Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi

Adeyemi, T. (2018). Children of blood and bone. NY: Henry Holt and Company

Summary: Zelie is 17 years old and lives in the country of Orisha. Eleven years ago, the king banished and killed all magic be committing genocide on all of the Maji. After this he set up a system of slavery and indentured servitude that all future Maji would be enslaved to the King's army. While Zelie is in the city with her brother Tzain, she runs into the the Princess who claims that her father just killed her maid and best friend in order to prove that scroll could do Maji magic. The two girls flee and a Prince named Inan has been tasked to find the thief of the scroll but the girls are able to make their way away from him. The girls ask Mama Agba for help as she is one of the only living adult Maji. She tells them that they must go to a mountain and take the scroll to an island where they will rebond the magical connection. They make it to a temple where Inan catches up but is not able to cross a bridge which is cut. He walks around trying to find his way but realizes he has magic and is horrified. The trio make it a Maji city and enter a competition to get the last artifact they need to awaken the magic. Zelie wins the competition and wins the sunstone but then the village is attacked by the King's men and Zelie is attacked. Inan and his sister kill the king and Zelie performs the magical ritual that reawakens magic and gives magic to everyone.


Strengths:  This book's strength is the fresh take is has on the fantasy genre. Set in Africa and featuring and All-Black cast is a fresh, breathe of air in the Fantasy genre world. Adeyemi takes old Fantasy tropes and changes the up with her fierce writing and characters. Reading this books felt like reading something new and different all the while maintaining everything that I love about epic fantasy. 

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEuXbnhxoqA

Similar Books:

• An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Other books by Toni Adeyemi:

• Children of Virtue and Vengeance

LSSL 5385 Requirement Met: New York Times Bestseller