Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Author: Adeyemi, Tomi
Title: Children of Blood and Bone

Publisher: Henry Holt
Year: 2018
Pages:525
Price: $24.99 (CAN) - currently on sale for $20.56, available here.

 Children of Blood and Bone


They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.


      Children of Blood and Bone was everything I had hoped it would be. First hearing of it on Jimmy Fallon of all places, I was immediately intrigued and knew I HAD to read it asap. Tomi Adeyemi is a first-time author who has impressed critics with her sophisticated writing and incredible debut novel. A Nigerian-American Harvard graduate, Adeyemi has produced a beautiful fantasy novel, layered with intricate scenery and complex characters, the first book in what will be the Legacy of Orïsha series. 

     My feelings toward this book became evident almost immediately when I first began reading the book at my son's swimming lessons. I was enthralled right off the hop with the character of Zélie, a fierce warrior who, at a young age, is robbed of her right to feel like a human. Her mother was killed in a cruel genocide, and now Zélie and her family are left devastatingly poor and marginalized. Zélie's bright white hair and dark skin let everyone know what she is: a maggot, a diviner, a child of a maji whose powers were eliminated during the raid. She is determined to learn to be a fierce fighter with her staff so that she can protect herself and her family from the corrupt king's guards, but everything changes when she meets Amari.

Map of Orïsha

Amari is a princess like no other. Growing up under the scrutinizing eye of her overbearing mother and under the fear of her sadistic, cruel father, she learns that it is easier to be quiet and obedient than to challenge the wrongdoings she sees. But when her best friend is murdered by her own father, Amari commits a dangerous crime and runs away from her family at the palace, finding herself desperate for Zélie's help. Together they want to bring magic back to the land of Orïsha. But Amari's brother, Inan, will never let that happen. As the leader of the king's guards, he does as the king bids and refuses to let magic come back, even if it means killing his only sister in the process. But Inan soon discovers something about himself, something that both repulses and frightens him, that will change everything.

         What I loved immediately about this book was not only Adeyemi's ability to create a whole new world comparable to that of Harry Potter, but the unique way in which she wove her Nigerian heritage throughout each page. It can be intimidating at first to encounter so many unfamiliar words, such as Maji, Orïsha, and Diviners, but truthfully these new words come with most fantasy novels and Adeyemi introduces them in a way that is not confusing for the reader. It's refreshing to have characters of darker skin colours and if there is ever a movie made, it will be lovely to see the contrasting skin and hair colours on the big screen. I enjoy seeing a strong female character leading the story, and not only did this book have two, they were both women of colour, which is not a common feature in novels. 

     This book is written in the first-person perspective of the three main characters, Zélie, Amari, and Inan, and gives beautiful descriptions of their pain, joy, fears, thoughts and experiences. Unpredictable and moving, this book was very easy to read, and if I had had more time I could have easily finished it in a week. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the book and was sad when I neared the last few pages. I became devoted to the characters, loving them dearly and growing with them. If my son was older, I know he would enjoy this book. Called by some "the next J.K. Rowling", Adeyemi is loved by most critics and her book has received a 4.2/5 on GoodReads. I think this rating has undervalued Children of Blood and Bone and I give it a 4.8/5. 

     Even better news, the title of the next book in the series has been released. Children of Virtue and Vengeance is set to be released in December of this year. You can read more details about that here. I am so excited to read the next book in this series! I will be passing this along to my mom who is a massive fan of all things YA, fantasy, and magic.

Next to be reviewed: The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley (the fifth book in the Seven Sisters series)