Blood Justice

Okay, now that I've put my brain together, the best word I can think of for the sequel to BLOOD DEBTS is unflinching. There is so much rage here, the healing and the hurting kind. Anger at people, anger at systems, anger at respectability politics and dehumanizing of Black people and the ineffectual actions one can take to fight against it all.

Cris and Clem have seen dark things that take them to darker places. Valentina's scheming and buried sensitive underbelly are richly drawn. And through it all, the many narrative threads of the rot at the core of not only New Orleans but the international magical community are woven together so seamlessly the only words I could say when I finished was, "Holy shit."

This is a book that will haunt you for ages, in all the best way.

Blood Justice by Terry J. Benton-Walker
Publication Date: April 23, 2024
Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy

I was fascinated by the book. It is engaging, fierce and honest. The story is multi-layered with heavy subjects such as racial oppression in the black and queer community. It touches on the struggles of mental illness as well as emotional trauma. Terry’s writing is authentic, moving and expressive.

The sequel to Blood Debts resumes nine months after the Trudeau family is dealing with the consequences of collecting on a family blood debt. Twins Cristina and Clement find themselves navigating their own rage and grief through different avenues. Gen Magic is once again being jeopardized by the magical council, the racist Redeemers, villainous Valentina Savant and evil forces.

What I Liked
⚖️ The main characters continue to evolve in mature and complex ways.
⚖️ There are multiple twists and the ending is jaw dropping!
⚖️ It will be relatable to many readers.
⚖️ The magical system is creative and unique.

What Could Have Been Improved:
⚖️ A few of the characters made a brief appearance but could have been more involved such as Justin and Karmine.
⚖️ It took awhile for Cristina to fully realize the consequences of her actions. I wish she recognized her unethical practices sooner.

Final Thoughts
I definitely recommend this book but young readers should be aware it deals with some difficult situations and violence.
Self empowerment is vital for change and healing. To be heard and seen, seeking justice has many forms that speaks differently to every person. We must be aware of how our poor choices of words/actions could have dire consequences while we also try to maintain our integrity.

Thank you to Tor/TorTeen and NetGalley for the eARC in return for an honest review.

This sequel to Blood Debts finds twins Cris and Clem Trudeau and Cris's frenemy Valentina Savant dealing with the aftermath of the change in the gen magic community. Cris still feels rage seething inside and is determined to demand justice from the people who tried to destroy her family; Valentina vows vengeance for her family's fall from grace; and Clem struggles to take care of his boyfriend. And on top of that, the Redeemers are trying to shut down gen magic, including through a new push to register magic users.

There's a lot going on in this book, with all these threads slowly coming together, but I found it a little more difficult to get through the web of subplots at times. The main characters actually feel a little flatter in this book than in the first, chiefly because each of them is so focused on their own path. It takes quite a while for Cris and Clem at least to face some of the ethical dilemmas of what they do, and certainly the reader can attribute this to the trauma they have faced as well as Clem's anxiety, but consequences are slow to come.

The author specifically notes at the beginning of the book that he hopes to encourage Black queen people to stand proud and stand for justice, and some of the justice handed out here has a certain visceral appeal -- but it's still difficult to read. And this definitely sets up a third book, which I did not expect. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you, Tor Teen and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this title.

The Trudeau siblings are back, and just as great as ever. Every time I go to read a sequel to a book I loved, I get nervous that the second book won't live up to the first. This book, however, exceeded my expectations. This was such a good sequel. It built upon the story, providing both answers and further questions. I really appreciated that the author included a few reminders at the beginning of the story to help bring you back into the universe and where book 1 left things. I didn't get a chance to reread the first book before starting this, but this helped me feel right back at home in this world. The character development in this was so interesting. I loved the direction that Benton-Walker took with the story. It is the perfect combination of plot and character. It works so well. I enjoyed how we get a bigger picture look at the world in this one, seeing a bit past New Orleans' magical community. I once again thought that the multiple POVs was handled really well. It's often something that's so irritating for me personally as a reader, but I had no complaints with it in this. This series is just so good, and I love the development in Blood Justice. I would definitely recommend this title and the series as a whole to anyone with even the slightest interest in fantasy novels.

An ARC was provided through NetGalley.

This is a spoiler-free review, as Blood Justice is a book that needs to be read without any spoilers provided. The twists and turns are just That Good. Don’t let the length of time I spent reading the book fill you. Real life might have reared its head, but all I wanted to do was sit up day and night and read the book until I was done.

There’s a fine line between justice and vengeance, as the characters in Blood Justice, Terry J. Benton-Walker’s sequel to blood debts find out. Combined with a desire to create and/or maintain family and legacy, these themes make the book a stellar sequel to Blood Debts, one that is even better than the original.

What could be a basic one-note novel about magic and a quest for power is turned into something far more intriguing and spell-binding (no pun intended) in Benton-Walker’s hands. The grief and rage that the Clement, Cristina, and Valentina are feeling only serves to provide more depth to the characters , fueling their motivation and making their choices throughout the book completely understandable, even if those choices break the reader’s hearts in the process.

I was blown away by Blood Debts and the sentiment has only doubled after reading Blood Justice. The way that Benton-Walker creates layer upon layer of characterization and motivation, all fleshed out in the rich history of New Orleans is something to behold. After reading Blood Justice, I could easily make a trip to New Orleans and expect to witness the gods and magical families out there walking among us.

Ohh CLEM!! Omg I was shocked at the things that happened in this book. I don’t know why cause book 1 kept me on my toes just like this one. Truly captivating! I love this author’s writing style and I’m sucked in every time. YOU MUST READ THIS!

Thank you Tor Teen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Terry J Benton-Walker is an amazing author and is continuously amazing me with how much he puts into his books! Blood Justice was flipping amazing like edge of your seat wanting to consuming the book and also terrified to finish! Cris and Clem are back and they have rightful taken back what belonged to their family. Cris is struggling though because so many people were involved in wronging the family and they are just getting away with it. Cris won’t allow that if no one else with do what needs to be done she’s got enough justifiable rage to do it herself. Clem is consumed by finding a way to save Yves and overwhelmed with the situation. Valentina suspects Cris’s family was involved with her heartbreak and she is determined to have her revenge on get what she believes belongs to her. When people start turning up dead or missing, Cris and Clem’s family are once again under attack. Can the figure out what’s going on? And just what do the Gods have in store for them? With everyone keeping secrets, including the Gods, Cris and Clem may just in over their heads. Every second of this book had me on edge waiting for the other shoe to drop and my heart to break! Cris’s desire for revenge/justice was absolutely perfect and I was so proud of her for kicking ass!!! I felt every bit of Clem’s heartbreak and his feelings of just being tired. I also get why he made the decisions he made and am excited to see where it takes him! Of course Terry’s dropping bombs right up until the very end and now I need to know what comes next and book two isn’t even out yet! My inner voice does not to these characters justice and I can’t not wait to listen to the audiobook for this one, I think it’ll blow readers away! Highly recommend reading this book of strong black characters that are faced with so much but will not let anyone stand in their way!

Thank you netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Teen for allowing me to read this book. Terry has done it again. This man knows how to pull you in and keep you in to the very last page. I will forever be a Terry J Benton-Walker Stan.