A review by bookish_brain1
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

5.0

This book came in my quarterly book club selection from the ladies at Pantsuit Politics. I get 3 books every quarter from the Wild Geese Bookshop, an independent bookseller. They always include books that I would never have picked for myself and I love it! It's like $60 per quarter. Totally worth it. Another fantasy book, but one that explores culture and identity in refreshing new ways. It explores the idea of "other", dominant cultures, oppression, political and social violence through an allegorical lens. The supporting characters in this book are phenomenal and at times even overshadow the central protagonist. I found myself wanting more of them as the book moves forward. The author explores the themes behind BLM (Black Lives Matter) without losing all of the things we love about fantasy and fiction writing. It's a book with a thematic message that I think is powerful and beautiful, yet you will lose yourself in this magical realm.
My favorite quote:
"I teach you in the art of the staff, why? It avoids rather than hurts, it hurts rather than maims, it maims rather than kills - the staff does not destroy. I teach you to be warriors in the garden, so that you will never be gardeners in the war."