Where Genres Collide Traci Dowe YA Author

Book Talk 12/20/19: Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood & Bone

Traci Kenworth

Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Henry Holt & Co. Mar. 6, 2018.

Amazon’s blurb: With five starred reviews, Tomi Adeyemi’s West African-inspired fantasy debut, and instant #1 New York Times Bestseller, conjures a world of magic and danger, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.

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

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

“A phenomenon.” ―Entertainment Weekly

“The epic I’ve been waiting for.” ―New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu

“You will be changed. You will be ready to rise up and reclaim your own magic!” ―New York Times-bestselling author Dhonielle Clayton

“The next big thing in literature and film.” ―Ebony

“One of the biggest young adult fiction debut book deals of theyear.” ―Teen Vogue

This title has Common Core connections.

#1 New York Times bestseller, March 14, 2018

My Review: This book got off to a slow start and was hard to draw me in but the more I read, the better it turned out to be until it finished strongly. It is a unique world, the Orisha. I’m not sure if this is based on actual history or a made-up world but it holds its own and wins you over if you give it a shot. The characters were exciting. It’s told from three points of view: the magic warrior, the princess, and the cruel prince. All three add to the tale and take it down different roads than you would think. Zelie is breathtaking in the lead. Her mother’s death, her heartache at the way the king treats them, the destruction of her village. Just heartbreaking. Amari, as the princess, is no less sympathetic as she faces the death of her friend for having magic, the order of her father to attack and detain and perhaps even, yes, kill her for siding with magic. Inan, the prince who can’t wrap his head around why anyone wants magic and seeks to destroy it from the land. Even he isn’t a stock character. What won me over was the depth of the world, the characters, what magic brings or doesn’t bring for all. I was glad to read this and look forward to its sequel, Children of Virtue, out now, I believe.