I loved the writing, the setting and the atmosphere of the book which is filled with rebellion, people power and the strength of their magic, along with the diviners willingness to die for the rights of their people and to bring back their magic. Despite being 600 pages, it was a fairy quick and easy read as I didn't want to put it down, I wanted to find out if they could bring back magic and what the consequences would be. My only negative about this book is the focus on the romance from the middle of the book towards the ending which I liked but it seemed to overshadow the more important issues. I loved the ending and I cannot wait for the second book in the series. Children Of Blood And Bone is such a striking, powerful YA read and it is definitely one of my favourite YA books ever!

Tomi Adeyemi has created a vivid, exciting and much needed world in YA fantasy fiction. Not only that, but her worldbuilding is magnificent. The characters were believable (although I was *sure* there was going to be romance between Zélie and Amari), and I found that the development of each was well done, too. My only gripe would be the central romance between Zélie and Inan. I found it hard to believe that she would fall for him and that he would give up his beliefs so quickly. However, the ending was superb and left me gagging for the next one!

An action packed, eventful and extremely imaginative fantasy for young adults and adults, I found the romance dose a bit too much for my liking but overall the plot, the magic system and the revenge story was very good, also it's a refreshing change to read a different culture's imagination & folklore!

Children of Blood and Bone is a stand-out book of the year. With incredible character building, and a richly imagined world, it stands out in the YA fantasy genre. Each character has a unique voice, and I loved the unexpected connections between them, and the emphasis on family.

Packed full of adventure, and lyrical writing, I can't wait for the sequel!

An enjoyable fast paced adventure. I found it very interesting to see perhaps a typical story but from a different cultures perspective.

I feel like this book was hyped from the minute it was first mentioned, but let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I’m not a huge fantasy fan; I enjoy the odd book now and again and I’m very picky about which ones I read. I wouldn’t have requested this if it hadn’t sounded like something I would enjoy, but I didn’t expect it to ignite a desire in me to read every fantasy book in existence. So, you know.

I don’t even know where to start with this review, it has so much going for it. There wasn’t one aspect I didn’t love about it. The characters were incredible, the writing wonderful to read, the plot thrilling, honestly, I don’t have a bad word to say.

I loved the mix of characters; everyone was so unique and interesting and had their own way of doing things. The friendships that formed, unlikely though some may be, were real and fragile. The change in point of view and narrative voice did not put me off, as it sometimes can do in fantasy books. Instead, I got their own voices, their own thoughts, and it made the narrative richer as I could understand them a lot better. I still didn’t know who to trust at points though!

The world was incredible too. I believe it is based on Nigeria, and I truly got a sense of place whilst I was reading (I’ve never been to Nigeria so can’t comment on that specifically). The descriptions were vivid, and I could easily picture the landscape that the characters were in.

Leading on from that to another point that should be highlighted but have no authority to speak on, is that the book is a commentary on society and the racism that underlies it. Even reading it as a white person, I could see this, and it brought home how isolated people feel, even in places where they’ve always felt was home. I knew people felt like this before, of course, but this book allowed me to see their viewpoint through their eyes, and experience it in a way I can understand a little better (if that makes any sense whatsoever). If you know any reviews by readers of colour, please link them below as I would love to read their thoughts.

The plot kept me intrigued throughout, I couldn’t put this book down (the typical one-chapter-before-bed-turns-into-a-hundred-pages kind of can’t put it down). So many things kept happening, I struggled to keep up. Though I don’t say that as a negative. I just mean it forced me to concentrate on what was going on, which made it better as I didn’t miss anything by doing that ‘I’ve read a whole page but actually read about three of the words’ thing.

I don’t even need to tell you that I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It was truly phenomenal and I cannot wait until the sequel comes out, because THAT ENDING. Holy crap it was good.

This book is everything you're looking for - fast-paced and action packed, with beautiful scenery, strong and well-written characters, an inspiring underlying message, original plot and brilliant world-building, and amazing writing. The only thing I had an issue with is how the romantic subplot sort of cheapened the story a little bit and dragged it down, but it managed to pick itself right back up and blow my mind nonetheless!

3.5 stars

Orïsha used to be a land full of magic, where maji could control elements and even the dead.
Then one night the king went to war against magic, slaughtering the maji. That was night magic left Orïsha and the night that Zélie's mother was murdered.
One day she gets the chance to bring magic back to Orïsha with the help of Amari, a runaway princess. Along with Zélie's brother, they must evade Amari's brother, the prince, who will do anything to prevent magic from returning.
Can Zélie bring back magic?

As someone who generally has unpopular opinions when it comes to books, I was worried going into Children and Blood and Bone that I wouldn't like it as much as everyone else. And I didn't. But I also didn't hate it.
I liked both Zélie and Amari, and felt sorry for both of them - they both lived in fear. I enjoyed reading as they developed throughout the book. I also liked Tzain, Zélie's brother.
I struggled with Inan, Amari's brother, from the beginning. I felt like I should sympathise with him, but I just didn't like him.
The plot was interesting, as was the theme of oppression, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat at any point. I saw most of the twists coming, but the one at the end definitely makes me want to read the sequel.
I really, really, REALLY didn't like a certain romance. It seemed unnecessary and took away from the story for me.
The world of Orïsha was interesting and I'm intrigued to find out more about it. I loved the idea of giant lions, panthers and snow leopards.
I liked the writing style and found it easy to follow.
While I am disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, it's a promising start to the series and I'm interested to see what happens next.

Overall this was an enjoyable read, but for me, it didn't quite live up to the hype.

The world building is (as usual) my favourite part of the book. I love that I know the history, the culture, the religious aspects of different characters. This did not disappoint. The history was slowly built up throughout the entire book which means you can understand what's happened to each of the individual characters in the past. This makes it easy to understand our characters motivations and their actions a little more. Zelie has a culture vastly different to Amari, who's also of a different class. This makes for dynamic conversations as they, as characters, have to learn about one another.

I found the magic system to be totally Avatar-esque. Except we had more 'clans' of magic users and they all have a more distinct use for their powers. The one thing about magic I disliked is that most of the magic users were just able to user their magic without training or practise. This wasn't so much of a problem for our main characters but for the side ones that ventured into the story after half way. There were also a few times when I was sat there thinking why the characters weren't utilising their magic in a bad situation.

The book is filled racial prejudices that mirror our own societies (which is what Adeyemi was trying to do) and  it's written so well that you fear for the characters lives throughout. One of my favourite pages of the book is when our main character Zelie tries to explain to Innan who's been brought up to be prejudiced against the magi how she feels around the guards who treat her badly. She's trying to tell him over and over again that she can't just go back and live in the city when the monarchy and the people with power in the city see her as a 'maggot' and beneath them. And he just doesn't seem to understand what she's telling him, and he doesn't want to believe it - and you just know that this is a conversation that Tomi Adeyemi and other POC have had multiple times before. This was so well written, and so very clearly written from the heart that I had to pause for a bit before going back to the book.

Children of Blood and Bone's pacing was wonderful and I never felt bored with the content. It was always quite fast paced and with something interesting going on. From the start there was a strong 'let's get shit done' vibe from our main characters who were happy to just keep on going and to get into interesting situations. The only time I felt like we needed to move on was during some of the 'romantic' scenes.

My problem with romance isn't just towards this book by any means (If you read my reviews a lot you'll already know my feelings). But this particular book was annoying me for a single reason. Every character was paired up with another one. And some were written okay I guess, one of the 'couples' I was on board with and was naturally built up. But another one was a trope ridden snooze fest which seemed to be written in specifically for YA readers who enjoy romance, and not because of good plot reasoning.

Romance not included, all the characters did have great story arcs and evolved (and devolved?) throughout the story. But they didn't evolve into full grown great characters, not yet. There's definite room for improvement and redemption arcs in the next book which I am so excited for. Plus, the cliff hanger was so well done that I just want to get the next book like now. The book was a wonderful read, and as you can see I only really had one fault with it! Which for me makes this fantastic!

POSITIVES
+ World building and magic system

+ Fast pace

+ Cliff Hanger

NEGATIVES
– Everyone get's a romantic pairing

If you read one book this year it HAS to be this book! I devoured this book in a day and don't regret any minute of it. Bring on book 2

I really really really wanted to love this book. But it was not good. It was cliched YA fantasy with underdeveloped characters. The West African myth and tradition that was promised was virtually non-existent. The magic was poor, the world-building was barely a framework, and boy oh oh boy did the novel go on. And on. And on and on and on and on. I was desperate for it be over by half-way through. Oh, and obviously there was a totally obligatory shlock love story which happened because REASONS and forbidden lust. V disappointing.

This book took my breath away. The cover alone is so beautiful and I've been so excited to read it. I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint. The book inside is just as powerful and amazing as the cover. Zélie was a fantastic character to start off with, I loved her from the first page. She may just want to be left in peace at the start, but she soon becomes a force to be reckoned with. A fantastic role model for any young girl, but a desperately needed one for Black teenagers everywhere who can see themselves in a role model that is as powerful and brilliant as Katniss, Tris or any other of the characters who have been out there for white girls for years.

The magic and the story of the book were just as beautiful as the characters. There was so much that I didn't expect to happen in this book and I enjoyed every twist and turn. I loved the magic system and the entire setting. I loved the way they rode big cats into battle, the images conjured up of the characters being chased by people riding giant snow leopards. Escaping on their own stead. It was unique and felt so right for the story that was being told.

There is so much in this book that I adored that it would take days to write it all out. But it's also a book and setting that has so much potential to go further. I can't wait for the next book to see more from this world.

This was just amazing. Full stop. Read this book. I could not put it down and finished it in record time, considering all the other things I had to do. This is a debut novel and it is mind-blowing. I cannot wait to read everything that Adeyemi writes in the future.

Zélie is a divîner. The magic of her people, the Orïsha, has was stamped during the Raid in her childhood in which all magic users were killed. A series of coincidences has given her a chance to restore magic to the land. In order to do that, she will undertake a quest joined by an unlikely group of companions. It will be dangerous as the king does not want the maji to return.

The novel has beautiful world-building and a strong magic system. It has the typical YA fantasy theme of a quest to restore magic with a lot of the typical elements: princes, princesses, swords, magic, armies, evil kings, etc. but it did it well and in ways that were a twist on the typical. The book also deals with a number of serious issues: the genocide of the maji and the subsequent abuse of the divîner people.

It’s told from three points of view – Zélie, Inan and Amari. Inan and Amari are the children of the current king of Orīsha and Zélie is a dîviner. I actually liked all of the viewpoints and didn’t find myself wishing for the chapter to be over, so I could go back to my favourite character. The novel starts strong, filling every chapter with adventure and ends leaving me wanting more.

There are some books where I'm like, I'm just going to avoid the hype and read it later. We've all been there, just look at my tbr pile. Then there are some books that you cannot avoid and feel completely compelled to read, and when you do you're upset because you've suddenly finished and left needing more but why do I have to wait a year for the next installment! (I've progressively starting typing in capitals in my head as I dictate this review!)....

THIS. BOOK...

If you haven't already, stop reading and go buy a copy, because you're going to want to read it.

Strong characters - tick
Strong FEMALE LEAD characters - tick
POC - front and center and kicking all kinds of ass
Settings - AMAZING
Rebellion and Revolution - in abundance
Mythology and Magic- BEAUTIFUL
Twists - I mean I didn't think what happened would so TICK

There was a beautiful fluidity to Tomi's writing that instantly brought you in held you close and swept you away on this journey! You feel everything....the desolation and sadness that the people suffer, the anger in Zélie , the Arrogance in King Saran, the internal battle that Inan goes through... its all here packaged in this neat little book, with a BEAUTIFUL cover and if you managed to get a copy of the red sprayed edges then your book really is on fire.

This is my kind of fantasy! I loved the mythology woven into the narrative, it was poetic and strikingly visual and I want to explore it more.

This book also digs deep into some dark themes, ideas of racism, of power and class, of privilege and control, fear and the power that fear instills into government (something I think we can all relate too at the moment), and you can't hide away from any of these things, they are there and brought back to the table again and again so you have no choice but to confront these realities, because these though fiction imaginations have deep historical roots that are still coming into play and it through narratives like his that the discussions can be opened and at a younger level. We're seeing the courage of young people more and more, speaking out, and this is one of the strengths of YA and the powerful voice it carries.

The characterization was what really made the boo come alive. Zélie was bold and strong, full of confidence and a deep rooted stubbornness. She was a spark that would fly fast and quick and get her into trouble. But you couldn't help root for her and you wanted to share in that confidence. Tzain, was the antithesis, the balance to her spark. Calm and level headed, you could see why he was so respected and why all the girls swooned over him. Amari had a great transformation, but what was not stereotypical about her character and I loved her for it was that she had a history, she had already been broken down and was fighting to just get along, but overtime her confidence and her pride seeps out and the tiger within bursts forth. Inan was interesting. He was angry and the enemy, but his facade was breaking and his realities crumbling around him and what was great about this was that he didn't just accept it and change he fought against it, with it, trying to work out what he actually wanted in his own internal battle, and this made him really real to me.

Basically this book ticked every box I had and I was left wanting more, and having to remember to breath after all that build up. I'm excited for whats to come an I know I'm not the only one!

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

The hype surrounding this release was immense. I was initially hesitant to begin this book, for my expectations were so highly placed and I felt there was no way that the book could live up to the pedestal the internet had placed it on. I had, however, followed the author on Twitter, around this time, and found her to be come across as such a warm and inviting individual and I was eager to explore the story she had to tell. And what do you know? The hype is real!

This is such a wonderfully diverse read. As a straight, white Western reader I have spent my whole life with the ability to find myself in the pages of books. But not every individual has had the same reading experience that I have. It is incredibly exciting that a more diverse and inclusive representation is now available, especially in the fantasy genre. Exploring this West-African inspired culture and world was mesmerising and I could continue to read another 500 pages following such nuanced characters placed in such a vivid setting.

It is also so pleasing to see that this representation is captured inside a bloody good story-line! Intrigue follows action follows plot twist in a pace never lets up. I was continually anxious as I was immersed in yet another plight that had befallen these characters, who I had so quickly bonded with. The diversity of this book alone, although fantastic to see, would not have been enough to garner such ardent support as it has done. This book delivers on every front and is a well-rounded story, with authentically nuanced characters, all placed inside an elegantly structured world the reader was given free reign to roam over.

I am torn. On one hand I really like a lot about this book. I love the fact that it's fantasy set in a non Euro cenric based setting. That the cast is entirely black. That it tackles that sub-strata of racism within ethnicity - colourism. The prose was beautiful and the descriptions were amazing. The overall story was good. But I just didn't have a really deep connection with the characters. The dialogue was a bit off the peg. Some of the things that happened felt a little contrived. It had some truly powerful moments and generally the pace was good. But this just wasn't quite the immersive fantasy book I was looking for. That said I definitely want to read the next one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me this book to review

Children of Blood and Bone is a very good fantasy book which lives up to the hype. It is dark with adventure, magic, and romance, with just enough world building that I want to discover more. The characters are so complex, and the writing was fantastic and well-paced.

Zelie is a strong character, who follows her heart and fights against injustice, but is also afraid and is her own worst enemy as she feels she can do nothing right. When we first see Amara she is an emotionally abused princess who has no self-esteem and is pushed around, but her inner strength starts to grow. I’m not sure how I feel about Inan but he is indecisive, loyal and intense. Tzain as a character was a bit hit or miss for me but I hope in future books we get to see his POV because I feel like we would understand him more.

I really enjoed this book and with that cliffhanger I cannot wait to read the next book in the Legacy of Orisha series. I would recommend Children of Blood and Bone to fans of the Black Mage series and the Sin Eaters Daughter series.

I loved this book! Original, exciting, wonderful use of myths and magic, and adept worldbuilding. It's entertaining, yet explores darkness and brutality and and encourages the reader to engage with weighty themes. I was drawn in from the first page. The use of two pairs of siblings who have to grapple with identity, betrayal, race and oppression created an interesting tension and added more than a simple romance subplot would. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

I adore Fantasy books. I love sinking away into different, magical worlds full of surrprises and marvels. My specialisation at University in Medieval Literature was in large part due to just how many of my favourite novels were based on medieval texts and events. But I found myself getting just a little bored, if you can believe such a thing! While medieval Europe has a wealth of stories to tell, I was desperately looking for a Fantasy book that used something else as its inspiration, that would surprise me and teach me. Children of Blood and Bone was that book for me. Thanks to Macmillan Children's Books and Nethalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange

As I said above, no matter how much you love a genre, you still want it to surprise you. Part of why I get so tired of some Fantasy novels is because they do exactly what has been done before. They see Tolkien and think 'I should also write novels set in a mythological Europe and draw my inspiration from Anglo-Saxon/Norse sources and it will be great', only they forget it isn't as easy as TOlkien made it seem. So when I saw Children of Bloog and Bone I got very excited because here was a Fantasy novel that went down a different path, that would introduce me to a different kind of world, a different kind of language and culture. In and of itself, that makes Adeyemi's novel incredibly brave and fascinating.

Inspired by West-Africa. stories and history, takes some of Fantasy and YA's most used tropes and does something new and interesting with them. We have Zélie, a girl with the power of magic in her blood, just waiting to be awakened. She is stubborn and passionate, but also deeply marked by her day to day experience. And this is why I continue to think of Children of Blood and Bone as brave. Because Adeyemi doesn't shy away from the dark side of her world, of our world. Children of Blood and Bone is full of racially-charged violence, both physical and emotional. Zélie is not just an outsider, she is looked down upon, a second class citizen, marked and shamed, constantly afraid and full of anger. She is one hell of a character to write and, especially considering this novel is meant for younger readers, Adeyemi does a brilliant job at showing to constant battle within Zélie. She is surrounded by other fascinating characters that follow the genre's conventions while not doing so at all. Amari is a princess, but also a rebel. She is a scared sister and a fierce friend. She goes through some of the most interesting development out of all the characters, in my opinion. There is also her brother Inan, who is consistently torn between different sides. He is a truly tragic character and that is what I enjoyed about him.

Tomy Adeyemi's writing is beautifully descriptive and full of power. The way she describes different settings, whether its towns, temples or nature, is incredibly vivid and full of colour and life. I really loved the phrases of Yoruba she incorporated into her novel, as well as the fact she doesn't always translate them. If Tolkien could make up a language and not provide a translation, then Adeyemi can most definitely do the same with an existing language! Her prose is largely straightforward, which really serves to highlight the beauty of her descriptions and also works well for the plot, which moves at a nice pace. At times I felt the novel moved a little bit too quickly, or didn't linger where I expected it to, but then Adeyemi will give you everything you could want at other moments. The one thing she will also give you? One hell of a cliffhanger... I have no idea how I'll make it to the release of the second book in the Legacy of Orïsha series, which apparently isn't till 2019. Guess I'll gear up for a reread then!

Children of Blood and Bone is a breath of fresh air, full of beautiful imagery and hard-hitting representations of racism. The fact Adeyemi brings these two things together so seamlessly and doesn't let her plot break down under the weight of the latter is incredible. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in Fantasy and West African mythology.