Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi Series: Legacy of Orïsha #1
Published by Macmillan Children's Books on March 8th 2018
Source: Publisher
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic, Fantasy, Diversity
Amazon | Book Depository | Publisher | Booktopia
Add to Goodreads
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and 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 the enemy.
If you’ve been anywhere near the YA community lately, you’ll know that Children of Blood and Bone is one of the most hyped of books of 2018. The hype beast is a hard one to live up to, with rising expectations with every review. Not to add to it or anything, but this book definitely DOES live up to the hype for me and I can see why people love it so much. With a stunning magic system, a complex and intriguing cast of characters and a constantly evolving story of rebellion, Children of Blood and Bone was a brilliant read that I couldn’t get enough of.
STUNNING MAGIC SYSTEM
The book starts off with Zélie, a diviner with Reaper magic in her blood, struggling against the oppression of her people and her family. Diviners have dark skin with symbols etched into their skin and white hair. Their magic is now dead after the King ordered the execution of all majis, and her mission is to restore magic to the lands and rise up against the oppression.
It doesn’t matter how strong I get, how much power my magic wields. They will always hate me in this world. I will always be afraid.
Inspired by West-African mythology, I loved the lore of the land and how the world-building was shown through the characters and their actions, rather than told to the reader. The magic is one of the best parts of the book, with different maji clans featuring different deities. I loved the mix of elemental and more intangible powers, such as the powers of healing, life and death and dreams and memories. As we encounter diviners who slowly regain their powers over the course of the book, we witness many of these powers in action and it’s absolutely brilliant. The magical caste-based system is both symbolic and reflective of the oppression that happens today, featuring a rich, intricate world filled with magic and rebellion.
COMPLEX CHARACTERS
I absolutely loved Zélie as a character, she’s strong and ferocious with a tough exterior, but inside she struggles with the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. Her memories are plagued with a traumatic childhood, but she constantly uses this to push herself for a better future. She’s supported by a cast of characters that is just as strong, with her brother Tzain accompanying her on her quest. The sibling relationship was so real, as Tzain and Zélie constantly bicker and constantly try and protect each other by making silly decisions.
The other major set of characters in the book form an interesting grey area when it comes to the King’s rule – Princess Amari, a privileged Princess who has escaped the confines of the palace, and the villainous Prince Inan who is carrying out his father’s orders to execute Zélie. I loved seeing their character arcs play out and watching it unfold over the course of the book. I loved Amari and how everyone dismisses her as a sheltered Princess, but the darker side to her helped her develop a stronger purpose throughout the book. Even though he’s a villain, I loved what Inan brought to the story – he believes he’s doing the right thing by following his father’s orders, but it’s his heart that conflicts with his mind. His flip-flopping conflict drove me crazy throughout the book, though.
A STORY OF REBELLION
Through the perspectives of Zélie, Amari and Inan, we see a story of rebellion and misunderstanding unfold. It’s a constantly evolving adventure that doesn’t shy away from darkness, violence and blood which was surprising at times. The book will pull you in one direction, and then death and destruction will follow which leads into another. It’s a long book by YA standards at almost 600 pages, but there are so many twists, turns and changing goals that I never really felt the length of the book.
Despite her obvious fear, she still fights. No one allows her to run away.
I do have some reservations for the romance, which evolved a bit too quickly with some of the characters making complete 180 turns when it comes to their thoughts. I wasn’t really happy with how it was left at the end of the book, although I agree that it did draw out some interesting parts to the characters.
The ending was absolutely mind blowing, with twists that I really didn’t see coming and had me gasping at the end as I thought…DID I JUST READ THAT? (Sidenote: I had the same reaction when I read the characters letting out a breath they didn’t know they were holding. TWICE. But I digress).
I am a princess, not a prop. Do not treat me any differently. My father is responsible for this pain. I will be the one to fix it.”
Children of Blood and Bone is an important story of rebellion – one that reflects oppression of a marginalised group, and how one girl breaks free from this oppression to create a better life for her people. With it’s dark, brutal plot, exciting fast pace and a stunning magical system that is well developed, I absolutely loved this book.
Trigger warnings: Death, child abuse, self harm, slavery and oppression
Rating: 5 out of 5
Thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for sending me this book for an honest review!
Children of Blood and Bone is available from Australian bookstores for RRP$16.99.
Latest posts by Jeann @ Happy Indulgence (see all)
- The Spellshop Review: Cozy Fantasy About Good Deeds - October 13, 2024
- 5 Things I Liked About The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi - June 20, 2024
- Kaldoras: The Medoran Chronicles Epilogue Review & Event - June 13, 2024
I enjoyed the book too. I cannot wait for the second book.
Yessss it was such a brilliant read!
I feel like everyone’s review will start with “this one lives up to the hype” haha. I honestly haven’t seen anything BUT positive things about this book and I 100% believe it deserves it. I don’t know how long well have to wait until book two but it’s already been too long in my opinion, haha.
I just wanted to shake Inan and tell him that he was brainwashed by his father. UGH. But it’s not as easy as that because of so many reasons. I just hope that he comes to his senses in the future.
The ending was so painful omg. At times I was just like noooooo, haha.
Glad you loved this one, Jeann! And lovely review <3
Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity recently posted…Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi: Bloody Brilliant
Haha yes I have to check out your review too! I’m just so glad that it was SO FANTASTIC and that everyone is loving it. Oh man, Inan was so frustrating towards the end of the book!! I felt sorry for Amari, how freaking dark was it?!
Gahhhh, I need to get to this book. I’m so behind. I actually met the author two weekends ago! She is so sweet and hilarious. Maybe when the hype dies down, I will finally dive in. 😉 I’m glad you enjoyed the book, Jeann!
Have a wonderful week. =)
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
Alyssa Susanna (The Eater of Books!) recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday (#273): Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor
Oh my gosh I’m so jealous you got to meet her, that sounds so amazing! I know what you mean about the hype but you won’t be disappointed hehe. Have a lovely day!
Yay! I’m so glad you liked the book. I tried requesting for it on Netgalley, but it wasn’t available in my region, so I could only “wish for it” 🙁 I’ve heard many wonderful things about this book, and I can’t wait to get my own copy and read it!
Chloe @ Blushing Bibliophile recently posted…Blog Tour: Magnetic by Carissa Miller
Yeah, I feel your pain when it comes to Netgalley too 🙁 Oh well, I definitely don’t need any more reasons to add to my TBR. I hope you enjoy it when you do, it’s so good Chloe!
Another 5 star review for this book! Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to read this one! It seems to have a lot of depressing themes going on but it still sounds like an amazing novel. So glad you enjoyed it – great review, as always!
Kelly @ Here’s to Happy Endings recently posted…Blog Tour: Ignited by A.M. Deese – Spotlight and Giveaway!
It’s absolutely brilliant and it definitely does delve into some dark themes! Thank you so much Kelly!
Great review!
I already had this book on my to-read list, but now I can’t wait to start with it.
Thank you so much, I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
This book was so good. It’s been a long time since I read a fantasy world so amazing and detailed. It’s better than a lot of adult fantasy. The world-building was stellar, and truly makes this book stand out in the genre.
Fiona recently posted…A Review of Things A Bright Girl Can Do
I know, I kept on referring to the map and the chart of magi clans at the start too! I completely agree and I’m glad you loved it as well.
LOVE THIS REVIEW. LOVE THIS BOOK. UGH YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB REVIEWING THIS JEANN <3
Aila J. recently posted…Children of Blood and Bone Review: Taking Back Stolen Lands with Magic
Thanks for the encouragement Aila, knowing I had struggles to put it all into words! The rewriting did wonders!
I enjoy seeing fellow clouds flail. Speaking to the ending, I honestly hope it remains as is — meaning the situation isn’t “resolved” per se (if you catch my drift) but knowing the progression of YA and it being book 1…I won’t be surprised if it does happen.
I’m glad that the romance could stand by itself and not really influence the battles in such a way that we ask for forgiveness or empathy etc. But I do agree that it wasn’t as potent as I had thought it would be (which is a good thing I guess).
Yessss flailing is our favourite activity, or being black sheeps (there is no in between). Oh man seriously that cliffhanger though was cruel. I needed to know more. It was hard for me to get around, going from the hate to the love but it was like…hate as in prejudiced hate which made it even harder to swallow. It was definitely an interesting exploration!
Oh man. I really need to get to this book soon. The hype is getting to me. XD
Bee @ Novel Ink recently posted…Do People Actually Read Reviews?
Please read it hahaha you will not regret it.
Yesss this is SO MUCH AWESOME and truly deserves all the hype! I’m loving all these hyped books that are actually as stunning and epic as everyone is saying, right?! *throws confetti* Although it’s hard having to wait so long for the next one.
Cait @ Paper Fury recently posted…How To Choose Which Book To Read Next (With Minimal Screaming In The Attics)
YESSSS I know! I’m like having a really great reading streak and living my best life, this usually doesn’t happen lol.