Blood Debts

By: Terry J. Benton-Walker

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Torian Brackett, Zeno Robinson

Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Long-listed, Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year, 2023

Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year 2023

This program features multicast narration.

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.

Most Anticipated from Buzzfeed, BookPage, Nerd Daily, and more. Featured on NPR Weekend Edition Sunday.

“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

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

©2023 Terry J. Benton-Walker (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Fully charged with magic and mystery. Blood Debts is an extravaganza from start to finish, weaving age-old family history alongside the tender feelings of new love. Terry J. Benton-Walker will have you breathless by the end.”—Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

"Benton-Walker has crafted a narrative that moves as swiftly and, at times, as devastatingly as a forest fire. Blood Debts sings with hope and barely disguised rage. Fantastic from start to finish."—TJ Klune, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea

"The intricately woven threads of magic, intergenerational trauma, and well-placed social commentary make it impossible to ignore or deny one very simple truth: even those perceived as the-least-of-these are deserving of true justice."—Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin

Patiently waiting

Secrets on secrets on secrets!!! Once those secrets are revealed, here comes some more. If you are age 40 & up and spent summers with your grandmother watching soap operas, you would love this. I thought this was a magical version of The Young and the Restless. And I loved every bit of it. I loved watching the family put aside their differences and come together for a common goal….justice! I really hope there’s a book 2 in the works. This goes on my list of books that should be movies. It’s just that good.

Perfect balance of magic and horror

This book is so very good!! I cannot wait to read the second.
Do note that there are some parts that are just creepy as hell

Wow!

Blood Debts is a wild ride! If family drama and court intrigue is your interest, this book is for you.

Fantastic

Amazing magic wonder that will keep
You turning the pages! I can’t wait until Blood justice release

A true performance

Bahni AND Joniece narrating together?! It’s like Blood Debts was written with them in mind. Highly recommend, the story and the performance are amazing. Can’t wait for the next installment

An INCREDIBLE book!

This book has been on my TBR since I heard about because it was by a black author, focused on black main characters, and was a fantasy. The amount of detail Terry put into this book made it MORE enjoyable that I could have ever imagined. I have a physical copy of this book, but wanted to get the audiobook so I could listen while I was working. This story, the characters, and the arcs that everyone went through was so beautifully executed. I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and spiritual element. And that cliff hanger at the end makes me super excited to see what may happen next for the characters!

Welcome to Chaos & Order

What an epic journey through the world of magic set against the backdrop of the Big Easy. It is an exciting and immersive experience, with each chapter drawing you deeper into the storyline. The contrasting elements of chaos and order, as well as the diverse characters, add depth and complexity to the narrative. It is the perfect blend of fantasy and reality, where the reader becomes an active participant in the unfolding events.

Solid Debut

This book was incredible. The characters, the world, the lore, the mystery. I was hooked from the beginning and I loved the audiobook and voice acting. Can’t wait to listen to the sequel.

Love the performance!

An incredible fantasy debut! I love the twins and their magic. The feelings that teens have incorporated with the family drama is so realistic! I love the New Orleans scene and amazing descriptions, I feel like I am there in real time. The feud from the powerful families is superb. Great cliffhanger. I cannot wait to read the second book!

Truly an original masterpiece

I loved this story. The world building was incredible and achieved the balance of uniqueness while still feeling familiar and relatable. The story was captivating. The voice actors were excellent.

I already have book two and I’m eager to start.