I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi Published by Henry Holt and Company (BYR) on March 6th 2018
Pages: 544
Source: ARC from Publisher
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads
With four starred reviews, Tomi Adeyemi’s West African-inspired fantasy debut 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
My Thoughts:
Just look at that cover. Simply gorgeous, right?!?!? Even if I hadn’t been hearing amazing things about the story, the cover alone would have made me want to pick it up. But everyone who’s at all involved in the world of YA lit has been hearing about this book. And with good reason! Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi 100% lives up to the hype!
Confession: I put off reading this one for a bit. I was in a YA reading slump and the idea of starting such a big book was intimidating. But so many authors, bloggers, and industry professionals were raving about it. And, I mean, I wanted to read it. I was excited for it. I was just not in a great place, reading wise. Finally, earlier this week, I decided to dive in. Despite it’s length, I read almost all of it in a day! (I only stopped because I needed to go to sleep so I wouldn’t be too exhausted to drive to see the author at her event happening the day this post goes live!)
Like the cover, the story of Children of Blood and Bone captivated me. I was caught up in the world, the conflict, the magic, the history, the lives of the characters… everything! For this review I’m going to focus on the three things that most stood out to me: the characters, the magical system, the social commentary.
The Characters: Children of Blood and Bone is told from multiple perspectives. I’m a fan of this in general and thought it really brought a lot to this story in particular. The characters we follow come from very different backgrounds. I loved getting to know more about them and the events in their lives that shaped them. Seeing them learn more about their world and grow from that was great, too. They really show the reader what life is like for those in power, as well as the oppressed. Plus, I just really liked them! And not just the “narrators”… there were so many interesting characters. I wanted to spend more time with each and every one.
The Magical System: A strong and intriguing system of magic is something I always look for in a fantasy novel. Children of Blood and Bone has this in spades. Adeyemi’s West African and Yoruban inspired world is so well done. I loved learning about the different types of magic and the gods and goddesses associated with each one. Learning about how the magic was ripped from the people and seeing it begin to come back was fascinating (and a bit heartbreaking.) I cannot wait to learn more about this in the next book.
The Social Commentary: This is a fantasy novel set in a fantasy world. But as is often the case with fantasy, the author uses this story to address some very important real world topics. In the EW article featuring an interview with the author it states that she has called Children of Blood and Bone “allegory for the modern black experience.” The way this was explored through the world, the systematic oppression, the way some characters wanted to help but only to a certain extent (and in ways that fit their comfortable world view)… it was familiar yet eye opening at the same time. And so, so powerful.
Basically I think Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi is incredible and I am thrilled for every bit of success it sees. The more people that read this book, the better.
For a much smarter take on this book I highly suggest you go read Alex Brown‘s review on Tor.com.
Christine Grabowski
Love the thorough review. It looks great. Will add to my reading list.