Imagine a world where you are born with the power of life and death. Unfathomable abilities gifted and trusted to you by the gods. The ability to unleash tsunamis, create infernos, inflict disease and tame even the most savage of creatures. This powerful magic surges through your veins and serves to protect all that you love.

Now imagine it all being stolen from you. Everything you are, everything you worked for. Your power. Your strength. Your family. Left slaughtered for the maggots to feed on.

This is the reality that Zelie Adebola is forced to endure, born with the ability to command the spirits of the dead. For centuries, her people have been oppressed by the Orishian monarchy who take every measure possible to purge the land of magic. For centuries, people with magic have been persecuted, tortured and murdered in ways the mind can never comprehend. Including Zelie's own mother.

Enough is ENOUGH.

When Amari Olubori, the heir and future queen of Orisha, escapes her kingdom to avenge the oppressed, her path leads her to Zelie. From raging bloodbaths, merciless manhunts to raising an army of the dead (literally), these two fugitives take on the force of the world to finally bring magic back to Orisha for good. 

Inspired by South African Mythology, this book was rich in magical imagery and beautiful language. Short chapters with a gripping writing style, I was hooked from start to finish. Not to mention the plot twists that almost split me in half.

Each character was magnificently created and each embody such a critical element in the story. Its difficult to choose a favourite when I love each one for their own reasons.

This is my absolute number one favourite fantasy fiction. Such an incredible book and I cannot wait for the third one to come this year. 

'They tried to bury us. Now we RISE'