Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi was nothing short of a stunning masterpiece. This book was sent to me Sunday, downloaded and completed by Monday ... I couldn't stop, I just couldn't.

Let's start with the cover. This is one of those times where the cover in and of itself is enough to make you want to read the book, but the most joyous part, is that it lived up to the actual novel.

Onto the book. The blurb on the very inside regarding Zelie's mother was gripping and heart wrenching and instantly made me push forward to see why this atrocity happened. And boy do you discover how profound an impact this had on the main protagonist. Then the very first chapter you are quickly introduced to the world, the very cruel world of the diviner/maji children and the poverty they are forced to live in. I loved the sparring match as it set up what to expect from Zelie. I loved Mama Agba ... the way she tried to fill the void and role of parents that were torn from their children all the while being harsh and strict so they could survive.

The farther you delve into Children of Blood and Bone, the more and more you want, never wanting it to end. I loved Zelie's brother, Tzain. His character resonated with me. He promised his parents he would always look after Zelie and yet he was a child too, but forced to assume so many roles, and he has a breaking point in the novel that didn't make me hate him (he ultimately pulls through) it made me empathize with him. Maybe it's the parent part of me where you can see where your child is headed and you know better, but telling them will never work, they have to experience it on their own, but you can't, as a parent, ever turn the 'worry' off. So, I totally understood Tzain's frustrations with Zelie.

The princess ... Amari. For me, she had the most growth in the novel. She faced her fears in so many ways. The author did an incredible job of showing us through tell how much Amari's friend (and diviner servant), Binta meant to her. It was soul crushing to read the pain and anguish Amari went through witnessing Binta's murder and then listening to the plans they had of running away. Just heart breaking. I loved the courage Amari displayed. It's harder to do the right thing, sometimes, then to do what's easy. And her decision was anything but easy. But what I loved, is that never once did Amari stray from her goal. It was that love of her friend Binta, and the injustice done to her, that fueled Amari to get through. And she never once lost focus. Now Amari's brother, the crown prince, Inan ... this guy's emotions were all over the place.

It made perfect sense that Inan believed in this crazy system of magic is evil, those associated with magic must die, etc. etc. etc. But this guy's emotions were like a roller coaster. I was still on board with him when he believed Zelie infected him and he was turning into something magic related to a virus of sorts, but once the truth came out (which was beautiful), he was, "Yes, I'm in." ... "No, I'm not." This was on and off clear up until the end of the book. I loved Inan ... truly, but my goodness ... it was like being jerked around. I just wanted him to pick a lane and stick with it.

The novel itself ... what a dramatic and beautiful world. I loved reading about all the clans, the jungle, the cities, the temples, the animals, the clothing .... all of this world is just gorgeous and lush and it felt so real to me. I felt like I was on this edge of your seat journey with all the characters.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel. I would recommend this to anyone. I don't care what you love, I can't imagine this not fitting in anywhere, it just has so much to offer. Absolutely loved Children of Blood and Bone!

I read the preview and was captivated from the beginning. I hope to read the complete book when it comes out!

I am one of the luckiest people in the world. Netgalley.com and the publishers of this book deemed me worthy enough to be able to read it before publication.

If if you have ever taken my advice on a book recommendation and you enjoy Fantasy, YA, a damn well-written story, a heroine who gives her all, a pampered coward who finally “clicks”, supporting characters who make you cry, or any combination of the above, then you must, no, you HAVE to pick up this book.

I have been wracking my brain today trying to figure out how to best review this book. So I’ll take you through my thought process as I read.

When the first chapter ended and I wept, I knew it would be powerful.
When Zelie rode a lion that she raised from a cub, I knew it would have a great setting.
When Amari stopped thinking and started running, I knew she would be a many-layered supporting character.
When Saran killed Binto, I hoped that would come back to bite him in the ass.
When I found myself rereading page after page because I wanted to make sure I missed nothing, I knew I was engrossed.
When I found myself taking my time to read it, svaoring the world and the action, I knew it would jump to the top of my recommendation list.
And when it ended like THAT and I sat, stunned, fractured, cursing the fact that I have to wait a YEAR to find out what happens next, I knew I was hopelessly hooked.

I don’t know what else to say to get you to add this book to your TBR list, but please trust me - you MUST add it. I cannot wait to buy it for my library and I feel so strongly about it, though my budget is gone, I will buy it out of my own pocket.

Thank you, Tomi Adeyemi, for sharing your vision with the world.

“You crushed us to build your monarchy on the backs of our blood and bone. Your mistake wasn’t keeping us alive. It was thinking we’d never fight back!”

Children of Blood and Bone is worth every ounce of hype and praise it has received thus far, and I only anticipate it to receive more and more, especially since you’re all about to read a gush review for it. The world is amazing, the characters are so real feeling, the writing is perfect, the action is abundant, the romances are beautiful, the topics are important. This was such a fantastic read, and even though it is only late January, I have no doubts that Children of Blood and Bone will make my best of 2018 list, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it even takes the number one spot come December 31st. I’m also honored to say that this is the very first book I’ve given five stars to in 2018.

In this world of Orïsha, magic used to thrive and be celebrated. Our main protagonist, Zélie, remembers this time and what a powerful Divîner her mother was. But she also remembers the way her mother’s body looked, when it was left on display the day that magic died.

“I think about the way her corpse hung from that tree. I think about the king who took her away.”

Now, the king of Orïsha wants to make sure magic is kept dead, while also keeping all the Divîners that live in Orïsha oppressed. The king ensures that the Divîners are reminded they are lesser, in hopes that they will forget how powerful they once were, along with everyone else. And this has worked, for the last eleven years, that is until a powerful artifact is found and if it is combined with a couple other powerful artifacts it can bring magic back to Orïsha once and for all.

When a Maji is born with white hair, it is a sign that they are touched by the Gods, so they are called Divîners. And back before magic disappeared, when a Divîner turned thirteen, they would develop what kind of power they had from whatever God had touched them. The powers range from healing, to taming animals, to wielding light, to controlling time, to making fire, to calling water, to controlling people’s minds and dreams, to even more things! They were very powerful, and the ordinary people didn’t like them being that powerful, so they had to shut them down and keep them down.

“No matter how much I crave peace, the gods have other plans.”

This story truly focuses on two sets of siblings. One set is Zélie and her brother Tzain, who are currently living in Eloirin, which is surrounded by water, with their father. Yet, the people in Eloirin are forced to pay a Divîner tax, and the prince keeps raising them higher and higher. And if you can’t pay it, then you are forced to perform hard labor (or other worse things) until your debt is paid off. But that’s the thing, you’ll just accumulate more and more debt, and you will never be free again. You will die a slave. And Zélie ‘s family is unsure how they are going to afford to pay the tax for her, so they are forced to go to the city of Lagose to trade. Then, Zélie and Tzain’s story mixes with the other sibling’s story by pure fate of the Gods.

Amari is the daughter of the king that has done everything to destroy magic. Yet, this princess is nothing like her tyrant of a father. And once her father does something completely unthinkable and totally heartless, Amari flees her royal life once and for all.

Inan is the king in waiting and Amari’s older brother. He is probably the most interesting character in this book, because he constantly is struggling between what he wants to be and what has always been forced upon him. And he is tasked to bring Amari back to their king of a father, by whatever means necessary. Then, these four young adults, from very different upbringings, come together to change the fate of Orïsha forever.

“They built this world for you, built it to love you. They never cursed at you in the streets, never broke down the doors of your home. They didn’t drag your mother by her neck and hang her for the whole world to see.”

This story is truly unforgettable, and I loved it more than any words I can string together to form a review. The world building is expertly done, and perfectly interwoven through the story. The magic system is so unique and was an absolute joy to learn and read about. Zélie is everything I want in a main protagonist, and her castmates are nothing short of amazing, too. This book was everything I’ve ever wanted from the fantasy genre.

The writing in this is so very lyrical. I was completely blown away by the magnificent prose. This story is just told so beautifully, I think it would be hard not to fall in love with it. And I want to emphasize that romance is never at the forefront of this story, but some of the one liners that Tomi Adeyemi gave me where truly some of the most romantic lines I’ve ever read. I can’t believe this is her debut novel. Please, just give her all the awards now, because her writing is truly on another level.

“You have your duty and your heart. To choose one means the other must suffer.”

And the messages and parallels to our world, from systemic racism, to prison systems, to so much more, are so very important. I know this is a YA high fantasy novel, but I hope people can’t miss the similarities to the very society we are living in today.

And every single character in this book is beautifully black. Yet, the author does such a wonderful job touching on how people perceive darker skinned individuals to lighter skinned individuals in this world. In this world, the royals want to look as light as possible. Even going as far as to make sure their skin is always powdered, and it is shunned to spend too much time outside where you could become darker. Yet, this young girl, Zélie, with the darkest skin, living in poverty and dealing with the brutal murder of her mother, could be the most powerful person in Orïsha, yet she is viewed as nothing more than a racial slur. This book is powerful, eye opening, and I hope you all take more out of it besides it being an amazing, five starred story.

“I won’t let your ignorance silence my pain.”

This book was a masterpiece. Again, I know with my whole soul that this book will make my best of 2018 list without question. I loved this book with the sum of my being and I know it is going to make so many other’s lists, too. Tomi Adeyemi will forever and always be an auto-buy author for me, because this is maybe the strongest debut novel I have ever read in my entire life. Perfection.

Trigger/Content warnings for attempted rape, physical abuse, death, gore, murder, torture, war themes, and similar things in that vein.

“The truth cuts like the sharpest knife I’ve ever known. No matter what I do, I will always be afraid.”

I have some seriously mixed feelings about this book. It's difficult to read a book that has been as hyped as this one without being affected by your own high expectations, despite trying very hard not to be. I liked parts of it, but overall I found it to be a regurgitation of cliched YA fantasy tropes, pasted onto a fresh setting. The Goodreads summary is pretty accurate: this is basically the classic Hero's Journey tale of Ye Olde Fantasy, complete with chosen one, sacred artifacts, gods and goddesses, and a magical destination. Which could have been fine, given that the setting is so original - in fact, the West African inspired setting was probably my favorite thing about the book. But despite this, everything else just fell flat for me.

However, just because I personally wasn't wowed, doesn't mean this book doesn't have appeal. To be honest, you've got thousands of YA fantasy books out there that regurgitate the same plot over and over onto the same vaguely Anglo-French medieval setting and they do fine, so it's nice to see something like this that features black and brown characters. It's kind of like when people say, oh, paranormal/urban fantasy is over and done with, when POC haven't gotten their chance at it yet. Just because white people have gotten all their shots at something doesn't necessarily mean it's been played out. I'm glad this book exists for POC teens to see themselves in the types of fantasies they have been reading about for years.

With that being said, I had a lot of problems with this book. I think the main reason I struggled with it was the writing style. It just felt very young; though the subject matter is mature, at times I felt like I was reading a middle grade book instead of a young adult book. The writing is incredibly melodramatic, littered with phrases like "something inside me broke" and "I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding" and "I should have known you were the monster all along." More than once I found myself cringing and rolling my eyes at just how Extra the writing was. Furthermore, even the expressed themes are presented in such a simplistic way, and the reader is beaten over the head with every little thing. I would recommend this to teens on the younger side of the spectrum, but I think more mature readers might not enjoy it as much.

Another issue I had with the writing style is that it is written in first person present, which is probably my least favorite tense. It takes a really subtle hand to make first person present work, and this book's writing is not in the least bit subtle. I also found it confusing at times, since there are three different POVs, all in first person present, and their voices are not all that different, so I often found myself forgetting whose perspective I was supposed to be in.

As for the plot, well, as I said, this is classic Hero's Journey, played almost completely straight. So, Zelie is chosen by the gods to bring magic back to Orisha, and she goes on a journey that takes her to various places in the country to collect the sacred artifacts she needs to conduct the ritual that will return magic. Alongside her are Princess Amari, who has defected from her father, and Tzain, Zelie's older brother. They are being pursued by Inan, the Prince and Amari's elder brother who is determined to stop Zelie's ritual. The plot is essentially a series of strung-together YA fantasy tropes maximized for commercial appeal, but the result is a narrative that lacks much depth. (One of those tropes is Enemies to Lovers, which features the Inexplicable Heterosexual Romance, in one of the weirdest character flip-flops I've ever seen. It was just...very abrupt and unbelievable.)

While the book started off quick and engaging, the plot quickly slowed down. I found that the book was much longer than it needed to be. In fact, there was a huge chunk in the middle where the gang has to compete in these arena games that felt completely tacked on just to be able to say the book included it. I think this particular plot point, along with a lot of other instances, is where the story could really have used a firm editorial hand. A lot of things seemed random, chucked into the book to just to make it seem more exciting, but it was all way too much, especially when combined with the juvenile writing style. Probably about a hundred pages could have been cut from this book to make a better, tighter final product.

At the center of the narrative is the oppression of the maji, which in a lot of instances seems to be written to directly mirror real-world racism. I'm not sure how well that worked given the portrayal of magic users here; that is, their powers are portrayed as world destroying, and it almost seems understandable that those without powers would want to wipe magic out to level the playing field. On the other hand, certain people's potential for magic is used to exploit them for economic gain even though they have no magic to hurt anyone, and that certainly speaks of baseless, irrational racism. The book certainly tries to have this complicated conversation, but it just falls short, and by the end I wasn't entirely sure what exactly the book was trying to get across. Perhaps later books will address this, but...the ending makes me suspect that later books are going to circumvent this problem entirely.

I know this has been very negative so far, but there were some things I liked about this book! The worldbuilding is fantastic: all the characters are black or brown, and much attention is paid to the various hues of their skin and the textures of their hair. That was super refreshing to see, especially since POC in other books are often cut from the same cloth, appearance wise, so it was great to see so much diversity while still having a cast made up entirely of POC. The West African setting is fresh and wonderfully detailed, as is this world's creation myth and the legends of their gods and goddesses. Something else I liked is that there's two leading ladies here, and by the end they become excellent friends (now this is an Enemies to Friends situation I can actually stand by). There's still not a lot of positive female friendships in YA, unfortunately, so it was great to see that. Zelie, the main character, is written to be fierce and fiery, and I liked her a lot, though I wish her internal (and external) monologues weren't so melodramatic.

Generally, I just wanted some more nuance and maturity, with regards to thematic points and writing. Also, and I've said this several times before, but I've started to really, really hate "journey" stories, and that's certainly a strong personal preference that affected my enjoyment of this book. However, I can certainly see how this would appeal to people, particularly the younger YA generation. Also, I can definitely see this book's blockbuster quality, and I'm super excited for the film! I'm not sure if I'll pick up the second book in this series, however. I might just wait for the movie.

I received 6 chapter so, this is just a partial review. And from what I have read so far, one can understand the hype for this book. Children of Blood and Bone is one of this year's most highly anticipated book in the YA genre...and it's good.

Let's be honest here ok? There is only so much I can 'review' considering that I've read so little... only 6 chapters... but that alone has reignited my anticipation for reading this book. 6 chapters in and it's jam packed with EVERYTHING!!! It surpasses everything I wanted this book to be... How is that even possible?!
I can't wait to read the rest...I highly recommend you to add Children of Blood and Bone to your TBR list...
PS: I know we aren't suppose to judge a book by it's cover but come on! Look at that?! Won't you want to buy that?!!

Oh man, this book! This book was spectacular! The hype for this one is well deserved. I loved every moment of this story. This was one of those books that you just dive into and lose yourself in the world, the characters, and the story. It was already a decent sized book but I wanted it to be even longer. I did not want it to end! The characters are well thought out, unique, and have a whole lot of depth and character development. My favorite part of the story was the friendship between Zelie and Amari. The magic system is incredibly fascinating. The world building is very well done. It all works together to make one remarkable, unforgettable story!

Since this is only a review of the excerpt, I can only really go off initial impressions of this deeply atmospheric and magical novel, which promises to immerse the reader in a fantasy world like no other they've read before. It's no wonder that every reader who has got their hands on this book has not been able recommend it highly enough. From what I did get to read, the imagery is vivid, from sophisticated and descriptive writing, and immediately there is a new world you are thrown into. Now that I've also read that this may be made into a film (when Tomi Adeyemi is just a debut author!), you know this novel has a magic story on its pages. Apparently this IS a must-read!

Copy provided by Net Galley.

7/10, rounded down.

This is a fairly polarising book for me. It's my first YA in a while, and there was a lot I liked. There was also a lot I didn't, but I think positives first.

Adeyemi certinaly has a way with words. She has created a refreshingly different world to what I'm used to reading. None of that medieval rot, no knights and the like. No elves, orcs, or hobgoblins. Just a secondary fantasy world with a unique magic system. Honestly, I would have liked the world to have been fleshed out a bit more, because the bones that were given seem great. Set in the land of Orisha, we are told the story of Zelie, a devîner, the child of a magi. Sometime in the past, the king made magic disappear and in the ensuing chaos killed all those who could wield magic. From that, we have the story of a girl trying to reach up and discover how to restore magic and free her home from tyranny. Fairly standard quest type stuff, just with a different take.

The writing was about what I'd expect from YA these days. Which is to say, fairly good, with a few bits and pieces I think could have been done better. By and large, I don't think there was that much need to expand upon the ideas and histories involved, however the pacing was very fast, almost too fast I'd say. It's one thing to another and you're sitting there going "When will it stop??". So pacing. Could have used some work. We're given three different perspectives; Zel, and the royal siblings Amari and Inan. Each of the different characters were suitably well done, enough to know why they were doing what they were doing, and you had a pretty good idea on where they were heading. I liked all these characters, with each undergoing a decent amount of character growth during their journeys.

And with that, I guess now we come to the stuff I didn't like. Romance. Why, why, why does YA always need to have romance shoehorned in? I know people bond in highly stressful situations, and if you spend weeks on end with the other sex things can happen, but there were just points in the book were characters did total one-eighties and were suddenly friends++. I don't mind it when it's done well (romance, that is), but this just felt...mmm, unnecessary. Also. Kids make stupid decisions. It bugs me. Seriously so many times, things could have been averted if they had just thought a bit more, moved a bit faster as their situation demanded. There was one moment at the end where the protag just made the worst decision. I understand why she did it. Chances are I would have done the same. What I don't understand is why everyone else let her do it! Ugh.

I'm getting a little bit ranty there. I should stop. Final thoughts: I did quite enjoy this book, however a few large parts of it did take away some of my enjoyment and left me a bit frustrated. I could reliably pick what was going next due to the simplicity of the plot, although I did misjudge how the finale would take place. Would I recommend this book? Yes, but with a few caveats.

I thought this book was well written, but it was so long. Then the magic stuff was just too much for me. I generally love magic, but I don’t know! It also felt like a blend of other fantasy books. The setting was awesome, though. I’m pretty sure most people will love it.

This book drew me in immediately. The mythology was so rich and there was so much world-building and character development. It was impossible to put down.

4.5 stars

This was a fast-paced, action-packed book - that I could not put down. Although this was a pretty big book - it was easy to devour - because the world building was fabulous, and so much was happening in this story! This book was super dense - not just in size, but because of how much is packed into its pages - which, when the story is this good, is exactly what you want!

The world building was really well done - but there is a lot of detail to know and understand.

The characters were interesting - in that they were super complex - you would feel one way about one character, and then learn something new about them, and totally re-evaluate your perception of them. I feel like some of the characters were really well developed, but other (secondary) characters did feel a bit rushed (e.g. Kaea, Kwami, Zu) which left me hungry for more.

Overall, I was so impressed with how Adeyimi wove such a gorgeous story, with such a fantastical world - and managed to root the whole story into some powerful real world concepts, like oppression, race, prejudice, and the nuances of politics and war.

I really loved this book - and I’m looking forward to the next one!

This. Book. Is. Amazing.

The writing is amazing. The characters are amazing. The setting is just, so... amazing. There is very little I have to complain about with this book, and I read an uncorrected proof. It's not really a fault, but I'm not really sure how to pronounce most of the names in this book.

This book was everything I was looking for. It is so diverse, so magical but also harsh sometimes. I've loved the setting and Zelie is such a powerful and resiliant character. I cannot even describe my feelings while reading this book but I am so grateful I got to discover it.

This book reminds me of a cross between the Monstress graphic novels and ATLA in YA form. It was well written, deeply thought out, vivid, and entertaining. There was a heavy chunk of romance about 75% of the way through and the ending frustrated me a LOT but I still loved it.

How to even begin reviewing this incredible book? CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE wasn’t just gorgeous…. It was GLORIOUS. The immersive world is so full and vibrant, and the characters’ internal and external conflicts were explored with so deeply and realistically. I loved how thick it was and the large range of emotions it brought me: fear, anger, hatred, love, and justice. Y’all better pick this up for one for the most divine YA fantasy.

The book follows the legends and gods of Orïsha, a land that used to be scattered with different maji who could control the elements based on their god. But with this power came violence and rebellion, and eventually a small group of maji took their powers to try to reign over the people without magic. This led to the people without magical potential, or kosidán, to start their own hunt to get rid of maji. Eleven years ago, the maji lost their powers and could not defend themselves, leading to a huge massacre known as the Raid that left the maji dead and their children lost. CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE follows the first person POV of several characters: Zélie, a divîner with the potential to become a maji if only the gods gave back magic; Inan, a conflicted prince who grew up listening and learning his father’s prejudice against the magi; Amari, the princess that tries to help the divîners re-discover their hidden powers. The world is written so well, and there are numerous settings that make for an incredible journey for these characters. They travel through the tangled jungles, dry deserts, expansive seas, and tall mountains of Orïsha. Adeyemi also writes in beautiful Yoruba chants of the maji, creating a wholly immersive world that readers want to stay in.

Zélie

“Sky Mother chose me. Used me. Took me away from everything I loved. She can’t abandon me like this.
She can’t throw me away with nothing but scars.”

My heart goes out for Zélie, who has gone through so much. She saw her mother getting killed and her father abused during the Raid as a small child. She also has the potential to become a Reaper, a maji with the power to control life and death. (SO COOL) My favorite part of Zélie was her conflicting emotions of hope and despair. She’s just so... REAL, considering what she has gone through. Some events make her feel resilient and ready to battle against the tyranny of the king, while others give her a sense of defeat and failure. These emotions are written so raw and real, she practically came out of the pages. Despite her powers, she has weaknesses and is not afraid to show it - especially in terms of her capricious and reckless nature.

I loved seeing her sibling relationship with Tzain, her brother. I’m surprised he didn’t get a POV in this book but would really like to see one. He’s the older brother who’s used to cleaning up Zélie’s messes. But their love and bond for each other are strong and fierce. She has a developing friendship with Amari despite her initial distrust of the noble girl, and even a hate-to-love romance with the crown prince Inan even though he’s out for her blood. Things change when his big secret is revealed, though.

Inan

“That is the type of kingdom I want to lead.
A land in which a prince and a maji could coexist. A land where even Zélie and I could be a ‘we.’ That is my true duty. It is for that cause that I must fight.”

Inan is also a character full of doubts and hidden weaknesses. Raised by his vengeful father, Inan hates all things maji. But what happens… when he discovers that he HIMSELF has powers? This is a scary moment for Inan as he treats his magic like a curse and virus. But his interactions with other divîners bring a gray side to his originally black-and-white world. He’s constantly caught between the duty of his crown and the interests of his heart. Within these interests of heart also encompasses his burgeoning romance with Zélie, who he originally seeks out to capture and kill. This hate-to-love romance also comes with a forbidden aspect, as he is nobility in contrast to Zélie’s fugitive status, as well as a slow-burn as both characters learn more about the other and their own sufferings. Let’s just say Inan’s character was… a wild card. He’s volatile and aims to please his father, but also wants to create a better Orïsha. He just doesn’t know how, especially after finding out about his own magical abilities.

Amari

“No.
No more. I have lived that life before and lost my dearest friend because of it. Now that I’ve escaped, I shall never return. With my escape, I must do more.”

Amari is sweet and meek in contrast to her take-action brother, Inan. But throughout the story and her own self-made adventure, she starts seeing her own strength and the difference she can make. I loved her character arc so much and the way she goes from privileged and sheltered princess (even as there was no love in her life) to someone fights for what she believes in and is surrounded by people who care about her and love her for the way she is. She has a delicate relationship with her brother, as they were raised in a cold family. There is also a very small romance - again slow burn - with Tzain, who has a big heart and unwavering loyalty.

Adeyemi writes the world of maji so well and so beautifully. Her exploration of the power of magic and fear of safety is so touching and raw, especially when she manages for readers to see through the thoughts of both sides of the conflict. The discrimination against the divîners are gutting to read sometimes, but also so necessary. Despite the failures, the drawbacks, and the obstacles, our characters stay strong and true. There’s a cliffhanger ending (a killer one at that) that continues the continuous action of the book and IT JUST MAKES ME WANT THE SEQUEL SO MUCH. TAKE ME. Fantasy readers CANNOT miss the Legacy of the Orïsha series. ALSO, I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE MOVIE TO DEVELOP. MY EYES ARE ON YOU!

Content Warning: torture, self harm, abuse, explicit violence, mild sexual content, gore

Even though this was a sampler, this is one of the best stories that I've read all year. Rich in detail, heart, and action, CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE will definitely be a story that will latch readers from the very beginning and won't let go even after it ends.

I loved it! I'll definitely buy this book as a paperback! The magic, the fighting scenes even from the start and the freaking lioness riding made me want to read more!

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This is one of the books which has been quite the hype ever since its cover reveal and the movie deal. I had the chance to read this at the end of 2017 and, honestly, this book was a fantasy that reminded me why I love the genre.

There's adventure, humor, angst, romance and tragedy all wrapped up in a nice gift of emotions! Zélie, her brother and their people live in an African-inspired fantasy world, where magic has disappeared and their people, while considered to be quite powerful in magic in the past, now are treated as animals by their conquerors.

When Zélie saves Amaris, the runaway princess who has stolen a powerful secret from her father, a manhunt will begin with her older brother in tow. Apart from the plot, I have to point out that the world-building, the language, the scenery and the character development made me remember of Sarh J. Maas. NO, I am not comparing the authors' styles but as a debut novel, I want to point out how amazing Tomi's style is!

The book is big, yet you can easily lose yourself in reading it! Even towards the last page, you are horribly aware that something terrible will happen and then the book will end! Which happened! This book had one of those cliffhangers that will make you remember them for the rest of the year as you'll wait for the sequel! (this is how I feel after a Jay Kristoff book!)

If you love a well-written fantasy with a touch of the mysterious and divine then this book is for you!

By the time I hit the halfway mark I was already dreading the end. This world was so well created that I didn't want to leave it. Adeyemi's use of the 3 character POV was so smooth, it never interrupted the story's flow. I could probably rave about this book for hours. I loved it all, the characters, the world, the writing style. I was immediately enraptured with the Adeyemi's creation and I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment.