Thanks to the publishers at Tor Teen for a chance to read “Blood Debts” by Terry J. Benton-Walker.

A thoughtfully woven family drama with at least three different kinds of magic, political plotting, and a murder mystery all rolled into one plus some coming of age, ancestor work, blossoming romances with two black teenage twins as our protagonists.

If that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. This book is nothing if not ambitious, and honestly? I’m here for it. At Blood Debts’ best, it’s intriguing, keeps you reaching for the next page, and invites you into an alternate world where the ancestors’ power becomes literal in the form of Gen magic. What’s most refreshing about “Blood Debts” is the way it dives head first into racial politics, and truly allows its protagonists the full range of their feelings including but not limited to anxiety, depression, grief, and rage without ever reducing them to caricatures. In particular, this book is an ode to anger and the way anger - an often maligned emotion in even in the most progressive of social justice circles - is often the key towards progress.

While “Blood Debts” is trying to set up sequel novels, I did sometimes get overwhelmed by the number of loose plot threads and multiple character POVs that left me more confused than intrigued. Did there need to be a love dodecahedron between some of the adults, including the birth of a secret love child? How is the narrative is served by having Valentina or Zack as additional narrators, especially when their chapters come in critical moments of the book at the expense of the story’s momentum?

“Blood Debts” tries to balance all of these genre bending tropes, big ideas, and multiple perspectives in a single volume but is not necessarily always successful. Regardless, it was such a great read and I can’t wait for the sequels.

Closer to 4.5 stars but I rounded down due to just some parts of the book, mostly the first fifth, feeling a little slow for me to really get into. This was one I wasn't sure what to expect but had seen circling around on social media every once in a while. Once it picked up, I had so much fun reading it and found myself not really putting it down for a break. Will definitely pick up the next book and looking forward to more!

I applaud the author's attempt at creating fleshed out characters but ultimately, this was not enough to captivate me throughout the story. The premise was interesting and I am still looking forward to what this author writes in the future.

3/5 stars!

Okay, this book. I liked it but I didn’t like it. I’m conflicted. While there were great aspects to the story line, the ancestral witch history & there were some I was not so fond of, the vert explicit sex scenes for a YA book… This book is borderline NA genre. I’m not sure who on the editing team thought yah this is appropriate for teens to read…. But maybe that’s just me?

Pros to this book were the multiple perspectives which for me are a huge plus. I like when you get more than one view of the story especially between the main character Cristina and her antagonist Valentina. Also, her twin brother Clements perspective. I love a New Orleans witch setting. Lots of dramaaa! I enjoyed the addition of the twist of solving a 30 year mystery. Also, the cover is gorgggggg!

Cons….. Well, there were just a lot of random things happening in this book that weren’t necessarily related to one another… I wish that the use of magic was well more magical, felt taboo and boring. The themes in the story weren’t explored enough such as racism, anxiety, depression, drug use and loss. And again, as I mentioned the overly explicit sex scenes…

I think this book had a lot of potential to be over the top great, but it just missed the mark for me. I think if you’re someone who loves drama and mystery with a tie in of magic and family history then I think this book would be a perfect fit for you.

Thank you net galley for this advanced E-Arc for an honest review!

I really couldn't get into this book. I had to stop at about 35%. I loved the concept, the setting and the potential of the story but the characters just could not keep me hooked. Very sad because I wanted to love this book.

"Thrones, Curses, and Secrets" immerses readers in a gripping tale of magic, family, and dark mysteries. The story's intricate web of a brutal past, a cursed mother, and a looming threat keeps you hooked from the start. Clement and Cristina Trudeau's complex sibling dynamic adds depth to the narrative, and their journey to uncover the truth is both thrilling and emotionally charged.

The blend of magic, family secrets, and a decades-old murder mystery creates an engrossing atmosphere. As the twins navigate their own relationship and the tensions within New Orleans, you'll find yourself eagerly turning pages to uncover the truth and prevent another catastrophe. A compelling read that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

This story full of family, love, justice, and magic was a fantastic read. I really enjoyed following Clem and Chris as they solve a 30 year mystery. My only drawback was I felt there was too many POV’s and it was hard at times to keep all of the details straight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This fast paced narrative is remarkable, featuring compelling characters, intricate family interactions, and enchanting mystery. The family dynamics were so fresh and relatable and something that I find can be sorely lacking in fantasy fiction. You'll find yourself swiftly turning each page!

10 out of 10 would recommend! This had everything I was looking for and got me out of the reading slump I was in!

I picked this book because of the Beautiful cover, New Orleans and Magic and I found myself being mesmerized by the story, it's thought-provoking and poignant in ways I wouldn't normally expect from a YA novel, and was oh so surprised by how truly wonderful the story was.

Now I will say there are some pretty tough topics dealt with in this one, mental health being one of them, and each topic was met with dignity and respect which I loved.
Clem and Christina have one heck of a journey if they're going to reclaim what was taken from them and I for one will be looking forward to the next book to see where this story goes, who ends up where, and honestly who ends up with who, I have some seriously wicked thoughts going through my head after finishing this one.

Thank you to Tor Group, Macmillan-Tor, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this e-book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I want to thank NetGalley and Tor for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

TW: racism, murder, lynching, mental health issues, sex trafficking (briefly), sexual assault, manipulation through magic, death of parents, mentions of drug use/overdosing (including underage use), mentions of bullying.

I’m really disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this book more but there were just so many things that pulled me out of the story.

One of the biggest things was just how many plot threads and POVs the book had. There ended up being six different POVs that the reader gets, the majority of which are from the main characters: magical twins Cristina and Clement. There’s Cristina’s ex-best friend Valentina, Clement’s bully Zachary, Valentina’s grandmother Lenora and a secondary character Jean-Louise.

Plot points consisted of: the death of Cris and Clem’s grandparents, their father’s death the year before, why all their aunts moved out of their house and no longer speak to their mother, unrest within the magical hierarchy that exists, what happened to a girl who disappeared not too long ago, and what happened to a young man who died several years before. There’s also the fracturing of Cris and Valentina’s friendship, both Cris and Clem’s romantic relationships, and their mother’s failing health.

Individually or even in small number, these plot points are all strong but with so many of them being told and figured out at the same time, the story got very overwhelming, with some plot points doing better than others. There were several that really could have been left out and the story would probably have been stronger for it.

It was also frustrating that neither of the main characters were particularly enjoyable to read through.

Cris in particular is quite nasty to Clem, especially in regards to his romantic relationships and makes several comments (both out loud and to herself) about how gross she finds her brother’s “honeymoon” phase with his new boyfriend, etc. Additionally, Cris very much has the attitude that if it doesn’t include her in some way or she doesn’t know about it, then it can’t be that important. Towards the end of the book, she mentions being worried about Clem to her mother, who tells Cris that she’s been talking to Clem and trusts he’s going to be alright. Instead of being relieved, Cris is upset that Clem hasn’t talked to her, despite the fact that she spent the last year pulling away from her family and also didn’t reach out and confide in him.

Clem, for his part, is quite rash and makes multiple fairly large decisions without thinking through any of the consequences of what could happen, including a very large one at the end, despite having seen what the consequences of that action are earlier on.

It also seems quite hard to believe that a family that is as close as this one is wouldn’t share or talk more about the grandparents and how they died, what happened, etc. Cris makes a comment about halfway through that she should have taken the time to learn more about her grandmother and she shouldn’t have let rumours dictate her opinion of the woman. Considering how much pride the family has in their work and abilities, it seems odd that Cris’s mother wouldn’t talk about her mother or try and correct any misinformation that there might be.

Again: the ideas in this book are all really interesting but I do think as a whole the book suffered under the weight of too many plot points and too many POVs.

It took me a little while to get into this book but once it did, phew did that mystery take off. It's atmospheric, captivating, and a celebration of Black power in a world that tries to diminish that power. Can't wait for the next installment.

3/5

Thanks to Netgalley for an eARC of this book to review.

While I did really enjoy the idea of this book, it just didn't end up doing it for me. There was a lot in the book that went into current events/politics and it just wasn't what I was expecting it to be. I was wanting more for fantasy but this definitely was more on the realism side despite it being set in modern times.

Overall the idea was great and it was a fun read, it just wasn't something that I loved.

love, love, LOVE! everything about this is so good!! i think this is such an important read that is also spooky and magical and just amazing!

OBSESSED. I am so in love with the characters in this book it was so easy to become invested. Had such a fun time reading this one.

I did not end up finishing this book. I got 20% in. I wanted to like it, the premise was interesting and I love anything witchy with NOLA vibes. However, I had a hard time connecting to the characters or the plot. The male boy was whining and the girl hiding her secrets rubbed me the wrong way. This is not enough for others to dislike it though so I hope there are other readers who give it the love it deserves!

I really really enjoyed this. I can't wait to recommend it to my audience. I loved the characters and their interactions so much as well as the plot line.

Fully charged with magic and mystery. Blood Debts is an extravaganza from start to finish, weaving age-old family history alongside the tender feelings of new love.

I particularly enjoyed the Craft parts of the story, as a modern witch myself. Those parts felt the most coherent and grounded, an afterword explaining much of it was adapted from legitimate Voodoo and other Black magic concepts. The use of necromancy gave the story the zing I needed to keep going, as well as opening up the "came back wrong" concept for the next book, as I understand this is to be a whole series.

4.5/5

This book is a prime example of why you should never put all your trust in Goodreads reviews/ratings. This one has *very* mixed reviews which probably would have put me off if I hadn't already been assigned it on Netgalley. I actually thoroughly enjoyed it and feel like everyone else must have read a different book tbh.

The modern day New Orleans setting, focus on Black and queer characters, and ancestral magic system made this book unlike any other urban fantasy I've read and I was engaged the whole way through.

Yes there were a lot of characters but I found them well defined and easy to distinguish. Yes there was a lot going on but no more than any other fantasy. Yes it is set in the modern day and if you were expecting otherwise, that's kind of on you. Yes the magic system is a little ill-defined but tbh I didn't care 🤷🏻‍♀️

There was an element of the final climax scene that made no sense (the zombies - seemed wildly unnecessary). And I'm a little confused about the penetration-focused definition of virginity for the gay male character (curious how that works for two people without outies... but obviously not my lane so 🤷🏻‍♀️). Also there is an on-page sex scene, I guess we're doing that in YA these days?

The story definitely felt unfinished at the end so I really hope there is another book to come!! Because 🥺🥺

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this, and recommend skipping the reviews and giving it a chance!

I'm delighted to report that Blood Debts not only hit, but knocked it out of the park. This book was fantastic. The audio narration was excellent, and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat.