Children of Blood and Bone Review

“Reality told us we would fail. But again and again, we fought.We persevered. We rose.”

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi follows the story of Zélie, a maji living in a world where magic once flowed but is now destroyed. A ruthless king took control after the night magic was taken alongside countless maji lives, changing the kingdom of Orïsha in his wake. Years pass and the maji live in fear, prosecution, and without hope; until Zélie gets a chance to fix it all. With help from a runaway princess, she will have to escape the crown prince, who is bent on destroying magic for good. With time running out, and the prince close behind, will she be able to save her people?

Children of Blood and Bone is a fantasy novel that carries a very powerful message. Underneath the magic, it is a story promoting The Black Lives Matter movement and fighting against police brutality. Adeyemi shares an incredibly relevant message all while delivering a wonderful story. The plot of this book is engaging and has enough twists and turns to keep readers on their feet, guessing what comes next. I loved the cast of characters introduced as well. Each one is unique, providing a diverse cast that helps carry along the plot. Children of Blood and Bone pulls from West African mythology and combines it with classic sci-fi and fantasy to bring new light to a new but quickly growing subgenre: Afrofuturism. Tomi Adeyemi has written something I have seen very little of in the YA fantasy world and it is a refreshing new take on some familiar themes. Children of Blood and Bone and its sequel Children of Virtue and Vengeance carry a powerful message while providing a wonderful story.

MAYA OEVERMAN

Editor Emeritus at The City Voice | MIPA Honorable Mention Award Winner

I am a Senior at City and I normally write the weekly book reviews! If I'm not reading, you can usually find me at the barn riding and taking care of the horses.