Children of Blood and Bone

An intense and violent novel, that reflects the horrors of genocide and how ignorance bred from fear can devastate a nation.

Zelie lives in constant fear. As a child she watched as her mother was brutally beaten and killed during The Raid, a mass genocide orchestrated by the King. Now as a young adult, her family is still spat on and overtaxed by the monarchies guards, all because of her heritage. Zelie's mother was a Reaper, a maji able to communicate and work with the souls of the dead. During The Raid, the King eradicated all maji able to channel the power of the gods, and severed their connection to magic. But Zelie's hair is pure white, a sure sign that if magic ever returned, she too would be able to harness the power of the gods. Because of this, she and the diviners that are left are treated like objects. But the gods have other plans, and Zelie is about to be thrown into the last desperate struggle for magic.

Despite growing up as royalty, Princess Amari has never seen the diviners as less than human. Her oldest friend and chambermaid Binta, is one such diviner. But when the King comes into possession of a maji artifact, one that can awaken magic, Amari will witness her father's cruelty. Horrified at his actions, Amari will escape the palace with the artifact and come face to face with Zelie. Young and naïve, Amari will have to come to terms with her actions and become the Queen she never thought she could be.

Beaten down both verbally and physically, Prince Inan is being groomed for succession. Taught to hold the safety of Orisha over his own desires, the King has also instilled in Inan the need to keep a strangle hold on magic. When Amari runs off with an artifact that could bring back magic, he must track down his own sister. But will duty force him to slaughter his own kin? Conflicted, broken, Inan will struggle with his mission and the deadly secret he harbors. A secret he is only just learning himself.

Together, this cast of characters will either bring hope and magic back to the world, or destroy an entire culture and race.

This was a fast paced adventure, where the characters are forced to come to terms with their imperfections. I enjoyed the depth of character development and watching each of them struggle with their inner demons. Creating three complex characters is no easy feat, especially with the depth of world building Tomi Adeyemi had to do as well.

Poverty and oppression are brought to life throughout the novel. Your heart will ache as you watch the brutality and injustices inflicted on the diviners. And it is a harsh reflection of the actual world's police brutality against innocents. You will see a rich culture come near extinction, and cry out for its salvation.

The only reason I did not give this a five-star rating was the fact I would not allow my teenager to read this novel. It is filled with genocide, attempted rape and violence. Adults would connect better with the concepts, and be able to understand the politics governing the actions of the characters, yet it was marketed to young adults.