[Review] Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Series: Legacy of Orisha #1

Rating: 4 stars

Release Date: March 6th 2018

Format: ARC

Goodreads Synopsis:

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. 
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. 
Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

This monster of a book is around 600 pages so I initially thought this would take me ages to read. Turns out, it only took me two-three days to zip by this one. Children of Blood and Bone was a quick-paced, action-packed adventure that reminded me heavily of Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy. There was never a dull moment.


The story is told in three POVs - Zelie, Amari, and Inan. In Orisha, magic no longer exists, until a scroll is found that can bring back magic to the diviners (who are known to have white hair). Amari, fed up with the injustices brought upon the diviners by her father, the king, leaves the palace with the scroll and runs into Zelie, and together with Zelie's brother Tzain, the trio seek out a way to bring back magic. They are hunted by Amari's brother Inan, who must hide from his magic-hating father and the rest of his army, that he is a diviner himself.

Normally I would have so many problems explaining the plot/world building but that came out so flawlessly (and I read the book two-ish weeks ago too!) I can definitely see CoBaB being a bestseller and honestly, everyone should read it! It's a good segue into fantasy, and Adeyemi never falters in her delivery of such an engaging world.

Zelie and Amari are strong heroines, each in their own right. Zelie is trying to cope with her newfound magic, while Amari is working to realize the strength she has as a swordswoman (and for the future of Orisha). They're initially at odds with each other, but become great allies.

I must say, Inan's transformation of the course of the novel was my favorite part. He's coping with his inner demons - trying to be loyal to the throne and to his sister, but then his moments with Zelie are so, so great. Their relationship... damn.

CAN I SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE WORLD. The magic system is freaking unique. Like - air, earth, fire, water, we've heard this before. But then we get reapers, connectors, and seers in CoBaB. It's so much fun reading about such an intricate magic system! (I love magic systems in books - especially when they're well thought out!)

Also this book plays out like Game of Thrones and basically, no one is safe. I love when the stakes are so much higher and your faves can die. Did I just say that?

Anyway, I love this book. Y'all should read it. And all the sequels that follow.