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!

This excerpt for Children of Blood and Bone is riveting.
I cannot wait to read the rest!!!
Tomi Adeyemi has some serious rich world building. The culture and the history of Orisha creates such a vivid stage for the protagonist, Zelie, to contend in and bring back the magic that was once lost.
One of the strengths from the beginning is Zelie's agency as a character. She is such a strong and emotional character that we care for her and her dreams, and her family, and her past, and her future.
Pacing is also very good. There was hardly a dull moment in the whole excerpt.
There are so many big expectations around this book, and I don't think we will be let down.

The first 6 chapters had me hooked!! I can't wait to read the full book. The writing is so beautiful and the world building and character development is amazing.

OMG THIS WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!! I WAS SO UPSET WHEN I GOT TO THE END OF THE SAMPLE!! PLEASE PLEASE GIVE ME MORE GIVE ME MORRRRREEE.

Since I only read the preview and not the whole book, I wasn't going to give a star rating. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free preview.

The cover is really eye-catching. The start of the book alternates mainly between 2 POVs, both young female protagonists. Zelie lives a life of prosecution, her mother was hung and her father beaten. She is in constant fear due to being a diviner, which is seen as being akin to 'maggots' in her land. Amari, in contrast, is a princess who lives in luxury but is under the strict control of her parents and station. Things become exciting when the two of them cross paths after Amari steals an important magical scroll artifact and becomes a fugitive.

Racial diversity is prominent in the book, with emphasis on dark-skinned people. There is even a short mention of how the darker skinned noblewomen bleach their skin or cover themselves from the sun to become paler. This is a little disappointing to me because in a fantasy world, why should the views from our world transpose there? Related to that, the author has written animals such as 'snow leopanaires', 'black panthenaires' and 'hyenaires' in her fantasy novel. Why not just call them leopards, panthers and hyenas instead of adding unnecessary suffixes since they're so readily recognizable?

Note that this is a YA fantasy novel. I'm sure Zelie and Amari will have interesting adventures for the rest of the book.

Review of the first 72 pages:

As a frequent fantasy reader, this book felt comfortably familiar to me, like returning to your hometown after a long absence, even as the author, characters, and location were completely new to me.

The book seems to follow two young women. Zelie is the descendant of a small minority that once wielded magic, but who has lost their ability and become a persecuted underclass subject to arbitrary harassment, abuse, and even slavery and rape. She struggles to take care of her brother and her brain-damaged father, secretly learning defensive combat.

Amari is a young noblewoman distressed by the treatment of Zelie's people, who runs away from her life of privilege and embarks on a dangerous adventure to try and make a difference. In her great escape, she crosses paths with Zelie, who protects her.

I'm looking forward to seeing what these dangerous and brave young ladies get into.

Wow... Just, wow. This excerpt was only a couple of chapters long, but the story still felt oh so rich and fascinating. For once, this is a YA fantasy that doesn't feel inspired by European folklore, and the protagonist is a woman of colour, which is desperately needed in YA. I don't feel like I can properly summarize this book having only read a few chapters, but I can tell that this has the potential of being the next big thing. The writing is lush and rich, and I grew attached to the protagonist, Zélie, as early on as the first chapter. I couldn't stop reading this once I started it, and I can't believe I'll have to wait for so long before I get to read the rest of it. Still, I know this will be worth the wait. Honestly, I've fallen in love with this story.