Many thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Compared to other YA fantasy, I like this book more than Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, but less than Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves YA fantasy. Moreover, I want this book to be translated in Ukrainian. I already know many people who will enjoy this book just the same as I did.

Plot (really just basics, because annotation contains spoilers for like first fifty pages): Children of Blood and Bone is a YA fantasy set in a fictional land Orïsha. There are two kinds of people there: one with no ability to do magic, and the other who could do magic once, but lost it (maji). The main character is a young maji girl, Zélie. She is the one trying to return magic to her people with help of Tzain, her brother, and Amari, her new friend (both not maji). Interestingly, magic is not like in Harry Potter with wands and all that, but closer to Grisha from Leigh Bardugo universe where different clans have different abilities. Some can heal people, some control fire or water, some have a power over dead souls.

I do like that there is a bit of romance, but it is not too sentimental or too sweet. There are loads of YA books where the main character, a girl, falls in love with a handsome muscly guy. And it is always so annoying to read how those girls spend half of the book describing their desires to these guys. I am just so glad Tomi Adeyemi did not put all that sweetness in the book so we can focus on other things like racism or rich and poor inequality. In Children of Blood and Bone people are differentiated by the darkness of their skin (from light to dark brown). Zélie has dark skin and white hair (which means she is maji) and people with lighter shades call her maggot (insult for maji).

Even though I enjoyed Children of Blood and Bone, there are a few things in book I did not like. First of all, and this may be personal, but I did not fall in love with any of the characters. Each of them was annoying from time to time and I prefer stronger characters. Nevertheless, I like Amari, I love the way her character transforms throughout the book, the way she fought her weaknesses. Second, I didn’t like some things the author was focusing on too much, for example, Inan with his pawn and a phrase “Duty before self” or Amari with her memories of scar she had gotten long time ago. It was cool for the first or second time, but after a third, the only thought was just “oh, not again”.

Anyway, I really love this book and I could talk about it more and more. Please, just read it so I could discuss it with you! By the way, I’m dying to know what’s gonna happen in the next book! That is the reason I usually start book series only after the last one is published. Because now I am supposed to live with such an ending till the next year (or when author is planning to write next book).

It’s been a while since a book has kept me up all night as an adult with full time job. In fact, before Children of Blood and Bone, there had never been a book that kept me up all night as an adult with a full time job. But Tomi Adeyemi really blew me away.
Taking place in the land of Orisha, where magic disappeared, the reader is introduced to a myriad of characters that we both love and hate. We meet Zelie, a young girl torn between avenging her mother or following her own personal destiny; Tzain, fierce and protective brother to Zelie; Amari, a meek but brave princess determined to right her fathers wrongs ; and Inan, tortured brother to Amari, confused and stuck between two impossible choices.
The book, despite the length, felt like a fast read. The character development of each person was phenomenal. We were privy to the hard choices each person had to make, and how their past influenced their future.
The writing itself was beautifully written and simple to understand. There weren’t extra fillers just to make the book longer. Every scene was crucial to the development of the story and action packed from the start.
This book is a great read- I can’t wait for the second installment!

Richly written and beautifully told the story of Zélie who is a descendant of the diviners, maji who had the magic to heal, destroy, or summone the elements to do their will. But eleven years ago all the magic disappeared over night and Zélie's mother was killed for the power she held.
Zelie has been secretly training in her village to be a fighter with other girls her age. As she is returning home she finds out that her father has nearly drowned trying to catch fish to help pay the tax collectors that keep coming and taking everything they own. Zel goes to the nearby city with a prize fish to sell for money that will hopefully help their family get ahead. There she is confronted by a young girl who has stolen a scroll from her father that can supposedly help bring magic back to the diviners. Now the girl that has taken the scroll is the princess of the king that is responsible for slaughtering the diviners to begin with. So begins the journey of Zel, her brother, and the princess to bring magic back.
This book was absolutely gorgeous. It is so original and lush, it kept me enthralled to the very end. If you liked The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor or The Bone Witch by Ren Chupeco you'll definitely fall in love with this book!

Strong characters, strong worldbuilding, all mixed with an unfamiliar mythology. As a debut there were a few weaknesses, but nothing that pulled me too far out of the story.
Definitely recommend this.

Just incredible. Children of Blood and Bone delves into a magical world inspired by the religion of the Yoruba people. Too often I read a book that focuses on religion from Europe. It was a relief to see Nigeria represented in such a fantastical setting. While reading the novel, I felt the need to research to understand the foundation the book is based on to develop a better cultural understanding, which was why I wanted to read this title originally. Representation is important especially in a fantasy setting, and it was great to follow Zelie's adventure to return magic to her people. Also each narrative provided a great insight to life in this fantasy nation. I usually prefer books in third person and tend to avoid multiple POVs, but Tomi Adeyemi used this format to her advantage to craft such a great tale.

TOMI, WRITE FASTER!! I need to know what happens!! This is a great book. It's clear that Tomi had done her research on crafting novels, and this book is an incredible depiction of the hero's journey. It's definitely runs a little long, but I loved getting to know these characters and am invested in their stories. Definitely add this one to your TBR list!

Reading this novel was like body surfing waves at a beach. The story would be going along smoothly, floating in the swell, and then all of a sudden it would peak and crash down the other side and I'd have to re-orient myself to the latest plot twist. This style lured me in. It gave these calm moments to get to know Zelie and her brother Tzain and learn why their mother was killed.

Zelie has inherited her mother's traits to work magic, but the king has killed all the magic practitioners and destroyed all their artifacts. Zelie, at most, can only imagine what it might have been like to have followed in her mother's steps.

Amari and Inan are the children of the king and have been taught to fear magic due to the damage it has done to the the land and it's people. Duty above all is the mantra that Inan repeats to himself whenever he questions his father's brutal tactics. After witnessing her father commit an atrocity, Amari flees the castle in a bid for her freedom.

I was captivated as I followed the intersecting paths of these four young people. For the most part, they acted as I expected with the exception of Inan. While his motivation was clear, he struggled with his conscience on how to respond. This helped make him seem very real.

I do admit to enjoying the addition of magic to a story. It opens up so many possibilities for plot lines that keep me guessing. As I read along, I couldn't help but imagine the potential of the various maji and how they could benefit their society.

This story should appeal to a wide range of teen readers, though I feel that due to the violence, it is most suitable for older teens.

Love it! PRN is becoming my go to choice for reading lately. The characters are strong and well developed.

Children of Blood and Bone is going to be a best seller, I’m speaking it into existence. I’m calling it. I’m praying for it. I’m wanting it with all my breath, my blood, my being.

I want nice things for Tomi Adeyemi even though I don’t know her. I want these aforementioned and completely vague nice things because she dared to write outside the box, she dared to create, she dared to bare a story that is sharped edged and raw and bold. That is what Children of Blood and Bone is. In this story you will find pain, you will find fear, you will find oppression, and you will indeed find death. But you will also find community, you will find love, you will find power, you will find simple and powerful truths running through the veins of anyone who dared to journey and live another day after the dust settles.

Children of Blood and Bone is a rare pearl among a sea of stones. There is a ton of buzz around this highly anticipated book and beyond the fact that it is among the few major releases within its genre with a person of color as the lead, I found the plot hella intriguing. I am happy to say that Children of Blood and Bone did not disappoint, in fact I don’t know how I am going to survive the wait until book 2 is released.

“Each maji was born with white hair the sign of the gods’ touch. They used their gifts to care for the people of Orïsha and were revered throughout the lands. But not everyone was gifted by the gods.”

Orïsha is a place where magic, once celebrated and honored, is feared and shunned as much as Divîners, the dark skinned white-haired people who at the age of 13, would come into their magic and become maji. Zélie, our central protagonist lives in the aftermath of the genocide of her people, mysterious disappearance of magic and endures daily persecution for her status as a Divîner. Daughter of powerful maji, Zélie and her brother Tzain, live with the trauma of witnessing the slaughter of their mother and the destruction of their non-maji father’s spirit.

The book as three narrators:

Zélie, the girl remembers the way her mother’s body looked, when it was left on display the day that magic died.

Amari, the daughter of the king who slaughtered all Divîners and has done everything to destroy magic. She is princess, completely unlike her tyrant of a father, who flees her royal life with a secret that could restore magic and free a people from merciless persecution.

Inan, young man next in line for the throne of Orïsha and Amari’s older brother. A king to be constantly warring between what his heart and making a ruthless father proud. Inan is tasked with bringing Amari back, by whatever means necessary.

The narrative centers on two sets of siblings: Zélie and her brother Tzain and Amari and her brother Inan. Their paths crossing seem to be fated by the gods because once they come together, they change the fate of Orïsha forever.

Final and random thoughts:

Stay woke while reading this book. This is Science Fiction and Young (New) Adult literature but the themes of bias, discrimination, systemic oppression and the power are seamlessly woven through this narrative. It does not overwhelm the story but it is part of its essential building blocks.

My low-key inner feminist wept. Many writers in this genre don’t know how to write strong yet fallible female leads. Chicks who change the world even when their ish is not together. Tomi does this without compromising the integrity of the characterization or the narrative.

This story centers in a part of the world inhabited by a rainbow of black people. There is no monolith of blackness. Meaning black people come in different shapes, sizes, cultures, dialects, and skin tones, this is the very first book in the genre that captures this and brings it to life in such a vivid and breathtaking way that I am at a loss for words.

You are not ready for how the romance in this book plays out. It is freeing, heartbreaking, hopeful, difficult and excellently executed.

This one is for da culture and for the ancestors. When the movie is released, I’m inviting all of my homies over to eat the same jollof rice mentioned in the book and then head to the theater. You are not ready for the level of culture in this book.

The book builds slowly and intricately (also note that I read and prefer insanely fast paced books so grain of salt), get to the middle and things shift in a way that will not allow you to put it down until you are done. I read the first half over two weeks and the last half in one evening.

Trigger warning for violence, murder, torture, and detailed descriptions of war.

Tomi Adeyemi weaves a beautiful tale rich in culture and imagination. Though her prose is simple and straightforward, I was absolutely transfixed from page one. This does suffer from the typical YA formula, but the cultural elements the author has added bring a unique quality to the story, and I cannot wait to finish this entire book. Also, the cover is incredible and so complimentary!

A full review will come after release, but you all are going to want to give this one a try.

I was sent a Preview Excerpt of Children of Blood and Bone, this book is worth every ounce of hype and praise it has received thus far, Even though I haven't read the whole book, what I did read was amazing.The world is amazing, the characters are so real feeling, the writing is perfect. This was such a fantastic read!! I loved it more than any words I can string together to form a review.

This is an epic YA fantasy. The world Tomi Adeyemi created is vivid and detailed. Her characters feel so real and there is plenty of action and the romance is beautiful.. This is one of the best 2018 books I have read so far. The book follows Zélie who lives in the world known as Orisha where magic used to be abundant and thrive. But now magic is gone. And the King wants to keep it that way. Keeping all diviners oppressed and treated like second class citizens in hoping that they will forget how powerful they used to be. And Zelie who are surrounded by water and must pay a diviner tax and if you cannot pay you are forced to do hard labour to pay off your dents but you only accumulate more and will never be free. These two people and there siblings get intertwined in the story. You also get Amari who is the tyrannical Kings daughter and Inan who is the king in waiting and Amaris brother. All these characters were fantastic and held there own. The world building is exquisite and would rival some adult epic fantasies. And Tomis writing is just beautiful.. Now it does take a little bit for the story to get going but once it does it doesn't let go. And all our characters in this book are black and she does a wonderful job comparing dark skinned people to lighter skinned people in the book. All in all I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi was nothing short of a stunning masterpiece. This book was sent to me Sunday, downloaded and completed by Monday ... I couldn't stop, I just couldn't.

Let's start with the cover. This is one of those times where the cover in and of itself is enough to make you want to read the book, but the most joyous part, is that it lived up to the actual novel.

Onto the book. The blurb on the very inside regarding Zelie's mother was gripping and heart wrenching and instantly made me push forward to see why this atrocity happened. And boy do you discover how profound an impact this had on the main protagonist. Then the very first chapter you are quickly introduced to the world, the very cruel world of the diviner/maji children and the poverty they are forced to live in. I loved the sparring match as it set up what to expect from Zelie. I loved Mama Agba ... the way she tried to fill the void and role of parents that were torn from their children all the while being harsh and strict so they could survive.

The farther you delve into Children of Blood and Bone, the more and more you want, never wanting it to end. I loved Zelie's brother, Tzain. His character resonated with me. He promised his parents he would always look after Zelie and yet he was a child too, but forced to assume so many roles, and he has a breaking point in the novel that didn't make me hate him (he ultimately pulls through) it made me empathize with him. Maybe it's the parent part of me where you can see where your child is headed and you know better, but telling them will never work, they have to experience it on their own, but you can't, as a parent, ever turn the 'worry' off. So, I totally understood Tzain's frustrations with Zelie.

The princess ... Amari. For me, she had the most growth in the novel. She faced her fears in so many ways. The author did an incredible job of showing us through tell how much Amari's friend (and diviner servant), Binta meant to her. It was soul crushing to read the pain and anguish Amari went through witnessing Binta's murder and then listening to the plans they had of running away. Just heart breaking. I loved the courage Amari displayed. It's harder to do the right thing, sometimes, then to do what's easy. And her decision was anything but easy. But what I loved, is that never once did Amari stray from her goal. It was that love of her friend Binta, and the injustice done to her, that fueled Amari to get through. And she never once lost focus. Now Amari's brother, the crown prince, Inan ... this guy's emotions were all over the place.

It made perfect sense that Inan believed in this crazy system of magic is evil, those associated with magic must die, etc. etc. etc. But this guy's emotions were like a roller coaster. I was still on board with him when he believed Zelie infected him and he was turning into something magic related to a virus of sorts, but once the truth came out (which was beautiful), he was, "Yes, I'm in." ... "No, I'm not." This was on and off clear up until the end of the book. I loved Inan ... truly, but my goodness ... it was like being jerked around. I just wanted him to pick a lane and stick with it.

The novel itself ... what a dramatic and beautiful world. I loved reading about all the clans, the jungle, the cities, the temples, the animals, the clothing .... all of this world is just gorgeous and lush and it felt so real to me. I felt like I was on this edge of your seat journey with all the characters.

I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel. I would recommend this to anyone. I don't care what you love, I can't imagine this not fitting in anywhere, it just has so much to offer. Absolutely loved Children of Blood and Bone!

I read the preview and was captivated from the beginning. I hope to read the complete book when it comes out!

I am one of the luckiest people in the world. Netgalley.com and the publishers of this book deemed me worthy enough to be able to read it before publication.

If if you have ever taken my advice on a book recommendation and you enjoy Fantasy, YA, a damn well-written story, a heroine who gives her all, a pampered coward who finally “clicks”, supporting characters who make you cry, or any combination of the above, then you must, no, you HAVE to pick up this book.

I have been wracking my brain today trying to figure out how to best review this book. So I’ll take you through my thought process as I read.

When the first chapter ended and I wept, I knew it would be powerful.
When Zelie rode a lion that she raised from a cub, I knew it would have a great setting.
When Amari stopped thinking and started running, I knew she would be a many-layered supporting character.
When Saran killed Binto, I hoped that would come back to bite him in the ass.
When I found myself rereading page after page because I wanted to make sure I missed nothing, I knew I was engrossed.
When I found myself taking my time to read it, svaoring the world and the action, I knew it would jump to the top of my recommendation list.
And when it ended like THAT and I sat, stunned, fractured, cursing the fact that I have to wait a YEAR to find out what happens next, I knew I was hopelessly hooked.

I don’t know what else to say to get you to add this book to your TBR list, but please trust me - you MUST add it. I cannot wait to buy it for my library and I feel so strongly about it, though my budget is gone, I will buy it out of my own pocket.

Thank you, Tomi Adeyemi, for sharing your vision with the world.

“You crushed us to build your monarchy on the backs of our blood and bone. Your mistake wasn’t keeping us alive. It was thinking we’d never fight back!”

Children of Blood and Bone is worth every ounce of hype and praise it has received thus far, and I only anticipate it to receive more and more, especially since you’re all about to read a gush review for it. The world is amazing, the characters are so real feeling, the writing is perfect, the action is abundant, the romances are beautiful, the topics are important. This was such a fantastic read, and even though it is only late January, I have no doubts that Children of Blood and Bone will make my best of 2018 list, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it even takes the number one spot come December 31st. I’m also honored to say that this is the very first book I’ve given five stars to in 2018.

In this world of Orïsha, magic used to thrive and be celebrated. Our main protagonist, Zélie, remembers this time and what a powerful Divîner her mother was. But she also remembers the way her mother’s body looked, when it was left on display the day that magic died.

“I think about the way her corpse hung from that tree. I think about the king who took her away.”

Now, the king of Orïsha wants to make sure magic is kept dead, while also keeping all the Divîners that live in Orïsha oppressed. The king ensures that the Divîners are reminded they are lesser, in hopes that they will forget how powerful they once were, along with everyone else. And this has worked, for the last eleven years, that is until a powerful artifact is found and if it is combined with a couple other powerful artifacts it can bring magic back to Orïsha once and for all.

When a Maji is born with white hair, it is a sign that they are touched by the Gods, so they are called Divîners. And back before magic disappeared, when a Divîner turned thirteen, they would develop what kind of power they had from whatever God had touched them. The powers range from healing, to taming animals, to wielding light, to controlling time, to making fire, to calling water, to controlling people’s minds and dreams, to even more things! They were very powerful, and the ordinary people didn’t like them being that powerful, so they had to shut them down and keep them down.

“No matter how much I crave peace, the gods have other plans.”

This story truly focuses on two sets of siblings. One set is Zélie and her brother Tzain, who are currently living in Eloirin, which is surrounded by water, with their father. Yet, the people in Eloirin are forced to pay a Divîner tax, and the prince keeps raising them higher and higher. And if you can’t pay it, then you are forced to perform hard labor (or other worse things) until your debt is paid off. But that’s the thing, you’ll just accumulate more and more debt, and you will never be free again. You will die a slave. And Zélie ‘s family is unsure how they are going to afford to pay the tax for her, so they are forced to go to the city of Lagose to trade. Then, Zélie and Tzain’s story mixes with the other sibling’s story by pure fate of the Gods.

Amari is the daughter of the king that has done everything to destroy magic. Yet, this princess is nothing like her tyrant of a father. And once her father does something completely unthinkable and totally heartless, Amari flees her royal life once and for all.

Inan is the king in waiting and Amari’s older brother. He is probably the most interesting character in this book, because he constantly is struggling between what he wants to be and what has always been forced upon him. And he is tasked to bring Amari back to their king of a father, by whatever means necessary. Then, these four young adults, from very different upbringings, come together to change the fate of Orïsha forever.

“They built this world for you, built it to love you. They never cursed at you in the streets, never broke down the doors of your home. They didn’t drag your mother by her neck and hang her for the whole world to see.”

This story is truly unforgettable, and I loved it more than any words I can string together to form a review. The world building is expertly done, and perfectly interwoven through the story. The magic system is so unique and was an absolute joy to learn and read about. Zélie is everything I want in a main protagonist, and her castmates are nothing short of amazing, too. This book was everything I’ve ever wanted from the fantasy genre.

The writing in this is so very lyrical. I was completely blown away by the magnificent prose. This story is just told so beautifully, I think it would be hard not to fall in love with it. And I want to emphasize that romance is never at the forefront of this story, but some of the one liners that Tomi Adeyemi gave me where truly some of the most romantic lines I’ve ever read. I can’t believe this is her debut novel. Please, just give her all the awards now, because her writing is truly on another level.

“You have your duty and your heart. To choose one means the other must suffer.”

And the messages and parallels to our world, from systemic racism, to prison systems, to so much more, are so very important. I know this is a YA high fantasy novel, but I hope people can’t miss the similarities to the very society we are living in today.

And every single character in this book is beautifully black. Yet, the author does such a wonderful job touching on how people perceive darker skinned individuals to lighter skinned individuals in this world. In this world, the royals want to look as light as possible. Even going as far as to make sure their skin is always powdered, and it is shunned to spend too much time outside where you could become darker. Yet, this young girl, Zélie, with the darkest skin, living in poverty and dealing with the brutal murder of her mother, could be the most powerful person in Orïsha, yet she is viewed as nothing more than a racial slur. This book is powerful, eye opening, and I hope you all take more out of it besides it being an amazing, five starred story.

“I won’t let your ignorance silence my pain.”

This book was a masterpiece. Again, I know with my whole soul that this book will make my best of 2018 list without question. I loved this book with the sum of my being and I know it is going to make so many other’s lists, too. Tomi Adeyemi will forever and always be an auto-buy author for me, because this is maybe the strongest debut novel I have ever read in my entire life. Perfection.

Trigger/Content warnings for attempted rape, physical abuse, death, gore, murder, torture, war themes, and similar things in that vein.

“The truth cuts like the sharpest knife I’ve ever known. No matter what I do, I will always be afraid.”

I have some seriously mixed feelings about this book. It's difficult to read a book that has been as hyped as this one without being affected by your own high expectations, despite trying very hard not to be. I liked parts of it, but overall I found it to be a regurgitation of cliched YA fantasy tropes, pasted onto a fresh setting. The Goodreads summary is pretty accurate: this is basically the classic Hero's Journey tale of Ye Olde Fantasy, complete with chosen one, sacred artifacts, gods and goddesses, and a magical destination. Which could have been fine, given that the setting is so original - in fact, the West African inspired setting was probably my favorite thing about the book. But despite this, everything else just fell flat for me.

However, just because I personally wasn't wowed, doesn't mean this book doesn't have appeal. To be honest, you've got thousands of YA fantasy books out there that regurgitate the same plot over and over onto the same vaguely Anglo-French medieval setting and they do fine, so it's nice to see something like this that features black and brown characters. It's kind of like when people say, oh, paranormal/urban fantasy is over and done with, when POC haven't gotten their chance at it yet. Just because white people have gotten all their shots at something doesn't necessarily mean it's been played out. I'm glad this book exists for POC teens to see themselves in the types of fantasies they have been reading about for years.

With that being said, I had a lot of problems with this book. I think the main reason I struggled with it was the writing style. It just felt very young; though the subject matter is mature, at times I felt like I was reading a middle grade book instead of a young adult book. The writing is incredibly melodramatic, littered with phrases like "something inside me broke" and "I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding" and "I should have known you were the monster all along." More than once I found myself cringing and rolling my eyes at just how Extra the writing was. Furthermore, even the expressed themes are presented in such a simplistic way, and the reader is beaten over the head with every little thing. I would recommend this to teens on the younger side of the spectrum, but I think more mature readers might not enjoy it as much.

Another issue I had with the writing style is that it is written in first person present, which is probably my least favorite tense. It takes a really subtle hand to make first person present work, and this book's writing is not in the least bit subtle. I also found it confusing at times, since there are three different POVs, all in first person present, and their voices are not all that different, so I often found myself forgetting whose perspective I was supposed to be in.

As for the plot, well, as I said, this is classic Hero's Journey, played almost completely straight. So, Zelie is chosen by the gods to bring magic back to Orisha, and she goes on a journey that takes her to various places in the country to collect the sacred artifacts she needs to conduct the ritual that will return magic. Alongside her are Princess Amari, who has defected from her father, and Tzain, Zelie's older brother. They are being pursued by Inan, the Prince and Amari's elder brother who is determined to stop Zelie's ritual. The plot is essentially a series of strung-together YA fantasy tropes maximized for commercial appeal, but the result is a narrative that lacks much depth. (One of those tropes is Enemies to Lovers, which features the Inexplicable Heterosexual Romance, in one of the weirdest character flip-flops I've ever seen. It was just...very abrupt and unbelievable.)

While the book started off quick and engaging, the plot quickly slowed down. I found that the book was much longer than it needed to be. In fact, there was a huge chunk in the middle where the gang has to compete in these arena games that felt completely tacked on just to be able to say the book included it. I think this particular plot point, along with a lot of other instances, is where the story could really have used a firm editorial hand. A lot of things seemed random, chucked into the book to just to make it seem more exciting, but it was all way too much, especially when combined with the juvenile writing style. Probably about a hundred pages could have been cut from this book to make a better, tighter final product.

At the center of the narrative is the oppression of the maji, which in a lot of instances seems to be written to directly mirror real-world racism. I'm not sure how well that worked given the portrayal of magic users here; that is, their powers are portrayed as world destroying, and it almost seems understandable that those without powers would want to wipe magic out to level the playing field. On the other hand, certain people's potential for magic is used to exploit them for economic gain even though they have no magic to hurt anyone, and that certainly speaks of baseless, irrational racism. The book certainly tries to have this complicated conversation, but it just falls short, and by the end I wasn't entirely sure what exactly the book was trying to get across. Perhaps later books will address this, but...the ending makes me suspect that later books are going to circumvent this problem entirely.

I know this has been very negative so far, but there were some things I liked about this book! The worldbuilding is fantastic: all the characters are black or brown, and much attention is paid to the various hues of their skin and the textures of their hair. That was super refreshing to see, especially since POC in other books are often cut from the same cloth, appearance wise, so it was great to see so much diversity while still having a cast made up entirely of POC. The West African setting is fresh and wonderfully detailed, as is this world's creation myth and the legends of their gods and goddesses. Something else I liked is that there's two leading ladies here, and by the end they become excellent friends (now this is an Enemies to Friends situation I can actually stand by). There's still not a lot of positive female friendships in YA, unfortunately, so it was great to see that. Zelie, the main character, is written to be fierce and fiery, and I liked her a lot, though I wish her internal (and external) monologues weren't so melodramatic.

Generally, I just wanted some more nuance and maturity, with regards to thematic points and writing. Also, and I've said this several times before, but I've started to really, really hate "journey" stories, and that's certainly a strong personal preference that affected my enjoyment of this book. However, I can certainly see how this would appeal to people, particularly the younger YA generation. Also, I can definitely see this book's blockbuster quality, and I'm super excited for the film! I'm not sure if I'll pick up the second book in this series, however. I might just wait for the movie.

I received 6 chapter so, this is just a partial review. And from what I have read so far, one can understand the hype for this book. Children of Blood and Bone is one of this year's most highly anticipated book in the YA genre...and it's good.

Let's be honest here ok? There is only so much I can 'review' considering that I've read so little... only 6 chapters... but that alone has reignited my anticipation for reading this book. 6 chapters in and it's jam packed with EVERYTHING!!! It surpasses everything I wanted this book to be... How is that even possible?!
I can't wait to read the rest...I highly recommend you to add Children of Blood and Bone to your TBR list...
PS: I know we aren't suppose to judge a book by it's cover but come on! Look at that?! Won't you want to buy that?!!

Oh man, this book! This book was spectacular! The hype for this one is well deserved. I loved every moment of this story. This was one of those books that you just dive into and lose yourself in the world, the characters, and the story. It was already a decent sized book but I wanted it to be even longer. I did not want it to end! The characters are well thought out, unique, and have a whole lot of depth and character development. My favorite part of the story was the friendship between Zelie and Amari. The magic system is incredibly fascinating. The world building is very well done. It all works together to make one remarkable, unforgettable story!

Writing: Tomi Adeyemi is one of, if not the most beautiful and skilled writers I have ever read. Adeyemi is a weaver of words, a creator of stories, and boy does she know how to craft a magnificent book. Every page I was invested. Every page brought new descriptions, new tales, new pieces of the puzzle. Adeyemi’s writing felt fresh the whole novel, and I was never, ever bored throughout the 600 pages she wrote. I will say I only read one “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding”, but that was it. Sure, some of the relationship stuff can be seen as cliché, but even then Adeyemi turned things on its head and I was thrown for a loop. Adeyemi’s strength lies in her worldbuilding, character development, plot, themes, so truly, in everything. The world of Orïsha is so diverse, well crafted, and thought out, I can fully believe it exists, and map it out in my head. From page one, Adeyemi is crafting this world in different ways, and I am here for it. I can probably go on and on about this for a while, so I’m going to force myself to leave this part here. I am very confident in saying that this will probably be my favourite book of 2018. No doubt. And it’s only January.

Plot: Okay, so I know it can be a bit difficult to write a spoiler-free review and include details about the plot, so I’m going to try and be as ambiguous as possible while still including critique. A lot of the plot centres around the themes of classism, racism, politics, inner conflict, etc. Tomi Adeyemi’s plot threw me for a loop, and that’s the first time in so long I’ve felt caught off-guard by the twists and turns. Every time something would happen, I would think, but I’m only 46% done, oh dear what does Adeyemi have PLANNED and BOOM another twist would come. And people: the plot of this book is so well-crafted. You can tell Tomi Adeyemi took her time planning it out around the world building, around her characters, around the themes, and she did a damn good job. There were moments where I was afraid Adeyemi was going to fall down the YA stereotype pit in regards to the romance side, but then she would sweep the rug out from under me and prove me wrong, and I’m so happy she did. The moral dilemma of who is right? really resonates through the novel, as you get to see both sides, and learn along with the characters do about how to decide what is right and wrong. This book deserves all the success.

Characters: Tomi Adeyemi’s characters were so well crafted, and she created such a diverse world, it was so pleasing to read. There are three different character POVs Adeyemi provides, and they’re all so well done. I was so excited to read each of their chapters and find out what was happening. It does mostly follow Zélie Adebola, and she herself was well crafted, but we also get two different perspectives in the book, one being the rogue princess who aids Zélie. The character development/arcs were A++, especially for Zélie, who acknowledges her flaws but becomes stronger due it, and moves forward in acceptance of different things (again, trying to be spoiler free here). But for the other characters’ arcs, they were easy enough to identify, but still complex as they deal with the issues of classism, parental beliefs imposed upon them, determining what really is right etc. so Adeyemi covered all the bases with them.

Overall opinion: you need to read this book. Preorder it. Request your library to order some in when it’s published. Share the book with your friends. Just read this book. As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, it is around 600 pages, but it will not feel that long. Since I was reading an e-arc on my Kindle, it felt super short due to not actually holding a book, but I can promise Children of Blood and Bone is so full of adventure, heartache, twists, and turns, that it will feel like a blur when reading it. I am already aching for the sequel, and the first book isn’t officially published. So props to Tomi Adeyemi for crafting a masterpiece.