Rich Deas did the cover art.
What is the book about?
Have you ever wondered what it takes to bring back magic? In Children Of Blood And Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, Zélie Adebola is sent on a quest to bring back magic. When Zélie was a child her mother was killed by the king, her village was destroyed and magic was stolen from her people. In secret she is training how to fight with a staff in hopes to avenge her mother’s death and gain back what her village lost. One afternoon she goes to the market outside of the castle to sell a fish and she is tricked into kidnapping the princess. When she comes home she realizes herself, her brother and the stolen princess must go on a quest to save magic before they are caught by the blood thirsty prince and time runs out. Do you think they will make it?
This book is the first book in the Legacy Of Orïsha trilogy. It will be made into a movie by Paramount and it is expected to be released in January 2027. Scroll to the bottom to skip spoilers and to see my score.
What are my favorite things?
Hey Look me reading the book!
One of my favorite things is learning about the West African culture. A more sensitive topic that is brought up in the beginning of the book is the concept of colorism. Colorism is a form of prejudice and discrimination where one shade of skin tone is perceived to be worse than the other. In chapter 3, where we first meet Amari (the princess of Lagos), Amari is at a table with her mom and her brother’s girlfriend where they are trying to eat food. Amari’s mother compliments Samara on how regal she looks or light her skin is. She tells her that she should share her skin regimen with Amari. Amari rejects as she remembers the sharp pain and vinegar smell of her last treatment. I looked this up and saw that bleaching skin in West Africa is a real thing that they still do today.
Another thing that I liked learning about were the different gods and goddesses. For an example one of the goddesses Zélie calls on the most is named Oya. In chapter 18 we are in a domed room with murals of gods. They were brought there by a sêntaro named Lekan who begins to tell the group about the gods and when he gets to the mural of Oya, Zélie tells the story. This allows memories of Zélie’s mom to come flooding in. Lekan tells them about how the bone dagger, sun stone and scroll are used every century to keep magic alive.
What are my dislikes?
I only disliked one thing about the book. Zélie and Inan (the crown prince/ Amari’s brother) end up getting into a romantic relationship and I feel like it was way too rushed. Inan hates her guts and he even burned down her village again and he never really apologizes. They are fighting and discover that they are equal in skill. Not long after that they are in a romantic relationship.
My final thoughts?
I really like the descriptions that are used in the book. It brings out the elements of world building and the concept of magic very well. I think the book was well written and is suitable for young adults who are 14 years old or older. Zélie is a strong independent woman who is very inspirational and she doesn’t let her mistakes define her. She is always ready to try again. Do you have what it takes to be like Zélie?
My Score: