Tomi Adeyemi is changing the game when it comes to YA/Fiction & Fantasy. It’s not just the way that she writes, it’s the characters she’s created, and the fact that all of the characters are of color – or more specifically, Black. Adeyemi has created this intricate fictional world that makes you feel as if you’re a part of it. When I first finished Children of Blood and Bone, I sat there in silence for a while going over the story in my head, and I couldn’t wait until the release of the second book. Now the time has finally arrived with Children of Virtue and Vengeance being released everywhere December 3, 2019.
Children of Blood and Bone begins as a story of vengeance, but that quickly changes course when the protagonist, Zélie Adebola, is assigned a different task from the gods themselves that redirects her from a path of vengeance to one of salvation. The kingdom Zélie lives in is ruled by, the ruthless king Saran who wiped magic from the land of Orïsha by ordering the genocide of all Maji over the age of 13, including Zélie’s mother. The Maji were the beautiful magic wielders of Orïsha and were given their magic from the Ashe granted to them by Sky Mother, and now without it, they are forced into exile and to live in fear under Saran’s rule.
What Tomi Adeyemi has done is to help change the course of how we think about YA Fantasy stories. Adeyemi, like other writers of color, create these magical worlds where adults and children alike can see themselves in these characters. Zélie isn’t just a main character who can wield magic. (No that isn’t a spoiler) She’s a dark skin young girl with thick, kinky curly white hair who rides a magical beast (a Lionaire) named Nailah. She’s accompanied by her brother Tzain and another traveling companion named Amari. Other characters come into play throughout the story, but I don’t want to spoil it.
This Nigerian-inspired adventure is filled with the beautiful Yoruba language, clothing, food, and more. What makes this book great is the magic it holds, not just in its words, and characters, but in the storytelling. Reading this book made me believe for a second that this world could be real. It also made me ask, “What if this world was real?” The ending left me satisfied, but also hungry for more, because of it’s cliff hanger. Children of Blood and Bone is a trilogy so, expect one more book in this lovely series.
You don’t have to rush out and read the first book of CBB, but I highly recommend you do especially when the second book is finally here! I can’t wait to see what Tomi Adeyemi does with the final book. With that said, I give this book a 10/10, and now I’m going to go tear into the second book myself. Happy Reading!
Edited By Precious M. Agbabiaka
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