Title: Children of Blood and Bone
Author: Tomi Adeyemi
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
A teenage magician, a rebel princess, a prince in hot
pursuit, an unlikely love story, and lots of magic prove to be as thrilling as
they sound. The best thing is, all this and much more form the backdrop for
Tomi Adeyemi’s debut sensation, Children of Blood and Bone. It is the first
installment of the Legacy of Orisha trilogy.
The story opens with Zélie, a 17-year-old girl who tries to
keep her head above choppy waters even as she mourns not only her mother, but
the birthright of magic now lost to her. She is a divîner — someone with latent
magical abilities indicated by the distinctive white hair that sets them apart
from the non-magical populace.
As the story progresses we learn about the history of Adeyemi’s
fictional world. Orisha was once home to 12 Maji clans, each with a patron god
or goddess and a signature magical ability that manifests in some members at
age 13. The despot king, Saran, cut off access to magic and purged the Majis. Only
the children were spared, but with a target on their heads.
Once while trying to raise money for the ever growing taxes,
Zélie saves a girl from the king’s soldiers. The girl turns out to be Princess
Amari, who is on the run from her father. She has stolen a scroll that can
transform divîners into magic-wielding maji. The two girls flee along with
Zélie’s brother, Tzain.
The scroll had vanished 11 years ago during the maji
genocide. King Saran sends out his son Prince Inan, Amari’s elder brother, to
retrieve the artifact. When the trio — Zélie, Amari, and Tzain — learn that the
impending solstice offers the only chance of restoring magic, they race against
time, and Inan, to obtain the final artifact needed for their ritual.
Over the course of the book we can see some allegiances
shifting as the characters grow. Zélie learns to unlock the magic that has been
lying latent all these years. Inan too comes face to face with the fact that he
is what his father has always hated — magic.
Adeyemi writes beautifully. She has deftly portrayed the
racial tensions and persecutions. However, the novel is too long and repetitive.
The three POVs keep saying the same things without furthering the story much.
But it can definitely be overlooked given the other good things. The book
culminates in a cliffhanger ending, which is sure to leave readers anxiously waiting
for the next installment.
A compelling story that is hard to put down.
Tomi Adeyemi is a Nigerian-American writer and creative writing coach based in San Diego, California. After graduating Harvard University with an honours degree in English literature, she studied West African mythology and culture in Salvador, Brazil. When not writing novels or watching Scandal, Tomi teaches and blogs about creative writing on her website, named one of the 101 best websites for writers by Writer’s Digest. Children of Blood and Bone is her debut novel.
I'd like to thank the publisher for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!
* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in
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