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Blood Debts #2
Blood Justice
Cristina and Clement Trudeau have conjured the impossible: justice.
They took back their family’s stolen throne to lead New Orleans’ magical community into the brighter future they all deserve.
But when Cris and Clem restored their family power, Valentina Savant lost everything. Her beloved grandparents are gone and her sovereignty has been revoked—she will never be Queen. Unless, of course, someone dethrones the Trudeaus again. And lucky for her, she’s not the only one trying to take them down.
Cris and Clem have enemies coming at them from all directions: Hateful anti-magic protesters sabotage their reign at every turn. A ruthless detective with a personal vendetta against magical crime is hot on their tail just as Cris has discovered her thirst for revenge. And a brutal god, hunting from the shadows, is summoned by the very power Clem needs to protect the boy he loves.
Cris’s hunger for vengeance and Clem’s desire for love could prove to be their family’s downfall, all while new murders, shocking disappearances, and impossible alliances are changing the game forever.
Welcome back to New Orleans, where gods walk among us and justice isn’t served, it’s taken.
They took back their family’s stolen throne to lead New Orleans’ magical community into the brighter future they all deserve.
But when Cris and Clem restored their family power, Valentina Savant lost everything. Her beloved grandparents are gone and her sovereignty has been revoked—she will never be Queen. Unless, of course, someone dethrones the Trudeaus again. And lucky for her, she’s not the only one trying to take them down.
Cris and Clem have enemies coming at them from all directions: Hateful anti-magic protesters sabotage their reign at every turn. A ruthless detective with a personal vendetta against magical crime is hot on their tail just as Cris has discovered her thirst for revenge. And a brutal god, hunting from the shadows, is summoned by the very power Clem needs to protect the boy he loves.
Cris’s hunger for vengeance and Clem’s desire for love could prove to be their family’s downfall, all while new murders, shocking disappearances, and impossible alliances are changing the game forever.
Welcome back to New Orleans, where gods walk among us and justice isn’t served, it’s taken.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2024
108 people are currently reading
6175 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
April 3, 2024
Well based on that ending, this better not be a duology because DAMN.
November 25, 2023
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
seriously though? This book was a MASSIVE swing. Game of Thrones Level schemes. HUGE SWING. And the author nailed it.
Please please please. Take this strangers plea and try this series. You won’t regret it. Promise.
seriously though? This book was a MASSIVE swing. Game of Thrones Level schemes. HUGE SWING. And the author nailed it.
Please please please. Take this strangers plea and try this series. You won’t regret it. Promise.
March 29, 2024
I really liked Blood Debts and was excited for the sequel, which was also very good. I do think it's got some pacing issues and drags a bit towards the early part of the book, but things definitely pick up and there is a LOT that happens. It gives me dark CW teen drama vibes, with this book focusing even more on revenge, the price of using certain kinds of magic, injustice, and the fallout of murder.
The series is set in a magical version of contemporary New Orleans, following a cast of characters from powerful magic families including a brother and sister. It's book 2 so I don't want to spoil things, but it offers a good balance between action and blood-soaked vengeance, and quieter character moments that fit it being a YA novel. If you liked book 1, you should for sure pick up book 2. Just note that it ends with some resolution, but also a bit of a cliffhanger! The audio narration is excellent with a full cast and different voices for each of the perspectives. I received an audio copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
The series is set in a magical version of contemporary New Orleans, following a cast of characters from powerful magic families including a brother and sister. It's book 2 so I don't want to spoil things, but it offers a good balance between action and blood-soaked vengeance, and quieter character moments that fit it being a YA novel. If you liked book 1, you should for sure pick up book 2. Just note that it ends with some resolution, but also a bit of a cliffhanger! The audio narration is excellent with a full cast and different voices for each of the perspectives. I received an audio copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
November 9, 2023
Shout out to Terry for being not only an amazing person but an amazing storyteller. I can’t get enough of this book and this series. The cliffhangers at the end! You’re killing me! Also yes I was satisfied with the deaths 😂
The murder, mayhem, and chaos had my head spinning. I was warned it would be crazy and I was not disappointed. My heart was pounding like crazy. You will NOT be bored because once you think you got it figured out BAM something is thrown in there you never saw coming. Not only does this book deal with anger and how to deal with it in a healthy and productive way, we see other productive lessons as well. We get compassionate looks at inmates and those who are incarcerated as well as those who are unhoused. If you’re worried about forgetting about what happened in book 1, don’t be. The story is written in a way where even after a year all my memories came back to me from the previous book
The Dupart family are the messiest family in existence. Not only do they run the show, but they have their hands in almost every other family involved somehow. Truly a soap opera. Cris and Clem remain my soul children. I identified with Cris and her anger a lot here. I saw a lot of myself. Both Cris & Clem are dealing with things that happened in the last book that haven’t changed in the past few months. I was surprised they were even going to school. Like how could you focus with all that baggage?! Murders, disappearances, creepy shadow Gods, shifty ex best friends, and power hungry magic users are just some of the things these 2 have thrown at them. Clem & Yves we’re so so cute. Like ugh. That scene with prom had me wanting to cry. Clem obviously loved his boy to death and back. Valentina. Miss delulu herself. I go back and forth with her but this book is where she showed how much of a snake she is and I can not forgiven her. I won’t spoil it cause I’m reading hella early but do not miss out on this!!! I just can’t get over how much I loved this. I’ll be obsessively talking about it till the book comes out and then for years after. YA needs more powerful voices like these. Im so proud of Terry and everything he’s done and everything he will do.
The murder, mayhem, and chaos had my head spinning. I was warned it would be crazy and I was not disappointed. My heart was pounding like crazy. You will NOT be bored because once you think you got it figured out BAM something is thrown in there you never saw coming. Not only does this book deal with anger and how to deal with it in a healthy and productive way, we see other productive lessons as well. We get compassionate looks at inmates and those who are incarcerated as well as those who are unhoused. If you’re worried about forgetting about what happened in book 1, don’t be. The story is written in a way where even after a year all my memories came back to me from the previous book
The Dupart family are the messiest family in existence. Not only do they run the show, but they have their hands in almost every other family involved somehow. Truly a soap opera. Cris and Clem remain my soul children. I identified with Cris and her anger a lot here. I saw a lot of myself. Both Cris & Clem are dealing with things that happened in the last book that haven’t changed in the past few months. I was surprised they were even going to school. Like how could you focus with all that baggage?! Murders, disappearances, creepy shadow Gods, shifty ex best friends, and power hungry magic users are just some of the things these 2 have thrown at them. Clem & Yves we’re so so cute. Like ugh. That scene with prom had me wanting to cry. Clem obviously loved his boy to death and back. Valentina. Miss delulu herself. I go back and forth with her but this book is where she showed how much of a snake she is and I can not forgiven her. I won’t spoil it cause I’m reading hella early but do not miss out on this!!! I just can’t get over how much I loved this. I’ll be obsessively talking about it till the book comes out and then for years after. YA needs more powerful voices like these. Im so proud of Terry and everything he’s done and everything he will do.
April 24, 2024
Blood Justice took me on such a crazy journey! It’s been a while since I read Blood Debts, but I feel the author did a great job integrating the past details with this book that all the previous details came back to me so easily. The secrets, plot twists, and “justice” ran rampant throughout the story. The things the characters did for said “justice”, the ones they loved, and their family was admirable but also concerning. I think the characters were impulsive but I also think with their age, it made sense for them to react with their feelings. I couldn’t stop reading because I didn’t want to miss a detail. The final 10% of the book literally had my heart racing!! The way Clement and Cristina were so in sync for majority of the story, the new wrinkle in their relationship will be interesting. Like who can *eye* trust?!Awesome job on this one!
October 23, 2023
Blood Justice is a whirlwind of a sequel that deconstructs Black anger, grief, and pain and allows readers to either understand or genuinely validate their own experiences.
There’s a lot here that Terry masterfully weaves together to create such a dark and vexatious return to this series. The more concise perspectives between Cris and Clem help keep the narrative between them so much more focused than Terry's debut, while also showing how they're living with the consequences that spawned from its ending.
Valentina rising as a true antagonist was delightful to read about as she's equally a victim, a victor, and a villain in all of the worst and best ways. She's shown to be emotional, yet constantly competent, threatening, and witty whenever the situation calls for her to be. Behind her malice towards the Savants, I know there's regret, understanding, and a refusal to accept that her family history is filled with blood and deception.
With key side characters taking a back seat in this installment, we get to stay in the heads of our protagonists longer, which greatly helps to strengthen how we perceive their strengths and weaknesses. Clem is an academic unit, but extremely anxious and overwhelmed. Cris is angry, lost, and seeks guidance from powers she knows far too little of.
Both have lacked a childhood full of love, acceptance, and the grace to make mistakes and grow like so many other Black kids, but when the world is literally on their shoulders, their actions weigh more than they can grasp in those heated moments.
I await to see how Terry builds off of such a story with future installments and brings this wide cast of characters together…or apart, but one thing is for certain and it's that things from this point won't ever be the same.
There’s a lot here that Terry masterfully weaves together to create such a dark and vexatious return to this series. The more concise perspectives between Cris and Clem help keep the narrative between them so much more focused than Terry's debut, while also showing how they're living with the consequences that spawned from its ending.
Valentina rising as a true antagonist was delightful to read about as she's equally a victim, a victor, and a villain in all of the worst and best ways. She's shown to be emotional, yet constantly competent, threatening, and witty whenever the situation calls for her to be. Behind her malice towards the Savants, I know there's regret, understanding, and a refusal to accept that her family history is filled with blood and deception.
With key side characters taking a back seat in this installment, we get to stay in the heads of our protagonists longer, which greatly helps to strengthen how we perceive their strengths and weaknesses. Clem is an academic unit, but extremely anxious and overwhelmed. Cris is angry, lost, and seeks guidance from powers she knows far too little of.
Both have lacked a childhood full of love, acceptance, and the grace to make mistakes and grow like so many other Black kids, but when the world is literally on their shoulders, their actions weigh more than they can grasp in those heated moments.
I await to see how Terry builds off of such a story with future installments and brings this wide cast of characters together…or apart, but one thing is for certain and it's that things from this point won't ever be the same.
May 7, 2024
Thanks to Terry J. Benton-Walker and Tor Publishing Group for sending me an ARC to one of my most awaited sequels! Blood Debts was a wild ride, so I was extremely delighted to read this.
“Systems created by corrupt leaders cannot be reformed. But they can’t be ignored either because they won’t allow us to exist in peace and harmony without their interference. It’s stifling… and suffocating… and… hopeless. And I’ve had it.”
We’re back in New Orleans! Blood Justice is officially out on April 23rd, and it’s as insane as the first one. Set nine months after the tragedy on the Montaigne Majestic that killed Lenora and Felix Savant, Valentina is left to deal with her grandparents’ demise while Cris and Clement are faced with new enemies that could threaten their future on the Gen Council. This book is madness come to life, with betrayal and lies slowly resurfacing from the past, spun within the elements of a profoundly unique magic system more emphasized than before. This New Adult Fantasy book that follows the story of Blood Debts intimately discusses white supremacy, racism, and is a brutal and honest take on how prejudice continues to oppress POC and queer communities. The storytelling is both hilariously dark and uncanny, with lots of unpredictable twists.
I would 100% recommend this! The pacing of this book will make you feel a bit dragged as this was unexpectedly a long read, but Terry’s writing has significantly improved, and is so much easier to follow. If you’re looking for badass and queer Black characters who can’t be bothered to fuck with a moral compass, then Blood Justice is for you!
“Systems created by corrupt leaders cannot be reformed. But they can’t be ignored either because they won’t allow us to exist in peace and harmony without their interference. It’s stifling… and suffocating… and… hopeless. And I’ve had it.”
We’re back in New Orleans! Blood Justice is officially out on April 23rd, and it’s as insane as the first one. Set nine months after the tragedy on the Montaigne Majestic that killed Lenora and Felix Savant, Valentina is left to deal with her grandparents’ demise while Cris and Clement are faced with new enemies that could threaten their future on the Gen Council. This book is madness come to life, with betrayal and lies slowly resurfacing from the past, spun within the elements of a profoundly unique magic system more emphasized than before. This New Adult Fantasy book that follows the story of Blood Debts intimately discusses white supremacy, racism, and is a brutal and honest take on how prejudice continues to oppress POC and queer communities. The storytelling is both hilariously dark and uncanny, with lots of unpredictable twists.
I would 100% recommend this! The pacing of this book will make you feel a bit dragged as this was unexpectedly a long read, but Terry’s writing has significantly improved, and is so much easier to follow. If you’re looking for badass and queer Black characters who can’t be bothered to fuck with a moral compass, then Blood Justice is for you!
June 7, 2025
What the heck was that ending and where is book 3?!! I need to know Terry where's book 3! This was so good and so hard to put down. So happy I read it in pride month too!!(:
March 30, 2024
2024 reads: 79/250
2024 tbr: 41/250
i received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
in this sequel to blood debts, we follow cris and clem as they encounter enemies at every turn and valentina as she’s determined to take back her sovereignty.
i adored blood debts when i read it last year, so i was highly anticipating this book! i liked how many points of view we got, and i think it was balanced well with the twins still being at the forefront and the other points of view being woven in. i loved seeing clem and cris’s character growth and i can’t wait to see where the next book takes them!
2024 tbr: 41/250
i received an advanced review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
in this sequel to blood debts, we follow cris and clem as they encounter enemies at every turn and valentina as she’s determined to take back her sovereignty.
i adored blood debts when i read it last year, so i was highly anticipating this book! i liked how many points of view we got, and i think it was balanced well with the twins still being at the forefront and the other points of view being woven in. i loved seeing clem and cris’s character growth and i can’t wait to see where the next book takes them!
March 31, 2024
Got an arc from Libro.FM
MR BENTON-WALKER MY THERAPIST WILL KNOW YOUR NAME
Okay wow, this was good. A satisfying sequel in that it wrapped up loose ends from the first book but it makes you work for it and sets up new mysteries to unravel and monsters to fight. I thought this was a duology so imagine my surprise at that ending, holy shit
MR BENTON-WALKER MY THERAPIST WILL KNOW YOUR NAME
Okay wow, this was good. A satisfying sequel in that it wrapped up loose ends from the first book but it makes you work for it and sets up new mysteries to unravel and monsters to fight. I thought this was a duology so imagine my surprise at that ending, holy shit
August 30, 2024
5 stars cause f* it , off the strength that this kept me hooked the whole time. Murder mystery, magic & drama. I love that each character has faults like they are not infallible and I was pissed with all of em at least once but it was so great 😭 it’s not perfect, it has its issues but this was a time! Can’t wait for the end 😥😭 cause STRESS is an understatement!
April 23, 2024
I got an arc from NetGalley! This was the best YA book I’ve read all year. It was dark and gritty, filled with more mystery and revenge. The scheming was god tier. Cris was truly standing on business, fuel with rage, getting revenge on all those who wronged her and her family. Clem still dealing with the loss of Yves, Valentina dealing with the grief of everything being striped from her. There were so many moving parts. The kids are all working to figure out who’s been murdering people all over town. I need the next book immediately!
March 20, 2024
"Murder can be righteous when done in the name of blood justice."
This book is such a great book, one that touches on anger, pain, grief, revenge, family, rivalry, honor, discrimination, strength, and love, all the while incorporating magic which I loved so darn much! There are quite a few characters and povs in this story, which can make it difficult to follow at times, but it did add dimension to the story.
Cristina and her twin brother Clement Trudeau have taken back their family's throne and in the midst of doing so have gained many enemies.. many people have done them wrong. Cristina is tired of the injustice and is determined to make everyone who has caused her pain pay. She is out to seek blood justice. Meanwhile her brother, Clement, is just trying to hang onto the boy who he loves the most- Yves. Yves was fatally shot and killed one night and Clement went through great extents to bring him back, although he has only succeeded halfway. There's a lot of deceit in this story, dealing with grief and the anger that comes with it, vengeance, malicious gods, an upcoming spiritual war, moon magic, dark magic, and severed grandma heads! This book is GOOD.
And the cliffhangers (multiple).. ! I am already on the edge of my seat, anticipating Terry J. Benson-Walker's next book!
Thank you NetGalley and Terry J. Benson-Walker for this incredible ARC!
This book is such a great book, one that touches on anger, pain, grief, revenge, family, rivalry, honor, discrimination, strength, and love, all the while incorporating magic which I loved so darn much! There are quite a few characters and povs in this story, which can make it difficult to follow at times, but it did add dimension to the story.
Cristina and her twin brother Clement Trudeau have taken back their family's throne and in the midst of doing so have gained many enemies.. many people have done them wrong. Cristina is tired of the injustice and is determined to make everyone who has caused her pain pay. She is out to seek blood justice. Meanwhile her brother, Clement, is just trying to hang onto the boy who he loves the most- Yves. Yves was fatally shot and killed one night and Clement went through great extents to bring him back, although he has only succeeded halfway. There's a lot of deceit in this story, dealing with grief and the anger that comes with it, vengeance, malicious gods, an upcoming spiritual war, moon magic, dark magic, and severed grandma heads! This book is GOOD.
And the cliffhangers (multiple).. ! I am already on the edge of my seat, anticipating Terry J. Benson-Walker's next book!
Thank you NetGalley and Terry J. Benson-Walker for this incredible ARC!
March 23, 2024
*Loved it so much! Full review forthcoming.*
I received an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
If there were more stars available I would’ve given them to this book. I loved it from dedication to epilogue, it was that good! The writing, the narrators (I received the audio version), the growth from book one to now 🤌🏾 chef’s kiss!
We pick up just where Blood Debts left off and I was reeled right on in from the jump! I wanted to stay up all night and finish it but #adulting was in the way. Regardless, I was hooked on every word. The experiences, choices, regrets, and affirmations of these characters really spoke to me. I recognized their rage, I felt their pain, and I understood their choices “right or wrong”. These youths were giving “when they go low we going gutter” vibes, and I was with them! 😏🤭
I don’t know how best to say it, so I’ll just say again that I loved it and it’ll be hard to knock this one out of my ‘Best of the Year’ category! Go preorder it NOW!
I received an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
If there were more stars available I would’ve given them to this book. I loved it from dedication to epilogue, it was that good! The writing, the narrators (I received the audio version), the growth from book one to now 🤌🏾 chef’s kiss!
We pick up just where Blood Debts left off and I was reeled right on in from the jump! I wanted to stay up all night and finish it but #adulting was in the way. Regardless, I was hooked on every word. The experiences, choices, regrets, and affirmations of these characters really spoke to me. I recognized their rage, I felt their pain, and I understood their choices “right or wrong”. These youths were giving “when they go low we going gutter” vibes, and I was with them! 😏🤭
I don’t know how best to say it, so I’ll just say again that I loved it and it’ll be hard to knock this one out of my ‘Best of the Year’ category! Go preorder it NOW!
April 24, 2024
Blood Debts was a five star read for me in 2023. I was absolutely enthralled with the world building, the political intrigue, the diversity of the characters, and the commentary on social justice and cultural heritage.So I couldn’t wait to read Blood Justice; however, this sequel fell really short of every standard its predecessor set and it made me so sad.
The world building was mostly done in Blood Debts, but it’s nicely expanded on just the right amount in this book. We get a bit of a deeper dive into some of the supporting characters in the overall storyline too, which is always nice (and Benton-Walker manages to do this without taking away necessary page time from our trio of main characters, which is no mean feat).
Where I ran into some issues was with the political intrigue, which went from genuinely compelling in Blood Debts to feeling a bit closer to something out of a teen drama in this book, and with the pacing of this book. Act one of this book moves so slowly it’s hard to engage with this book at all at first. In act two, a lot of the scenes start to feel repetitive and the book starts to feel like it’s walking in circles. By the time you’re in the middle in the third act, you realize the book is out of surprises and the book has definitely gone on too long.
It’s not that I don’t love this series. I do. It’s a wonderful story that doesn’t pull punches and has a great deal of diversity. It has a lot to say and Benton-Walker has a great way of saying it. This sequel didn’t do the story, as a whole, any favors.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Because of the three star or lower rating this review will not be appearing on my social media.Thank you.
File Under: LGBTQ Fantasy/Urban Fantasy/Book Series/YA FantasyYA Fiction
The world building was mostly done in Blood Debts, but it’s nicely expanded on just the right amount in this book. We get a bit of a deeper dive into some of the supporting characters in the overall storyline too, which is always nice (and Benton-Walker manages to do this without taking away necessary page time from our trio of main characters, which is no mean feat).
Where I ran into some issues was with the political intrigue, which went from genuinely compelling in Blood Debts to feeling a bit closer to something out of a teen drama in this book, and with the pacing of this book. Act one of this book moves so slowly it’s hard to engage with this book at all at first. In act two, a lot of the scenes start to feel repetitive and the book starts to feel like it’s walking in circles. By the time you’re in the middle in the third act, you realize the book is out of surprises and the book has definitely gone on too long.
It’s not that I don’t love this series. I do. It’s a wonderful story that doesn’t pull punches and has a great deal of diversity. It has a lot to say and Benton-Walker has a great way of saying it. This sequel didn’t do the story, as a whole, any favors.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Because of the three star or lower rating this review will not be appearing on my social media.Thank you.
File Under: LGBTQ Fantasy/Urban Fantasy/Book Series/YA FantasyYA Fiction
August 31, 2024
For me, this is far worse than the first book.
None of the characters were likable in any way in the sequel. Cristina was pure selfish evil, and made excuses for herself the entire time. Clement plays martyr despite the choices he made being his alone. And he is a liar, just like his sister. Though let's be real, the entire family is as well, so no wonder where they got it from.
Desiree may not be a good person but she was 100% correct - the entire family is toxic.
I feel bad for everyone who got involved with them along the way because they have only suffered pain.
Cristina and Clement faced almost no consequences for their actions. They both walked away facing far less than they should have, which was infuriating.
This book sets up for another sequel, but I'm tired of this family and the rest of the problem makers. They are absolutely exhausting with their hate, lies, violence, revenge, betrayal, selfishness, and everything else.
Even their so called fight for their culture and community rings hollow when they are back-stabbing each other with every other breath. You CANNOT build anything that way.
I cannot think of any other books I've read that have been so negatively draining as these two. I put off finishing Blood Justice for weeks due to this.
There are no redemption arcs that can be written for these characters. There are no happy endings. This is a toxic story where the only suitable conclusion is for this entire family just to be gone for good. Take the Savants and Beaumonts with them as well. That's the only way the community around them can heal.
Good riddance to them all.
None of the characters were likable in any way in the sequel. Cristina was pure selfish evil, and made excuses for herself the entire time. Clement plays martyr despite the choices he made being his alone. And he is a liar, just like his sister. Though let's be real, the entire family is as well, so no wonder where they got it from.
Desiree may not be a good person but she was 100% correct - the entire family is toxic.
I feel bad for everyone who got involved with them along the way because they have only suffered pain.
Cristina and Clement faced almost no consequences for their actions. They both walked away facing far less than they should have, which was infuriating.
This book sets up for another sequel, but I'm tired of this family and the rest of the problem makers. They are absolutely exhausting with their hate, lies, violence, revenge, betrayal, selfishness, and everything else.
Even their so called fight for their culture and community rings hollow when they are back-stabbing each other with every other breath. You CANNOT build anything that way.
I cannot think of any other books I've read that have been so negatively draining as these two. I put off finishing Blood Justice for weeks due to this.
There are no redemption arcs that can be written for these characters. There are no happy endings. This is a toxic story where the only suitable conclusion is for this entire family just to be gone for good. Take the Savants and Beaumonts with them as well. That's the only way the community around them can heal.
Good riddance to them all.
March 6, 2024
I received an advanced copy from the author and like blood Debts, this book did not disappoint. I read a combination of the audio and physical copies.
I appreciate an author that takes the time to research magical connection of people of color. I am in awe of his ability to place you in the story and feel the emotions of the characters. The theme of this book is rage. You’ve been warned!
I appreciate an author that takes the time to research magical connection of people of color. I am in awe of his ability to place you in the story and feel the emotions of the characters. The theme of this book is rage. You’ve been warned!
February 18, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Blood Justice. Thank you to Terry for doing the damn thing again!!
This book was….INSANE and had me hooked the entire time (as did Blood Debts!) Terry is one of the best authors/storytellers I’ve come across. Blood Justice surpassed my expectations, I cannot wait for more books to follow! I love the intensity of the storyline, the multiple perspectives and of course, the twin MC’s. If you love those badass, magical, family over everything, YA Fantasy stories that take place in New Orleans, baby this is for YOU!
This book was….INSANE and had me hooked the entire time (as did Blood Debts!) Terry is one of the best authors/storytellers I’ve come across. Blood Justice surpassed my expectations, I cannot wait for more books to follow! I love the intensity of the storyline, the multiple perspectives and of course, the twin MC’s. If you love those badass, magical, family over everything, YA Fantasy stories that take place in New Orleans, baby this is for YOU!
April 26, 2024
He’s done it again! I love this follow up to Blood Debts. It touches on everything from pain and anger to unconditional love and back again. The fact that Terry J. Benton-Walker can make you feel the emotions of rage and sorrow that are written in words on these pages is a testament to his strength and growth as a writer.
In the background is the beautiful, historic city of New Orleans that adds to the overall essence of Blood Justice. The drama is never ending and the magical elements kick it up an additional notch.
I cannot wait for book 3! I love this series!!
In the background is the beautiful, historic city of New Orleans that adds to the overall essence of Blood Justice. The drama is never ending and the magical elements kick it up an additional notch.
I cannot wait for book 3! I love this series!!
May 1, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
Wow this was just as good as the first and that ending!! I need book 3 NOW 😂👏🏾
Wow this was just as good as the first and that ending!! I need book 3 NOW 😂👏🏾
August 8, 2024
This was a solid sequel! Initially, I had a hard time remembering some of the characters and their motives from book one. It also dragged in some places where I found myself skimming. I did feel that there was a bit too much going on, especially near the end. Also, liked that we got more Valentina in this book because she’s a fav. Overall, Blood Justice was full of rage, trauma and grief and for the most part I enjoyed it!
August 25, 2024
This book is the first book that I've completed since my book/reading slump of 2 months now. Sad to say that certain characters ambitions to power, held moments of conniving and pettiness which held my attention if only to see first if they would have a redemption arc and then to see them fall to ruins. It was well written; I'm not a fan of curse words, and it was riddled with them, but all in all, it was an interesting story, and I'll be patiently awaiting book 3.
April 5, 2024
•Magical New Orleans
•Witches
•YA
4.5 ⭐️
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If judging a book by its cover was a person. It's me! This cover is beautiful 😍.
Blood Justice is the sequel to Terry J. Benton-Walker debut book Blood Debts.
Holy gosh, the narrators did a phenomenal job! This is a good example of how an audiobook should be done when there are more than two POV's, the different narrators for the different characters! LOVE IT!
The representation of this book, oh my, oh my! It's delicious 😋. It deconstructs African Americans generation curses, anger, grief, suppression, and pain and gives US readers a different outcome. And I am here for it!
This book ends with a semi
Enough, I highly recommend this book.
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♡ Audiobook Review ♡
♤ Release April.23 ♤
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Thank you, Netgalley, and MacmillanAudio for this ALC (audiobook) for my honest review.
•Witches
•YA
4.5 ⭐️
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If judging a book by its cover was a person. It's me! This cover is beautiful 😍.
Blood Justice is the sequel to Terry J. Benton-Walker debut book Blood Debts.
Holy gosh, the narrators did a phenomenal job! This is a good example of how an audiobook should be done when there are more than two POV's, the different narrators for the different characters! LOVE IT!
The representation of this book, oh my, oh my! It's delicious 😋. It deconstructs African Americans generation curses, anger, grief, suppression, and pain and gives US readers a different outcome. And I am here for it!
This book ends with a semi
Enough, I highly recommend this book.
-
♡ Audiobook Review ♡
♤ Release April.23 ♤
-
Thank you, Netgalley, and MacmillanAudio for this ALC (audiobook) for my honest review.
March 14, 2024
This audiobook was made available to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has multiple narrators for the multiple POV characters/chapters. I like this because this world is complicated, and this makes it easier to keep track of who is who and who said what. Plus, this has one of my favorite narrators, Bahni Turpin. There's also little musical jingles at the start of the book between sections and, at the end of the book, delightful ragtime/jazz horns.
This is a young adult fantasy novel with a magic system based somewhat on Black culture set in and around New Orleans, Louisiana. The magic system features, in part, a blend of Conjure, Hoodoo, and other African Traditional Religions; including a version of the Crossroads Man/Papa Eshu. Magic flows from the moon and sun to practitioners. With white Mages & Warlocks using the less powerful Light Magic from the sun and Black & Brown Mages using the most powerful moon magic via Generational Magic. Between the two powers sits, Shadow Magic, which is practiced by Vamps. White folks have lesser magical ability but control how all magic and magical users are legislated.
This is a tale of multiple families with a long, complicated, and political history. The important players are: The Vincent Family comprised of siblings Xavier & Aurora. The Beaumont Family comprised of Evelin (Reverend Mother of the Temple of Blood) & Benjamin (mayor) parents of Sophia. The Delacorte-Strayer Family comprised of Bradley & Heather (Delacorte) Strayer parents of Benjamin & Oswald. As well as Madeline Delacorte (cardinal white mage).
The Savant Family comprised of Arturo & Gabriela (Rosier), parents of Valentina. The Dupart-Trudeau Family comprised of Ursula, Desiree, Jacquelyn, & Rosalie Dupart, the younger sisters of Marie (Dupart) Trudeau (current Queen of the Gen Council) mother of twins Clement & Cristina.
This novel has #LGBTQA+ characters and fearures non-biased representation. This story deals with the themes of justice denied and power imbalance in society and its various communities.
This book is action packed and picks right up where the first novel left off. As this is such a complicated and complex story, I'd highly recommend reading the first book in this series before this novel. If you don't want to or can't, it's OK to start with this novel as much of the action from the first novel is explained eventually in this story. The magical system is further expanded in amazing ways in this novel. Cristina, Clement, and Valentina each grow along their path and develop as they are tested by the demands of their respective choices. This tells a complete story but also sets up the next and future volumes in this series. I can not wait to read book 3!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read/listen to and review this novel. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.
This is a young adult fantasy novel with a magic system based somewhat on Black culture set in and around New Orleans, Louisiana. The magic system features, in part, a blend of Conjure, Hoodoo, and other African Traditional Religions; including a version of the Crossroads Man/Papa Eshu. Magic flows from the moon and sun to practitioners. With white Mages & Warlocks using the less powerful Light Magic from the sun and Black & Brown Mages using the most powerful moon magic via Generational Magic. Between the two powers sits, Shadow Magic, which is practiced by Vamps. White folks have lesser magical ability but control how all magic and magical users are legislated.
This is a tale of multiple families with a long, complicated, and political history. The important players are: The Vincent Family comprised of siblings Xavier & Aurora. The Beaumont Family comprised of Evelin (Reverend Mother of the Temple of Blood) & Benjamin (mayor) parents of Sophia. The Delacorte-Strayer Family comprised of Bradley & Heather (Delacorte) Strayer parents of Benjamin & Oswald. As well as Madeline Delacorte (cardinal white mage).
The Savant Family comprised of Arturo & Gabriela (Rosier), parents of Valentina. The Dupart-Trudeau Family comprised of Ursula, Desiree, Jacquelyn, & Rosalie Dupart, the younger sisters of Marie (Dupart) Trudeau (current Queen of the Gen Council) mother of twins Clement & Cristina.
This novel has #LGBTQA+ characters and fearures non-biased representation. This story deals with the themes of justice denied and power imbalance in society and its various communities.
This book is action packed and picks right up where the first novel left off. As this is such a complicated and complex story, I'd highly recommend reading the first book in this series before this novel. If you don't want to or can't, it's OK to start with this novel as much of the action from the first novel is explained eventually in this story. The magical system is further expanded in amazing ways in this novel. Cristina, Clement, and Valentina each grow along their path and develop as they are tested by the demands of their respective choices. This tells a complete story but also sets up the next and future volumes in this series. I can not wait to read book 3!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read/listen to and review this novel. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.
April 24, 2024
Blood Justice is the epitome of everything by I love in a sequel and I can't imagine a more perfect follow-up to Blood Debts. Since the first book set the stage so well, this story gets to be bolder and wilder. This allows the series to mature from its brilliant introduction and ups the ante in so many ways. We get dive deeper into complex magical politics and power dynamics, and begin to unravel the finely woven webs of deceit that have set up complex feuds and risky alliances aplenty.
The narrative voice is just as rich and addictive as the first instalment, but like the characters in the story, it grows in power. Be it Clem's desperate struggle to cling to the raggedy edge of hope as grief and anxiety threaten to drag him down, or Cristina's journey of righteous fury and justice (less a matter of balancing scales, more like balancing on a knife edge) threatening to careen off the rails, it's impossible to look away as the tension builds on a rampage right through the climax. Honestly, I'm dying for a TV adaptation of this so I get ALL the extra hours to feast on the layers of tension and drama.
The characters are lovingly crafted and create a cast that's fascinating and diverse. Petty squabbles and deep seated spite contrasts with iron clad loyalty and love so strong that despite the massive events throughout (of which there are plenty) this remains a character driven story. It's not only Clem and Cris, either. Every character has motives and intricacy (Valentina may be one of my favourites if only for how dogmatically she believes in herself, making her ruthless determination almost car-crash intensity reading), to the point where it's not just character driven but almost a character study at times, and a love letter to marginalised identities that feel present, powerful, and divine.
Speaking of divine...the Gods are lurking with that thrum of engimatic promise and threat that makes me both want to see more of them in the future but scared at the same time. The magic, from mystical moon-beams to fetid, roiling necromancy, is beautifully (or horribly...in a good way) described. Ripe with imagination and incredibly visual, it's an absolute treat that is used with perfect balance to not really solve problems but make everything even more exciting and complicated.
Everything comes together perfectly thanks to uncanny pacing throughout, with each thread of plot tugging on two or three others to reveal complex and ever escalating peril and drama that weaves around before coming to a head. The story-telling is smooth and fluid, carrying us through the rapids at just the right pace to gasp with excitement and catch glimpses of what might be coming next. I can't wait to see where this goes, but at the same time things are only getting more deadly, and I never want it to end.
The narrative voice is just as rich and addictive as the first instalment, but like the characters in the story, it grows in power. Be it Clem's desperate struggle to cling to the raggedy edge of hope as grief and anxiety threaten to drag him down, or Cristina's journey of righteous fury and justice (less a matter of balancing scales, more like balancing on a knife edge) threatening to careen off the rails, it's impossible to look away as the tension builds on a rampage right through the climax. Honestly, I'm dying for a TV adaptation of this so I get ALL the extra hours to feast on the layers of tension and drama.
The characters are lovingly crafted and create a cast that's fascinating and diverse. Petty squabbles and deep seated spite contrasts with iron clad loyalty and love so strong that despite the massive events throughout (of which there are plenty) this remains a character driven story. It's not only Clem and Cris, either. Every character has motives and intricacy (Valentina may be one of my favourites if only for how dogmatically she believes in herself, making her ruthless determination almost car-crash intensity reading), to the point where it's not just character driven but almost a character study at times, and a love letter to marginalised identities that feel present, powerful, and divine.
Speaking of divine...the Gods are lurking with that thrum of engimatic promise and threat that makes me both want to see more of them in the future but scared at the same time. The magic, from mystical moon-beams to fetid, roiling necromancy, is beautifully (or horribly...in a good way) described. Ripe with imagination and incredibly visual, it's an absolute treat that is used with perfect balance to not really solve problems but make everything even more exciting and complicated.
Everything comes together perfectly thanks to uncanny pacing throughout, with each thread of plot tugging on two or three others to reveal complex and ever escalating peril and drama that weaves around before coming to a head. The story-telling is smooth and fluid, carrying us through the rapids at just the right pace to gasp with excitement and catch glimpses of what might be coming next. I can't wait to see where this goes, but at the same time things are only getting more deadly, and I never want it to end.
February 28, 2024
I was given an early copy of this book for an honest review.
TLDR: I absolutely loved this book.
Let me start by saying I am biased because I loved Blood Debts so much and could not wait for the sequel. So I went into the book loving it. I am not really a fantasy girlie and I am definitely afraid of my shadow so horror is not for me. But somehow this author has become an auto-buy author for me. I have a physical ARC and an e-ARC but I just pre-ordered the finished copy.
For a new fantasy girlie like me, this book had A LOT of characters. I needed a list or something. But that’s normal for me because when I watched Game of Thrones I had to have my husband tell me a million times who people were because I kept forgetting LMBO. But what was cool about it was that it really reminded me of the format of a soap opera. By that I mean that there are several storylines with all of these different characters but each storyline is equally important and interconnected. And like soaps, there are favorite storylines that you want to get to and want more of (for me it’s always gonna be Clem). I am impressed that this author was able to so effectively fully develop so many characters. A soap opera has a lot of writers. This author did this alone. Wow!
My absolute favorite character is still Clem. I loved him in Blood Debts and really started to understand him more in this book. But the way Cris entered her villain era in this book has me singing Monica songs. Cris was giving that “kick down your door and smack your chick” energy. Cris was NOT with the $h!ts in this book and I love that for her. Now the necromancy stuff is out of my scope cuz now I’m in the sixth sense talking about I see dead people every time I go to sleep and I’m sure my husband is annoyed that I’m sleeping with the light on yet here we are.
And even after all that, I am still first in line for Book 3. In the meantime, this book is written perfectly for a series on television or a streaming service. Somebody needs to call Jordan Peele immediately.
SN: a book that can make me cry even if it wasn’t the author’s intent is an automatic 5 stars. It was probably a solid 4.5 and then something I really wanted to happen actually happened. Waterworks!!!!
TLDR: I absolutely loved this book.
Let me start by saying I am biased because I loved Blood Debts so much and could not wait for the sequel. So I went into the book loving it. I am not really a fantasy girlie and I am definitely afraid of my shadow so horror is not for me. But somehow this author has become an auto-buy author for me. I have a physical ARC and an e-ARC but I just pre-ordered the finished copy.
For a new fantasy girlie like me, this book had A LOT of characters. I needed a list or something. But that’s normal for me because when I watched Game of Thrones I had to have my husband tell me a million times who people were because I kept forgetting LMBO. But what was cool about it was that it really reminded me of the format of a soap opera. By that I mean that there are several storylines with all of these different characters but each storyline is equally important and interconnected. And like soaps, there are favorite storylines that you want to get to and want more of (for me it’s always gonna be Clem). I am impressed that this author was able to so effectively fully develop so many characters. A soap opera has a lot of writers. This author did this alone. Wow!
My absolute favorite character is still Clem. I loved him in Blood Debts and really started to understand him more in this book. But the way Cris entered her villain era in this book has me singing Monica songs. Cris was giving that “kick down your door and smack your chick” energy. Cris was NOT with the $h!ts in this book and I love that for her. Now the necromancy stuff is out of my scope cuz now I’m in the sixth sense talking about I see dead people every time I go to sleep and I’m sure my husband is annoyed that I’m sleeping with the light on yet here we are.
And even after all that, I am still first in line for Book 3. In the meantime, this book is written perfectly for a series on television or a streaming service. Somebody needs to call Jordan Peele immediately.
SN: a book that can make me cry even if it wasn’t the author’s intent is an automatic 5 stars. It was probably a solid 4.5 and then something I really wanted to happen actually happened. Waterworks!!!!
July 15, 2024
I’ve had mixed feelings on the Blood Debts series. Since I finished reading the first book, I’ve gone back and edited my rating (specifically on StoryGraph) to be a 3.75, but I still come back to the series whenever I can. I could attribute a lot of that to the drama, ballsy decisions made by each character, and a murder count that seems to only increase(yeah, this was definitely written by a GOT fan), but after reading two books and deciding to read I want to read the third one, too, I’m realizing I like them more than those initial surface-level reasons.
(And to those who saw my Blood Debts review, and read that I said that it sounded like Zachary’s narrator had a different mic, they fixed the audio this time!)
On the topic of POVs, they seemed to be structured better this time. I still think we could’ve done without Zachary’s POV, since it’s never been a huge part of the story and not only would we have arrived to the same conclusion about his dad but it would’ve been impactful only seeing Jack later on. But Valentina’s POV felt more necessary to her character instead of a reiteration of different plot points. She’s a messy, horrible person of course, but I liked seeing her reconcile with her mother, and the bits of her learning about her family history and heritage(and trying to connect with it). Damnit, why can’t she just try to be a normal teenager. She’s just HAS to manipulate an adult every Tuesday into giving her a one-up over Cris, huh.
Sofia was a character I wasn’t expecting to care about, but damn I kind of hope she has a couple POV chapters in the next book because she’s been wronged by both sides, and I don’t know how she’ll deal with that because she feels and processes anger a lot differently than Cris and Valentina do.
Coming back to anger, the way it was handled in this book was super interesting? The wording could be heavy-handed, but I liked the angle on Cris’s righteous anger and how peaceful resolution isn’t always an answer(or option), although for marginalized people(especially women of color), it’s always the expected choice. I even think Clem struggling sometimes to understand Cris’s decisions because of that works, too.
I’m still not the biggest fan of the side romances and how they’re paced. I think it’s just an issue I have with the author’s writing. Cris had a fling with Remi and although her nerves about falling in love are completely understandable because of the love spell fiasco last book, it was very repetitive about how “she didn’t want to be hurt again like with Oz”. But I could get behind Yves and Clem’s romance a bit more, now, even if I don’t think my feelings are ever going to change on their introduction and pacing in the first book. (That was probably because of the epilogue. Until then, I kept thinking Clem was being selfish about Yves.)
Another thing I didn’t like was some of the therapy language Clem and Cris would use to talk about themselves sometimes? Even though Clem sees a therapist regularly and narratively it makes sense, I still thought those parts were ways for the author to interject his own analysis of his characters into the narrative. (Which is something I could already gather! Terry J. Benton-Walker definitely knows his characters very well, which is something I’ll always note. I don’t know if I ever included this in my Blood Debts review, but he consistently never writes his characters making decisions that are out of line for them as people. Are they terrible decisions? A lot of the time. But are they out of character? No.)
Last thoughts: 1) I knew there was some political intrigue in the first book, but Valentina was playing manipulation/political chess the whole book, and that was…a lot more detailed than I expected for YA. Maybe even out of place. I will partially excuse it, though, because Game Of Thrones is a comp title. 2) Starting to think there’s a pattern in these books of there being a climax of questionable quality, but a solid ending.
In a couple ways, though, I thought this was a solid sequel and built off of the cliffhanger at the end of Blood Debts. I’m curious and nervous to see how the story will be wrapped up.
*****
pre-review:
purely for the amount of emotions I went through reading this, I think it deserves a 4 star rating from me. I am NOT going through that rollercoaster again unless someone bribes me with hundreds of dollars
(And to those who saw my Blood Debts review, and read that I said that it sounded like Zachary’s narrator had a different mic, they fixed the audio this time!)
On the topic of POVs, they seemed to be structured better this time. I still think we could’ve done without Zachary’s POV, since it’s never been a huge part of the story and not only would we have arrived to the same conclusion about his dad but it would’ve been impactful only seeing Jack later on. But Valentina’s POV felt more necessary to her character instead of a reiteration of different plot points. She’s a messy, horrible person of course, but I liked seeing her reconcile with her mother, and the bits of her learning about her family history and heritage(and trying to connect with it). Damnit, why can’t she just try to be a normal teenager. She’s just HAS to manipulate an adult every Tuesday into giving her a one-up over Cris, huh.
Sofia was a character I wasn’t expecting to care about, but damn I kind of hope she has a couple POV chapters in the next book because she’s been wronged by both sides, and I don’t know how she’ll deal with that because she feels and processes anger a lot differently than Cris and Valentina do.
Coming back to anger, the way it was handled in this book was super interesting? The wording could be heavy-handed, but I liked the angle on Cris’s righteous anger and how peaceful resolution isn’t always an answer(or option), although for marginalized people(especially women of color), it’s always the expected choice. I even think Clem struggling sometimes to understand Cris’s decisions because of that works, too.
I’m still not the biggest fan of the side romances and how they’re paced. I think it’s just an issue I have with the author’s writing. Cris had a fling with Remi and although her nerves about falling in love are completely understandable because of the love spell fiasco last book, it was very repetitive about how “she didn’t want to be hurt again like with Oz”. But I could get behind Yves and Clem’s romance a bit more, now, even if I don’t think my feelings are ever going to change on their introduction and pacing in the first book. (That was probably because of the epilogue. Until then, I kept thinking Clem was being selfish about Yves.)
Another thing I didn’t like was some of the therapy language Clem and Cris would use to talk about themselves sometimes? Even though Clem sees a therapist regularly and narratively it makes sense, I still thought those parts were ways for the author to interject his own analysis of his characters into the narrative. (Which is something I could already gather! Terry J. Benton-Walker definitely knows his characters very well, which is something I’ll always note. I don’t know if I ever included this in my Blood Debts review, but he consistently never writes his characters making decisions that are out of line for them as people. Are they terrible decisions? A lot of the time. But are they out of character? No.)
Last thoughts: 1) I knew there was some political intrigue in the first book, but Valentina was playing manipulation/political chess the whole book, and that was…a lot more detailed than I expected for YA. Maybe even out of place. I will partially excuse it, though, because Game Of Thrones is a comp title. 2) Starting to think there’s a pattern in these books of there being a climax of questionable quality, but a solid ending.
In a couple ways, though, I thought this was a solid sequel and built off of the cliffhanger at the end of Blood Debts. I’m curious and nervous to see how the story will be wrapped up.
*****
pre-review:
purely for the amount of emotions I went through reading this, I think it deserves a 4 star rating from me. I am NOT going through that rollercoaster again unless someone bribes me with hundreds of dollars
October 23, 2025
This book was PAINFUL to get through. I should’ve known it would be, since that was my experience of the first book, too, but there were extenuating circumstances when I was reading that one that made me doubt my response was fair, and more likely was a misattribution of stress from the rest of my life. Regrettably, this book confirms that that was not the case.
I read the first half of this book physically then switched to the audiobook when I went on a trip and didn’t want to bring this TOME with me. I think I can honestly say, reading it myself was a significantly less painful experience. One of the readers, the woman who read Cris, has a really pleasant voice, but Terry J. Benton-Walker has a PROFOUNDLY annoying voice and delivery style (does he think he’s doing slam poetry 100% of the time? Deeeply off-putting), and all of the readers were WAY overdramatic, which is NOT a strong point when this book is already so intensely melodramatic. On top of that, it’s no wonder the audiobook was NINETEEN HOURS LONG because the only way to get any of the readers to speak at a bearable rate was to listen to it at 1.5X. Ouch.
The flailing acts of revenge Cris and various other characters impart on their enemies are SO over the top, and SO poorly thought out that it’s hard to sympathize with them at all or understand how they possibly get away with it. I think it’s safe to assume that we’re meant to sympathize with at least some of these characters, but they’re all so unforgivably impulsive and illogical in everything they do that it’s REALLY no wonder they’re constantly getting mired deeper and deeper into this ugly timeline.
I really WANTED to like these books, but I REALLY don’t. I will NOT be reading the next one, and, frankly, I regret reading this one. Both books have been so unnecessarily long and everything that happens in them is idiotic and avoidable. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic because everything they do ALL the time is so incontrovertibly stupid. I’m very disappointed in both of these train wrecks.
I read the first half of this book physically then switched to the audiobook when I went on a trip and didn’t want to bring this TOME with me. I think I can honestly say, reading it myself was a significantly less painful experience. One of the readers, the woman who read Cris, has a really pleasant voice, but Terry J. Benton-Walker has a PROFOUNDLY annoying voice and delivery style (does he think he’s doing slam poetry 100% of the time? Deeeply off-putting), and all of the readers were WAY overdramatic, which is NOT a strong point when this book is already so intensely melodramatic. On top of that, it’s no wonder the audiobook was NINETEEN HOURS LONG because the only way to get any of the readers to speak at a bearable rate was to listen to it at 1.5X. Ouch.
The flailing acts of revenge Cris and various other characters impart on their enemies are SO over the top, and SO poorly thought out that it’s hard to sympathize with them at all or understand how they possibly get away with it. I think it’s safe to assume that we’re meant to sympathize with at least some of these characters, but they’re all so unforgivably impulsive and illogical in everything they do that it’s REALLY no wonder they’re constantly getting mired deeper and deeper into this ugly timeline.
I really WANTED to like these books, but I REALLY don’t. I will NOT be reading the next one, and, frankly, I regret reading this one. Both books have been so unnecessarily long and everything that happens in them is idiotic and avoidable. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic because everything they do ALL the time is so incontrovertibly stupid. I’m very disappointed in both of these train wrecks.
September 13, 2024
I finished this a WHILE ago, but I just couldn't find the words to articulate how much I absolutely loved this book. I thought Blood Debts was phenomenal, but Blood Justice was even better! Terry J. Benton-Walker just stepped on our necks from page one and didn't let up!
I loved having Valentina's POV in this book, and seeing how far she'd go to seek her revenge.
Speaking of revenge, Cris was brutal in this book! You can see the changes happening in her, and I didn't know whether to cheer or be terrified. She was here for none of the BS and was taking matters into her own hands. True definition of fuck around and find out.
Clem is still my cinnamon roll whose heart keeps breaking and who I want to protect with everything in me. What happened to him had me on the edge of my seat screaming y'all, like I am so worried about him!
I'm about ready to send my therapy bill straight to Mr. Terry because I didn't sign up to be hurt like this - but I will 100% be reading the next book because when I tell you I am INVESTED. I cannot be left hanging like this, so publishers please do what y'all need to do and give this man more opportunity to cause emotional damage please and thank you.
I loved having Valentina's POV in this book, and seeing how far she'd go to seek her revenge.
Speaking of revenge, Cris was brutal in this book! You can see the changes happening in her, and I didn't know whether to cheer or be terrified. She was here for none of the BS and was taking matters into her own hands. True definition of fuck around and find out.
Clem is still my cinnamon roll whose heart keeps breaking and who I want to protect with everything in me. What happened to him had me on the edge of my seat screaming y'all, like I am so worried about him!
I'm about ready to send my therapy bill straight to Mr. Terry because I didn't sign up to be hurt like this - but I will 100% be reading the next book because when I tell you I am INVESTED. I cannot be left hanging like this, so publishers please do what y'all need to do and give this man more opportunity to cause emotional damage please and thank you.
January 13, 2025
Okayyy I need book 3 NEOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ending; that cliffhanger is just… omg 😩 this second book was better than the first. This book took me on a crazy journey but it was worth it. Cristina’s rage was annoying at times but I can’t say it wasn’t justified. The racial tension in the book gave it that spark that was needed. Sometimes I had to remind myself that this story takes place in 2019/2020 and not the 60’s but then again it is the SOUTH— NOLA. This story uses Black anger, grief, and pain which allows the reader to understand and validate Clem & Cristina’s (tbh the whole Black and gen community) experiences. I can’t wait to see how the story continues to play out with the new additions to the stay
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