Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Like the similarly eagerly anticipated Black Panther movie (to which this will undoubtedly draw comparisons, given the proximity of their releases), Children of Blood and Bone is a fast-paced, excellently crafted hero's journey in a fantasy nation that is informed by African mythology (specifically West African, in the case of the book) and populated with compelling and nuanced black characters. But Inan is hot on their trail, eager to prove himself and destroy magic forever. Zélie and Amari become unlikely allies and journey across Orïsha, seeking to unlock the power of the gods and allow maji to reclaim their place in Orïsha. When a cruel act forces Amari to reassess what she has always accepted as truth, she flees the palace with a scroll that may hold the power to restore magic to Orïsha. The King has raised his children to be cold and to put the good of Orïsha before themselves, at the expense of kindness or compassion. Marked by their white hair and devoid of their powers, maji and their families live in fear.Īmari and her brother Inan grew up in the luxury of the royal palace, far away from the suffering of the maji. But when she was a child, the King of Orïsha ordered a raid that wiped out most of the maji, including her mother, and subjugated those who were left.

Zélie was born a maji, a person meant to wield the magic of the gods for the good of the people of Orïsha.

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Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi