They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.
Now we rise.
Zelie remembers when the soil of Orisha hummed with magic. When different clans ruled - Burners igniting flames, Tiders beckoning waves, and Zelie's Reaper mother summoning forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, anyone with powers was targeted and killed, leaving Zelie without a mother and her people without hope. Only a few people remain with the power to use magic, and they must remain hidden.
Zelie is one such person. Now she has a chance to bring back magic to her people and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zelie must learn to harness her powers and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Danger lurks in Orisha, where strange creatures prowl, and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zelie herself as she struggles to come to terms with the strength of her magic - and her growing feelings for an enemy.
More info on Goodreads.....
Review:
Tomi Adeyemi’s debut novel Children of Blood and Bone is a lush and lyrical fantasy novel inspired by Nigerian folklore and weaves together a world of tyranny, magic and hope in the midst of oppression.
Zélie Adebola rememberers a time when magic existed in the land of Orïsha. Her mother was a powerful maji who helped the people in her village of Ilorin and Zélie planned to follow in her footsteps. Then everything changed; magic disappeared from the world one fateful night and the King’s guards invaded....killing all those with abilities including Zélie’s mother. Years later Zélie and girls like her secretly train in the art of self defence, hoping to protect themselves as much as possible against the guards and Monarchy that still treat them like garbage. When a chance encounter between Zélie and the Orïsha heir occurs in a marketplace Zélie finds herself reluctantly helping the heir steal a sacred artefact said to be able to help restore magic to Orïsha. As Zélie and her newfound ally princess Amari form an uneasy partnership, the two very different young women find themselves travelling to an ancient temple in an effort to perform a ritual to restore magic. As threats arise can they manage to stand together in the midst of it all, or will outside forces destroy them before they even have a chance?
I have to say I was very impressed by Children of Blood and Bone. Tomi Adeyemi’s debut novel has had a lot of hype surrounding it and heading into the story I wondered if it would live up to the expectations placed upon it. I have to say it definitely did. Beautifully written and detailed, Children of Blood and Bone brings together a fantasy world that sees an oppressed race of people fight to discover a way to have their birthright returned in a high stakes, fast moving and driven storyline.
It’s evident that Adeyemi draws from the trials and tribulations facing minority’s groups today and instilled this into her story, giving a magical twist to themes very relevant in our world today. The inclusion and use of Yorùbá language and dialect gives the story real substance while the explosion of West African mythology and folklore bring the history and legends Adeyemi implores to life with such vibrancy.
Children of Blood and Bone unfolds through the varying perspectives of three characters; Zélie, Amari and Inan. This offers a well rounded perspective of the story with the characters conflictions, struggles and battles allowing the readers to experience a vast degree of emotions and events throughout the novel from different viewpoints. This really made for a deeper understanding of the characters and their motives. Admittedly some I liked more than others while there were others who grew on me.
I enjoyed the concept of two different sets of siblings being explored and thought the relationships between Zélie, Tzain, Amari and Inan were intriguing to witness. Zélie and Amari are two different but strong female personalities with a lot of potential. Personally I liked Inan more in the beginning of the novel than I did in the end; I think he faulted in his decisions but enjoyed Tomi Adeyemi’s exploration of the length people will go to for familial approval. This made for a good undertone to the story.
There’s obviously a romantic element of the story that plays a part, but this aspect only supports the action and adventure woven amongst the passion and desperation of the storyline. Zélie's love interest within the novel both won me over and let me down. I appreciated the way their romance developed in the beginning of the story, but by the end I was highly disappointed by the choices he made.
Children of Blood and Bone was an impressive debut with a lot of nuances to explore and leaves it readers keen to delve into the deftly created world Tomi Adeyemi has introduced as soon as they have the chance!
Rating:
Source: Purchased by me from Dymocks
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 8th 2018
Buy: Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: A highly enjoyable novel, Children of Blood and Bone left me eager for more.
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