Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Teen and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blood Debts by @icecreamvicelord is a great read! Thank you to @netgalley and @torteen for an advanced copy of this book.
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For me, this is a ⭐⭐⭐⭐ book. It is an extremely solid read that establishes a magical world and history for (hopefully) many books to come. I loved this magical system and want to explore it more.
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I found that this book really came to life for me once the historical murder mystery had real time consequences for our characters. Once the mystery got another layer, I was hooked, prior to that I was slowly chugging away at it.
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My preference was Clem as our narrator because of his cute love interest - obviously 🥰. I suspect future books will see Clem propelling the story more. But Cris really drives this story of revenge, consequence and retribution - and I don't think she would be concerned about it being described that way.
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This book also left me waiting for more resolution. I think it potentially threw a few too many balls in the air for a sequel but fingers crossed we get one ☺️.

Im a bit torn on this book, but I feel like the people on the younger side of the YA audience could enjoy this.
Our two main characters were written with such care and I appreciated the fact that despite being twins, they were each given their own unique personalities and struggles. Clem and Yves complimented each other really well and even if it was insta-love, they were very endearing. I also loved the way the family was so loving and actively involved in the main characters lives as I feel that is not something I often see in YA. That being said, I felt like the villains were very two dimensional and their occasional perspective chapters did not add much to the overall story. The concept of generational magic and how deeply it is ingrained into Black New Orleans culture was intriguing, but I struggled with the world building, which was at times very vague and at other times very info-dumpy. I try to be more lenient when I read YA, especially a debut, but I got annoyed that all it took was a couple of pleas and some sad-puppy eyes and all of the adults would immediately spill all of their family secrets in order to give the main characters all of the information they needed to solve the mystery and further the plot. Finally I felt like even with all of the chaos happening around these characters, everything wrapped up in a bow way too easily so Part 3 had no suspense or excitement. I seem to be in the minority with my opinions here, but there is definitely people out here who would enjoy this.

I loved this world. Yes I know it was just New Orleans but the magic made it so much more.
No one character really stood out to me but as a whole they all killed it.
The lack of communication is always annoying and it happens with every. Single. Character. But when it really matters they all come together.
I loved the magic system presented with this story. Though the author said it is based on Voodoo they did make it their own thing.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story. The writing was beautiful and I'd really like to see more from this family

good book overall, just really not my cup of tea, I could not find any of the characters likable and it made me struggle to finish it

Innovative, clever, and lots of fun! Blood Debts is a magical teen fantasy with lovable and relatable characters, you'll be challenged not to finish it in one go.

Twins Clement and Cristina face familial challenges set against the magic and mystery of New Orleans, Louisiana. Blending teen fantasy with notes of mystery, this book is sure not to disappoint anyone looking for either or both in a breakout novel. The world-building was convincing, logical and easy to follow. Benton-Walker didn't shy away from complex social issues like systemic racism and black representation and handled them gracefully and effectively. Definitely pick this one up!

Many thanks to Tor Teen and NetGalley for this ARC ebook!

This book was one of my highest anticipated reads for 2023, and I'm grateful to have received an arc from the publisher. I think this book had a really interesting premise, but I don't believe that I was the intended audience for this book, so it fell short for me. I decided to put this book down at roughly 70%. The writing style felt off to me, and a lot of the progression of the story felt either forced or rushed, I also struggled a lot with reading due to the flow of the story and the dialogue threw me off at a few points because of it felt unnatural at some points, making it hard to connect with the story.
However, I want to praise the author for how well-done the inclusion and representation in this story was. Along with this, I felt that the magic system in the story was very complex and consistently made me want to learn more about magic and its rules as the story progressed. The way the magic worked in this book was a refreshing take, and I really liked watching it progress.
I think there is a lot of potential here and I would be interested in reading other works by this author as time goes on because I did enjoy the world they created!

Not the book for me but I would recommend it and by it in for the library. And I truly hope it dose well.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of the e-book!!

First I want to point out the heartfelt dedication. I love what the author wanted to achieve with the book and who Terry J. Benton-Walker had dedicated the book to.

Now for the review - though I can't go too in depths since the book isn't out yet.

I was really excited when I got the arc, I was waiting for it and hoping I would get a copy. But unfortunately, while the plot was interesting (especially from the summary), the writing really put me off. It felt a bit childish during the internal monologues and then the used obscenities made it worse.
The character were well developed, and we have two siblings who aren't really a fan of each other but have to work together. And while I was expecting them to actually hate each other for stronger reasons, instead in the first chapters, they argued like all siblings do and then made up for a second or two then argued again.
As for the world building (magic system) we immediately get an intro in the prologue with a news article which I found it to be a pretty interesting way to introduce a new world to the reader.

Overall it was a pretty enjoyable read. I'm glad i got a chance to review it before it gets published.

I made it about 20% into this book, and while I can see the intrigue, there were too many voices that sounded the same, and the writing wasn't enjoyable. There was a disconnect with the characters acting more like mid-20's, (there was a lot of unnecessary swearing and implied sex for being 16)

The magic system sounded like it could be interesting and I could see the build up in how White people already have access to light and dark magic, and appropriate this generational magic, but overall I found myself bored and not wanting to pick this up.

I don't usually leave stars on books that I did not finish, because I'm only rating what I managed to read, so please consider this 3 star as: I don't want to affect the overall rating in any one direction.

This was such a good magical book! While the beginning was a little slow for me, once you get into the mystery and more of the magic it starts to pick up and sucks you in. There are plenty of secrets that kept me in my toes. The past and present are weaved together by all these secrets that Cris and Clem are trying to unravel. I enjoyed seeing how they each tried to solve it in their own way while also working together. And while their relationship is complicated you can tell that they do love each other. I also really enjoyed the magic in this book. Both Cris and Clem’s relationship with their magic changes throughout the story and the ending left me wanting more. Really hoping that there’ll be a second book because I have some unanswered questions and I also want to continue Cris and Clem’s story.

Overall, this was a great book full of magic and mystery and recommend that you read it when it comes out!

Read if you’re looking for…
•Magic
•Decades old mystery
•Complicated sibling relationships
•multiple pov

I loved the black rep and LQBTQ+ rep. It’s my first book with both of those actually! I was loving it and then in the middle it was still interesting but it was slower for me to follow a long then it sped up a bit. I guess you can say it was back and forth for me personally but I enjoyed this so much! That’s a lot coming from a person who isn’t much into magic and stuff like that. It was a fun and interesting read definitely! And the ending was what I was hoping to happen to one certain character lol 3.5 stars.

Took a little bit to get into Like two chapters. But once I was into it I was hooked. I wish part of it ended differently but it sounds like a second book is on its way(not fast enough though) it was nice to read a book about voodoo but in a different view point than most books about voodoo magic. I did get the impression the author had a lot of amber writing this book. Yves is my favorite character but I don’t like to give spoilers. If you like books about magic and revenge this is a boom for you!

A wonderful fantasy story, with characters that will grow on you throughout the book. The challenge of family history struggling against new love is always a classic, and this had twists and intrigue. I read it in one sitting as I just didn’t want to put it down. The characters all feel real, and they have heart and soul and background, you really understand them and their viewpoints. And that makes you feel for them! The magic system is interesting, and adds a little something extra to the plot. Whole at first there are a few plot points thrown at you, it’s worth sticking with the find those answers, but the real stars, as I’ve said, are the characters. Definitely worth a read!

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!