a;aksdjf. urban AND fantasy (voodoo!) AND dealing with the effects of past and current racist events? sure sign me up. this was a fun and quick read. it was ALSO a pretty heavy read. however we love queer representation.

thank you to netgalley and tor publishing for the eGalley!

After the ninth chapter, 31% of the book, I decided to abandon it. It was too slow for me and I find it hard to connect with the characters, especially Cristina, or care about them, and Clem was the hardest in this case. I liked the idea and the concept, the characters also have a well-done profile, and there were scenes that I liked, however, I struggled with the style and pace, that seemed to extend the scenes much more than they should have been. I was intrigued with Valentina, but she seemed also plain.

Going into this book I knew that it was the author’s debut young adult novel, but I was not prepared for just how much I would enjoy this story and the characters. Not only were the characters unique and well rounded, but I also loved the commentary that was sprinkled throughout the book about being Black in America and the appropriation of things that were created by and for the Black community to those who will do anything to keep Black Americans down and do all they can to make them feel that they are less than human. With the argument between the magical and non-magical in this book and how those who are pushing for legislation to regulate magic are focused only on the Black practitioners of magic was a wonderful way to comment on the policing and policies that are in place solely to the detriment of Black Americans.

Benton-Walker has infused his story with a thirty year old intergenerational trauma that was brought about through an act of the kind of racial violence that is carried out by a white mob taking matters into their own hands. It is this act of violence that has steered the course these characters find themselves on all these years later. It is also this piece of their past that takes Cristina and Clement on their path to uncover the truth about the events from that night, their family and how they fit into all of it. Between the racism, white supremacy, homophobia and community suppression which is scattered throughout, this is a book that readers from marginalized backgrounds will be able to relate to as they see themselves and their problems being discussed throughout.

The other thing I really enjoyed about this book was the relationship between the twins, Cris and Clem, as well as their relationship with their family members. While the twins fight the way all siblings do, they make a point to always be there for one another and to do all that they can to not end up in a situation like their mother and her sisters where the siblings stop speaking to one another and can barely stand to be in the same room together. This need for family connectedness is even more important for Cris as she worries what would happen to her familial relationships if they were to ever learn that she’s the reason that her father died. Watching Cris grapple with this huge secret made me all the more invested in her as a character because I could see just how much the strain it was having on her as she couldn’t explain why she had chosen to stop practicing magic.

I loved the layers of mystery in this book, from the initial mystery of who is trying to kill the twins’ mother and why, to the bigger looming mystery of what really happened thirty years ago when there grandmother Cristina was killed by an angry mob for a crime that she may or may not have committed. While the book comes in at just over 400 pages, I found it hard to put down and managed to read it in only a couple of days.

This is a story about bloodlines.

For reasons I can’t explain, I thought this was going to be a historical fantasy. That definitely set me up to have the wrong expectation of the narrative, and I struggled a bit- but! That’s definitely not the book’s faults. As is, it’s a modern day fantasy with a super cool magic system & magical politics.. I would definitely recommend it for fans of other similar works, but bc it’s YA, I think it could work for readers who generally find political fantasy overwhelming.

Thank you so much Tor Teen for the ebook & Macmillan audio.

This is why I love getting arcs in advance of release date because I can take my time reading g them without waiting in a library que or spending money to buy it.

Blood Debts had all of the potential to be amazing , which some it was like the magic, but other aspects not so much. Hence why it took me this long to determine it wasn't for me to finish it about thirty percent in. perspective being a major problem with the conflicts only nine chapters in. I'm shocked but glad I got the chance to read a little of this debut fantasy book before moving on.

There was definitely a lot going on and many characters to keep track of.. but I loved it all! The magic, the drama, the mystery and the setting of New Orleans! Based on how this book ended, I’m hoping there is a second book soon!

This is a tough one to rate because while I was incredibly excited to read Blood Debts, it didn't quite work for me as I had hoped it would.

The good:
- I LOVED the setting, it was perfect for the story
- There was fantastic mental health rep
- Great representation
- It's obvious the author put a lot of care and passion into writing this novel

The bad:
- The writing was a little too juvenile for my tastes
- There was a little too much going on with so many POVs and plot points that I had a hard time following and felt a little unsatisfied by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eArc of this book.

A fun historical fantasy with intrigue, mystery, and just enough spook to keep you flipping pages. The characters are engaging and the world is lush.

I really wanted to enjoy this but unfortunately this wasn't for me. While I thought this had interesting ideas, the execution was a little lackluster. The writing really took me out of the story and most of the dialogue felt unrealistic.

I think the magic system was a cool and unique idea though I did have trouble following with how many different types they were. I think many people could like this but I just found this wasn't one that really worked for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the earc.

This was fantastic! It had everything I was looking for: New Orleans historical setting, magic, excellent characters. This was a really exciting read. I particularly enjoyed the characters and the world building. This is a great debut from Benton-Walker and I am excited to see what comes next!

If you read the synopsis for this story, it sounds cool. It sounds interesting. When I read it, it sounded like a book I definitely wanted to read. Let me tell you, that synopsis is as accurate as it can be for the space it was given and without spoiling anything, but the book beneath the spoiler? Hoo boy, it’s a spectacular, mysterious, tragic, magical, dramatic doozy!

This is definitely a case of a cover deception, because what you see on the cover, a sly Clement and a cunning Cristine (our two main characters and twins), is not representative of the Clem and Cris we spend at least 90% of the book with. Clem and Cris are vastly different characters in a lot of ways save that they both love their family more than anything. Their family used to be at the top of the New Orleans magical community until 30 years prior to the events in this book, and it seems bad luck, discord, and tragedy has followed them ever since.

Even so, you will quickly fall in love with adorable Clement and feel conflicted about evasive Cristine. The twins drifted apart almost immediately after their father’s death and only fall completely into accord when it comes to caring for their mother, who is mysteriously ill. Their discord comes not from lack of love, but from Cristine’s refusal to practice magic anymore and how she emotionally withdrew from her brother after their father died. Clement doesn’t understand his sister, and she won’t explain herself. It doesn’t help that Clement believes Cristine’s boyfriend is suspicious and Cristine believes Clement is sleeping his way through the male population of the French Quarter.

The cast of this book, writ large, is mostly filled with characters of gray morality. There are those who are definitely our big bads for this first installment of the series, but even Clement and Cristine are gray in their morality and flexible in their scruples. Even so, all of the characters are fascinating in their own way, some solely for what they can do or the impact they have on the story from a simple action, and some because they are complex in word and deed. Being white, I can’t fully identify with the pain and sadness that comes from generational racism and the complexities of intergenerational family feuds in old black southern families, but from the perspective from merely being a decent human being (I hope), I felt for Clement and Cristine every time pieces of their family history were withheld from them because the adults of their family didn’t feel they should hear them, and then empathized with their anger when they found out that same information from a third party or figured it out for themselves and then were forced to confront their own family for keeping secrets when the last thing they wanted was more discord in their fractured family.

For a book absolutely packed with story, exhibition, worldbuilding, magic, character building, and shifting POVs, the writing is absolutely smooth and the pacing is perfect. Not being familiar with voodoo left me fumbling with understanding the magic system for a lot of the book, but the story and characters more than make up for that. I’m absolutely looking forward to the next installment and highly recommend this novel. Don’t let the YA label fool you–it’s a great read for all.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All ideas, views, thoughts, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: LGBTQ Fiction/YA Fantasy/Fantasy Series/Book Series/Coming of Age/Occult Fiction/OwnVoices/YA Book Series/YA Fiction/YA Suspense

This is a pretty original YA teenagers with magic take, steeped in the feel of New Orleans. These kids all have some growing up to do, and you really feel it early in the book. Of course, much of this is trauma and magic doesnt cure structural racism or the legacy of enslavement. That said, the emotions are believable and raw. The characters are missing key pieces of the story, which we know some of thanks to the multiple perspectives. That said, the book isn't spoiled at any time. There is obviously more to come for these characters since the book ends with a resolution but a whole lot of loose ends that get special focus in the final chapters. I think I'll be picking up the next one to see where it goes!

Blood Debts was a wonder of a book. It had mystery. It had magic and not magic just because but magic that is familial magic and lore that gets passed down. It is a part of who the characters are even though they go through trials and tribulations because of the magic whether it be by their own (perceived) doing or the doing of outside forces. The main characters were relatable to me while still having their own unique story and struggles as two young black teens growing up in New Orleans. I’m hoping from what I read in the eARC that there will be a sequel because there were a few threads that were just left to dangle in the wind.

Blood Debts is the story of a family - the family of twins Cristine (Cris) and Clement (Clem). A year after the death of their father in what was ruled an accident, the entire family is still reeling. Their father's death may - or may not - be tied up in the death of their grandmother 30 years before, a death which resulted in significant change for the family.

At 17, Cris and Clem are trying to find themselves, in a New Orleans which, like our own, is rife with racial tensions. In addition to those, this New Orleans is rife with conflict between two primary groups of magic users: those who use magic from the sun, and those who use magic from the moon. The two groups split largely along racial lines, adding to the racial tensions already running high in the city, and there is conflict between the leaders of the two groups, which are separated by the source of their magic: one group uses magic from the sun, while the other uses magic from the moon. Cris and Clem are caught up in the middle, because of their family's magic and because of conflict over the leadership of those who wield moon magic.

This is an interesting look into one perspective on voodoo, as well as some great characters. Recommended for high school students and adults, due to mature themes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm not sure how to review this book. I think of it as a cross between Euphoria and Charmed. There were definitely interactions and plot points that I enjoyed. However, I found myself a little taken aback by some of the overt sexual content and viciousness of the teen characters (since they all were 16).
I liked the relationship between Clem and Chris, it showed that siblings can still love each other, but be impacted differently by the same life changing events.
The generational magic aspect was also cool, I just wished there was more of it throughout the story. Instead, a majority of the plot was showcasing the drama between the 50-11 different characters that you had to keep track of.
There were also a few plotlines that were left hanging and not tied up.

I enjoyed both the aspects of magic portrayed throughout this story. I wish the connections in this whether between the Dupart Family or others were fleshed out more. The mystery did grip me as did some of the other raised dilemmas. I felt like this was a too many pots on the fire type deal---some worked, some muddied things. All in all a decent read and I would read more from this world.

While a lot worked for me in this book, some of the dialogue didn’t. I also didn’t fully understand the magical world building. But I did love the characters and how they interacted with each other. I love that the book understood family is complicated and messy. Because it is and a lot of books don’t understand that. It ended on a cliffhanger and I’m interested in the sequel. 3 stars rounded to 3.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

DNF’d at 10%
Review copy provided by NetGalley

I wanted to like this book, but knew after the first two chapters it wasn’t going to be for me. The writing was juvenile and petty, but even more than that, took so many breaks from the plot to go over internal backstory and try to coyly hint at the “bad things” the characters have done, but if you read the plot synopsis (or use critical thinking skills) it’s spoiled for you. I do my want to read a list of plot points that have already happened and I’m not witness to as a reader in between the few pieces of current and relevant plot I’m drip fed. The pacing is already off only two chapters in and I don’t want to keep going.

Blood Debts has a lot going on. There are bucket loads of drama, plenty of twists and turns, and romance.

Cris and Clem are twins dealing with the loss of their father, hexes, their love life, budding sexuality...and that is just their personal life. As heirs to the throne of a strong magical family, the two are torn apart due to the death of their father and are now tasked with caring for their ailing mother. Cris has given up magic due to feelings of guilt in regards to his death. Clem can't get enough of the magic. As a result, the twins barely speak. When they discover their mother's illness is actually a curse, the two are united to solve the mystery.

Blood Debts is told in three points of view: Cris, Clem and briefly a third character. Thanks to Benton-Walker's writing, it's easy to navigate between the chapters and characters. The book is also a pretty solid urban fantasy taking place in modern New Orleans. The magic system is interesting. Readers are introduced to moon magic based off of voodoo which includes the summoning of gods, and sun magic that draws heavily on the use of crystals and incantations. The magic systems are quite easy to understand and are very well explained through the book. There is also a long list of themes and conflicts imbedded in the story to include political challenges, racism, grief, depression, anxiety. Basically, there is a lot going on from the plot, themes, characters, world building and magic. Despite all of this, it's quite an accessible and solid read. Readers be warned, there is on page sex, sexual assault, and violence.

I enjoyed the read, but I think at time I found myself overwhelmed. There is just a lot going on in this story. I would have preferred a little more focus thematically rather than tackling several things all at once. I also struggled to like and emotionally connect with Cris and Clem. Of course this is more a me thing than the actual book. The ending also left a lot of loose ends and occasionally, parts of the plot and world building could have used further explanation. That being said, I think it's a pretty solid book. I look forward to seeing what Benton-Walker has to write in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Blood Debts is a story of family and a story of revenge, set in a world of magic stemming from the divine granting the oppressed power. I loved the concept of this work and was initially intrigued by its promise to interrogate the meaning of justice.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to feel more than annoyance for the main characters, even as I was extremely curious about how the story would unfold.

In part, this was an enjoyable story, I do wish that the world building had more meat to it, and I wish that the story had less going on. The story of their grandmother and the mystery of her death was riveting but how it related to the present was weighed down by so much relationship drama and family secrets. This was a story pumping on all the gears, when it needed a bit more restraint and tightening.

I see that the story tried to take a sex positive outlook on the YA genre, but I think it undermined itself a bit when the main characters all ended seemingly holding their, um, purity in high esteem.

The story, ends on a bit of a cliffhanger with so many threads left to follow. So I hope there’s a book 2, I’m not promising I’ll read it, but I’ll definitely try to find out what happened.

All in all, a mixed bag. I will recommend this for those 17 & up, who like a bit of fantasy elements in their stories, but nothing too deep.