Blood Debts will capture your heart. With a focus on intergenerational secrets and mystery, the short chapters will leave you telling yourself, "just one more" until you're done. This fantasy has one of the most compelling and intriguing magic systems. I am amazed at the depth of the world, the magic, and the history of the magic within these pages. I can't pick what I loved more, the action or the characters. But the action, the way the twists and secrets are revealed, seem masterful.

I was not expecting some of these twists which all speak to what we will do for family. For those people who only anger us the way family can. The ones we want to prove ourselves to above all else. Those mistakes, fights, and resentment which can be put aside to save our family. Blood Debts is full of complex relationships of all sorts. Friendships that break under the strain, or relationships that fight against fear, and family which fail to see us for who we are.

A book about siblings bonding trying to save their family from imminent danger. We love to see it. 5 star book right here people! Like I’m not kidding, this should be the book of the year. The writing is phenomenal.

How does Terry make me want an entire prequel on Cristine Duparte and the sisters when we are still just learning about them? I want more from this book, this world. The book actually sets up for a sequel and I am so ready for it.

The magic system was also very well thought out using basic moon and sun but done right for once with complimenting styles and race based parameters. With the White mages mainly being whites and Gen mages being those of color. The author gives credit to their voodoo studies and i feel that’s reflected masterfully in this writing. The family dynamics were sewn in so beautifully. This mystery is the first to truly keep me on my toes and wanting to learn more and more.

I highly recommend picking up this book in April 2023. Preorder it now. Support black own voices especially those who write fantastical books and can give us the prequels we want!

If u loved the Brooklyn Brujas series, this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Thirty years ago, Cristine Dupart, the Queen of the Generational Magical Council of New Orleans, was implicated in the murder of the mayor’s daughter and the massacre of eleven non magical persons who went to lynch her and her husband. Following her presumed death and the death of her husband, the lives of her descendants have been shrouded in darkness.
Cristine and Clement, 16 year old Black twins, have had their father recently die, their mother ill and bedridden, and their entire family having a fractured relationship with each other who can’t be in the same room together, until they figure out that the twins’ mother, Maria Trudeau, has not been sick… she was hexed.
In an effort to protect their family, the twins decided to put their differences aside to figure out who crossed their mother, which then snowballs into investigating the death of their father, what really happened thirty-years ago, and many other mysteries that pop up along the way. Is there someone pulling strings behind the scenes to make sure the Dupart/Trudeau family stays out of magical power?

Throughout my entire reading, I thought this was a stand-alone story. I originally had issues with the pacing, amount of magic, and quick ending; however, after finishing the book and finding out it’s supposed to be part of a trilogy, everything made sense. The pacing in the first half is a bit slow, but still super interesting to read because of all of the drama, the fleshing out of Cristina and Clem, and the introduction of a magic system without the use of information dumping. There’s not a lot of magic that takes place in the first 50-60% of the book, just a little sprinkled here and there and alot of discussion about it, but the trajectory makes sense. And the climax was a bit quick, but it made sense that there were lose ends and a false-sense of security.

I really loved how fleshed out Cristine and Clem are.
Cristine is straight-forward pretty much about everything, except for the extreme guilt she feels in the possibility of being responsible for her father’s death. This guilt led her to hate and give up practicing gen magic, despite her talent and prior dedication.
Clem has extreme anxiety, grief, and fear of abandonment and has used hooking up with guys and magic as a way to cope, but a new love-interest steps in to ease his pain.

This book had so many great elements! Particularly the origin of the magic practiced by the twins and the commentary on racism in America.
Generational “Gen” Magic is rooted in community and the power of the moon. It was created by Black ancestors to survive colonialism, slavery, and lynching and given to Black descendants for protection, healing, divination, fortune, and revenge through talismans, spells, concoctions, and symbols. There seems to have been great inspiration drawn from Voodoo, particularly in what seems to be an homage to Marie Laveau in the naming of the matriarch of this family.

The story hit on the very real aspects of racism and what it means to be a Black person, regardless of gender or sexuality, in America right now, including a movement focusing on harassing/targeting black people (specifically gen folks instead of “white ladies who practice light magic”), commentary on “reverse racism,” intergenerational trauma brought on by white oppressors, cultural appropriation and obsession, a woman’s worth not being tied to the ability or obligation to conceive, caucastic irony, white entitlement, and the ability to trust a white person and their motives.

Even though there are some heavy topics that are addressed, it’s done in a very organic way and balanced with humor, romance, and magic. Terry J. Benton-Walker’s writing is INCREDIBLE. I have SO many quotes highlighted, specifically regarding anxiety (which I will have at the bottom). He’s able to navigate between casual conversation, insightful metaphors, and beautifully-crafted sentences. Even though he’s not a fellow Louisianan, Terry is a Southern, Black gay man, so he still was able to give me the little taste of home I was hoping for, and it lends a more personal and authentic aspect between Clem and the author. I also love that he was inspired by Game of Thrones to write a Fantasy and that there is queer and neurodivergent representation as well as Black and Afro-Latino representation.

One aspect that didn’t work for me were the chapters that weren’t from the perspective of Cristine or Clem. I believe the tiny details we learned from them were either revealed in another way or could have been revealed elsewhere. I definitely understand that the purpose for these was for dramatic irony, but it broke up the narrative and was a bit off-putting. I do think without these insights, some of the reveals might have had (and might have) a larger impact.

I am a bit confused why Blood Debts hasn’t been marketed as the first of a series. It also makes me a bit concerned for future readers, because my original review would not have been the same and my rating would have been lower if I didn’t do some digging to find out it wasn’t a stand-alone. I hope the articles I read aren’t wrong, because I need closure for this story and need more of Terry’s writing!

This book is absolutely phenomenal. Soaked in magic, history, trauma, and joy, this mystery is going to keep you on the edge of your seat. From the first page, you'll need to know what happens next. Terry J. Benton-Walker has written a must-read mystery with a lot of tension and plenty of heart. I already need book #2!!

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a historical fiction. Needless to say I was a little bit confused when I started it and realized it was set in the present day.
I found it jarring at times and I had to remind myself that it wasn’t historical fiction when the characters would pull out a phone.

The book was well paced and is rich with black culture and societal intrigue, and although it has a long cast of characters, they were all fully fleshed out and each bearer their own unique effect on the plot, no two were close to being the same.

With generational magic, family blood guess and two twins each seeking their own justice the book was packed with content.
I loved the magic system, inspired by Voodoo Afro and Afro-Latinx rituals, and the inclusion of powerful, black rage was beautiful to witness.

This book really explores human connections and the ideas of justice vs vengeance and who gets the right to seek out those paths of closure.

Thank you Tor Publising Group, Terry J, Benton0-Walker, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book. It is written for the young adult crowd. I've always been interested in New Orleans and the magic around there. There are different kinds of magic Gen magic which is what the two main charachters have and white magic. There is the mystery of there mom, grandma, and tryingt to figure out who the next queen is.

There is a lot going on this book and sometimes it is hard to follow. I had to go back a couple times to remember a charachter or follow the plot line.

There is a lot of betrayal and decit in this book. If you are looking for a magical mystery then this is the book for you.

This was such an interesting YA fantasy! A main theme of YA is usually 'justice' and what that means for the protagonist, and this is no different. However, it also speaks on topics of generational trauma, bullying, homophobia and racism, which are some heavier hitting topics that YA tends to shy away from. The magic system is also very well thought out!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

DNF at 15%.
I'm really disappointed about this one. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it's just...not it. It reads like a middle grade book that didn't have proper editing. The sentences are clunky, the tenses seem to shift between past and present, and the characters are so juvenile. I understand that they are teenagers, but this feels like middle schoolers talking to each other, even though they're supposed to be 16-17yo characters. There is a scene in one of the early chapters describing how two characters had a falling out, and it reads very "hello fellow kids", acting like teenagers have no critical thinking skills whatsoever. There was no nuance. By chapter five, I still have no idea how any of the magic works. I don't need all of the details right away, but there needs to be something. There were really strong concepts, but it lost me in the execution.

It's been so long since I have read a great YA. It handled sensitive topics well. I cannot wait to see the magic book two brings.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an easy, quick read touching on some pretty tough themes. I really enjoyed reading it but wasn’t fully immersed in the story. I think some of the side characters felt a little one dimensional.

I’d recommend this for anyone who enjoys magical realism, the history of NOLA, and wants a relatively easy read that still encompasses some commentary on racism, intergenerational trauma, and family relationships.

Four stars ☺️

This book had me at New Orleans and magic. Blood Debts was written descriptively well, I felt like I was there with the characters trying to solve mysteries and casting spells. I was obsessed with this book while I was reading, and didn't want it to end.

It was pretty decent YA. A little too sexually explicit for my taste in a YA book. It seems set up really well to be a series, and I’m intrigued by that.

The plot was pretty slow-paced.

Overall, it’s much needed representation in the fantasy genre.

TW: homophobia, racism, lynching, murder

I was literally at the edge of my seat the whole time trying to figure out who would be queen. I loved every character some more than others but the book flowed so good! From the beginning I was hooked all the way to the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•Lgbtq
•Mystery
•New Orleans
•Witches/Voodoo
• Racism
•Different Types Of Magic

If you haven’t preordered do it! You won’t regret it 🕯️🔮💀🖤✨

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Teen for an eARC of Blood Debts!

Fast-paced magical mystery taking place in New Orleans! Incredible read and I am already excited for book two!

The Blood Debts was my favorite book of 2022. I loved it so much that I've included it in my dissertation. I am impatiently waiting for the physical copy so I can annotate and pull out all of the jewels I discovered in the eARC.

Terry Benton-Walker crafted a story that reveals the ancestral power that is inherent in Black traditions through a novel that is diverse, dark and page-turning.

I didn’t love this novel but I think it was simply because of the intended audience it was written for. The writing was very juvenile but I think it will be a great pick for a preteen looking to get into urban fantasy. I loved the magical elements and the reflection of voodoo within the novel but I also struggled with building an attachment to any of the characters.

I started off unsure about the book but as it went i was interested in the mystery part a lot more. Sibling dynamics that are hurt over loss gets to me, so I sympathized with the twins a lot. While this book is ya , it goes into dark themes so don’t dismiss it as another magic book.

Generational magic, family histories soaked in blood, and two twins seeking justices...at what cost?

I really enjoyed blood debts and its themes. It deals a lot with what 'justice' is and how far would the characters go to pursue it. The hardships the twin main characters endure (both in their lifetimes and through generational trauma) is done really well. I feel like they make for some complex, albeit annoying at times, main characters. I think this is the biggest strength of the book overall.

It is set in a modern, but alternate universe, New Orleans where there are two types of magic: light/white magic and generational magic; as well as a growing fear of magic use among those who do not practice. I enjoyed the setting a lot, though sometimes wished it shone through a little more. I especially wanted to know more about the white mages.

My biggest issue with the book was mainly the long list of characters. I usually struggle at first with books that have a lot of characters, but feel like I can keep up by the end. Not in this book though. Normally, this wouldn't be as big of a deal, but in Blood Debts, all of the side characters have their own secret or role to play in the coverup of others' secrets. It felt like more and more characters were added into the web of lies, but that they didn't really add anything in particular to the main plot / mystery. I would be confused when the main characters would bring up some random side character that somehow played some part, but ultimately never got wrapped up into the ultimate ending / solving of the mystery.

Overall, a really interesting take with some great main characters and less than great long list of side characters. I'd certainly still recommend and will be reading the next book (which I assume will be coming given the cliffhanger of an end!).

I’ve been sitting with Blood Debts for awhile trying to figure out my feelings about it. Initially I liked the concept. The summary sounded interesting. I was really excited to read it. Once I started reading it though, I struggled. It felt like it was lacking details. So much was going on in such a short period of time and yet it was taking hundreds of pages.
I spoke to my spouse about it and showed them the first chapter. They pointed out that the character was speaking very internally. There aren’t a lot of details about the surroundings because that isn’t what is important to the characters. Everything around them is just their day to day, why would they bother to describe that?
Things that I found important, like the magical policies and the election, just didn’t matter as much to the characters as they didn’t really have a say in them. The story focused on the immediate things in their lives. The things that they could control. Outside of that, it was the adult’s problems and the adults weren’t going to talk to them anyway so why ask?
Once I was able to understand the perspective the story was coming from I realized how amazing the story actually was. It spoke on topics such as generational trauma, racism, bullying, homophobia, cultural appropriation and so many other topics in a way that teenagers would be able to relate to.
If the beginning of the book is a bit of a struggle to get through, the ending more than makes up for it. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this story. Blood Debts should be on everyones 2023 reading lists.
Thank you Netgalley and Tor Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Blood Debts.
Release date: April 4, 2023

SPOILER. 3:5 stars. i loved the magic in this book, the encouraging of family bonding and justice being served but there were a lot of filler chapters that i felt weren’t necessary. and the ending had a lot of loose ends, clearly there will be a sequel, but it seemed that some things didn’t quite make sense at the end. i liked how the story was told but instead of all the filler info i think it could’ve been used for a more concise ending! i would still recommend though :)