood Debts shows me why.

At first I was a bit like what exactly are we working toward here because we clearly had a goal set out in front of us in book 1 at the very first chapter. Here we didn't really get to know our why until a bit further into the book. While it started a bit slower, I found that I was enjoying learning more about Clem and Cris and their minds.

I was very frustrated with some of the choices our two protagonists made but I seriously could not get over the fact that they went through absolute hell in book 1 and here in book 2 they didn't learn from their mistakes and trust each other for a bit. I'm still on edge about our local villainous teenager Valentina because she seems like something bad is just waiting to happen. I feel like a lot of this sets up what's coming next in this series but still gives you a lot of growth of our main characters and the struggles they've been facing.

Hands down I will absolutely pick up whatever Terry comes up with next because I just love the writing and vibes that you get from his stories. This was also just as great in audio form as it was in written form and I would highly suggest it to anyone. I cannot thank Netgalley enough for my advanced copy.

WOW! This book was such a journey - much more so than the first book. There were so many plot lines happening. I really liked the addition of alternate perspectives which we hadn't seen in the first book, and the twists and turns all felt believable - but also a few caught me by surprise. This is clearly building up to be an in depth, amazing series

I LOVED the second installment in this series. I relate to the plight of these characters so much and enjoyed seeing them come into their power and not take crap from anyone. I appreciate the representation and the magic system so much, how they’re both interwoven with the black diaspora and our experience. I really hope that Terry will be able to continue this series!

Having thoroughly enjoyed "Blood Debts," I awaited its sequel, "Blood Justice" by Terry J. Benton-Walker. This continuation did not disappoint. Benton-Walker dives deep into themes of revenge, the cost of wielding magic, injustice, and the grim consequences of murder. The book carries a vibe reminiscent of "The Vampire Diaries," with its dark, supernatural elements and high-stakes drama. However, it focuses on a contemporary Black family in New Orleans whose magic is integral to their lineage. This adds a unique and refreshing layer to the urban fantasy genre.

Benton-Walker's portrayal of New Orleans is vibrant and gritty, capturing the city's essence while seamlessly blending it with the magical realism of the family's powers. The characters are compelling and well-developed, each grappling with their struggles and the heavy burden of their heritage. While the fast-paced plot can be a bit overwhelming at times, the depth of the story and the richly drawn characters make it a highly enjoyable read. "Blood Justice" is a thrilling and dramatic continuation of the series and a must-read for fans of dark fantasy and anyone who loved "Blood Debts."