Copyright Date:
2023
Edition Date:
2023
Release Date:
04/04/23
Pages:
400 pages
ISBN:
1-250-82592-X
ISBN 13:
978-1-250-82592-6
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2022056754
Dimensions:
22 cm
Language:
English
Reviews:
Publishers Weekly
(Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Walker’s scintillating debut follows the Trudeau twins, members of a once-powerful magical New Orleans family. Thirty years after Cristine Dupart, the queen of the city’s Generational Magic Council, was lynched for allegedly murdering the white mayor’s daughter, her descendants live in enmity. Clement Trudeau, a young Black man with chronic anxiety, is a devoted practitioner of generational magic, while his gifted twin sister Cris swore to never use magic again following their father’s tragic death. But when the siblings learn that their mother is dying of
School Library Journal
(Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
Gr 9 Up— Benton-Walker's fantasy debut offers up political intrigue and drama set against the backdrop of a New Orleans steeped in magic. Clem and Cris Trudeau are 16-year-old twin scions to a Black generational magic family, conjurers who channel power through their ancestors and the moon. They live with the consequences of the brutal lynching that killed their grandparents 30 years ago—and led to another family taking their grandmother's throne. Tragedy continues to befall the Trudeau household: their family has scattered, their father died suddenly, and their mother's health continues to decline mysteriously. But when they discover that their mother isn't sick but cursed, they begin unravelling a plot that could tear their family, and New Orleans's magical and nonmagical populations, apart. Benton-Walker creates a fantastical thriller and deftly weaves in historical and current-day social issues, including racism, cultural appropriation, sex work, mental health, and homophobia. Readers will find Clem and Cris relatable, as both deal with grief and pressure in different ways. Secondary characters are mostly well-fleshed out, though some point-of-view characters, especially those we only see briefly, feel extraneous. VERDICT A complex and intriguing fantasy that is sure to be popular with teens.— Ness Shortley
GODS MEDDLE AND MAGIC WILL BETRAY YOU, BUT THIS TIME JUSTICE WILL REIGN. Terry J. Benton-Walker's contemporary fantasy debut, Blood Debts, is "an extravaganza from start to finish" (Chloe Gong) with powerful magical families, intergenerational curses, and deadly drama in New Orleans. A National Indie Bestseller. A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year. A Southern Book Prize Finalist. Featured on NPR Weekend Edition Sunday, Buzzfeed, BookPage, Nerd Daily, POPSUGAR, and more. "A conjuring of magnificence." --NIC STONE - "A force." --ROSEANNE A. BROWN - "An extravaganza." --CHLOE GONG - "Powerful." --AYANA GRAY - "Sings with hope and rage." --TJ KLUNE - "An unforgettable thrill ride." --J. ELLE - "Steeped in magic." --ALEXIS HENDERSON - "Crackles with mystery and ferocity." --MARK OSHIRO Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen. On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau--the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family--are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn't sick--she's cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next. Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction from his anger and pain. Even better than the random guys he hooks up with. Cristina and Clement used to be each other's most trusted confidant and friend, now they barely speak. But if they have any hope of discovering who is coming after their family, they'll have to find a way to trust each other and their family's magic, all while solving the decades-old murder that sparked the still-rising tensions between the city's magical and non-magical communities. And if they don't succeed, New Orleans may see another massacre. Or worse. "Riveting and relevant." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review
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