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kiwij96's review against another edition
- 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
The importance of history, community, family, heritage, and love was strong in this. Within the first three chapters, I already knew the characters and fully enjoyed following them on their journey through this book. It was fast paced, and even the longer chapters were quick and easy to read, packed with drama and emotion and foreshadowing to a degree, and not a single page was wasted - it all flowed together wonderfully without filler.
There were a couple of things that I didn't enjoy:
1. The use of informal/slang language is one which confuses matters in books for me (the use of "fire" as a description of bread was one, and "dope" as a description for furniture/aesthetic was another. Obviously, these are words I know work as descriptions in the verbal sense, but I personally don't know how well they hold up in the written sense).
2. Clem oftentimes came across as irritating.
3. MAJOR SPOILER
4. MAJOR SPOILER
Anyways, 100% a brilliant story and a fantastic read from start to finish. Really looking forward to reading Blood Justice when I buy it! Fully recommend.
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death, Bullying, Grief, Slavery, Racism, Rape, and Torture
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Homophobia, Infertility, Sexual content, Gore, and Infidelity
Minor: Child death, Gun violence, Drug use, and Domestic abuse
jadeandherbunny's review
It is a good book in my opinion but it fell flat for me.
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Medical content, and Racism
Moderate: Colonisation, Rape, and Gun violence
chrisb913's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Car accident, Bullying, and Gun violence
erinkellyreads's review
- 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
5.0
This story is a WOW! There are so many layers to the story, the world, and the characters, it is hard to know where to start. Add in the narration from multiple fantastic voice actors, and you've got an easy hit in the audiobook world.
I initially knew I wanted to read this story just from the synopsis - I am also from New Orleans, and the queer and mental health rep caught my eye. However, the way that Terry J. Benton-Walker captures the beauty and hardships of the Black spiritual community of NOLA, from the dedication all the way to the final lines of the book, are just gripping and achingly realistic.
Our story is about the Gen-Magic (or generational magic) community in NOLA, in particular the Dupart family. While we do have multiple POV characters (each with unique voices in both writing style and narration), the story is mostly told through the eyes of twins Clement and Christina. I'm usually not a huge fan of multiple POV's beyond maybe three (ala Game of Thrones), but I appreciated the moments where we were able to get the whole picture of what was happening along with getting to know the ins and outs of our twin protagonists.
Clement begins our story as an anxious gay young Black man learning the Gen-magic and grieving the death of his father and illness of his mother (who we later find out is not sick, but cursed). I felt connected to Clement's vulnerability very quickly. His story is one of rage, love, and consequences, and there were many moments that I had my mouth wide open in shock at the twists in his story. I don't want to give any spoilers, but there is one facet of his storyline, something traumatic that seems like maybe a throwaway with Zack, that leads to a massive consequence - I really hope in the sequel that this part is addressed more. I feel like it had to be moved to the backburner to address the Big Bad at the end of the story, but I have a lot of feelings and questions!
Christina starts the story very closed off, even to herself, because she blames herself for the death of her father after using magic to seek revenge. She has sworn off magic, is dating a white boy that everyone in her family is suspicious of, and her walls are all the way up. As her story progresses, we see her walls come down, see her pick herself up again from pain after pain, and eventually see her come into her own power and confidence both magically, and as a strong Black woman surrounded by strong Black women. I grew to feel very protective of Christina, and it was easy to celebrate when she triumphed.
There are many important and interesting side characters in this book from the many Dupart sisters, the darker magic being done by the political scheming inside the Gen-Magic Council, the Gods intervening, and then we have a whole other conflict with the White Mages - magical white people who have had years of conflict with those of Gen-Magic descent. We even have a nod to the evangelical right with the anti-magic folks protesting and the election for mayor - with generations of trauma and fighting between the the communities. I must repeat - the narration with all of these characters is a stunning addition to the audiobook, and I think it sets it apart as a quality piece of art.
Terry J. Benton-Walker's urban fantasy rides the tricky and lovely line between modern day challenges (and this felt very real-world) and the magic its characters carry as a part of their heritage. This is a story about family and revenge, owning your truth and the consequences of our actions, regardless of intentions. I'm very excited for the sequel to come out, and I hope that anybody who loves audiobooks or fantasy will check this one out, especially folks in the upper young adult and new adult range. A definite 5 stars!
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Religious bigotry, Violence, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Chronic illness, Child death, Colonisation, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Sexual content, Slavery, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Police brutality, and Self harm
moxiegirlzriot's review
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Racism, Car accident, Drug use, Body horror, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Homophobia
roseleebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is a story that follows teenage twins Clem and Chris, whose family has a history of power and loss related to their inherited magic and former leadership on the Generational magic council. Their search for answers about the death of their father leads to a much bigger mystery than they were prepared for.
The book reads like a detective story and there are a lot of elements built around the magic system and politics related to the council. It is fast paced but the way each new piece of information is revealed makes sense and helps to move the story along without feeling contrived. I thought the characters actions were logical for them as teenagers who are trying to solve a mystery while also navigating their lives as 16-year-olds.
I really enjoyed the writing, it feels like it would translate well to television or film because of the focus on events and plot. There is resolution at the end, but definitely some setup for the next book.
Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Bullying, Racism, and Sexual content
kstacy91's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Homophobia, and Racism
eastofreality's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, and Car accident
sarahmayerwriter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Racism and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault
ashylibrarian's review
- 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
3.0
- Intergenerational, family magic; dark and light
- Attacking white supremacy
- DRAMA and, of course, blood debts
- Sometimes the story felt a bit heavy, but overall, the story was engaging and powerful
*Representation
- LGBTQIA+
- Gay
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Bullying, Car accident, and Gun violence