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A review by megsbookishtwins
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
5.0
Disclaimer: I received this free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Zélie Adebola used to live in a world where magic was present in the world. Burners created flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Reapers summoned souls. Zélie’s mother was a Reaper and a powerful one at that. But when magic disappeared, the ruthless King ordered for Maji to be killed. Zélie lost her mother and her hope, and her people were oppressed and persecuted. When a scroll is discovered and Zélie meets a rogue princess, Zélie finally has a chance to bring magic back to the world and strike back against the King.
2018 is delivering some really epic fantasy and if I could rate Children of Blood and Bone more than five stars, I would. I know that sometimes seeing a lot of hype surrounding a book can put some people off, but the hype regarding Children of Blood and Bone is completely deserving. It is rich, imaginative, full of culture, and to say it is nearly 600 pages long it is a fast paced and action filled book. Tomi Adeyemi managed to suck me into the world and keep me flipping pages right until the very end.
The key to a good fantasy is worldbuilding and Tomi Adeyemi did not disappoint. Children of Blood and Bone is a Nigerian-inspired fantasy and the world building was expertly done and I even bought myself a final copy because I can’t wait to get my hands on a map! You can tell a lot of heart and passion went into this book and it really shows in the masterful writing and plotting.
Children of Blood and Bone also had some really great pacing, which a lot of authors would have struggled with, considering it is a 600-page book. There was a lot of fast-paced moments, full of action and adventure but I also did appreciate the slower moments which gave you some character development.
In Orïsha, magic used to be revered and celebrated. Zélie’s mother was a powerful children of blood and boneDivîner, a reaper. However, when magic was ripped from the world, the king mercilessly murdered Divîners in an attempt to wipe them out and hold them down. Zélie, and Princess Amari, are travelling the world heading to a magical island that to try and bring this magic back. It was the magic system that I really loved, it was brilliant, and I loved the idea of the ‘blood magic’.
Tomi Adeyemi holds nothing back during the story. It is a story of war, death, oppression, and persecution. It is a story of fighting back and fighting for what is right. It is about hope and survival, and it is powerful and emotional.
Zélie was a favourite character of mine. She was defiant and angry, yet scared and vulnerable. I loved seeing her development through the book and learning to control her powers while also still longing for her mother and her guidance. There are some other POVs in this book too, Amari the royal princess who steals a magical scroll and is on the run from her father. Then there is Inan, the son of the King, but also a Divîner, who is struggling to hide his magic and his white hair. He is tasked with tracking down Amari and destroying magic once and for all. I can’t say I was too thrilled with the romance, but it does go an unexpected way which was good.
Overall, Children of Blood and Bone is an epic fantasy full of magic, adventure, politics, and about the oppressed fighting back against injustice. It is, so far, my favourite book of 2018 and it is one you all need on your shelves. I can’t wait to read the sequel and I especially can’t wait to see this on the big screen!
Zélie Adebola used to live in a world where magic was present in the world. Burners created flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Reapers summoned souls. Zélie’s mother was a Reaper and a powerful one at that. But when magic disappeared, the ruthless King ordered for Maji to be killed. Zélie lost her mother and her hope, and her people were oppressed and persecuted. When a scroll is discovered and Zélie meets a rogue princess, Zélie finally has a chance to bring magic back to the world and strike back against the King.
2018 is delivering some really epic fantasy and if I could rate Children of Blood and Bone more than five stars, I would. I know that sometimes seeing a lot of hype surrounding a book can put some people off, but the hype regarding Children of Blood and Bone is completely deserving. It is rich, imaginative, full of culture, and to say it is nearly 600 pages long it is a fast paced and action filled book. Tomi Adeyemi managed to suck me into the world and keep me flipping pages right until the very end.
The key to a good fantasy is worldbuilding and Tomi Adeyemi did not disappoint. Children of Blood and Bone is a Nigerian-inspired fantasy and the world building was expertly done and I even bought myself a final copy because I can’t wait to get my hands on a map! You can tell a lot of heart and passion went into this book and it really shows in the masterful writing and plotting.
Children of Blood and Bone also had some really great pacing, which a lot of authors would have struggled with, considering it is a 600-page book. There was a lot of fast-paced moments, full of action and adventure but I also did appreciate the slower moments which gave you some character development.
In Orïsha, magic used to be revered and celebrated. Zélie’s mother was a powerful children of blood and boneDivîner, a reaper. However, when magic was ripped from the world, the king mercilessly murdered Divîners in an attempt to wipe them out and hold them down. Zélie, and Princess Amari, are travelling the world heading to a magical island that to try and bring this magic back. It was the magic system that I really loved, it was brilliant, and I loved the idea of the ‘blood magic’.
Tomi Adeyemi holds nothing back during the story. It is a story of war, death, oppression, and persecution. It is a story of fighting back and fighting for what is right. It is about hope and survival, and it is powerful and emotional.
Zélie was a favourite character of mine. She was defiant and angry, yet scared and vulnerable. I loved seeing her development through the book and learning to control her powers while also still longing for her mother and her guidance. There are some other POVs in this book too, Amari the royal princess who steals a magical scroll and is on the run from her father. Then there is Inan, the son of the King, but also a Divîner, who is struggling to hide his magic and his white hair. He is tasked with tracking down Amari and destroying magic once and for all. I can’t say I was too thrilled with the romance, but it does go an unexpected way which was good.
Overall, Children of Blood and Bone is an epic fantasy full of magic, adventure, politics, and about the oppressed fighting back against injustice. It is, so far, my favourite book of 2018 and it is one you all need on your shelves. I can’t wait to read the sequel and I especially can’t wait to see this on the big screen!