Children of Blood and Bone (Tomi Adeyemi)

29 September 2021

Children of Blood and Bone

Zélie remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. When different clans ruled – Burners igniting flames, Tiders beckoning waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoning forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, anyone with powers was targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Only a few people remain with the power to use magic, and they must remain hidden.

Zélie is one such person. Now she has a chance to bring back magic to her people and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must learn to harness her powers and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where strange creatures prowl, and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to come to terms with the strength of her magic – and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Average Rating:

Sinclair Manson (2 October 2021 17:10)

I was a bit disappointed by this book. It was pitched to me as an alternative to generic fantasy novels rooted in medieval Europe but to me the novel's African trappings seemed fairly superficial. The story could easily be transplanted to a traditional fantasy setting and spiritually it remains rooted in Christianity. The group has read quite a few novels that offer much deeper alternatives to the traditional fantasy setting. I also found the internal dynamics of the setting unconvincing. I can accept a fantastical world where bloodlines carry magical powers but that those bloodlines wouldn't have monopolised power as an aristocracy is hard to believe! The writing was all right. The author captured the melodrama of teenage relationships pretty well, although that was pretty exhausting even when I was an actual teenager.