This story takes us New Orleans where two 16 year old twins, Clement and Christina, are caring for their sick mother. By chance they discover she is not truly sick but cursed.

Clement and Christina are part of a powerful magical family that once ruled but tragic events lead to the dethroning of a Queen, their family member. With the discovery of the curse placed on their mother and the anniversary of the events leading to the dethroning, the twins decide to investigate to clear their family name and get their titles back.

If I wasn't reading this book to review I would have ditched it early on. With a great cover and interesting write up I expected so much more from this book.
But there was so little to like. The writing was boring and I had to trudge through. The characters were under developed which made it difficult to connect with them. And I won't even get started on the politics of this book.

Would I read a sequel? That's a no. Would I give this author another chance? Also a strong no. One star.

This book did an excellent job of creating a vibrant world with a very interesting magic system. The two leads were very well-developed. Each has a very distinct and fully formed personality. It was enjoyable getting lost in this version of New Orleans. I would like to see more stories set in this world. This is a wonderful read that I will purchase when it is released. Thanks to NetGally for the ARC copy.

It’s always a shame when the pieces are there but the final product is not.

“Blood Debts” takes us to New Orleans where old wounds run deep between feuding families which is only amplified when it becomes clear that Clem and Cris’s mother’s illness was a result of a hex bag. Uniting their family and uncovering the truth that allowed power to shift hands the twins unknowingly set in motion a series of events that will threaten to undo it all.

Beginning with what I enjoyed I think the dynamic of the family was really special and emphasized the fluidity of emotions and loyalties that come with such a large group of people bound by blood. The relationship between the twins both sweet and sour which parallels that of their mothers relationship with her own sisters and furthermore acts as a sort of foil to that of the rival Savant family.

I thought the magic system was interesting and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish for more of it as we moved through the book. I liked the concept of the scales and how everything done will also have some kind of consequence if not fully justified.

What missed the mark for me the most was the writing. There were a lot of moments that seemed very forced or otherwise not really the way most people talk so we sacrificed this realism for that of exposition that could have easily been given to us in a different more impactful way. There’s multiple point of views in this book which is however a lot of the new chapters have a background summary of what we just read without offering new insight with the pov change making it all seem boringly redundant.

I had a lot of high hopes for this one and I’m sure the rest of the series will smooth out some of the problems but for me it’s a one and done.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

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<p>Review copy provided by the publisher.</p>
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<p>Every family relationship has its ups and downs, and twins Cristina and Clement are definitely in a low point. Instead of bringing them together, their father's death has pushed them apart--and their mother and her sisters are going through much the same thing. Inexperienced Clem got more interested in the generational magic that is their birthright, while his accomplished sister rejected it. They can't seem to meet in the middle. But they're going to have to, because the powers that be in their city are not willing to leave their family alone.</p>
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<p>The New Orleans Benton-Walker imagines for us here is just next door to our own universe. This is not a tourist's NOLA, though it has tourists in it, but one drawn from thought about the history and culture that shaped the area--and ways they could have gone somewhat differently. Benton-Walker isn't trying to write about every person or group in his imagined New Orleans. Instead he makes sure that the people clustered around the centers of generational magic power have a vividly drawn world and relationships within it.</p>
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<p>This is not a stand-alone. Benton-Walker has more story than he can fit in this one book--the characters' relationships aren't done, and the worldbuilding <em>definitely</em> isn't done. But there's a satisfying climax here, a barnburner that left me wanting more.</p>
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unfortunately, I decided to DNF this. The book opens with the significant other of the main character getting kicked out of his room and I just can’t wrap my head around parents allowing teens to spend the night while they’re home. I also think the writing could use some polishing/editing bc there were a couple of awkwardly placed f-bombs.

I liked so much about this book - the world, the magic, complex + emotional characters - Clem + Cris were such interesting perspective characters. I loved the setting in New Orleans, which supports the best magical spooky vibes and the history of the magic, the allegory for race relations that were introduced. I thought the story really moved and there was a lot of action to keep a reader's attention. However, I felt like the story maybe tried to go a few too many places. It felt like there were moments that had been set up that didn't tie up in a way that felt satisfying or that were introduced and wrapped up too quickly to be impactful. Still a good read!

This was such an incredible book, and the way it handled difficult topics was amazing. I loved every second of this book and so many of the characters. I can’t wait to see what comes next from the author and will be purchasing it and this book as soon as I can. I would also love to read more books with these characters and this world. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Blood Debts follows the story of twin teenagers Clement and Cristina Trudeau in an enthralling story of mystery, betrayal, and revenge. At the center of the maythem around them are two pillars: magic and family. Even if they weren't always perfect pillars the twins use them to prevail against all the obstacles and injustices that stand in their path. 

What shone the most in Blood Debts is that all the characters are messy in the best possible way. It is refreshing to read a book, especially YA, that portrays teenagers as teenagers. With the complicated and messy emotions and thoughts and actions. The narrative gives the characters a non-judgemental space to think and feel whole ranges of emotions. From the pure joy of first love to the anger and pain of feeling abandoned. It only ramps up as the POV switches between different characters and different parts of the story come to light or secrets that are influencing their behavior towards one another are revealed internally but not spoken aloud. The amount of times I just wanted to somehow take Clem and Cris' hands and tell them it's okay and just to talk to each other just made them much more real and truthful to how I remember being a teenager was.

Another aspect of this beautiful debut, beyond the grace given to the characters to be human, was the careful and intentional portrayal of magic. Especially a magic system inspired by voodoo. So often in media voodoo (or magic inspired by it) is portrayed in one of two ways. Either it is evil and is portrayed using countless harmful caricatures or it is good when used by predominately white people and is boiled down to just aesthetic with meaning and history stripped away. I would say that reading a voodoo-inspired magic system focusing on family, nature, and intention as well as being portrayed by people of color was an act of magic in itself, however that would take away from the obvious care, work, and research that Terry Benton-Walker did in creating not just this magic system but also this magical story.

This book is so heavily focused on racism, so as a white reviewer I will not be writing a review. I shouldn’t be speaking over black reviewers on a book that has a lot of talk about race. Instead, I will be listening to black reviewers on whether or not this book has good representation.

Blood Debts was an immensely enjoyable read. Its characters were charming, the pacing on point, and the magic system fantastically creative.
This was one of the most fun urban fantasy books I’ve read. It actually looks at history and our present day issues and questions how magic would interact with that. Unlike the many more modern fantasy books I’ve read, it had no need to make hamfisted metaphors for Trump with magic haters, but instead looked thoughtfully at who would have access to magic, in whats, and how might minority groups get impacted in a world where we people have magic. It was delightful worldbuilding that absolutely felt plausible.
The characters were both enjoyable and I appreciated the distinct differences in perspective. The use of two narrators allowed for the secrets within the book to feel exciting and often a confusing emotional reaction later would be elaborated upon with a different narrator.
The side story with the love interest really only became interesting until the end, but I appreciate the build up throughout the story. I suspect if I were a teen I would enjoy it more. Overall, it was certainly just a matter of taste for me, as the love interest bonds rather quickly and the relationship gets serious fast, which isn’t my preference but definitely doesn’t detract from the book.
My only issues with the book would be my confusion over the 1st person and 3rd person narration. It did take me out of the story a bit with the switching. That and Valentina felt rather underdeveloped and distinctly more childish than the protagonists. In particular, I found it slightly unenjoyable and unrealistic her constant use of “Daddy” for her distant father.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the characters and the world. It looks like this book is setting up for a sequel and I really hope it gets one. I can only see this story getting better with further elaboration. I’d recommend this book to people who enjoy urban fantasy, mystery stories, and multiple narratives. If you enjoyed Cemetary Boys, this is definitely something you might like.

Blood Debts is an interesting and unique YA fantasy about mysteries and magic! Although the prose sometimes fell flat, the story itself made up for it. This is a great read for teenagers.

This is a fun little YA fantasy with a great setting and engaging characters. Found the prose a bit of a turn off but the author shows promise and could work on the craft of writing. Ultimately I’m a bit outside the YA bracket in terms of target audience now but I imagine this will hit will with its intended recipients.

Clement and Cristina come from a long line of New Orleans practitioners of generational magic. While still mourning the death of their father, the sixteen-year-old twins are also trying to nurse their mother who is gravely ill. When they discover that their mother isn't ill, but actually cursed, the twins set off on a path that neither one is ready to travel. Cristina, a gifted practitioner of gen magic, has given it up since she believes a spell she cast killed her father. Clem uses magic to help ease the pain he feels since his family has fallen apart. The twins, once each other's confidants, now are in the habit of keeping secrets from the rest of the family, as well as from each other. They struggle to realize that the most powerful magic they possess comes from each other and from the strength of their family. The twins must come together to save New Orleans, their family, and each other from the powerful forces that will stop an nothing to see them all destroyed. A wonderful debut and I hope there will be more novels about New Orleans and the Trudeau twins.

I read an ARC of Blood Debts from NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much.

This is a story about a family who thirty years ago their grandmother was lynched and their throne was stolen by another power-hungry family in New Orleans. Now another white, magic-hating group has shown up that only seems to hate the magic that families from African American families use, and demand control and regulation over it while the family start to realize that maybe their grandmother was wrongfully blamed for the murder thirty years ago as their family is targeted again by some evil force. Even the twins Clement and Cristina try to bring the family back together to find and fight this force trying to destroy their family, they must deal with messy family history and deadly politics.

I found this story fascinating. At times I was glued to the page, fascinated at what could happen next. The story bounces between characters. Especially the twins, but once in a while Cristina’s old friend Val. You wonder what is going to happen next and often it’s not always clear what is going to happen next and if a character is going to fall to their darker nature or if they’re going to be able to pull themselves out and come out a better person.

The weakness of the book is the end. Don’t get me wrong. The climax is amazing, but then there is a list of characters, plus a major character that you want more than just a hint that their life isn’t going to go the way they want, and that’s all you get. Yes, the climax was satisfying, but I would have rather some of the fat in the middle that did have me putting the book down for a few days trimmed and the villain I cared about followed through and dealt with within the book instead of the nothing we got. I’d also like some follow through on Cristina months later instead of just Clement, because while it was meaningful, it felt a little off to the rest. I don’t know, maybe this was just the part that hasn’t been completely edited, because I know sometimes my writing at the end can be fast and can be quick and need the most editing.

Overall, I loved the magic system and the mystery. I loved the characters and how the story played out. And this is a great mystery with a dark, family twist to read.

This one was a mixed bag for me. I was initially quite put off by the opening article - I thought the formatting was a bit odd, and not really reflective of a journalistic article looking back over a tragic historical event? I think it was an unsuccessful attempt at placing us within the world; all I could think was “what an info dump”.

Chapter one also threw me off with its usage of “hot take”, “gotdamned” and jumping straight into white/black discourse.

I did however, love the authors ability to develop character. I got a sense of Clem’s character writhing the first page of chapter one.

For me the plot and overarching storylines were a winner and really intriguing l, I wanted to know where the story was going after the first few chapters. Unfortunately, the prose and world building just didn’t connect the way I was hoping it would. The language and dialogue was distracting and kept breaking my suspension of disbelief.

I would definitely give the authors next book a chance because I see the potential but Blood Debts just missed the mark for me.

Once again I find myself in the minority, and I simply could not connect to this one. Most reviewers seem delighted with it. The premise is interesting and is what drew me in, along with the very evocative cover. But I found the writing to be a weird mix of levels - there would be paragraphs of very engaging prose that would draw me in with their promise of secrets and magic, then the dialogue between the siblings would devolve into interactions that felt childish even by the standards of quarreling siblings, and I'd lose the feel of the story. It happened repeatedly and ultimately kept me from connecting with the story. When I found myself flipping pages to skip past the dialogue, I realized this was just not the book for me and closed it for good.

Clem and Cris are twins that both poses generation magic. They have recently lost their father and are currently dealing with a sick mother. Throw in teenage growing pains and magic and you can pretty much figure out that things are chaotic.

After learning that someone is using magic to make their mother ill they start investigating and all kinds of skeletons start to fall out of the closet.

I enjoyed this book much more than I originally thought I would. I’m a big YA a I-fi/fantasy fan and feel that this book stands out among a lot of the books I’ve read this past year. Even though Clem and Chris both got on my nerves at times I was able to understand why they are the way they are. My openly complaint is that I feel some things were left unanswered. I’m assuming there will be a part 2 and if so then I can saw i’m satisfied with the ending. Just not a fan of open endings with no follow up.

For every child of color who was denied the justice they deserved. You always matter."

This is the dedication that was in the beginning of the ARC I received of this absolutely phenomenal book, and what an important dedication it is.

This story is a love letter to Black kids as well as an intriguing mystery full of Black magic, family drama, revenge and messiness all blended into the fantastical setting of New Orleans.

It's been a long time since a book has had me in this much of a chokehold. From the first page I was instantly gripped and could not put this book down to save my life. I was was immediately swept away by these characters Terry J. Benton created and I was invested in each of their stories.

So much detail went into this book, from family history to past betrayals to current rivalries. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I went through all the emotions reading this book. I was rooting for these characters, crying over them, hyping them and cursing them out all at the same time. Trust when I say each character in this book is gonna make you feel some type of way.

My favorite thing about this book was how unapologetically Black it was. It was so refreshing to just immerse myself in this story and see myself (specifically my YOUNGER self) in every aspect.

I am 100% in support of anything Terry J. Benton writes from here on out; this debut was a masterpiece. My only gripe is that I needed the sequel YESTERDAY!

I can't wait for more of these characters and to get more answers because the ending had me shook to my core.

I need more, please and thank you.

>> Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own <<

A fantastical fantasy centering on two twin siblings, their family and their connections to magic: I adored the varying POVs present in the prose and thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of their story.

This is some absolutely, horrifically bad prose. I will not be writing a full review, in part because I do not want to write a public review. I just wanted to express that I have NO idea how this got past editors. It reads like a preteens first fanfiction. Please do better.