Children of Blood and Bone

GUYS, THIS BOOK! This book was freaking amazing. Yes, I can’t describe this book without mentioning how brilliant this debut was. There was nothing not to be loved. It is a high fantasy which definitely deserves all the hype. This story has diviners (people who are yet to discover their magic), majis (the people capable of doing magic) and the Royals. Zélie is our main character who is a diviner turned maji. Her mother was killed by King Saran who was determined to finish the magic by killing all the majis. Inan and Amari are the children of king Saran. Amari ran away from the kingdom and meets Zélie and his brother Tzain and went to discover magic with them. Inan, like his father, believed in “duty before self” and wanted to kill the magic. The plot is absolutely entertaining and gave me the vibes of Lord of the Rings. I mean, not exactly but all the fantasy world and the adventurous journey of the characters made me feel so. There is a lot of magic and magical objects, which is, of course, an important element of fantasy. But the good thing is all those magic scenes were well written and actually weren’t out of the place at all (looking at you The Hazel Wood). There were unexpected events one after the another and it will make you turn the pages one after the another. The magical world of Orïsha is superbly created. This is said to be a Nigerian fantasy and I read a review of someone saying that the place names used are from Nigeria itself. I think this is a cool idea. We get to see many African cultural elements, dresses, foods and other stuff which will make you feel that you are reading the story of real Africa. The good thing is that the author hasn’t dumped all the info at the beginning of the book itself or at a certain place, which happens in most of the fantasies, rather the information is well-separated. I wasn’t confused with all the fantasy elements and each element felt as a necessity in moving the story. All the characters were brilliant. The story has 3 POVs – Zélie, Amari, and Inan – all three of them are fabulous. They may not be the perfect characters as they made mistakes and were stupid at times, but they felt exactly what was needed in such a fantasy world. Zélie was fierce and badass. She had all those magic yet she felt so powerless without her mother and thus portrayed raw emotions. Amari was a naive princess but later she comes out as a bolder one. I loved the friendship between Zélie and Amari, who of course started as being enemies. Inan’s character was little confusing. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I loved him at times and then I hated him at others. He was too weak to fight against his father who filled his childhood with hate towards majis. For almost whole book we saw him conflicting with his emotions. I didn’t exactly hate him though. I kind of felt bad for him because of the situation he was in, courtesy his father and sister. Tzain was a sweetheart who was always protective of her sister. There were many other brilliant side-characters who were done equally good. Each of them suited to their roles in Zélie’s journey perfectly. Tomi Adeyemi’s writing is brilliant. The language is easy to understand and she writes at such a good pace that you are bound to flip the pages immediately. There were adventures and amazing moments one after the another. During a few scenes, my expressions were “what did just happened”? I read the first half pretty lazily, but guess what, I finished the second half, in a night! Yes, it was so engrossing. Children of Blood and Bone is a remarkable debut by Tomi Adeyemi and is absolutely worth all the hype. It is absolutely a must-read book. Many people can find faults, but for me everything was wonderful. From storytelling to world-building, to pacing, to characters — everything is brilliant. I have heard that Fox is already adapting Children Of Blood And Bone into a film. Seriously, I can’t wait for the movie and more than that, for the sequel 🙂

various shifts in POVs as well which helps us in getting to know the characters and they shows real character growth. You feel what the characters are feeling and their different perspectives and they even feel realistic, with their own sets of problems and regrets. It has beautiful fantasy elements coming together with magic and action and kickass females and great rep in the background of today’s times. It shows the prejudice, bias and oppression against people who can wield magic which so many people can relate to because of the general bias against the people of a particular class, caste or race in reality! The writing is beautiful. The words are woven together and take my imagination to just another level because I can visualize the scenery, the sights and the fights and everything else, quite vividly. Zélie is a headstrong and determined female with her own tragic past which hasn’t extinguished her light for a better future for the majis. She struggles with her responsibilities and her own feelings. She is such a relatable character, apart from her having the magic part. I don’t want to give away the names of all the characters and how they fit in because I think it will be too spoiler-y. There were some minor characters which I really want to see again though! Also, one of the things I liked about this one was that there were no unnecessary and exaggerated romance scenes. At some points I did get very angsty and irritated because of all the long descriptions at the points where something was going to happen!! For now, all I can say nay urge and plead and beg you too pick up this wonderfully crafted book full of magical elements and well, everything I mentioned above! I can’t wait for the second book to come out!! Quick thing: It was around midnight and I reach chapter 83, which is the second last chapter and I’m like, “Now’s not the time Tomi!! Shit’s going down!!!” I went kinda cray cray with this one.

As someone who isn't into YA as much as she used to, I only found out about this series because of the book club I take part in. Also, I just decided to read it because it was the first YA I had ever seen that based its fantasy elements on African religions. I didn't think I would find such a compelling story with various charming (and repulsive) characters. The social commentary is on point: every character goes through an insane amount of suffering, some more than others. As the hatred some of them get is because of their identity, it is impossible to get rid of it. Being a maji is part of Zélie's pride and shame, and I both love and hate how this was worked through the story. I love it because of how strong it is, and for non-black people, how we can get what it feels like to be in her shoes, while at the same time realizing how we are worlds apart. What an awesome book. I am looking forward to reading the second one, but I'll spare some time for myself because reading the first one was, though interesting and engaging, quite a torturous journey.

Das Land Orïsha wurde einst von den zehn Maji-Clans beherrscht. Sie nutzten göttliche Kräfte, konnten heilen oder in die Zukunft sehen, beherrschten Feuer und Wasser, Licht und Dunkelheit, Leben oder Tod. Doch vor 11 Jahren verschwand plötzlich alle Magie. Daraufhin ließ der skrupellose König Saran in der Blutnacht alle Maji töten, unter ihnen auch die Mutter der 17-jährigen Zélie Adebola. Die Kinder der Maji, die sogenannten Divîners mit ihren markant weißen Haaren, durften zwar weiterleben, werden aber seitdem verachtet, unterdrückt und als "Maggots" beschimpft. Alle Hoffnung auf bessere Zeiten scheint verloren, bis Zélie per Zufall ein magisches Artefakt in die Hände fällt. Gemeinsam mit ihrem Bruder Tzain und der rebellischen Prinzessin Amari begibt sie sich auf eine gefährliche Mission. Doch ihr Feind, der pflichtbewusste Kronprinz Inan, ist ihnen bereits dicht auf den Fersen. Kann Zélie die Magie nach Orïsha zurückbringen und ihrem Volk zu alter Macht verhelfen? "Children of Blood and Bone" stammt aus der Feder von Tomi Adeyemi und ist der Auftakt ihrer Legacy of Orïsha-Trilogie. Die Autorin aus Nigeria legt hier ein grandioses Fantasydebüt vor, das seinem Hype absolut gerecht wird. Der Roman hat mich von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite in den Bann gezogen und gefesselt. Definitiv ein Jahreshighlight! Allein das Worldbuilding begeistert. Tomi Adeyemi entführt uns hier nach Westafrika - in ein Königreich voller göttlicher Mythen und einzigartiger Magie. Ob heilige Tempel, quirlige Märkte, Wüstenstädte oder riesige Reit-Raubtiere - all das wird sehr lebendig und detailreich geschildert. Eine faszinierende, komplexe und gut erklärte Fantasywelt, die mit viel Atmosphäre glänzt. So fließen z.B. auch viele Worte und Sätze in afrikanischer Sprache mit ein. Zudem sind die Parallelen zur Realität unverkennbar. Denn die Autorin greift hier allgemeingültige Themen auf wie Rassismus, Unterdrückung, Gewalt und Ungerechtigkeit und regt damit zum Nachdenken. Dazu kommen interessante und vielschichtige Haupt- und Nebencharaktere, die allesamt Schwarz sind. Auch deshalb ist das Buch etwas Besonderes. Im Mittelpunkt stehen dabei zwei Geschwisterpaare: Fischerstochter Zélie und ihr Bruder Tzain sowie Prinzessin Amari und ihr Bruder Inan. Drei davon fungieren abwechselnd als Ich-Erzähler im Präsens: Zélie, die immer mehr an Stärke hinzugewinnt, aber auch ihre verletzliche und zweifelnde Seite zeigt. Amari, die alles andere ist als eine verwöhnte Prinzessin, ihre Ängste überwindet und sich bald als toughe Kriegerin entpuppt. Und Antagonist Inan, der ein Geheimnis verbirgt, von einem besseren Orïsha träumt und hin- und hergerissen ist zwischen Pflicht und Gefühl. Mir haben alle Figuren und ihre jeweilige Entwicklung ausgesprochen gut gefallen, besonders aber Zélie und Amari. Zwei starke und gleichwertige Heldinnen in einem Buch, die auch noch eine tolle Freundschaft verbindet. Das hat man auch nicht so oft. Das Ganze ist wunderbar geschrieben und liest sich angenehm flüssig. Schon bald fliegen die Seiten nur so dahin. Action und Spannung kommen dabei auf keinen Fall zu kurz - mit episch-magischen Schlachten zu Wasser und zu Land, blutigen Schwertkämpfen und rasanten Verfolgungsjagden. Wir erleben einige überraschende Wendungen und auch ein paar schockierend-brutale Szenen, die mich richtig fassungslos machten. Etwas Romantik darf natürlich auch nicht fehlen - mit einem bezaubernden Paar und einer schicksalhaften Liebe, die allerdings unter keinem guten Stern steht. Das alles gipfelt in einem packenden und dramatischen Showdown, bei dem mir so manches Mal der Atem stockte. Gelingt es Zélie & Co, die Magie nach Orïsha zurückzubringen? Wird jemals Frieden herrschen? Am Ende steht ein richtig fieser Cliffhanger, dessen wahre Bedeutung ich nur erahnen kann. Ich freue mich daher schon sehr auf die Fortsetzung "Children of Virtue and Vengeance" und auch auf die bereits geplante Verfilmung! Insgesamt kann ich "Children of Blood and Bone" uneingeschränkt empfehlen. Grandiose und mitreißende Fantasy an tollen Schauplätzen, die ihrem Hype mehr als gerecht wird. Begeisterte 5 Sterne von mir!

Amazing ! So new and so exciting. Thrilling all the way and the Magic of the orishas ... makes everything even better. Zelie is an amazing main character and it's so good to have afrofantasy based in African lore. I loved this book. It healed something in me as a hard-core fantasy lover that never saw any character looking like me before.

This book is amazing and beautiful!! Tomi Adeyemi has created such a unique world, unlike any I have ever read! It took me a while to get through since it is quite large and life is busy, but every minute of reading it was incredible! There characters are wonderful, and have quite a bit of depth. The story bounced between a few different perspectives, and it gives you a good look into each persons motive/what drives them. I don't know what else to say about this book other than that is was amazing. I am seriously lost for words on how incredible it was! And, added benefit to a great story, the cover is BEAUTIFUL!!!! 10/10, would recommend.

Tomi Adeyemi nos abre las puertas de un nuevo mundo de magia, tradiciones y de guerra, nos presenta personajes brillantes con los que es muy facil relacionarse, un gran exito