An action packed, eventful and extremely imaginative fantasy for young adults and adults, I found the romance dose a bit too much for my liking but overall the plot, the magic system and the revenge story was very good, also it's a refreshing change to read a different culture's imagination & folklore!

Children of Blood and Bone is a stand-out book of the year. With incredible character building, and a richly imagined world, it stands out in the YA fantasy genre. Each character has a unique voice, and I loved the unexpected connections between them, and the emphasis on family.

Packed full of adventure, and lyrical writing, I can't wait for the sequel!

An enjoyable fast paced adventure. I found it very interesting to see perhaps a typical story but from a different cultures perspective.

This book is everything you're looking for - fast-paced and action packed, with beautiful scenery, strong and well-written characters, an inspiring underlying message, original plot and brilliant world-building, and amazing writing. The only thing I had an issue with is how the romantic subplot sort of cheapened the story a little bit and dragged it down, but it managed to pick itself right back up and blow my mind nonetheless!

3.5 stars

Orïsha used to be a land full of magic, where maji could control elements and even the dead.
Then one night the king went to war against magic, slaughtering the maji. That was night magic left Orïsha and the night that Zélie's mother was murdered.
One day she gets the chance to bring magic back to Orïsha with the help of Amari, a runaway princess. Along with Zélie's brother, they must evade Amari's brother, the prince, who will do anything to prevent magic from returning.
Can Zélie bring back magic?

As someone who generally has unpopular opinions when it comes to books, I was worried going into Children and Blood and Bone that I wouldn't like it as much as everyone else. And I didn't. But I also didn't hate it.
I liked both Zélie and Amari, and felt sorry for both of them - they both lived in fear. I enjoyed reading as they developed throughout the book. I also liked Tzain, Zélie's brother.
I struggled with Inan, Amari's brother, from the beginning. I felt like I should sympathise with him, but I just didn't like him.
The plot was interesting, as was the theme of oppression, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat at any point. I saw most of the twists coming, but the one at the end definitely makes me want to read the sequel.
I really, really, REALLY didn't like a certain romance. It seemed unnecessary and took away from the story for me.
The world of Orïsha was interesting and I'm intrigued to find out more about it. I loved the idea of giant lions, panthers and snow leopards.
I liked the writing style and found it easy to follow.
While I am disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, it's a promising start to the series and I'm interested to see what happens next.

Overall this was an enjoyable read, but for me, it didn't quite live up to the hype.

The world building is (as usual) my favourite part of the book. I love that I know the history, the culture, the religious aspects of different characters. This did not disappoint. The history was slowly built up throughout the entire book which means you can understand what's happened to each of the individual characters in the past. This makes it easy to understand our characters motivations and their actions a little more. Zelie has a culture vastly different to Amari, who's also of a different class. This makes for dynamic conversations as they, as characters, have to learn about one another.

I found the magic system to be totally Avatar-esque. Except we had more 'clans' of magic users and they all have a more distinct use for their powers. The one thing about magic I disliked is that most of the magic users were just able to user their magic without training or practise. This wasn't so much of a problem for our main characters but for the side ones that ventured into the story after half way. There were also a few times when I was sat there thinking why the characters weren't utilising their magic in a bad situation.

The book is filled racial prejudices that mirror our own societies (which is what Adeyemi was trying to do) and  it's written so well that you fear for the characters lives throughout. One of my favourite pages of the book is when our main character Zelie tries to explain to Innan who's been brought up to be prejudiced against the magi how she feels around the guards who treat her badly. She's trying to tell him over and over again that she can't just go back and live in the city when the monarchy and the people with power in the city see her as a 'maggot' and beneath them. And he just doesn't seem to understand what she's telling him, and he doesn't want to believe it - and you just know that this is a conversation that Tomi Adeyemi and other POC have had multiple times before. This was so well written, and so very clearly written from the heart that I had to pause for a bit before going back to the book.

Children of Blood and Bone's pacing was wonderful and I never felt bored with the content. It was always quite fast paced and with something interesting going on. From the start there was a strong 'let's get shit done' vibe from our main characters who were happy to just keep on going and to get into interesting situations. The only time I felt like we needed to move on was during some of the 'romantic' scenes.

My problem with romance isn't just towards this book by any means (If you read my reviews a lot you'll already know my feelings). But this particular book was annoying me for a single reason. Every character was paired up with another one. And some were written okay I guess, one of the 'couples' I was on board with and was naturally built up. But another one was a trope ridden snooze fest which seemed to be written in specifically for YA readers who enjoy romance, and not because of good plot reasoning.

Romance not included, all the characters did have great story arcs and evolved (and devolved?) throughout the story. But they didn't evolve into full grown great characters, not yet. There's definite room for improvement and redemption arcs in the next book which I am so excited for. Plus, the cliff hanger was so well done that I just want to get the next book like now. The book was a wonderful read, and as you can see I only really had one fault with it! Which for me makes this fantastic!

POSITIVES
+ World building and magic system

+ Fast pace

+ Cliff Hanger

NEGATIVES
– Everyone get's a romantic pairing

If you read one book this year it HAS to be this book! I devoured this book in a day and don't regret any minute of it. Bring on book 2

I really really really wanted to love this book. But it was not good. It was cliched YA fantasy with underdeveloped characters. The West African myth and tradition that was promised was virtually non-existent. The magic was poor, the world-building was barely a framework, and boy oh oh boy did the novel go on. And on. And on and on and on and on. I was desperate for it be over by half-way through. Oh, and obviously there was a totally obligatory shlock love story which happened because REASONS and forbidden lust. V disappointing.

This book took my breath away. The cover alone is so beautiful and I've been so excited to read it. I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint. The book inside is just as powerful and amazing as the cover. Zélie was a fantastic character to start off with, I loved her from the first page. She may just want to be left in peace at the start, but she soon becomes a force to be reckoned with. A fantastic role model for any young girl, but a desperately needed one for Black teenagers everywhere who can see themselves in a role model that is as powerful and brilliant as Katniss, Tris or any other of the characters who have been out there for white girls for years.

The magic and the story of the book were just as beautiful as the characters. There was so much that I didn't expect to happen in this book and I enjoyed every twist and turn. I loved the magic system and the entire setting. I loved the way they rode big cats into battle, the images conjured up of the characters being chased by people riding giant snow leopards. Escaping on their own stead. It was unique and felt so right for the story that was being told.

There is so much in this book that I adored that it would take days to write it all out. But it's also a book and setting that has so much potential to go further. I can't wait for the next book to see more from this world.

There are some books where I'm like, I'm just going to avoid the hype and read it later. We've all been there, just look at my tbr pile. Then there are some books that you cannot avoid and feel completely compelled to read, and when you do you're upset because you've suddenly finished and left needing more but why do I have to wait a year for the next installment! (I've progressively starting typing in capitals in my head as I dictate this review!)....

THIS. BOOK...

If you haven't already, stop reading and go buy a copy, because you're going to want to read it.

Strong characters - tick
Strong FEMALE LEAD characters - tick
POC - front and center and kicking all kinds of ass
Settings - AMAZING
Rebellion and Revolution - in abundance
Mythology and Magic- BEAUTIFUL
Twists - I mean I didn't think what happened would so TICK

There was a beautiful fluidity to Tomi's writing that instantly brought you in held you close and swept you away on this journey! You feel everything....the desolation and sadness that the people suffer, the anger in Zélie , the Arrogance in King Saran, the internal battle that Inan goes through... its all here packaged in this neat little book, with a BEAUTIFUL cover and if you managed to get a copy of the red sprayed edges then your book really is on fire.

This is my kind of fantasy! I loved the mythology woven into the narrative, it was poetic and strikingly visual and I want to explore it more.

This book also digs deep into some dark themes, ideas of racism, of power and class, of privilege and control, fear and the power that fear instills into government (something I think we can all relate too at the moment), and you can't hide away from any of these things, they are there and brought back to the table again and again so you have no choice but to confront these realities, because these though fiction imaginations have deep historical roots that are still coming into play and it through narratives like his that the discussions can be opened and at a younger level. We're seeing the courage of young people more and more, speaking out, and this is one of the strengths of YA and the powerful voice it carries.

The characterization was what really made the boo come alive. Zélie was bold and strong, full of confidence and a deep rooted stubbornness. She was a spark that would fly fast and quick and get her into trouble. But you couldn't help root for her and you wanted to share in that confidence. Tzain, was the antithesis, the balance to her spark. Calm and level headed, you could see why he was so respected and why all the girls swooned over him. Amari had a great transformation, but what was not stereotypical about her character and I loved her for it was that she had a history, she had already been broken down and was fighting to just get along, but overtime her confidence and her pride seeps out and the tiger within bursts forth. Inan was interesting. He was angry and the enemy, but his facade was breaking and his realities crumbling around him and what was great about this was that he didn't just accept it and change he fought against it, with it, trying to work out what he actually wanted in his own internal battle, and this made him really real to me.

Basically this book ticked every box I had and I was left wanting more, and having to remember to breath after all that build up. I'm excited for whats to come an I know I'm not the only one!

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

The hype surrounding this release was immense. I was initially hesitant to begin this book, for my expectations were so highly placed and I felt there was no way that the book could live up to the pedestal the internet had placed it on. I had, however, followed the author on Twitter, around this time, and found her to be come across as such a warm and inviting individual and I was eager to explore the story she had to tell. And what do you know? The hype is real!

This is such a wonderfully diverse read. As a straight, white Western reader I have spent my whole life with the ability to find myself in the pages of books. But not every individual has had the same reading experience that I have. It is incredibly exciting that a more diverse and inclusive representation is now available, especially in the fantasy genre. Exploring this West-African inspired culture and world was mesmerising and I could continue to read another 500 pages following such nuanced characters placed in such a vivid setting.

It is also so pleasing to see that this representation is captured inside a bloody good story-line! Intrigue follows action follows plot twist in a pace never lets up. I was continually anxious as I was immersed in yet another plight that had befallen these characters, who I had so quickly bonded with. The diversity of this book alone, although fantastic to see, would not have been enough to garner such ardent support as it has done. This book delivers on every front and is a well-rounded story, with authentically nuanced characters, all placed inside an elegantly structured world the reader was given free reign to roam over.

I am torn. On one hand I really like a lot about this book. I love the fact that it's fantasy set in a non Euro cenric based setting. That the cast is entirely black. That it tackles that sub-strata of racism within ethnicity - colourism. The prose was beautiful and the descriptions were amazing. The overall story was good. But I just didn't have a really deep connection with the characters. The dialogue was a bit off the peg. Some of the things that happened felt a little contrived. It had some truly powerful moments and generally the pace was good. But this just wasn't quite the immersive fantasy book I was looking for. That said I definitely want to read the next one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me this book to review

Children of Blood and Bone is a very good fantasy book which lives up to the hype. It is dark with adventure, magic, and romance, with just enough world building that I want to discover more. The characters are so complex, and the writing was fantastic and well-paced.

Zelie is a strong character, who follows her heart and fights against injustice, but is also afraid and is her own worst enemy as she feels she can do nothing right. When we first see Amara she is an emotionally abused princess who has no self-esteem and is pushed around, but her inner strength starts to grow. I’m not sure how I feel about Inan but he is indecisive, loyal and intense. Tzain as a character was a bit hit or miss for me but I hope in future books we get to see his POV because I feel like we would understand him more.

I really enjoed this book and with that cliffhanger I cannot wait to read the next book in the Legacy of Orisha series. I would recommend Children of Blood and Bone to fans of the Black Mage series and the Sin Eaters Daughter series.

I loved this book! Original, exciting, wonderful use of myths and magic, and adept worldbuilding. It's entertaining, yet explores darkness and brutality and and encourages the reader to engage with weighty themes. I was drawn in from the first page. The use of two pairs of siblings who have to grapple with identity, betrayal, race and oppression created an interesting tension and added more than a simple romance subplot would. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

I adore Fantasy books. I love sinking away into different, magical worlds full of surrprises and marvels. My specialisation at University in Medieval Literature was in large part due to just how many of my favourite novels were based on medieval texts and events. But I found myself getting just a little bored, if you can believe such a thing! While medieval Europe has a wealth of stories to tell, I was desperately looking for a Fantasy book that used something else as its inspiration, that would surprise me and teach me. Children of Blood and Bone was that book for me. Thanks to Macmillan Children's Books and Nethalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange

As I said above, no matter how much you love a genre, you still want it to surprise you. Part of why I get so tired of some Fantasy novels is because they do exactly what has been done before. They see Tolkien and think 'I should also write novels set in a mythological Europe and draw my inspiration from Anglo-Saxon/Norse sources and it will be great', only they forget it isn't as easy as TOlkien made it seem. So when I saw Children of Bloog and Bone I got very excited because here was a Fantasy novel that went down a different path, that would introduce me to a different kind of world, a different kind of language and culture. In and of itself, that makes Adeyemi's novel incredibly brave and fascinating.

Inspired by West-Africa. stories and history, takes some of Fantasy and YA's most used tropes and does something new and interesting with them. We have Zélie, a girl with the power of magic in her blood, just waiting to be awakened. She is stubborn and passionate, but also deeply marked by her day to day experience. And this is why I continue to think of Children of Blood and Bone as brave. Because Adeyemi doesn't shy away from the dark side of her world, of our world. Children of Blood and Bone is full of racially-charged violence, both physical and emotional. Zélie is not just an outsider, she is looked down upon, a second class citizen, marked and shamed, constantly afraid and full of anger. She is one hell of a character to write and, especially considering this novel is meant for younger readers, Adeyemi does a brilliant job at showing to constant battle within Zélie. She is surrounded by other fascinating characters that follow the genre's conventions while not doing so at all. Amari is a princess, but also a rebel. She is a scared sister and a fierce friend. She goes through some of the most interesting development out of all the characters, in my opinion. There is also her brother Inan, who is consistently torn between different sides. He is a truly tragic character and that is what I enjoyed about him.

Tomy Adeyemi's writing is beautifully descriptive and full of power. The way she describes different settings, whether its towns, temples or nature, is incredibly vivid and full of colour and life. I really loved the phrases of Yoruba she incorporated into her novel, as well as the fact she doesn't always translate them. If Tolkien could make up a language and not provide a translation, then Adeyemi can most definitely do the same with an existing language! Her prose is largely straightforward, which really serves to highlight the beauty of her descriptions and also works well for the plot, which moves at a nice pace. At times I felt the novel moved a little bit too quickly, or didn't linger where I expected it to, but then Adeyemi will give you everything you could want at other moments. The one thing she will also give you? One hell of a cliffhanger... I have no idea how I'll make it to the release of the second book in the Legacy of Orïsha series, which apparently isn't till 2019. Guess I'll gear up for a reread then!

Children of Blood and Bone is a breath of fresh air, full of beautiful imagery and hard-hitting representations of racism. The fact Adeyemi brings these two things together so seamlessly and doesn't let her plot break down under the weight of the latter is incredible. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in Fantasy and West African mythology.

Words cannot describe how excited I am by the existence of this book. Really and truly. It blew me away. And it's actually really hard to put ALL OF THE FEELS THIS BOOK MADE ME FEEL INTO COHERENT SENTENCES SQUEEEEEEE- okay. So. For those that don't know, this book has been racing across the Blogosphere/Twittersphere like wildfire leaving a trail of rave reviews in it's wake. And normally books like that have me wary, because hype trains sometimes crash, but I never had those concerns with Adeyemi's debut. Fresh from seeing 'Black Panther' in the cinemas I was more than ready for an African inspired Fantasy.

The story is told from three POVs and I loved them all! I've watched Avatar: The Last Airbender only recently, adored it, and drew SO MANY parallels. Yet, it all still felt fresh and exciting. Zélie is a wonderful example of what a kickass female heroine should be. Strong, fiercely protective and everything about her personality shone from the pages. Inan was my second favourite POV character. Sweet, misguided, infuriating but also adorable Inan. I more than adored him despite his obvious flaws. Amari was also a great character. A slow-builder but she has so much potential for the next book in the series. Let alone non POV characters like Tzain, Röen and Zu. I loved them all.

I mean, this book just gripped me. The plot moved at a thrilling, constant pace. It's setting was stunning and easily envisioned, the magic visual descriptors were breath-taking, and I found myself totally enthralled by everything that I read. I can't believe how long I potentially have to wait for the next book! Agh! This fantasy was EVERYTHING and of course I adored the representation within it's pages. I want to read more books like this!

I absolutely loved this book!

The magic element was so well done, the world building was beautiful, not only that but the characters. I CAN'T!

Before I really get into everything I just want to say that this is a book you should not let pass by. It's beautifully diverse, it's so well developed and even more staggeringly; it's beautiful. I can't even comprehend the amount of times I was mind blown during the process of reading this book because there were so many. And now, after thinking over what the author has created, I am no less shook than I was the minute I finished it.

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

Children of Blood and Bone takes what we know of the fantasy genre and tips it on it's head. Although the author has created a very fantastical world with magic at it's heart, she explores so many real life issues and infuses her characters with realistic traits that anyone could relate to. It's clever and extremely well written. She draws parallels to our world in so many ways. Including issues such as; racism, slavery, divides in society, and abuse. This is so great for a young adult novel and the possibility of people of younger generations to pick up on these things and take something from it, is honestly amazing.

The book follows Zélie Adebola; she remembers a world so different to that she currently lives in. One surrounded with the most beautiful magic and a loving mother she will never forget. But under orders of a king, the world changed, maji were killed, and her mother was one of them. When she gets the chance to change fate and possibly one day create a world similar to that she remembers she takes the plunge. With the help of her brother and a runaway princess, they journey to save those who are vulnerable.

“I teach you to be warriors in the garden so you will never be gardeners in the war.”

In the beginning it did take me some time to get used to the very fast pace plot and I have to say that I didn't completely love the story straight away but I think that was because the author made the decision to throw you straight in and not really work up to it. Which is kind of a great thing in my opinion. Because at the midway point something clicked in my head and I was suddenly in love with the wonderful characters. It's been a while since I have become as attached to a cast of characters while reading and I honestly forgot the feeling. I think that the way the author really built the world and the characters as individuals is what I loved the most. They are vulnerable and flawed and so so relatable. It really shouldn't be something new but these things so often aren't betrayed well so I can't really get past it and the amount of depth it added to each character's development. The things these characters go through made me feel so many emotions and that in it's self made this book, one of the best books I've ever read.

“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!”

The relationships were developed quite differently to a lot of fantasy books I've read. I just wasn't expecting the angsty quirks of humour and push and pull between characters. Of course, I love a good old spoonful of angst but I was surprised when certain relationships develop that I was not expecting and at the fact it was both enticing and slow burn without being overly so. It was the icing on top of a very large cake already full of the most delightful ingredients.

“It doesn't matter how strong I get, how much power my magic wields. They will always hate me in this world.”

The writing wasn't overly complex but it felt almost lyrical while I was reading. The sentences weren't choppy, and they seemed to flow together very well, which made reading it a very enjoyable experience. On the other hand it did mean it took me longer to read than it usually does to read a book. However even though it took a while to get through, the fast paced also meant it seemed like it was flying by which I really enjoyed.

Overall this is a significantly wonderful fantasy novel that is ground breaking for young adult literature. I highly recommend you pick up this book, and get lost in this intricate world.

RATING: 5 Stars

It was really refreshing to read a work of epic fantasy that wasn't set in a medieval-esque world. Here, we have the story of Zelie, a young diviner who longs for the time when magic ran through the veins of her people, her brother, Tzain, exasperated by his younger sister's ability to get into trouble, court princess, Amari, who hates the oppression of her father and Inan, her brother who is torn between duty and his own desires. The novel is split between the different characters, with each chapter told from a different point of view. This was a really good way of introducing nuance into the story and really allowed for an exploration of motivations that aren't always obvious from the start. The world the author has created is vibrant and visceral with colours, smells and sounds exploding from the page really immersing the reader in the narrative. I thought that the pacing of the narrative was fantastic, with several smaller crescendos in the book that kept the plot moving throughout, while also allowing time for the reader to catch their breath before the next section. My only criticisms are that I found the dialogue a little bit stilted on occasion and I thought that Inan, who was for me the most interesting character, was a little bit underdeveloped. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book, the world and the magic system and I am now looking forward to the next instalment.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.