
Member Reviews

I am so excited for this book! I flew threw this teaser like it was nobodies business and I'm so ready to delve into the rest of the novel. The world building, characters, and plot were all very engaging, completely original, and such a great aspect to explore. I honestly cannot put into words how excited I am to read this book in its entirety.

My ARC was only the first few chapters, but I cannot wait to read the rest. Tomi's prose is lyrical, powerful, and unflinching. I loved it!

4.75 really
This was just a preview, but it was a great one. The author definitely knew how use every chapter to add a lot to the story.
The chapters were not short, but they were still fast-paced and intense, so it was never boring. I also feel that in just a few pages we managed to get a good sense of who each character was, and the worldbuilding was very interesting, lots of words to get used to, but I think the information was well delivered to us.
There were heavy prejudice issues regarding magic, but also very reality based racial issues, and they have a front seat in this story's development.
My only con is that I think we should've met Binta right away before things happened, so we would feel more of a connection with Amari's feelings. Also, violence towards kids is a delicate matter and it's a thing here, so I'd have to see how it's handle throughout the rest of the book. I'm sure it's intentional that we feel very unconfortable about it, but I hope it never gets gratuitous. It has to serve the purpose of telling the story.
Overall this was really well written, and I can't wait to actually read the entire book. It surely will be big when it gets released.

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE is one of the best, most complex YA fantasies I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Rich with details and realistic characters, it's easy to speed through all 500+ pages of this book because it is just so addictive. Set in an African-inspired fantasy world, COBAB follows three perspectives: Zélie, Inan, and Amari, each character unique and multifaceted, as they race against the government and each other to try and save magic in a world where magic has disappeared.
It's an #ownvoices story, and it shows: COBAB shines with the magic of Tomi Adeyemi's culture and talent.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy, or for infrequent readers of fantasy looking for a story they might love. This is a must-read of 2018.

Please consider me and @womenwriters for a full ARC. We would love to promote this book. It is fabulous and exactly what we're looking for. Thank you.

I can't wait to read the entire book! I thought that Adeyemi did a fantastic job of hooking me, the reader, in with just the first six chapters, and the three different POVs I was able to read from all interested me. I can see this becoming the most talked about fantasy novel of 2018, and I am so excited for it!

beautifully written, with characters you become deeply involved with. The fantasy elements are original and well constructed and it left me wanting much, much more.

I so enjoyed peeking into this rich, luscious world. Can't wait to read more!

This was a stunning sampler. I loved the charactees and the world the inhabitant an interesting look at magic and magic users.

The concept sounds interesting and I think that this is a really strong beginning of the book. I've heard that it's already been optioned for film which makes me even more excited to read the rest of the story when it comes out in March (unless I get an ARC).

The sense of diversity hits the reader right off the bat. It is refreshing, creative, and makes me want to read more!

This preview excerpt was just the beginning of what's more to come. Can't wait till I get my hands on a finished copy!

A wonderful sampler, my excitement has been doubled! Based on the synopsis and this sampler I'd say we have a great book to look forward to next year! 5 Stars

Definitely gonna check out this book when it comes out. The premise is unique, and reflects some of the social issues in the current world. The fantasy part kind of reminds me of Red Queen, but the writing in this one is far superior. I don't really read YA fantasies all the much thanks to the likes of Red Queen(which started promising, then falls pretty fast). But this one seems like it deserves to be read.

I can't wait to read this novel. The preview was wonderful.

Only giving 3 stars for now, since I only read a sampler. Can't wait to read the rest of the book! :)

I had the pleasure of reviewing a sample of Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. According to Teen Vogue, Tomi scored a seven figure deal for her trilogy and a movie deal, so I am really excited because just from the sample, I can tell this will be a sweeping saga full of magic and adventure.
The story goes that Zelie is part of a dark skinned, white haired race of people who once had magic. They had powerful abilities to control the elements, read minds, and even peer through time.
Those who used their magic for evil had their powers stripped from them by the gods and their melanin was stripped as well- so now depending on skin tone we know which ones have no magic versus those who do.
Eleven years back, Zelie lost her mom and something else happened too: the dark skinned, white haired race lost their magic and now the hunt is on. A king is on a bloodlust quest to exterminate the dark skinned race for fear their powers will return one day.
Again, this is just a sampler, but I am already intrigued…
Even more interesting is that the author, Tomi Adeyemi is a 23 year old, Nigerian Harvard Graduate.
I am proud of her already and will definitely be keeping an eye out for the Orisha trilogy!
*Sample book provided for review from Netgalley.

I found this excerpt to be very interesting and honestly I really want to read the full book soon as I can.

I'll send a full review when I read the entire book, but I am beyond excited! This preview was awesome and I'm glad the publisher is hyping it up -- the author deserves it, and we need more #ownvoices books and authors of color in general!

I was able to receive a few chapters of this upcoming young adult novel through NetGalley. After reading it, I am SO excited for this book to release!
Although the story takes place in a fictional place with fantasy superheroes, the author is able to tackle real-world issues, like racism, colorism, and the importance of caring for the less powerful. Within the first couple chapters, the story is told from the perspective of a young "diviner". The narrator introduces diviners as descendants of powerful beings that possessed dark skin and white hair. The first protagonist in the story is a diviner and tells the reader about her struggle to overcome the persecution of the government officials, who are threatening to sell her off as a slave. Her white hair and dark skin make her and her family more susceptible to abuse by the soldiers and fellow citizens.
The story also does a great job of utilizing differing perspectives to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the issues it addresses. Besides the diviner perspective, the sneak peek also included a chapter told from the perspective of a princess living in the castle and a prince in a nearby kingdom. The princess' chapter introduces more depth to the issue of colorism, as the princess reflects on the common practice of skin bleaching among her royal peers. The princes' chapter provides the point of view of someone in power.
I wish that this book was available in time for me to purchase for my student teaching unit on societal issues, but alas... It would have been a great fantasy option for the students to use. After the whole book is released, I will be buying a copy. This book is high on my list of potential classroom materials!