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sup3r_xn0va_maya's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
💬: "People in expensive-looking suits and flashy cocktail dresses cling to glasses filled with champagne or cocktails and amble up and down the hallways and rooms, enjoying an evening of gambling and debauchery. It’s like a scene from one of Gatsby’s parties, except Black people are invited."
Benton-Walker, Terry J.. Blood Debts (pp. 70-71). Tor Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: Fantasy ,Young Adult ,LGBT ,Mystery, Queer, Young Adult Fantasy, Magic , Fiction, Urban Fantasy
📚Page Count: 400
🎧Audiobook Length: 14h 30min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
----
Blood Debts is a queer mystery novel about getting justice for one's past crimes. 30 years ago there were murders and a lynching and it was considered the greatest massacre in magical New Orleans history. This has 5 different perspectives and I thought it wasn't going to work but everything went together really nicely. My reading experience was a good one. This book is a rollercoaster, the plot starts right away in the first chapter and that's one of the things I really liked about this book.
The book starts off with twins, Clem and Christina, tending to their mother and waiting for the Dr. to come and give them an update on their mother's condition. Their mother hasn't been doing well and her health has slowly been declining. They soon discover thattheir mother isn't sick, she's cursed! Will they be able to find out who's trying to harm their family?
A lot of the surprises were predictable but the book was still enjoyable. I think I left probably around 5 notes to myself about the plotline, just of me guessing what the next surprise was going to be. In this regard, the book was really predictable, but that didn't stop the book from being entertaining. There were some secrets I didn't guess but there were more secrets that I DID guess and I thought that was worth mentioning in my review.
This was my first time reading a book by Terry J. Benton-Walker and they did not disappoint me! This was exciting, entertaining, intriguing, and it was just down right good! I'm giving this a 5 out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Benton-Walker, Terry J.. Blood Debts (pp. 70-71). Tor Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: Fantasy ,Young Adult ,LGBT ,Mystery, Queer, Young Adult Fantasy, Magic , Fiction, Urban Fantasy
📚Page Count: 400
🎧Audiobook Length: 14h 30min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
----
Blood Debts is a queer mystery novel about getting justice for one's past crimes. 30 years ago there were murders and a lynching and it was considered the greatest massacre in magical New Orleans history. This has 5 different perspectives and I thought it wasn't going to work but everything went together really nicely. My reading experience was a good one. This book is a rollercoaster, the plot starts right away in the first chapter and that's one of the things I really liked about this book.
The book starts off with twins, Clem and Christina, tending to their mother and waiting for the Dr. to come and give them an update on their mother's condition. Their mother hasn't been doing well and her health has slowly been declining. They soon discover that
A lot of the surprises were predictable but the book was still enjoyable. I think I left probably around 5 notes to myself about the plotline, just of me guessing what the next surprise was going to be. In this regard, the book was really predictable, but that didn't stop the book from being entertaining. There were some secrets I didn't guess but there were more secrets that I DID guess and I thought that was worth mentioning in my review.
This was my first time reading a book by Terry J. Benton-Walker and they did not disappoint me! This was exciting, entertaining, intriguing, and it was just down right good! I'm giving this a 5 out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Murder, Grief, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Death, Cursing, Terminal illness, Violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
rmperezpadilla's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Alcohol, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, and Drug use
Minor: Bullying, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness
mshiiken's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
BLOOD DEBTS floated across my inbox from Booklist Delivers, and I am SO GLAD it did. NetGalley provided a galley in exchange for an honest review and this book rules. A fuller review will be posted to Mzinigan Mshiiken, but brief incredible points:
- fascinating magic system
- political intrigue, both mundane and magical
- New Orleans
- LGBTQIA+ representation and love
- messy family ties
The only reason this gets 4 stars rather than 5 is because the writing at times was a little tough to get into. It was a little bit like getting a firehose of description to the face, and I found myself having to re-read sections to parse what was being said. Granted, the chapter titles helped a lot with perspective and the character changes were fascinating. Others have noted that the beginning is slow and I agree - that said, the latter half of the book had me on the edge of my seat for the few hours it took me to speedread. I think teens will really like this book (although a few scenes are a liiiiiittle more explicit than I like to recommend), and plenty of adults will too. I'm excited to see what comes next in the series!
- fascinating magic system
- political intrigue, both mundane and magical
- New Orleans
- LGBTQIA+ representation and love
- messy family ties
The only reason this gets 4 stars rather than 5 is because the writing at times was a little tough to get into. It was a little bit like getting a firehose of description to the face, and I found myself having to re-read sections to parse what was being said. Granted, the chapter titles helped a lot with perspective and the character changes were fascinating. Others have noted that the beginning is slow and I agree - that said, the latter half of the book had me on the edge of my seat for the few hours it took me to speedread. I think teens will really like this book (although a few scenes are a liiiiiittle more explicit than I like to recommend), and plenty of adults will too. I'm excited to see what comes next in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Death of parent, Racism, Murder, Homophobia, Grief, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Bullying, Infertility, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Car accident, Sexism, Alcohol, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, and Infidelity
Minor: Vomit
amandadevoursbooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I recieved an E-ARC thanks to Net Galley and Tor Teen.
It's New Orleans. This New Orleans is filled with backbiting politics between members of the generational council and between the Generational council and the White Mages. There's bad blood going back to before the Civil War and chattel slavery.
The book wrestles with generational trauma, homophobia, racism, and cultural appropriation. It also poses questions around the nature of revenge and justice.
30 years ago, Kris and Clem's grandmother and grandfather were murdered because a white mob thought they murdered the mayor's daughter. Now, a year after their dad's mysterious death, their mom is so ill she might die. Kris and Clem have to untangle the three mysteries, reunite their families, and come to terms with their collective grief all with a dash of revenge.
I loved the characters, I loved the messiness of the adults, and I adored the representation of generational magic by a Black author. The mysteries were fun, and the book moved quickly.
At times, characters were introduced and not really brought a long or written out. This left me wanting for more time with them and a better understanding of the role they play.
The end felt a little fast, and I wanted to see more from the whole group in collecting the blood debt. It's almost like three were too many characters to bring along.
For a YA novel, there's sex on page and frank discussion of sex and sexual assault. This was done intentionally and thoughtful by the author to make the book sex positive.
It is well set for a sequel, and I'll be thrilled to see it when it does.
It's New Orleans. This New Orleans is filled with backbiting politics between members of the generational council and between the Generational council and the White Mages. There's bad blood going back to before the Civil War and chattel slavery.
The book wrestles with generational trauma, homophobia, racism, and cultural appropriation. It also poses questions around the nature of revenge and justice.
30 years ago, Kris and Clem's grandmother and grandfather were murdered because a white mob thought they murdered the mayor's daughter. Now, a year after their dad's mysterious death, their mom is so ill she might die. Kris and Clem have to untangle the three mysteries, reunite their families, and come to terms with their collective grief all with a dash of revenge.
I loved the characters, I loved the messiness of the adults, and I adored the representation of generational magic by a Black author. The mysteries were fun, and the book moved quickly.
At times, characters were introduced and not really brought a long or written out. This left me wanting for more time with them and a better understanding of the role they play.
The end felt a little fast, and I wanted to see more from the whole group in collecting the blood debt. It's almost like three were too many characters to bring along.
For a YA novel, there's sex on page and frank discussion of sex and sexual assault. This was done intentionally and thoughtful by the author to make the book sex positive.
It is well set for a sequel, and I'll be thrilled to see it when it does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Murder, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent and Gun violence
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