Incredible debut novel set in a vividly imagined world, with two of my favourite heroines of all time, possibly.

A fascinating High Fantasy, full of twists and turns. In this world, there are people with the ability to control fire or water, animals or healing or the spirits of the dead. The current king, hating and fearing them, engineered a way to remove their magic, killed all the adults and ground the children into the dirt, hoping to keep them from rising up. This worked about as well as it does in any dystopia, eventually enveloping his whole family and changing the future of the country forever.

I liked the worldbuilding in this one; I've read in other reviews that it's based on African folktales. Sadly I don't know enough to know if that's true, but I'd believe it from reading this. Having said that, some things seemed to be strange for the sake of it, for example the animals were called things like lionaire and gorillaire. A lot of terms are just dropped in without explanation as well; I got most of them from context, but I had to give up on a couple.

It's a fantastic read with great characters, though, and I'll be recommending it to everyone I can. I look forward to the sequel, because that ending...

Receiving an ARC did not alter my review in any way.

This book absolutely lives up to its hype - from the very start the pace is fast, unrelenting and sweeps you into a world filled with danger and adventure. Orïsha has been stripped of its magic and those marked as dormant majis are persecuted by a tyrannical king and his soldiers.

Zélie is introduced to us as a bit of a hot mess - filled with anger and desperate to prove herself, she's constantly saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and getting herself (and her family) into scrapes. She's a brilliant character who is both brave and terrified; she's funny, quick-witted and caring, and she can handle herself in a fight. Amari comes from a very different world as the king's daughter, where kindness is seen as weakness and she's constantly cowed into submission. Throw in Tzain, Zélie's brother, and Inan, Amari's brother and heir to the throne, and there's plenty of tension - of all different kinds - as well growth.

I loved the world-building in the book - at every turn of the page I felt like I was in the story, immersed in the smells, sights and sounds that Tomi Adeyemi describes. She seamlessly develops the history and myths of Orïsha, and while the characters and plot line didn't necessarily feel brand new (what YA fantasy does?), the freshness with which Tomi delivers it all DID make the story feel fresh and original and sparkly.

That ending though. How long do I have to wait for the next book to be released?? I cannot recommend CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE enough, and I can't wait to re-read it already.

I loved this book and could not put it down once I had started.

Zelig was a very believable character working out who she was and the role of magic in her life. She lives in fear and has to learn how to live with this fear and overcome it.

Her loyalties are torn - between family and the prince she comes to love. She rescues and befriends a princess but at the end is not sure what her actions have made her.

She risks her life to bring magic back but we are left not sure what she has accomplished - I will await part two with trepidation.

A book which will definitely be gracing my library’s shelves.

I spent a long time being excited about this book and I remained excited for the first 25% of it. Then I spent a lot of time deep sighing and hating 95% of the characters because everyone irritated the hell out of me. Except Roën. He was pretty great and definitely not in it for long enough. Bring him baaaaack (in book 2 that is). If Adeyemi could also stop every character from saying "skies" every other page then that would be amazing!

Overall, this was a pretty decent read. There was plenty of action, the worldbuilding was on point, the power dynamics between the characters were something else and each characters' complexities were well executioned. Sadly, this book kind of fell into the pit of age-old cliched YA tropes. The primary cliche being the instalove theme (between Zélie/Inan and Amaris/Tzain), and despite seeing why it had to be included (one of them anyway) for plot purposes this book would have been a lot more interesting if it had taken a different direction.

All things considered this was a fiery fantasy novel that deftly handles politics and race, finally putting POC in the very heart of the action.

Gripping fantasy that sees a young girl fighting hard to restore magic to a kingdom that has forbidden it.

Zelie Adebola remembers when they killed her mother, and she's been trying to avoid the same fate ever since. But a chance encounter with a princess leaves her homeless and on the run, desperate to escape the crown prince who wants her and her kind dead.

Tomi Adeyemi has created a lush, vibrant world, full of legend and lore, more than enough to sate even the most ravenous fantasy fan. She deserves special commendation for steering away from the creatures so often shoe-horned into fantasy novels, and instead creating her own magical beasts, who fit seamlessly into the narrative. There are swoony moments, shocking moments, terrifying moments, and heartbreaking moments. It's a masterful debut, and one many readers will adore.

This chapter sampler from Children of Blood and Bone paints an impressive opening to what I'm sure will be a wildly popular book next year! Zélie is a fantastic character already and I'm looking forward to where she goes in the complete book! The writing is also a complete breeze to read and absolutely delightful.

Well, this book definitely grab my attention.
This few chapters basically said me that I MUST READ THIS BOOK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
Worlbuilding sound interesting, characters sound interesting and the hate against magic remind me a little a story I'm writing!
Definitely 5 stars for these 6 chapters, I hope the rating will be the same for the rest of the book!

This was amazing. I've been looking forward to this book since the deal was announced in late March or early April. I am a black woman and was interested to see a YA fantasy about a black girl. This sample defied my already high expectations. I loved that it discussed racism, and I was so, so happy to find that it discussed colorism (discrimination based on skin shades), because I don't see that very often in the media. The way this book's society is set up is so detailed and interesting, I love the West African and North African influences, and the combination of questions class differences and race relations is everything I didn't know I wanted in a YA fantasy novel. Thank you, so, so much for the opportunity to read this, and I plan to go straight to the bookstore to buy the full novel the day it comes out.
(I will post this review online if that's encouraged; I'm just not sure of the protocol with a sample.)

*disclaimer: i only read a sample of this book, provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This took me a while to get into, i didnt think i'd like it in the beginning but looking back im like - why the hell did i feel like that?? It starts with Zélie learning how to fight in a school for girls, which is clearly illegal as they pretend to be running a tailors shop when the army comes storming in. After having some problems at home, Zélie goes to the big city to sell some fish in the big market, and finds herself helping a run-away princess escape the city...

Meanwhile, a princess - clearly different from your "average" princess, as she cares about the servants and doesn't care about the poison of the maji race, escapes from her home and attempts to leave the city without being captured by her brother, the captain of the guard.

I feel like i can't really review this properly because i only read a preview of the book, but it did make me want to read on, the Aladdin vibes towards the end especially.

// Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review //

4 stars (release date March 6, 2018)

I received a sneak peek of the first six chapters of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This book starts off with a bang and doesn't let up. I was only able to read the first 6 chapters. I can't wait until the book is released so I can read the rest. Zélie Adebola's mother was a maji and was killed by the King when the magic of the land disappeared. She is a social outcast and lives in fear of being sold into slavery. She inadvertently helps a rogue princess escape the palace guards and discovers that magic may be coming back to the land. Zelie vows to bring back magic and take revenge against the monarchy. I can't wait to see how this all turns out!

I cannot wait for this book. It grabs you from the first line and refuses to let go. Tomi Adeyemi writes with immense heart and intelligence and I'm sure this is going to be a standout YA title for years to come.

I was lucky enough to pick up a 6-chapter sampler of this book from Netgalley, and now I’m decidedly unlucky in the sense that I need to wait for the rest - knowing how damn good it is.

Children of Blood and Bone seems to be everything that a lot of people have been crying out for. We have a black female protagonist that reads like an actual bonafide real-life person, with flaws and feelings and everything. We have metaphors for major social issues, that don’t feel out of place in the story. And it looks like we’re going to see this story from both sides. It’s black, it’s white, and it’s everything in-between.

This is obviously a Young Adult novel, but it’s a great example of how YA doesn’t mean “poor quality”. There’s a few of the usual fantasy tropes here, but who really cares about tropes when a book is exciting enough?

There’s magic, there’s action, huge domesticated-but-dangerous big cats, and a couple of likeable and sympathetic main characters. I can’t wait to read the rest.

This is a brilliant introduction to what looks like a brilliant book. The sample I was given definitely enticed me in and I will be purchasing the book once it is published

This sampler offers up the first six chapters and oh God are they riveting! I love the characters, I love the world, the plot. It's just a fascinating concept and written so well. I'm itching to read more and just felt so saddened when I didn't have the rest of the novel.

This is a review of a sample only. The style, initially, takes some focus but this looks like one to read. We're shown enough to want to know more.

Oh My, this has been intense!

I've been provided with this Preview Expert of the first 6 chapters of the book in exchange for an honest review, via Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Books to which I'm very grateful about it.

I'm more than sure that I want to read it when the full book comes out, I'll have to wait alot, SO UNFAIR!
What I've read I LOVED IT, it's a strong plot, a brillant idea in a fantasy world full of diversity, unique characters and magic. I'M IN!.

I feel that I've never read anything similar for which I'm super excited

The book started off really well. I cannot wait to read the whole book when it comes it. The writing is vivid, the characters are well rounded and the plot is enticing

Received a six chapter sampler of Children of Blood from NetGalley for a honest review.
The story is centred around a world where magic has disappeared and the land is ruled by a ruthless King. Can Zelie, our young heroine bring the return of magic and rebellion against the King?
The novel (first six chapters) is told in the first person narrative from three different characters. This works well and and moves the story along nicely. We have strong, interesting heroines on a background which is rich and exotic and beautifully described. Only six chapters in but the themes of racism, oppression and power are evident. Really interested to see how this will develop.
In a way I wish a waited for the whole novel as I enjoyed these chapters so much and was eager to see what happens.

Children of blood and bone is a Young Adult Fantasy novel and I was lucky enough to be be able to read the first 6 chapters though Netgalley and OMG I am in love with this! Seriously, if you can get your hands on this book, do not hesitate! I repeat, Do Not Hesitate!

The book is set in a world, Orïsha, where magic was manipulated by gifted beings called the Maji. However, one night the magic disappeared and a vengeful king took the throne, killing the Maji, and punishing their children. But all of a sudden there is a shift and it seems that magic wasn't all gone... 
Children of Blood and Bone is beautifully written, the world is seems well crafted so far, and I thoroughly enjoyed to see the situations from different perspectives, so you see the world from a Maggot's perspective (a descendant of the Maji), as well as from the perspective of the Princess and her brother. These POV's definitely work very well and add substance to the story, as well as tackling prejudice in different ways. I also must say that Zelie is a total bass a**! I enjoyed her fighting sequences so much, I am in love!

The writing is also good. I generally prefer more contemporary fantasy; books that are set in a different world I find them quite confusing and hard to relate with, however I had no problem with this one so far as the writing flows really well. The characters are also spot on and you know in who's head you are thinking.