I suspect, though, that I'm not the only one who nurtured these fantasies of being suddenly wrested from my ordinary experience to have magical adventures. Hence the popularity of "chosen one" narratives, particularly in the young adult genre. Tomi Adeyemi builds on the legacy of the Percy Jacksons and Pevensie siblings that came before, but for her debut novel, Children of Blood and Bone, she grounds it thoroughly outside of the "white people in Western countries" place it has lived for so long. She creates as her world Orisha, loosely based on Nigeria and the magic in her tales comes from the mythology of the region. There used to be magicians in this world, the maji, divided into ten clans with a special connection to gods and goddesses and their representative elements. But then a cruel, autocratic king cracked down and slaughtered the maji. The adults, anyways. The children were left behind.

The loss of her mother in the raid that ended magic haunts teenage Zelie even years later. She takes after her mother in that she's a Diviner, born with the distinctive white hair that marks her as a potential maji and therefore subjected to discrimination. Her brother Tzain, though, is "normal" like their father, who's never recovered from the loss of his wife. Their lives are forever changed when one day Zelie heads to the capital city to go to the market, and runs into Amari, the country's princess, fleeing her father and the palace with a powerfully important scroll. That scroll, along with other artifacts, has the power to bring magic back to Orisha. Zelie, Amari, and Tzain find themselves on the run from the King and his son, Amari's brother Inan, who discovers much to his dismay that he's not as dissimilar from the Diviners he hates as he'd like. An unexpected connection between Zelie and Inan could be what saves them all...or what dooms them.

This is not my usual type of book: I don't read YA particularly often, and it focuses heavily on plot over characterization and prose. Nevertheless, that plot moved forward so relentlessly that it was impossible to resist getting swept up in it, even when it veered toward the ridiculous. From nearly the second we meet them, our characters are under threat, and no sooner does one danger pass than another arises. Even as the story zooms, Adeyemi does some quality world-building, introducing the reader to a deeply earth-rooted system of magic in a way that gave enough detail to be intriguing without gratuitous information-dumping. It's refreshing to read a story that doesn't rely on the same familiar Christian and/or Eurocentric myths for inspiration.

That being said, while the details of the story are fresh, many of the beats are eye-rollingly familiar: enemies to friends, hate to love, capture and rescue. There are serious, serious deficiencies in character development...no one feels like more than a set of keywords and relationships that the readers are clearly supposed to get deeply invested in are so thinly sketched that the "payoff" barely registers. Prose quality that might elevate the more rote elements is absent...the writing isn't at all bad, but neither is it ever more than serviceable. The book doesn't feel like it's meant to be taken in and of itself, but rather as a springboard: for a movie, for sequels. While it's compelling and compulsively readable while it's in your hands, it loses a lot when it's over and you have time to think about it. I maintain only a vague sort of "if it's on the Kindle for less than $5" interest in continuing the series. If you're into this genre and these kinds of stories, you'll probably very much enjoy this book. If you're looking for something to keep you entertained on the airplane, this is a solid choice. If this isn't the kind of story you're predisposed to like, though, this is skippable.

I didn't connect with this book in the way that I had hoped. But I'm glad it was written and has been getting so much attention. I probably won't read the sequel but I'm excited for the inevitable movie.

Loved this book! My favorite read of 2018 (so far)! As soon as I finished it, I wanted to reread it, and I'm not much of a rereader. Also, can't wait for the next book in this trilogy.

Zelie reminded me of Katniss in a way. She becomes a kind of reluctant leader and goes farther than she ever imagined she would to right wrongs and support her cause.

I really loved it ! It has everything I search for in a YA fantasy, good plot, good world-building (no info dump), great main characters that grow throughout the book, a bit of romance, lots of action, lots of magic, lots of feels... LOVED IT.
Just... that ending... how can I wait for almost a year !?

This was a pleasantly surprising book. I ended up ordering it to have a copy on hand, and I can’t wait for book two!

Absolutely LOVED this book. Zelie, Amari, and Inan kept me on an emotional roller coaster and made me laugh, cry, and swoon. Many of the supporting characters also have a special place in my heart. Just when you think you have things figured out, things take a different turn. He hype surrounding this book is very well deserved. Can’t wait until the next book!

I read a lot of YA, and definitely feel like the themes run pretty similar. But, there is definitely a lack a diversity, and representation. I was thrilled to be able to receive an e-book ARC of "Children of Blood and Bone." I'm a multiethnic person myself, and I definitely appreciate this. Also, my cultures and mixed ethnicity background have roots in West African culture, and the practices of the Yoruba religion. So, I definitely relate and understood many of the concepts. The book is exciting, filled with action and adventure. And, of course magic, fantasy, culture, and yes, of course, romance. Zelie is the main protagonist, of the maji people, and a force to be reckoned with. I appreciate so much a strong female character, and she does not fall short. It is quite long, but definitely well-worth the read, with non-stop action and packed with adventure.

When Zélie was a young girl, she watched royal guards drag her mother away in chains and hang her from a tree in their village. She watched people beaten down, watched people mourn for their loved ones, and she watched magic ripped from the hands of those that held it. After the king destroyed the maji's connection to the gods, magic left the world. All that remains is the white hair of the young maji, who were left alive because they never knew the feeling of magic and will never wield that power. But when a rogue princess steals a magic scroll, she finds Zélie and convinces her to help. Together, and with whatever help they can muster along the way, they must travel to the sacred island and perform a solstice ritual that could bring magic back into the world for good. But the royal guards, led by the princess' brother, are hot on their tracks, and they are dead set on eradicating magic for good.
I have been waiting for this book for what feels like ages, and I was so excited to finally have the chance to read it. Children of Blood and Bone was incredible, introducing us to a rich, interesting culture within the land of Orïsha. All the characters underwent some incredible growth over the course of the story, most notably our two royals whose wavering alliances and belief in themselves changed the direction of the story more than once. At the end of this book, the only thing that disappoints me is that there aren't any more stories in the land of Orïsha ready for me to read. I'll be waiting eagerly for the next thing from Tomi Adeyemi, because I'm certain it will be amazing just like Children of Blood and Bone.

"Children of Blood and Bone" by Tomi Adeyemi was a refreshing addition to the YA publishing landscape. I found the plot and characters had a unique and fresh twist and the author certainly has a talent for world building. I enjoyed the magic element and how the users had immense power but also limitations (this made it more believable in my opinion). That ending though! Can't wait to read the next book!

Children of Blood and Bone, from the new Legacy of Orisha series, introduces Zelie, a diviner with latent magic abilities, who is hoping to bring magic back to her kingdom. King Saran has killed most of the maji, including her mother, but his daughter Amari escapes his palace with a scroll containing the power to reignite magic. Amari's is devastated when her maid, who is a diviner, is killed by her father. During her escape she is aided by Zelie, who realizes that the scroll Amari has stolen is one of the three relics need to perform a ceremony to restore magic powers to diviners. Aided by Zelie's brother Tzain, they are traveling to a mythic island, which they must reach to perform the ceremony before the solstice. Prince Inan, Amari's brother is hot on their trail, but en-route he discovers, he is a diviner as well. Along the way, allegiances shift and a cliff hanger ending will leave readers anxious for the sequel to this new action-packed page turner.

Hyped books are dangerous because you build them up so much in your mind that it’s super easy for them to fall flat. Well let me tell you something…Children of Blood and Bone doesn’t fall but grabs onto that hype and climbs all the way up it like Zélie and crew.

Pacing was the biggest win right off the bat with this one (at least for me). I remember when I received the book it was super intimidating (the ARC is 600 pages, my friends) and wondered if I’d ever be able to finish it. I started reading on my way home one night and all of a sudden was 120 pages in and it felt like no time had passed. There’s a great mix of exciting action scenes and more ‘basic’ activities that allowed Children of Blood and Bone to feel balanced; you weren’t racing through the story but it didn’t feel like you were crawling either.

Another strong point of the novel was the writing and world building that came of her mastery of the craft. The descriptions are beautiful and make the world come to life in your head; I felt like I was reading in colour (if that makes sense to the rest of the world..it’s all my brain can come up with to describe it). It was flush and descriptive without being excessively frilly which had be a hard line to toe sometimes. The world comes to life beautifully and coupled with the map in the hardcover finished copy you start to feel as if Orïsha is a place you can actually go and visit.

Adeyemi excelled at her character building as well. I love that two of the trio setting out to save magic are girls. The growth of certain characters when things happen (no spoilers) is also great to see. I don’t need a person to be perfect to be one of my favourites in the story; I actually prefer the flawed ones. What I love to see is how they learn, adapt, and become better people in reaction to what they go through during the novel. I even became overly attached to secondary characters like Lekan and Mama Agba which is a sign that I’ve been fully ensnared by a story. Children of Blood and Bone offers up a good mix of characters you love, ones you love to hate, and the ones you just want to shield from what the cruel, cruel world has done to them/turned them into.

Final Verdict:

Believe the hype. Children of Blood and Bone is gorgeous, exciting, and will have you shirking all your responsibilities in favour of reading. (Seriously, my mountain of laundry is proof) If you didn’t preorder this one I suggest you head to your nearest book store and get a copy ASAP.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi! Females, young and old, train together to learn to be strong, independent and to gain self-defense skills. This training is hidden from the rest of the kingdom because they would be in trouble and danger if anyone else found out they are more than timid servants. These women lost loved ones in a horrific act of violence against their community and have been training ever since. Zelie is a part of this group and when she was five she watched her mother being dragged away and then hung. Amari is an unhappy princess who escapes and inadvertently ends up with Zelie and her family. They run from Prince Inan, Amari’s brother, as he struggles with his internal conflict of whether or not magic is good or evil. During this time, Zelie’s magic grows and she works at controlling her powers. As Zelie, her brother Tzain and Amari learn to trust each other and work together, they encounter horrific dangers as they continue their quest for the artifacts-the scroll, sunstone and the bone dagger. With these artifacts, magic can be restored. Some romance and humor lighten the dark world that Zelie lives in and both of these help her conquer the evil and pain that drags her under. The impressive storyline, immaculate world building and strong, dynamic characters make Children of Blood and Bone an intense fantasy read worth 5 stars!

I don’t know why I did it but I did and I don’t think I will ever do it again. This was my first and instead of calling it a sample, I will call it a teaser because that is exactly how I feel, teased. When I first laid eyes on this novel, I wanted to read it and when I saw the opportunity to read a portion of it, I jumped on it. Big mistake!

From the beginning pages where Mama Agba picks Zelia to fight Yemi with the staffs, to where the King’s men enter the arena, which has now been transformed into a seamstress shop, I was hooked. As Mama Agba tells the girls about the rise and fall of the Maji, who the Diviners are, and why these girls are training with her, I knew the confrontations reached way beyond the walls of their room. The novel started on a journey and then since this was a sample (teaser), it stopped. There was a cliffhanger on the final page but I didn’t need it, I was already hooked.

So now, I am left hanging until I can get a copy of this novel and finish reading it. For now though, I need to read some other novels that have been calling my name before I bring another novel into this house. I will be picking up Children of Blood and Bone and giving a full review in the near future.

I received this sample (teaser) from NetGalley Macmillian Children’s Publishing Group and in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the most beautiful books I have read in a very long time. I honestly am struggling to actually write a review about how much I loved it.

The world building is very well created and quite interesting to read about! But I didn't enjoy reading about the characters very much and the initial few chapters didn't really grip me as much as I was hoping it would. However that's just my personal experience and since I have only reviewed a sample section, I'd still recommend this book to others since it's such a unique fantasy that deserves attention for its creative plot and potential.

This book y'all! I am blown away by the fact that this is Tomi Adyemi's debut novel. This book is everything that I could ask for in a story and left me desperately wanting more.

Children of Blood and Bone transcends YA or even fantasy fiction. You don't need to enjoy either of those genres to love this book. It is a book that I would want to put into every readers hands. Adeyemi tells a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like an 'other'. Zélie is going down as one of my favorite characters. She is written with such a honest rawness that I almost teared up in several scenes. Zélie acknowledges and accepts her anger and bitterness that is the result of the hateful bigotry towards anyone with the potential for magic. Why shouldn't she be bitter and angry when everything that she loves has either been destroyed or damaged by people who used their strength to crush what they fear?

Zélie has to deal with the frustration of having to take the high road and show mercy when little to none has been shown to those like her. She witnesses the daily cruelties dealt out to people whose only crime is being born the wrong type of person. How little value is placed on their lives and how they are taken advantage of in every conceivable way. Zélie is often torn between wanting to punish the wrong doers and understanding that what you see from the outside doesn't necessarily match what is true.

Zélie's journey, although incomplete, is extraordinary. She is tasked to do something that she feels she isn't capable of, but with the help of her brother, members of the very family that destroyed her personal world, and others she encounters along the way, she is able to keep moving towards the goal of restoring magic and meeting her destiny.

Adyemi explores so many important themes in this one book. Bigotry, hate, death, the tearing down of culture, the elusiveness but necessity of hope, working through justifiable fears, trust, betrayal, disappointment, love (familial, romantic, and friendship), the cost of forgiveness, mercy, and grace both given and received, and the importance of believing in something bigger and more important than yourself.

I'm going to leave it there, because I could write an essay on why this book is so wonderful. If you are hesitant to pick this book up because it's YA or because it's fantasy please don't let that deter you! This is a book that lives up to ALL of the hype! Believe the praise, give into the pressure, and throw yourself into this wonderful story! I received an eARC for this one and I still went out and bought three copies! One for me and one for each of my daughters; it's that spectacular! Okay, my gush is over!

This review has been published on BookBrowse.com: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/pr238464/

While I've only had a chance to read this short preview of Children of Blood and Bone, I can tell that this is the start of an excellent book. I already love the main characters and am very invested in the story. I can't wait to read the whole book!

I loved everything about this book. It lived up to the big hype, which isn't something books have been doing for me lately. For fans of Avatar The Last Airbender who want something with the same spirit and a diverse cast of characters, this book is for you. We follow Zelie, a young diviner who with a chance run in with the princess of her kingdom changes everything when the long lost magic of their world is reignited in her. Her, Amari, and Tzain (Zelie's brother) are sent on a mission by the gods to bring magic back to their world. But Amari's father stands in the way, having taken the magic from the world to start with and who killed the original maji in a raid to set an example, including Zelie's mother.

Everything about this book is magic. The story is pack full of adventure, keeps you completely addicted to the end to know the answers. Zelie is tough and stubborn, which makes you either love or hate her (in my case utterly love). She's suffered a lot, leaving a hard shell around her and she's fierce for the people she cares about. Of course, there's a hate to love story in this, which was wonderful, but ends sadly. A character, Inan, did bother me in the fact he went back and forth constantly, making himself suffer to meet his father's approval. Which is his character. He's conflicted and just wants to do what he's been taught is right, even if it isn't.

The writing was amazing. The story and characters amazing. And the end left me both confused and desperate for me to better understand. I honestly can't wait for the next book. It was an awesome ride that I 100% believe everyone should read.

Children of Blood and Bone has received a lot of hype before it even got published and let me tell you, it completely deserved every single piece of that hype. This is going to be the hit of 2018. With its diverse voice, lovable and fierce characters, and great world building. I was entranced from the first chapter.

The story moves mainly between Zélie and Amari, the princess of Orïsha. It also is told by Tzain, Zélie's brother, and Amari's brother, Inan. Zélie is such a fierce and admirable character, a little harsh around the edges but definitely a friend that you would want. One thing I loved was the development of her friendship with Amari and watching it unfold. I will definitely be looking forward to that friendship in the second novel. 

The characters themselves were so believable and had real fear along the way of the journey, which made them feel so lifelike. They were just kids but knew they were chosen for this journey for a purpose, so despite those fears, they continued on. 
I do wish that I could have learned more about the time when magic was being taken away. They do mention it towards the end of the novel a bit more, but I love backstory, so I usually want all the information. I'm sure we'll see it in the next book though.

The world building was something that I really admired, being able to piece all these stories and places together was really brilliant and gave the reader a wonderful view of the world outside of just the little fishing village that Zélie was from.