“Blood Debts” By Terry J. Benton-Walker follows twins, Clementine and Cristina Trudeau as they unravel the mysteries of their families past, present, and potentially their future. Set in a contemporary fantasy world, where magic and technology live side-by-side, the Southern United States is dominated by two main types of magic, Light Magic and Moon Magic. 

Light Magic is practiced by the White mages, or witches as they are sometimes called, and is commonly practiced by white and European Americans. Moon Magic, or Gen magic, was created by black slaves and draws on the light of the moon for power. Gen magic draws inspiration from Vodou, which ties it further to black history and culture here in America.

Not including the acknowledgements, the book has 396 pages, and is about 147,000 words long. The average reader reads at 238 words per minute and could finish “Blood Debts” in about 10 hours if you read it in one sitting.

This book has some trigger and content warnings. So, before you open this book, be warned that this book contains or discusses:

Racism, homophobia, and gore. Mentions of domestic abuse, sex trafficking, and sexual assault, a past lynching, and a massacre.

If any of these topics concern you, remember that you can always put the book down. Proceed with care.

I cannot express how much of a sucker I am for worldbuilding. It’s one of the things I look for first in any book I read, media I watch, or game I play. So, it was a particular delight to learn about this magical world set in the heart of New Orleans. Learning that a lot of Gen magic was based off of Vodou was interesting, and made me want to learn more about how Vodou influenced “Blood Debts.” But that will be discussed later.

I think the fact that the majority of the main cast are teens was conveyed really well. Valentina’s sections especially felt like a mean girl straight from Heathers. The fact that she gets hit by a car, much like when Regina from Mean Girls gets hit by a bus, made me wonder if it was a reference and a plot progression at the same time. The complicated relationships that Cris and Clem have are interesting, to say the least. It was horrible what Oz, Cris’s then boyfriend, did to her, but her reaction to him almost dying was a bit concerning. For Clem, well that’s a spoiler. It feels like these relationships and plot points are seeds for the sequel, “Blood Justice,” which will be published Apr. 23. The ending was also fantastically cathartic. The people who were wronged by Lenora Savant getting their just revenge was wonderful to read, and was a fantastic climax.

I do have some minor dislikes. I’m of the opinion that swearing has a purpose, especially in books. I wasn’t quite sold on the swearing and cursing for all the characters, Clem and Cris especially. I was, however, sold on it for Valentina. It fit incredibly well with her internal dialogue, and sold her ‘mean girl’ character well. It felt like part of the plot was meandering about, going from one place, following one thread, etc. I was proven wrong when I hit the last section, Part III, which wrapped up all the threads nicely.

I enjoyed the magic system and the blending of real-world technologies and magic. I especially enjoyed reading how one of the characters had an Instagram page where she showed and practiced her magic on camera. It’s those details that really sell the blending of magic and technology for me. I wish that one of the magic types, shadow magic, could have been explained more in depth. The diagram at the beginning of the book calls the users of this magic type “Vamps,” which isn’t much elaborated on. It’s possible that the sequel will go further into it, considering Clem’s storyline.

For my favorite main characters, I enjoyed Clem and Cris’s point of views, but I especially liked Cris’s. I liked how ambitious she could be, as well as her ruthlessness, even if I slightly disagree with the actions she takes due to her ruthlessness. I also really liked her storyline of relearning to embrace magic again, and forgiving herself for her father’s death.  

The sequel, which will be released in April, is called “Blood Justice.” Valentina will be gunning for the throne, joining fellow enemies of the Royal Trudeau’s. Cris and Clem’s conflicting desires for vengeance and love could be their families final downfall, with an assortment of new murders, disappearances, and shocking alliances, the sequel seems to be raising the stakes.

Book club’s next book proves to be interesting – ladies etiquette lessons, steampunk, and espionage of the highest accords await.

Sign up for SPSCC’s Book Club at the front desk of Building 27, The Student Union Building.