Never have I been so into a book. A very intriguing page turner. Read it in one sitting. Finally a book that can deliver so many emotions. The character growth is amazing. The world development is out of this world. Many props to the author of such wonder!

Tomi Adeyemi’s worldbuilding was one of the best I’d seen in a long time. I was immediately interested in her world; her worldbuilding is next to none. I was entranced by the magic–or lack thereof–and how it was treated by the people of Orïsha. I wanted to know more about the story and dig deep.

But then there was the pacing. JM Tuckerman and I talked about it on our Booked All Night podcast about the book a little while back and I still agree that the pacing was whiplash inducing. It felt like an entire trilogy was smushed into one 525 page book. So much happened and we never really got a chance to feel the tension or spend time with the characters. The POV jumped constantly and there were times when I felt we were getting the scene from the wrong character’s perspective. A lot of the time, I felt like we didn’t even need all of those POVs. There’s already so much information coming at us that throwing up to four perspectives really threw me out of the loop.

I wanted to spend time with all the different characters and really get to know them, but with the way the story was going, it was just too fast to wrap my head around.

Not to mention that I didn’t really feel like we hit the meat of the story until 3/4 of the way through, where Inan and Zélie have to work together. It felt like the first 75% of the story was just setup for that moment and that’s a lot to wade through.

But even with the pacing issues, I still enjoyed reading it. I still cried, and as everyone knows, any book that gets me to cry gets bumped up a star category (or is forever immortalized in my Hall of Favorite Books, which is really just a labyrinth). I’m excited for the movie to drop and to see how the world is portrayed on the big screen, and of course, I can’t wait for the sequel!

I requested to read this with the publishers because I couldn't stop hearing about it, and for good reason. It's a high action YA fantasy utilizing African mythology. Moreover, the author says she based all the scenes with violence against the main character, Zelie, on real incidents of police brutality. So not only do you have an epic YA fantasy, but also one that commenting on current social injustices. It's now, unsurprisingly, been picked up to be made into a movie.

Why only 3.5 stars then? It's certainly well written and fast paced. Particularly at the beginning I had trouble putting the book down (but with a 3 month old I rarely had a choice). It's a dark premise: the king has murdered every single adult magic user to try and rid his kingdom of magic. But the protagonist, Zelie, is a daughter of one of these murdered magi. When the king's daughter, Amari, steals a scroll that could bring magic back and seeks Zelie's help, the two grudgingly decide to try and bring magic back to the kingdom (grudgingly because they don't initially get along). Zelie's brother joins them on this quest, while Amari's brother follows close behind, wanting to capture the scroll and return it to his father the king.

I am tired of romantic relationships beginning with violence in YA. I don't want to see the male love interest try to murder the female protagonist, particularly when that abuse isn't commented on in any way. Why is this a trope? Why do I keep seeing this?

Ultimately, I enjoyed this with reservations. The farther the novel progressed, the less I enjoyed the relationships between characters (except for Amari and Zelie). I'm unsure whether I'll read book 2 or not. We'll see how I feel with time.

3.5/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Co. for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have heard SO MUCH about Children of Blood and Bone and really looked forward to reading it. I’m so glad I had a chance to read a review copy. I love the story world. It felt really different than anything else I’ve read before, and very fresh. I love the maji system though it’s a little complex which made it a little hard to keep track of the different kinds of magic. Not too bad, though. I never felt lost or anything in reading scenes.

Amari quickly became my favorite character. Her bravery and her love for her best friend totally endeared her to me right from the getgo. It took a little longer for me to warm up to the powerful Zélie who made some selfish choices at the beginning of the story. But as I got to know her true nature, I couldn’t help rooting for her and wanting her to succeed. I’m kind of wondering if there’s not a love triangle ahead for her? I felt some sparks between her and a pretty minor character who seems poised to have a larger role in the next book. We’ll see what happens!

This book has a lot of violence in it, and not all characters condemn it. Zélie wants freedom for her people more than anything, but she hesitates to use her power to fight at first and she has a strong moral sense of good and evil. Inan seems more mixed up. His need for his father’s approval made him a sympathetic character to me, but his relationship with violence and the lengths to which he was willing to go to get his father’s love were a challenge for me in reading the story. He also seemed to flip flop a little quickly where one minute he’d be thinking he could disregard his goal and the next reversed his position. Those switches just happened a little too quickly for me at times.

On the whole, I loved the originality of the tale and both of the female leads. Definite heads up to sensitive readers on the violent content.

SO good! Loved getting lost in this world with these characters, and can't wait for more. Lots of action, multiple perspectives, along with some deeper themes related to oppression of people. Enjoyable book, with powerful representation. Highly recommend for fans of Leigh Bardugo & Sarah J. Maas books & An Ember in the Ashes.

While possessing some unknown quality that makes you read and read until you've reached the very end and you know you need the next book now, Children of Blood and Bone was not a standout for us.

The romances weren't compelling and the world building felt weak. One could sense that the author had aimed for something grand and epic, but it wasn't quite achieved.

We felt that aspects of characters were talked up and never fully realised and it seemed that grand pronouncements happened without the sufficient foundations to back it up.

We're grateful for the opportunity to read the book and we hope that the sequel delivers where this one did not.

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

I really loved Children of Bone and Bone (WOO, IT'S A #1 NYT BESTSELLER), but I can't give it 5-stars because of Inan. The little prince annoyed and confused me to no end.

Also, what even was the cliffhanger? I read an ARC version, and I'm half convinced they accidentally chopped off the final paragraph. Like, was she super shocked Amari had white hair? Why did that make her blood freeze? Did I miss something? Like cliffhangers are great, but not when they leave the reader more confused than shocked.

I had really high expectations going into this, but after the first chapter I already knew I was going to love it. I can totally see these dynamic characters and fascinating world being adapted onto the big screen. The magic system and rich history was incredible. We also get a gripping plot filled with action. This story follows 3 characters on a quest to restore magic in order to protect the diviners who have been oppressed by the tyrant king. We also follow the crown prince Inan hot on their tale determined to kill them and stop magic from coming back.

The first main character is Zelie a diviner who's lived in fear ever since she witnessed her mother murdered by the kings guard for being a magic user. Despite that she follows her heart and doesnt always think things through which often leads her into trouble. Her struggle to overcome her the fear of being a failure and believing in herself made her very relatable. She's such a complex and compelling character that her narrative was probably my favorite to read from. I loved her floating island village and her lionaire Nailah. I love animals in books and Nailah was just so precious.

Zelies relationship with her father was heartwarming, but the more the story progressed the more her brother Tzain got on my nerves. I didnt like how he was being a hypocrite and the nasty things he said to his sister. I was hoping they would have this strong sibling bond, but I should have known after he blamed her for not staying with their father in the beginning that he was going to be a jerk. I guess siblings dont always get along, but Zelie was already struggling with her confidence and I feel like he should have supported her while still being cautious.

For someone who starts off inexperienced and fearful Amaris character arc was a beautiful thing to witness. She became this strong female character who saw what was wrong with the world and wanted to help fix it. It was done in such a way that felt very believable. By the middle of the book I enjoyed her point of view just as much as Zelies. I have to admit I did get their perspectives mixed up a little bit at first. I loved the female friendship that developped between them. I also really enjoyed the slow burn romance that started to developpe in this book and cant wait to see more of it in the next books.

Amaris brother Inan really struggles with what he believe is right and pleasing his father the King. His family situation was so different than Zelies that it added an interesting contrast to the story. He was definitely my least favorite character of the book besides the King. His feelings gave me whiplash and his optimism on how to fix things seemed naive. I also wasnt a big fan of the romance that developped. I still thought he was an intriguing character and Im glad things ended the way they did. I hope it stays that way in the sequel, but I have a feeling it won't.

The oppression felt more tangible than any other novel Ive read. I found myself feeling strong emotions of anger on the magis behalf, but also understanding the fear and danger unrestricted power can cause. The author did an amazing job showing both sides. I think having the new magis learning to control their powers within their community until they're certain they wont accidentally hurt anyone is a great idea. Whatever the author decides to do with it Im sure it will be remarkable. I also loved how the author portrays beauty. It was refreshing. Just by the cover you can tell Zelie is absolutely stunning.

This took me longer to read than expected, but thats probably because I didn't want it to end or I was just in a weird mood. I doubt its the pace or the writings fault because while reading I found the story very engaging with the non-stop danger and disasters following our main characters. Maybe to the point of being a little excessive, but it was still highly entertaining with no dull moments. I loved the boat scene. The different place we got to visit in this book were phenomenal. This was such a incredible story and I cant wait to get my hands on the sequel and to see the movie. Give me more books like this please.

Monthly Wrap Up
Readathon Wrap Up
Favorite Spring Reads
Spring Recommendations Post

Children of Blood and Bone is a masterpiece! Not in the traditional sense and not because of the extremely well deserved hype surrounding it! It's revolutionary and it's more than worth reading, in case you have any doubts about it! I feel like it exceeding any expectations I had without me even realizing it and I couldn't have been more grateful for the chance to read it way before it blew up, because I very rarely go for hyped up books, which I feel like Children of Blood and Bone has set a new standard for. Not because I'm prejudiced or because this novel doesn't deserve the praise but, mainly because extremely hyped up books have the tendency to be much less than people initially make them out to be. Truthfully, I requested Children of Blood and Bone on a whim and started reading it after briefly going through its synopsis. Best decision I've ever made in my entire life!

I'm not going to say much about the plot itself because truly, I'm not going to do it any justice and I'd highly recommend going into this without knowing much about it. It's what I personally do before I even decide on my next read, because it allows me to have a clear mind and not be affected without realizing it, one way or another.

The work Tomi Adeyemi created was both fascinating and terrifying. If you take the Fantasy aspect of it out, it very much reflected the world we live in now. Underprivileged families and people who are born with magic running through their veins, are treated horribly by this nobility who was supposed to bring order to the chaos and create peace for everyone. They're slaughtered and discriminated against in the worst way possible, without having any hopes of a better future because magic has died and deserted them. That is until our main character, comes across a script that is capable of changing the future of the world itself and freeing those shackled to the ruthless orders of a cruel King.

The story is told from three different perspectives, which I usually find confusing but, in this case, the author did a wonderful job of creating different and easily distinguishable voices for the characters, making the transitions between POVs flawless and extremely smooth! Which brings me to how three dimensional every single character of this novel was and how much that actually matters. Reading about flat characters that remain the same throughout hundreds of pages is getting a bit old but, there's still hope for us looking for a certain depth in the books we choose to read!

Zélie was an extraordinary main character, fierce, loyal and determined to bring magic back, whatever the cost! She's a true warrior, one fashioned from the injustice of this fragmented world that was so greatly depicted through her eyes. I loved seeing things from her perspective and felt like she was someone I would've loved to meet in real life, since she was very passionate for what really mattered and proved it countless times throughout the novel! I loved watching her grow into her strength and maintain a certain vulnerability that made her even stronger in my eyes. The choices she had to make weren't easy but, she was the only one who could've taken them. Amari was also a wonderful character and balanced out Zélie's impulsive nature perfectly. She started out as a shy and terrified royal who had never experienced the horrors her own father was responsible for, at least on the outside world, but came to be as fierce and brave as one ought to be when faced with the cruelty of a Kingdom born out of hatred.

Inan was an immensely intriguing character and I was drawn to the mystery surrounding him from the moment he was introduced in the novel. His thoughts were so conflicting and he was the perfect example of a ''subject'' who blindly followed the rules and commands of a cruel King, without questioning them or asking the biggest question. Why? When he starts questioning those seemingly important values he grew up with, he finds him self torn between what is right and what is familiar. He was a very interesting character because we've all come to the point of questioning the rights and wrongs we grew up believing in, one time or another. Of witnessing injustice and not realizing it was staring right at us, before actually doing something about it. And it was all too relatable. He was in constant battle with himself and set on doing the right thing, even if it meant the complete opposite for others. Following his perspective and seeing things through the eyes of someone who starts out as the villain and goes back and forth as the story progresses, was a very different and unique experience. One that I immensely enjoyed, given that we had an insight to how the enemy perceived things and acted based on what he believed to be true, because no one taught him otherwise. He was shaped to serve a certain purpose and made sure to never stray from his path, until people challenged it with facts and truths he couldn't deny and had to face.

This book was a force to be reckoned with and it definitely holds a special place in my heart! Its writing was wonderful, the story line well thought out and perfectly executed! The development of both the plot and the characters was more than impressive, making it impossible to resist falling in love and desperately wishing for more! It was intense and suspenseful, keeping me at the edge of my seat from the beginning until the end and making me thirsty for more! Tomi Adeyemi's writing felt so vivid that the images took shape inside my head effortlessly and I could not get enough.

Children of Blood and Bone is a novel that will definitely stay with me for months to come and the only regret I have for reading it so soon, is that waiting for the sequel already feels like pure torture. I'd give anything to have it in my hands right now and my desperation will keep growing, until it finally comes out next year...

This book was absolutely phenomenal! I did not want the book to end because I didn't want the story to be over.. This story starts with a bang and keeps that momentum going until the end of the story. I felt connected to this world and these characters in this one book in a way that I normally don't feel until the last book in a trilogy or series.
The characters and conflicts that are presented in this story show how there can be one goal, but no guaranteed outcome when the goal is reached or on the way to that goal. The friendships and alliances forged, tested and broken throughout this book made it all the more enjoyable. I have to admit that I would nervous about the ending. I was concerned that the ending would not live up to how good the novel was because...endings can be disappointing. I am so happy to say that I was wrong to worry. I cannot wait for book two! I have ordered a print copy of this book because, along with the story in the eARC being great, I want to see what, if any, edits were made in the final copy and I also am in love with the cover art. this was a wonderful journey and I am so excited for more to come from Orisha.

One night in the country of Orïsha magic suddenly disappears. Its king despises magic, so with magic gone he kills all of its users, the maji. The only maji survivors were children at the time, as they don’t have powers until the age of 13, and the king took pity on the young. Several years later, the children of that time are older, with our main character, Zélie, in her late teens. Her mother was a maji and it shows that she would have been one, too, as all maji have bright white hair in a sharp contrast to their dark skin. She is now known as a divîner, a maji without magic, which is a class that is discriminated against heavily and even referred to by slurs. The king keeps raising taxes merely for a divîner’s existence. She has a non-divîner family: an older brother, Tzain, and her father. They live in a fishing village where they just get by as fishermen.

Amari is the princess of Orïsha and is good friends with her divîner servant. Obviously she has to be careful with her friend as her father, the king, doesn’t make divîners lives easy.

Inan is the prince of Orïsha and heir to the throne. He strives to make his father happy and also for Orïsha to be a great country. He serves in the military and despises divîners just as much as his father.

The possibility of magic returning intertwines the paths of Zélie, Amari, and Inan, and our tale begins.

The book alternates points of view (POV) between all three characters. I liked that we got a diverse set of POVs in terms of relations or opinions on magic. Zélie, the potential user who wants it back; Amari, the open-minded royal; and Inan, the true hater of all things magic. However, despite these diverse backgrounds, the actual voice of each character sounded very similar. I was not able to tell the characters apart, and several times I would forget which character’s POV I was reading.

In terms of plot, the entire book was very predictable. I didn’t feel that this book stands out from any other YA fantasy plots. The only thing that surprised me was the terrible instalove that occurs. I have no idea where the characters feelings even come from. The romance is not well-developed at all and comes out of nowhere. There is a different setting and magic system with it being inspired by West Africa, but this didn’t stand out as much as it should have.

I do think with more books Mrs. Adeyemi will get better at differentiating the voice of each character. She has a very intriguing writing style which was able to hold my attention rather quickly. I also hope more books allow her knowledge of West African lore to really shine through in this series; I would like to see and learn more. It’s too bad we get so little here in the first book. One of the characters in particular has quite a journey and is a bit all over the place, thus feeling inconsistent. I hope said character can be better developed in later books. It does end on a cliffhanger and leaves a lot of room for the story and writing to grow.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to YALLFest and Henry Holt Books for Young Readers for making this book available to me.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Tomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.

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.

I understand why Tomi Adeyemi received the biggest advance for a YA debut novel ever. I understand why the movie rights for this books sold almost as fast as the book did. I understand why every YA author in the community is praising this book. I understand why this book has a giant billboard in Hollywood. This book is EVERYTHING.

I was so worried about starting this. I thought there would be no way it would live up to the hype, and now I’m mad it took me so long to start it. Seriously, this book is everything. Say goodbye to the antiquated fantasy novels we have been seeing lately, and welcome the bright sunrise of African mythological fantasies.

YA fantasy has been following the same pattern for quite a while now. You couldn’t pick up a YA fantasy novel without figuring out exactly what would happen. The characters were just slightly different versions of the same person.

Children of Blood and Bone is so unique and amazing. I can’t believe we have been blessed with this book. The characters were incredible. I loved all of them. Zélie is so freaking amazing I CAN’T. She’s so unbelievably flawed and perfect at the same time. She is trusting and cares about the people she loves, but she is also so brutal and fierce because of all the pain she had to endure. I absolutely loved her story. Her brother was also amazing. Sometimes I wanted to shout at him, but most of the time I wanted to protect this precious cinnamon roll. Amari is probably my favorite character (#BisexualAF). I have a soft spot for royals and bisexual princesses okay, let me live. SPeaking of royals, Inan….. Oh man….. Do I have a weak spot for princes who want to be in the army. Oh lord. As soon as he was like Captain of the Guard and prince, I was like SIGN ME THE FUCK UP. Zélie could do better though, just saying.

The plot was so amazing. I can’t believe how many places we went. Like I thought we would go on a journey and then that’d be it, but NAH FAM. We go to so many different places. We see the world because of how much they travel. And it’s really amazing.

I can’t wait to learn more and more about the magic and land of this world, and basically WHERE IS BOOK 2?

But for real with that ending Tomi?!?! Are you trying to kill me?

It was seriously amazing, so go buy it!

Halfway through reading this title, I went on and pre-ordered the book for my library. It is absolutely captivating and, I think, a timely book for my students who recently viewed the Black Panther movie. Similar in feel to Akata Witch, I feel like this book gives prominence to an African mystique that my students will appreciate.

If you’ve somehow made it this far in 2018 without hearing about Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, I have one question for you: How? If you haven’t seen the video of Adeyemi holding the first copy of her book (and seriously, her excitement is too sweet and pure), then surely at some point you have heard the early reviews praising this book as the best book of 2018. And let me just say—wow. Considering that it is only March, that’s quite a lot for this book to live up to.
In Children of Blood and Bone, Zélie Adebola is left to grow up in a world without magic, which is a tragedy because she remembers what it was like before. She remembers when there was magic was throughout the Orïsha. She remembers her mother. She remembers when the king destroyed both magic and her mother, changing her world forever. She remembers—and she will get her revenge.
Amari is the princess of Orïsha, raised to be the king’s regal, proper daughter. There are countless rules Amari must follow, regarding actions, words, and appearances. But when tragedy hits close to home, Amari must decide if she will continue to cower in the corner or rise to the occasion.
Inan is the captain—and prince. He’s faithfully followed his father’s orders without question, despite whatever consequences follow. As Orïsha is faced with the possibility of magic returning, Inan works to follow his father’s commands—or will his heart lead him elsewhere?
I was intrigued from the moment I heard about this book, and when I was granted an early copy my excitement was audible—which may be the understatement of the year. I could not wait to dive into this book to see if it lied up to the hype.
From the beginning I was hooked. Adeyemi creates a fantastic world, rich with history and magic. Her writing is lyrical and poetic—and just plain beautiful. She’s at her best when setting up the world and the physical such as when early in the story Amari comments on the fellow nobility: They were their secrets like glittering diamonds, embroidery woven through their lavish iro tops and long buba skirts. Their lies and lily-scented perfumes taint the honeyed aroma of sweet cakes I am no longer allowed to eat.
Then there are the characters. I applaud Adeyemi for creating and presenting us with characters that are complex. Even in a work that is told through multiple points of view, it was difficult to really guess what they would do. At times, however, I felt the characters would flip-flop on their decisions too frequently and too quickly.
My major issue stems from the pacing. I jumped into the book, ready and excited for everything that was to come. I slowed down for the middle, feeling like I wasn’t making any progress plot-wise. Then suddenly the last quarter of the book began and everything happened. As the first book in the series, there is understandably a lot to build up, but overall I felt the middle lacked the impact of the beginning and the ending.
All in all, Children of Blood and Bone was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be looking forward to further books exploring Orïsha. I can already tell there’s a lot to cover and much more to be revealed.

Reminiscent of the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard, but with the roles of nobles/peasants reversed in who has the special powers. There are a lot of twists in this book, and sometimes, as much as you're hoping things work out for the main characters, you can't help but want to shake them because of their poor choices.

Wow. Just, wow. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi is a fantatastic piece of fiction. I was drawn into the narrative with the first words that my eyes took in; the story is instantly engaging and poetically written. The story unfolds at a masterful pace, Adeyemi brings the reader into the world of Orïsha both all at once and slowly, satisfying an unknown craving for more lore while dropping breadcrumbs along the way for more. I can see this book and subsequent series being adapted for film and being as impactful for this generation as Harry Potter was for mine.

Orïsha is a kingdom without magic, but it wasn't always that way. Before the Raid eleven years prior there were 10 clans that were gifted by the gods, each specializing in a different type of magic. But hatred, fear, and vengeance led King Saran to cleanse Orïsha of maji and eliminate magic. But it seems that the gods have something else in mind, and a small group led by Zélie Adebola has the chance to bring magic back.

This book delves into the act of growing up and reconciling what one has been taught growing up with how they perceive the world. Faith and in believing in yourself. Power. How power corrupts. Important themes for YA (and arguably for everyone since as an adult these themes still resonate with me).

Children of Blood and Bone is a breakout start for a series that I cannot wait to devour with fervor. With excellent pacing throughout the entire book, lovable characters with immense depth, and writing that is so poetic it is tough to put down, I cannot recommend this book enough.

OH MY LANTA! This book was the best read I have had this year. We do not deserve all of it's amazing. I was blessed enough to meet Tomi at yallfest, she is so beautiful and eloquent in person. Due to that I knew I had to get my hands on this. Shout out to Netgalley for making it possible.

This book had so much EMPOWERMENT. We self, women, culture, and so much more as far as empowerment. It was beautiful and rich to see the strength Tomi put into this book.

It follows the POV of three characters Zèlie, Princess Amari and her brother Prince Inan. Through them we see the entire story from every point of view. What do I mean by this? Prince Inan is our antagonist, it is not very often we get to see that side of the story. I am also in love with him. No one can tell me it is wrong! Amari has one of the best character arcs I have ever read in a book. She grows from a broken girl into a strong proud woman. Seeing it happen is so rewarding. Zèlie so many perfectly imperfect things about her. She carries a wait of so many things on her shoulder from the start of this book. She is a little crass and insubordinate with the government because they do not deserve her respect. From the start, she knew her people deserved more than the pain and suffering they received. She was strong, she ever gave up but she was not always sure she could win BUT be damned if she wouldn't try. That was one of the best most human things about her. Her brother Tzain is also on this journey with them. He was an amazing character to follow as well and his arc connects the story in so many ways.

While this book is set in a fictional land it has so many undertones of things happening our world today. My booktube partner said it better than I could see passage below.

"Even though the book is supposed to be written in a different world than ours, it is clear to see some of our current situation reflected in this book. Even though every character in this book is black, there's a lot of racism against the maji, which are noticeably distinguished by their white hair. The maji are treated like the worst of society, they are made into slaves, captured and tortured all because one day their magic might become powerful enough to eradicate the kingdom. There's also a serious correlation with the BLM movement, which I don't know if the author did that on purpose or not, but after I read this quote, BLM immediately came to mind, (Not Spoiler, I promise),

"Your people, your guards--they're nothing more than killers, rapists, and thieves. The only difference between them and criminals is the uniforms they wear." "

You can read her full review here - https://deniareads.wordpress.com/2018/03/04/non-spoiler-book-review-children-of-blood-and-bone-by-tomi-adeyemi/

I feel like this book also applies to the way our government is being run on late the same way it corresponds with what Denia wrote.

This is a BIG first book 448 pages of big. Denia and I called it a bible due to size. I usually am of the mind your debut first book of a series should be shorter SO NOT THE CASE THIS TIME. I would have been happy with 448 more pages. The wait for the next book is going to hurt! I recommend this book to every breathing human in the world. Best read of this year.

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.