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A review by inkling
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
If you're looking for an action-packed fantasy adventure that also has underlying messages about how race & colorism affects society - then this is for you.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and the flawed yet lovable cast of characters really made it special for me. Also, it is very interesting to see how characters' decisions and thinking changes depending on who they are surrounded by, and what situation they are in. For example Amari is wildly different in the beginning than at the end of the book and Inan, who goes through a similar "awakening" finding out the truth about his Father, does not have the same reaction. Another thing I liked is the descriptions of how magic worked, which made it feel very real. The Yoruba incantations were also a great addition, because they tied to the geography of the place and also felt very real because it is an actual language not just some english-gibberish.
My only qualms were that it is written in present tense, first person, which just isn't my cup of tea. The romantic relationships felt a little forced and out of place with the rest of the tone of the book Am I the only one who thought it was very strange that Zelie wanted to be with Inan?? Also, I really thought Amari and Zelie were going to get together... aaand the fact that there is SO MUCH violence in this book. I think that reading this as a child most of it would go over your head but as an adult reading it's truly heartbreaking.
Overall I liked it and am very excited to see how the film adaptation turns out!
Overall I really enjoyed this book and the flawed yet lovable cast of characters really made it special for me. Also, it is very interesting to see how characters' decisions and thinking changes depending on who they are surrounded by, and what situation they are in. For example Amari is wildly different in the beginning than at the end of the book and Inan, who goes through a similar "awakening" finding out the truth about his Father, does not have the same reaction. Another thing I liked is the descriptions of how magic worked, which made it feel very real. The Yoruba incantations were also a great addition, because they tied to the geography of the place and also felt very real because it is an actual language not just some english-gibberish.
My only qualms were that it is written in present tense, first person, which just isn't my cup of tea. The romantic relationships felt a little forced and out of place with the rest of the tone of the book
Overall I liked it and am very excited to see how the film adaptation turns out!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Torture, and Violence