I have so many feelings it's hard to decide where to begin, but I'll say this first: Children of Blood and Bone is the epic fantasy novel I've been craving for years.

I read and enjoy many genres, including many subgenres of fantasy, but epic fantasy is what I always come back to in the end. I love the sheer scale of it--the breathtaking worlds, the larger than life characters, the heroic quests that send ordinary people on a life-changing journey to meet their destiny. And from the very first chapters, I knew this book would deliver on all of it.

The strongest thing about Children of Blood and Bone, for me, was the characters. I instantly fell in love with them--from the very first pages, sometimes right at the moment of meeting them. They are all different from each other, with distinctive voices and a wide variety of strengths, flaws, and challenges. But what I loved the most about them wasn't simply that they were wonderful, relatable, poignant characters--it was the fact that, from the beginning, I could see the arc of their growth. And I immediately knew--these weren't just people acting out a story and growing a bit through it. Adeyemi was setting them up, from the very start, to be completely transformed, and in doing so, to irrevocably change everyone and everything around them, too.

I just got chills writing that and thinking about it again, and I don't think my words can do justice to the astounding work Adeyemi does with her characters. She weaves together each character's strengths and weaknesses, demons and fears, greatest hopes and deepest desires, and she ties all of that into the world--the magic they can or can't wield, the world's history and legends, the gods and fantastic creatures and sacred artifacts and everything else in between. Not a single detail is irrelevant--nothing is left to chance. The build up is slow at first, then accelerates, and by the end of the book, the payoff for each of them is everything I'd hoped for and more. One of my favorite things about epic fantasy--characters fulfilling this destiny--is done so artfully in this book I'm very close to calling it perfect.

The payoff doesn't wait until the end, either. There are little amazing moments peppered throughout the book, from the very first chapters, where things that have been set up are brought to fruition. Each of these tiny epic moments made me scream a little with delight--or horror, or surprise, or fear. And when one of these characters reaches the end of their journey in the final chapters, I screamed more than a little--fist-pumping may have been involved.

This is not to say that the characters' journeys are linear or predictable. Far from it. Adeyemi takes them--and the reader, along with them--through hell and back on a bumpy road whose twists and turns left me breathless and disoriented multiple times. Not even the twists that I did see coming failed to send chills through me as I saw them unfold on the page. Every setback felt necessary, every victory earned.

Adeyemi also doesn't shy away from exploring dark but all too real themes. Juxtaposed with the wonder and epic scale of the fantasy world, the book holds up a mirror to the heart-wrenching cruelty of our own. Among other things, Children of Blood and Bone speaks directly to racism, police brutality, and systemic oppression. And as someone who believes in a higher power, I resonated strongly with the parts of the book that deal with faith and its meaning in the face of injustice and senseless suffering.

Another all too real, and deeply moving aspect of the book is the way it handles issues of morality. While the setting is one where gods touch the world and magic is real, there is never an easy answer to questions of right and wrong. Without falling into the relativistic extreme of a "both sides" fallacy, Adeyemi does a masterful job of showing us the fragments of truth hidden even in the antagonist's worldview, and making us empathize with him without ever romanticizing or excusing his actions.

As far as the "good guys" are concerned, I've rarely read a book that strikes such a powerful balance between pure characters serving an unequivocally good cause (see: Lord of the Rings), and morally gray characters in a story where there is no such thing as a good cause (see: A Song of Ice and Fire). In Children of Blood and Bone, I never had a doubt that the heroes were doing the right thing, to the very best of their ability. But as the story progressed, it also became painfully clear that even the right thing could lead to devastating consequences, and that the best of their ability might simply not be enough in the face of the complexity of the real world--and humanity's potential for both boundless good and unspeakable evil.

The one weaker aspect of the novel, in my view, was the overarching plot, especially in the first half of the book. I found it at times confusing (like when they find out what's going on and what they're supposed to do--even after reading the entire book, I'm not sure I fully understand) and at times contrived. The latter may simply be a matter of taste, as it's not surprising the plot felt forced when the reluctant heroes were pushed to embark on their journey by external circumstances. I recognize that this is a very common trope, and almost a staple of the genre, but in a book so adept at refreshing conventions and taking them to new places, I found this one aspect a little disappointing.

The succession of events that sets the heroes on their path and directs them to the next steps of their journey are all, quite literally, instances of Deus Ex Machina. The gods themselves take a hand in the plot, forcing the characters into action and sometimes quite pointedly telling them what they need to do. It seemed at times as if the overarching quest was more of a convenient plot device than an organic part of the story--a less-polished vehicle whose sole purpose was to contain the beautifully woven themes and epic character arcs that shine through the book.

Most of these issues, however, disappeared in the second half of the story as the characters gained more agency and started driving the plot instead of being driven by it. And as I kept reading, the book quickly became unputdownable. At the end, I cried--and I left the world of Orïsha with a dull ache inside me, craving more.

This was such a refreshing book that was so different than most of the YA fantasy that dominates the best seller lists. Not only are all of the characters POC, but the magic is different and interesting and the world-building was really well done. My only real issues is that it felt a little long and for the first few chapters of the book I thought Zelie was actually much younger than she was (she struck me as 12-13, not as a late teen). Some of the internal dialog of the different povs sometimes felt a little too repetitive, but otherwise it's a very engaging and unique story.

I read a lot of YA. I read a lot of fantasy. It has been a long time since something has captivated me as much as Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone. I had a lot of expectations going into this book, and usually that means I’m silently pleading to not be let down, but this time it lived up to my hype. A thrilling adventure with a group of compelling protagonists, this book left me spellbound and desperate for more.

Children of Blood and Bone is the first in a series of West African-inspired fantasy novels set in the fictional world of Orïsha. Orïsha used to be a land of magic, but then one night the magic disappeared. The king sent out his army to slaughter all of the maji in a blood-soaked night known as “the Raid”, and the survivors were left to pick up the pieces without any hope for the future. Zélie Adebola saw her mother die that night, and ever since then, she and her family have had to eke out a meager existence, trying not to draw the ire of the royal guards and struggling to pay the increasingly harsh taxes levied on all maji children. But a chance encounter with the princess Amara sends the two of them – along with their brothers (Zélie’s brother Tzain and Amara’s brother Inan) – on a quest to bring magic back to Orïsha.

I absolutely devoured this book. It’s almost 450 pages and I think I read it in two days. I couldn’t put it down. It’s fantastic. Orïsha is such a finely-crafted world, totally visible in my mind’s eye. Adeyemi is truly a master of words; her writing is poetic without being overly flowery and is just a delight to read. The four main characters (three POV characters) are well-written, flawed individuals. Their relationships are complex and diverse, exploring friendship, family, and romantic feelings. Their adventure is engaging and will keep you on the edge of your seat with its constant ups and downs. (And the cliffhanger at the end will probably make you shout, “NO!” the same way that I did.) There is a lot to love about Children of Blood and Bone.

It’s an excellent look at racism and classism. Diviners (maji without magic) are quite often sold into slavery, but even those who escape that fate lead miserable, fear-filled lives. They are easily recognizable by their white hair, and though there are some who dye theirs, it never truly can be hidden. Underneath the main story of bringing back magic is the discussion of whether or not magic should be brought back at all. We as readers see both sides of the issue, but I hope in future books we will learn more about the Orïsha that existed before the Raid. The information we learn comes from unreliable narrators, so I don’t believe we truly know what happened to cause it. I’m fascinated to discover what’s truth and what isn’t, and whether or not that will change my opinion of the characters and their quest.

It’s not perfect. At times, the pacing can be an issue, with the story either moving too quickly or too slowly. One of the POV characters gave me whiplash at how fast (and often) he changed his mind. Even with the limited perspective in narration, sometimes I felt like we weren’t getting the whole picture. I’m sure some of that is intentional, so that we don’t know the whole plot before it’s happened, but at times it can be frustrating, because you just don’t know where certain characters stand.

For the most part, though, Children of Blood and Bone is a breathless, action-packed adventure. It takes an underutilized topic — West African mythology — and evolves around it, creating a new world that is engaging and dangerous. It is not for the faint of heart. It may make you question your ideologies; you hear both sides of the story, and you find yourself wondering who exactly was in the wrong in that situation. Or, perhaps, were they both wrong?

A group of badass rebels fight a dangerously prejudiced tyrant to return magic to the land. I don't know about you, but this fantasy novel is exactly what I needed in today's political landscape. There's a lot to unpack in this book about race, ability, genocide, power politics, and fear of the unfamiliar.

Tomi Adeyemi is a masterful world builder. This book is so thorough, with a range of memorable characters and magical locations the reader can envision from her descriptions. The three narrators are well balanced and tell the story in a compelling way. One of my biggest struggles with action-packed fantasy novels is the lack of respect for/acknowledgment of loss of life, so I really loved Zélie's powers and the way battle scenes are depicted. I can't wait to read the next book. OMG, that cliff hanger!

I was lucky to get a chance to read this one! It came at the perfect time, right after I watched AND LOVED Black Panther. I had been hearing from absolutely everyone how amazing this book was, how much they were looking forward to it, if they hadn't read it yet, and on and on.

I really liked it.

And that's it. I didn't LOVE it; it wasn't AMAZING. It was good. Maybe really good. But that was it.

It started off really well - this horrible oppressive nation with a rich and complex history. Zelie's back story is really compelling, and the secondary characters were very likable. The magic system is really interesting, and I loved the world building. I would love to see a leopardaire. I loved Princess Amari and absolutely hated her father. He is just horrible! 

It was Zelie that I didn't really love. I felt like the romance there was weird and it just didn't work for me. But I could have kind of gone with it, maybe it was just that it was the first book and thinking about it more would have changed my mind. But Zelie was not as a great a character as I was hoping for in the beginning. I felt like she didn't learn and grow much over the book. She was still impulsive, still getting into the same fights with her brother. 

When I compared this to Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older, which I also read recently, I liked Sierra more. I felt like she really had that moment when she came into her own power and really transformed into this powerful, strong woman who was ready to fight the world and win. Maybe it was because this book was split between Zelie and Amari, but I didn't feel like Zelie had that moment of transformation in quite the same way. Don't get me wrong - I think this was a good book and I'm glad I read it. But I think it could have been even better.

It's possible that it was just me, that I read it at the wrong time and I would have enjoyed it more if I were in a different mood. If you are looking forward to reading this one, I'd say go ahead and give it a try. But I'm not in a hurry to read the next book.

It was definitely a mistake getting this excerpt because the book isn't coming out until next MARCH! How am I supposed to wait that long? Anyway, I was hooked right from the beginning. I can't wait to read the rest of this book.

ETA (2/25/18) Soooo I only recently realized that the whole book is up now??? AHHHHH!!!! This book is AMAZING. The world building! The plot! EVERYTHING. This book is very long but it is definitely worth the time it takes to read it. What a fantastic debut!

I was interested in Children of Blood & Bone from the moment I first heard about it and I sort of forgot the title for a while. Then I found it again and I was so excited! A West-African inspired Fantasy? Sign me up! This book was/is hyped. So much. But there's no book that deserves the hype more. Children of Blood & Bone is absolutely amazing and Tomi's Adeyemi's writing style is beautiful. One of my notes says "This feels like the book you just finish in a day" and now I've finished it, that's still true. I usually wouldn't be able to read a big, full fantasy novel in a day, but that's seems different with this book.

I found Children of Blood & Bone quite complex, yet easy to follow. It was so easy to get lost in Zélie's story and I just couldn't put it down! That hadn't happened to me for a while, which made it just a bit extra special. It really got my out of my reading slump! The plot can quite easily be explained as "an adventure to restore magic" but it's so much more than just that. The way magic works in this world is incredible. There's this entire system in place and I guess in a lot of books it wouldn't work or I wouldn't like it as much, but Tomi made it understandable and explained it perfectly well. Besides that, the "race against the clock" element kept me captivated in the story.

I absolutely loved every character in Children of Blood & Bone. I genuinely don't think there were any that I disliked (except maybe some of the bad guys, of course!) Zélie is such an incredible main character. I love how she describes her world and the magic in it. She's also such a realistic character. I really liked Amari as well. I didn't really "see" her as a princess for a while but her character development was amazing! Sometimes I struggled a little bit with Zélie's brother, Tzain. But in the end he was such a great guy! My favourite has got to be Inan. He was so terrifyingly unpredictable and that's really what I loved most about the book. I also loved how much he loathes magic. I feel like we never really read about characters who hate the magic of their world, it was refreshing. All these characters really kept me on the edge of my seat. It was so interesting to follow everyone and see how they developed and changed throughout the story.

The end of Children of Blood & Bone was epic, to say the least. My heart was racing and it was just so good and unpredictable and it really left me wanting more! There's a cliffhanger which can be the worst thing ever, but this one is done so well that I'm actually loving it. I really cannot wait for the sequel!

This book is going to be big – and I’m excited for it. It has the epic fantasy saga feeling of An Ember in the Ashes. I received an arc from netgalley.

A big strength of Children of Blood and Bone is its world building. There’s a lot of complicated magic, and a lot of ritual and culture to back it up. I am glad fantasy books are expanding beyond white, European settings and it was wonderful to see that play out in this story.

This book is told from 3 points of view (although I’d argue there are 4 main characters): Zélie, Princess Amari, Prince Inan and Zélie’s brother Tzain. I’m not the biggest fan of multiple first person POVs, but that’s really personal preference (and it wasn’t jarring here). My larger problem with the 3 POVs was that it sometimes made the chapters short and choppy, jumping from one character’s thoughts on a situation to another. This is probably personal preference—but I often felt like just as I was getting into the swing of a scene and a character, the chapter would end, and the scene would pick up from one of the other players in that same scene.

This is a long book. That’s great in some ways, because it means more can happen, the characters can go on longer journeys, but I felt like the first half was a bit slow. The opening chapters are thrilling and hooked me, but then things slowed down. It felt like there were really two inciting incidents, and that there was a whole other opening before the main characters began their quest (which is the central organizing element of the story: find the artifacts, complete the quest, etc). It’s not a bad thing per se—I see what these scenes early on do to help establish the magic system of the world and the central conflict—but I kept reading a chapter and then putting the book down for a bit. It took me a while to read that first half, but once Zélie began to really come into her magic, in the arena, I was hooked again. After that initial slowness, I finished the second half of the book in a single day.

I don’t want to go too much into the plot details because the book isn’t released yet, but I especially thought the final act was well done. There’s a new character introduced who’s so much fun. And the story slows down enough for some really good character moments. (It had been so fast paced before I sometimes wished there were more moments of rest. More moments where Zélie could process what had happened, etc). It also paid off in terms of character growth. (I especially found Amari’s arc throughout the book surprising and compelling).

And the ending left me awaiting a sequel—there are still many parts of this world to explore, many questions to think through, and a lot of room for character growth—should be exciting!

This took me a minute to get into and understand the world/world building. But this book is pretty fantastic. It’s going to be a favorite among teens at the library and it’s exciting to have a fantasy title that features a fantastic group of black and brown skinned characters - something that’s truly needed in YA Fantasy right now. This truly lives up to all the hype that’s been going around about this title.

It’s been a while since a book has kept me up all night as an adult with full time job. In fact, before Children of Blood and Bone, there had never been a book that kept me up all night as an adult with a full time job. But Tomi Adeyemi really blew me away.
Taking place in the land of Orisha, where magic disappeared, the reader is introduced to a myriad of characters that we both love and hate. We meet Zelie, a young girl torn between avenging her mother or following her own personal destiny; Tzain, fierce and protective brother to Zelie; Amari, a meek but brave princess determined to right her fathers wrongs ; and Inan, tortured brother to Amari, confused and stuck between two impossible choices.
The book, despite the length, felt like a fast read. The character development of each person was phenomenal. We were privy to the hard choices each person had to make, and how their past influenced their future.
The writing itself was beautifully written and simple to understand. There weren’t extra fillers just to make the book longer. Every scene was crucial to the development of the story and action packed from the start.
This book is a great read- I can’t wait for the second installment!

Richly written and beautifully told the story of Zélie who is a descendant of the diviners, maji who had the magic to heal, destroy, or summone the elements to do their will. But eleven years ago all the magic disappeared over night and Zélie's mother was killed for the power she held.
Zelie has been secretly training in her village to be a fighter with other girls her age. As she is returning home she finds out that her father has nearly drowned trying to catch fish to help pay the tax collectors that keep coming and taking everything they own. Zel goes to the nearby city with a prize fish to sell for money that will hopefully help their family get ahead. There she is confronted by a young girl who has stolen a scroll from her father that can supposedly help bring magic back to the diviners. Now the girl that has taken the scroll is the princess of the king that is responsible for slaughtering the diviners to begin with. So begins the journey of Zel, her brother, and the princess to bring magic back.
This book was absolutely gorgeous. It is so original and lush, it kept me enthralled to the very end. If you liked The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor or The Bone Witch by Ren Chupeco you'll definitely fall in love with this book!

Strong characters, strong worldbuilding, all mixed with an unfamiliar mythology. As a debut there were a few weaknesses, but nothing that pulled me too far out of the story.
Definitely recommend this.

Just incredible. Children of Blood and Bone delves into a magical world inspired by the religion of the Yoruba people. Too often I read a book that focuses on religion from Europe. It was a relief to see Nigeria represented in such a fantastical setting. While reading the novel, I felt the need to research to understand the foundation the book is based on to develop a better cultural understanding, which was why I wanted to read this title originally. Representation is important especially in a fantasy setting, and it was great to follow Zelie's adventure to return magic to her people. Also each narrative provided a great insight to life in this fantasy nation. I usually prefer books in third person and tend to avoid multiple POVs, but Tomi Adeyemi used this format to her advantage to craft such a great tale.

TOMI, WRITE FASTER!! I need to know what happens!! This is a great book. It's clear that Tomi had done her research on crafting novels, and this book is an incredible depiction of the hero's journey. It's definitely runs a little long, but I loved getting to know these characters and am invested in their stories. Definitely add this one to your TBR list!

Reading this novel was like body surfing waves at a beach. The story would be going along smoothly, floating in the swell, and then all of a sudden it would peak and crash down the other side and I'd have to re-orient myself to the latest plot twist. This style lured me in. It gave these calm moments to get to know Zelie and her brother Tzain and learn why their mother was killed.

Zelie has inherited her mother's traits to work magic, but the king has killed all the magic practitioners and destroyed all their artifacts. Zelie, at most, can only imagine what it might have been like to have followed in her mother's steps.

Amari and Inan are the children of the king and have been taught to fear magic due to the damage it has done to the the land and it's people. Duty above all is the mantra that Inan repeats to himself whenever he questions his father's brutal tactics. After witnessing her father commit an atrocity, Amari flees the castle in a bid for her freedom.

I was captivated as I followed the intersecting paths of these four young people. For the most part, they acted as I expected with the exception of Inan. While his motivation was clear, he struggled with his conscience on how to respond. This helped make him seem very real.

I do admit to enjoying the addition of magic to a story. It opens up so many possibilities for plot lines that keep me guessing. As I read along, I couldn't help but imagine the potential of the various maji and how they could benefit their society.

This story should appeal to a wide range of teen readers, though I feel that due to the violence, it is most suitable for older teens.

Love it! PRN is becoming my go to choice for reading lately. The characters are strong and well developed.

Children of Blood and Bone is going to be a best seller, I’m speaking it into existence. I’m calling it. I’m praying for it. I’m wanting it with all my breath, my blood, my being.

I want nice things for Tomi Adeyemi even though I don’t know her. I want these aforementioned and completely vague nice things because she dared to write outside the box, she dared to create, she dared to bare a story that is sharped edged and raw and bold. That is what Children of Blood and Bone is. In this story you will find pain, you will find fear, you will find oppression, and you will indeed find death. But you will also find community, you will find love, you will find power, you will find simple and powerful truths running through the veins of anyone who dared to journey and live another day after the dust settles.

Children of Blood and Bone is a rare pearl among a sea of stones. There is a ton of buzz around this highly anticipated book and beyond the fact that it is among the few major releases within its genre with a person of color as the lead, I found the plot hella intriguing. I am happy to say that Children of Blood and Bone did not disappoint, in fact I don’t know how I am going to survive the wait until book 2 is released.

“Each maji was born with white hair the sign of the gods’ touch. They used their gifts to care for the people of Orïsha and were revered throughout the lands. But not everyone was gifted by the gods.”

Orïsha is a place where magic, once celebrated and honored, is feared and shunned as much as Divîners, the dark skinned white-haired people who at the age of 13, would come into their magic and become maji. Zélie, our central protagonist lives in the aftermath of the genocide of her people, mysterious disappearance of magic and endures daily persecution for her status as a Divîner. Daughter of powerful maji, Zélie and her brother Tzain, live with the trauma of witnessing the slaughter of their mother and the destruction of their non-maji father’s spirit.

The book as three narrators:

Zélie, the girl remembers the way her mother’s body looked, when it was left on display the day that magic died.

Amari, the daughter of the king who slaughtered all Divîners and has done everything to destroy magic. She is princess, completely unlike her tyrant of a father, who flees her royal life with a secret that could restore magic and free a people from merciless persecution.

Inan, young man next in line for the throne of Orïsha and Amari’s older brother. A king to be constantly warring between what his heart and making a ruthless father proud. Inan is tasked with bringing Amari back, by whatever means necessary.

The narrative centers on two sets of siblings: Zélie and her brother Tzain and Amari and her brother Inan. Their paths crossing seem to be fated by the gods because once they come together, they change the fate of Orïsha forever.

Final and random thoughts:

Stay woke while reading this book. This is Science Fiction and Young (New) Adult literature but the themes of bias, discrimination, systemic oppression and the power are seamlessly woven through this narrative. It does not overwhelm the story but it is part of its essential building blocks.

My low-key inner feminist wept. Many writers in this genre don’t know how to write strong yet fallible female leads. Chicks who change the world even when their ish is not together. Tomi does this without compromising the integrity of the characterization or the narrative.

This story centers in a part of the world inhabited by a rainbow of black people. There is no monolith of blackness. Meaning black people come in different shapes, sizes, cultures, dialects, and skin tones, this is the very first book in the genre that captures this and brings it to life in such a vivid and breathtaking way that I am at a loss for words.

You are not ready for how the romance in this book plays out. It is freeing, heartbreaking, hopeful, difficult and excellently executed.

This one is for da culture and for the ancestors. When the movie is released, I’m inviting all of my homies over to eat the same jollof rice mentioned in the book and then head to the theater. You are not ready for the level of culture in this book.

The book builds slowly and intricately (also note that I read and prefer insanely fast paced books so grain of salt), get to the middle and things shift in a way that will not allow you to put it down until you are done. I read the first half over two weeks and the last half in one evening.

Trigger warning for violence, murder, torture, and detailed descriptions of war.

Tomi Adeyemi weaves a beautiful tale rich in culture and imagination. Though her prose is simple and straightforward, I was absolutely transfixed from page one. This does suffer from the typical YA formula, but the cultural elements the author has added bring a unique quality to the story, and I cannot wait to finish this entire book. Also, the cover is incredible and so complimentary!

A full review will come after release, but you all are going to want to give this one a try.

I was sent a Preview Excerpt of Children of Blood and Bone, this book is worth every ounce of hype and praise it has received thus far, Even though I haven't read the whole book, what I did read was amazing.The world is amazing, the characters are so real feeling, the writing is perfect. This was such a fantastic read!! I loved it more than any words I can string together to form a review.

This is an epic YA fantasy. The world Tomi Adeyemi created is vivid and detailed. Her characters feel so real and there is plenty of action and the romance is beautiful.. This is one of the best 2018 books I have read so far. The book follows Zélie who lives in the world known as Orisha where magic used to be abundant and thrive. But now magic is gone. And the King wants to keep it that way. Keeping all diviners oppressed and treated like second class citizens in hoping that they will forget how powerful they used to be. And Zelie who are surrounded by water and must pay a diviner tax and if you cannot pay you are forced to do hard labour to pay off your dents but you only accumulate more and will never be free. These two people and there siblings get intertwined in the story. You also get Amari who is the tyrannical Kings daughter and Inan who is the king in waiting and Amaris brother. All these characters were fantastic and held there own. The world building is exquisite and would rival some adult epic fantasies. And Tomis writing is just beautiful.. Now it does take a little bit for the story to get going but once it does it doesn't let go. And all our characters in this book are black and she does a wonderful job comparing dark skinned people to lighter skinned people in the book. All in all I highly recommend this book to everyone.