A review by books_baking_brews
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

5.0

I read the first page of this novel and knew it was going to be one of those consuming reads. I tried to pace myself but yesterday half way through the book, I knew I would just power through until I finished. I got sucked deep into this one. Great fantasy debut from Tomi Adeyami. I hear tales of multi-movie/picture deals, and I can certainly see why. There has long been a spot for more diverse fantasy reads and this one helps fill that void. Literally black girl magic, the hype surrounding this novel is deserved. Children of Blood and Bone is the first of a trilogy of books exploring the war torn world of Orisha, a kingdom now divided as the monarchy has been trying to stamp out all remnants of magic. Told from the point of view of three different protagonists, this is the story of two warrior women one a princess (Amari) and one a maji (Zelie) who are tasked with restoring magic to the kingdom and overthrowing the old way of life. The only thing that sometimes felt out of place in the novel was a romance between two characters, but I am hoping it gets resolved in some way in the next book. However, this is not just a story of a quest with romance sprinkled in, it is also an allegory for race, class, colorism, female empowerment, the control men exercise over women's bodies, and so much more. This is certainly not a perfect book, however, I definitely recommend, and I cannot wait for Adeyami's follow-ups to this wonderful debut. (4.5 Stars)
P.S. That cover art tho (so beautiful)!