Children of Blood and Bone

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has everything: adventure, romance, magic, real world parallels, relationships to cheer for, drama to be gripped by, and damn good writing - which is read extremely well in the audio version. I'm very excited for the continuation of this series!

Set in Orïsha, a world where magic is forbidden, this story is told from several perspectives: Zélie, a young magi who fights to bring magic back, Inan, a young prince who knows magic must die, and Amari, a young princess who questions the choices her father has made to destroy the magi.

Adeyemi's world-building is next level. She blends Nigerian mythology and fantasy, drawing from a rich history and making the old new again. I appreciated the thoughtful attention to story details, and how much care was given to weaving these original characters into an established mythology. All these details make the story that much richer and give context to Zélie's quest to bring back magic.

The ties to current events also give depth to the story. Zélie is not the only young Black woman who needs to hear "They don't hate you, my child. They hate what you were meant to become." This series is powerful not only because of how well it is written, how dynamic the characters are, and how much readers want to know what happens next - it has real world implications that add another layer to the reading of the story.


Extras: More Gods & Goddesses, More YA With Cultural and Historical Significance, More Fantastic Adventures, or View All My Reviews.