Children of Blood and Bone

Gripping fantasy that sees a young girl fighting hard to restore magic to a kingdom that has forbidden it.

Zelie Adebola remembers when they killed her mother, and she's been trying to avoid the same fate ever since. But a chance encounter with a princess leaves her homeless and on the run, desperate to escape the crown prince who wants her and her kind dead.

Tomi Adeyemi has created a lush, vibrant world, full of legend and lore, more than enough to sate even the most ravenous fantasy fan. She deserves special commendation for steering away from the creatures so often shoe-horned into fantasy novels, and instead creating her own magical beasts, who fit seamlessly into the narrative. There are swoony moments, shocking moments, terrifying moments, and heartbreaking moments. It's a masterful debut, and one many readers will adore.

This book absolutely lives up to its hype - from the very start the pace is fast, unrelenting and sweeps you into a world filled with danger and adventure. Orïsha has been stripped of its magic and those marked as dormant majis are persecuted by a tyrannical king and his soldiers.

Zélie is introduced to us as a bit of a hot mess - filled with anger and desperate to prove herself, she's constantly saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and getting herself (and her family) into scrapes. She's a brilliant character who is both brave and terrified; she's funny, quick-witted and caring, and she can handle herself in a fight. Amari comes from a very different world as the king's daughter, where kindness is seen as weakness and she's constantly cowed into submission. Throw in Tzain, Zélie's brother, and Inan, Amari's brother and heir to the throne, and there's plenty of tension - of all different kinds - as well growth.

I loved the world-building in the book - at every turn of the page I felt like I was in the story, immersed in the smells, sights and sounds that Tomi Adeyemi describes. She seamlessly develops the history and myths of Orïsha, and while the characters and plot line didn't necessarily feel brand new (what YA fantasy does?), the freshness with which Tomi delivers it all DID make the story feel fresh and original and sparkly.

That ending though. How long do I have to wait for the next book to be released?? I cannot recommend CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE enough, and I can't wait to re-read it already.

I loved this book and could not put it down once I had started.

Zelig was a very believable character working out who she was and the role of magic in her life. She lives in fear and has to learn how to live with this fear and overcome it.

Her loyalties are torn - between family and the prince she comes to love. She rescues and befriends a princess but at the end is not sure what her actions have made her.

She risks her life to bring magic back but we are left not sure what she has accomplished - I will await part two with trepidation.

A book which will definitely be gracing my library’s shelves.