Fast paced and, at times, violent (compare with Hunger Games), this fantasy by Tomi Adeyemi draws on the Yoruba tradition of West Africa to construct a new vision for high fantasy. I encourage readers unfamiliar with West African culture (as I was) to look up the occasional term you don't recognize to get more out of the read. I look forward to more fantasy novels that decenter Europe and draw from the imaginative riches of diverse traditions.

Pros:
- The world building was rich & refreshing. Cannot emphasise this enough.
- The character development!! I appreciate how the main cast & their interactions changed between the opening and the end.
- Memorable side characters.
- The writing itself had a flow that I really liked.
- The action scenes were super well written.
- Very insightful commentary on issues prevalent in the real world - racism, colourism, classism.

Cons:
- Cliffhanger ending :(

What a wonderful and glorious book. Oh my word the worldbuilding was amazing and I was so in love with every character. I would definitely recommend for anyone who wants to read about a badass main character in a deeply rich fantasy world!

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi is a fantasy novel detailing a rich and well built world with an interesting cast of characters. Zélie once lived in a world that was run by the magic of Burners, Riders, Reapers and many others. But then there was the raid and magic disappeared. Under the King’s orders thousands of Maji (those who possess magic) were slaughtered including Zélie’s own mother. Years later, Zélie still suffers from the trauma from the raid, and when she has the chance to bring magic back forever she can’t say no. She sets off on a complicated and action-packed journey with her brother and a rogue princess. Nat far behind, the crown Prince stalks them, driven by his own fiero magic, his conflicting feelings for Zélie,and the hate that his father has ground into him.
Sabaa Tahir fans would enjoy Children of Blood and Bone because her novels have similar writing styles and the same quest/journey narrative. Furthermore, if you enjoy world driven narratives then you will for sure enjoy Children of Blood and Bone because one of the best parts of the book was exploring the complex and wonderful world that Adeyemi has built. I will say that some of the characters and their choices were frustrating especially towards the end but overall this book was a fantastic read. I would definitely recommend this to basically anyone but especially if you enjoy YA fantasy books and are looking for more diverse recommendations.

Reread May 2, 2020: this was just as glorious and lovely and kickass and heartbreaking as I remember. I'm SO glad I reread it before jumping into the sequel.

Tomi Adeyemi has crafted a magical world full of mythical creatures and unexpected twists, with characters that you love in the most unanticipated ways. I loved Zelie and her brash impulsiveness; I loved Amari and her cautious nature that's thrown to the wind when she becomes the Lionaire. I loved Tzain and his protectiveness of his sister; I even loved Inan and his moods that change with the tide. Not every character is strong, but holy, are these strong characters. Every single one of them, and every single side character, has motivations and colours to their soul that I feel we only scratched the surface of in this novel.

The world of Orïsha is so lush and rich and beautiful, yet heartbreaking and tragic and all too real, and another massive strength of this novel is how utterly relevant it is in the world today. You can feel the pain in the words, the way that injustice and racism and tragedy is melded with fantasy in order to bring these characters and their world to life, and it hit home with me so hard. The fact that there are children who are murdered every day in our world, just as they are in Orïsha, that there are people fighting to maintain the injustice and brutality, is a reality that I struggle to want to live in. Weaving these themes into the world just made it even more starkly, terrifyingly real.

Overall, this is an adventure novel, full of fantastical elements and characters who I absolutely adore and rooted for so hard that it makes me ache to think about now. It's action-packed, it's emotional, it's relevant in ways that other novels just aren't. Read it. You won't regret it.

I picked up this title totally unaware of the premise. Immediately I was drawn into the world of Orisha. The ruling class have instituted laws, heavy penalties, and practically enslaved the Maji class. At one time they were the class capable of wielding powerful forms of magic, but it only took a single night for their magic to disappear. Now the Maji suffer oppression at the hands of a cruel king. Zelie, the main character wants to find out what happened to the her peoples magic and find a way to restore it.
This is an excellent read. Even for people that aren't huge fantasy fans will enjoy it. For those that are it is a long needed breath of fresh air in a genre that all too often lacks diversity. I hope Adeyemi inspires more authors of color to add their take on the genre.

This was really great for the first half of the book. The second half was not exactly what I was hoping for. Amari’s character growth and arc was amazing, but I felt like Zélie’s got derailed at the halfway point. And the less said about Inan the better. Definitely gonna read the second book because I need to know what happens and I absolutely love Amari, but I’m hoping the problems I had with this one get fixed in Children of Virtue and Vengeance.

Finally finished and OMG this book is amazing! I havent lost myself in a book in so long honestly since I read Harry Potter. But this is on a whole new level this book is something I can relate to/see myself in. The charcter development was phenomenal. And it kept me on my toes with suspense.

Honestly I really hope they make this into a movie!

Ms. Adeyemi you rock girl thanks for creating this master piece!

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Author: Tomi Adeyemi
A book similar to this one is Poem X.

That was quite an adventure. I couldn’t put it down but was forced to many times (adulting and parenting interferes with reading time). I feel so much for the main characters and the constant conflicts they constantly feel. What is right, what is wrong, the struggle is not simply good or evil. The answer is sometimes not as simple as everyone thought it would be. To me, it is as exciting has the Hunger Games series.

This YA Fantasy novel has been on my radar for quite some time. Nigerian-American author Tomi Adeyemi has created a fantasy world that is so vividly detailed while also being crammed full of delicious social commentary (which should go hand-in-hand with any great fantasy novel). Children of Blood and Bone incorporates elements of West African mythology and Yoruba culture along with unique magical details. I loved the structure of the narrative, told from the perspectives of Zelie, Amari, and Amari’s brother Inan, who is in pursuit of our heroines. The chapters are quite short, often revealing two viewpoints on the same scenario back-to-back.

A quote from the New York Times review of CoBaB sums up my feelings quite nicely: this novel “storms the boundaries of the imagination. Yet it also confronts the conscience.” I stand by what I said above - a fantasy world that doesn't somehow comment on our own feels like a wasted opportunity. Adeyemi has written a captivating, magical story that also examines oppression, racism, and slavery in a way that both teen and adult readers can grasp. I can’t wait to see what happens next in Children of Vengeance and Virtue, the second book in the Legacy of Orisha trilogy.