Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Australian Publication Date – 13 March 2018
World Publication Date – 6 March 2018
A brand new magical world is born in Children of Blood and Bone, the enthralling first book from a talented new author.
In the nation of Orisha, magic was once controlled by the maji, powerful practitioners who were respected and feared throughout the land. However, that all changed eleven years ago, when magic suddenly and mysteriously died, leaving the maji powerless and confused. Taking advantage of this uncertainty, the magic-fearing King Saran struck out, arresting and killing all the former maji. Now the people of Orisha consider magic evil and all links to the old order are shunned. Those children who would have become maji, if not for the death of magic, are known as diviners. Made distinctive by their white hair, they have become a second-class citizenry within Orisha and are routinely targeted by abusive guards and crippling taxes as King Saran seeks to slowly kill them all off.
Zelie Adebola is one of these diviners and remembers what it was like before magic died. Haunted by the death of her maji mother and still defiant after years of oppression, Zelie is determined to survive. However, when a chance run-in with an ancient scroll awakens her latent magical abilities, Zelie is given an unexpected chance to restore magic to the world. With the help of her brother, Tzain, and the rogue princess, Amari, Zelie must reclaim three artefacts and travel across Orisha before the solstice. If they fail, magic will be gone forever.
As the trio encounter the dangers that lurk throughout Orisha they must also contend with a dangerous force that is following them. Amari’s brother, Prince Inan, has been tasked by the king to hunt the fugitives down and ensure that magic can never return. However, Inan’s own latent magical powers have surfaced, and he is torn between the burning powers in his head and his father’s instilled hatred of all things magical. Will his sudden infatuation with Zelie save him, or will it lead to his destruction?
The greatest threat to the quest may come from Zelie herself, whose powers over life and death may turn out to be too dangerous to control.
Children of Blood and Bones is the first book from Nigerian American author Tomi Adeyemi. It is a bold fantasy adventure targeted towards the young adult demographic, and has already received significant hype from various sources, including discussion about a possible movie adaption.
One of the most obvious things that will appeal to potential readers is the considerable work and imagination that Adeyemi has put into her fantasy creation. The central focus on a group of oppressed magic users who have lost their power and influence is particularly engrossing, as is the distinctive magical practice and lore that Adeyemi has used. The detailed landscapes and cities of the nation of Orisha do a wonderful job of catching the imagination, especially as the characters traverse a number of different locations, each with their own unique environments and features. There are also a number of intricate battle scenes that add significant excitement to the narrative, including a particularly memorable sequence where the main characters participate in a massive ship-to-ship gladiatorial battle in a flooded desert arena.
In addition to the above elements, readers will enjoy the use of multiple character perspectives throughout Children of Blood and Bone. Three of the main characters, Zelie, Amari and Inan, each narrate their own chapters and provide a detailed overview of the story from their point of view. There are many quick-fire perspective changes that serve to give multiple different viewpoints of the same event. This is particularly useful as much of the book is dedicated to Zelie, Amari and Tzain being closely pursued by Inan. Seeing how close Inan gets to the protagonists through these separate perspectives adds a lot of tension and suspense to the book. It also works well in enhancing many of the larger battle scenes, especially the above mentioned gladiatorial naval battle. The different viewpoints also allow the reader a clear picture of the ideological breakdown of Adeyemi’s world, as the readers are given insight from both the oppressed diviners and the paranoid King Saran
Adeyemi’s clever use of multiple narrators also allows for a clearer view of the personal and group development of the main characters, which can be seen not just through their own eyes but through the eyes of the other narrators. Amari’s change from spoiled princess to hardened warrior is fun and heart-warming. The changes to Zelie and Inan as a result of their dramatic internal conflicts are much more intriguing and draw the audience in emotionally.
While Adeyemi explores several themes throughout the book, the most intriguing is her examination of power and the responsibility to wield it. Within Children of Blood and Bone, the maji have had their magical power taken away from them and are oppressed by the king as a result. The subsequent quest to return magic to the world raises certain ethical questions, like whether an oppressed group should suddenly have destructive powers returned to them? Within the book there a number of characters who have dissenting views on the subject, but only Zelie and Inan are in the unique position of seeing both parts of this debate. Inan has always been taught to fear and hate magic, but his perception of magic changes when he gains his own powers, meets Zelie and experiences the oppression brought on by his father. As a result, his opinion about the future of magic is changed multiple times throughout the book. Zelie on the other hand, has experienced oppression all her life, and is at first determined to bring back magic. However, when she uses her own destructive powers and sees the devastation caused by other magic users, she starts to question her previously held beliefs. This fascinating internal debate is masterfully woven in the story through the books narrators, and it will be interesting to see how this debate continues in any future books.
Children of Blood and Bone is an intricate and ambitious young adult fantasy debut that includes a first-rate, emotionally charged story. Set in an inventive new universe and featuring slick use of characters and multiple narrators, Children of Blood and Bones lives up to its significant hype.
My Rating:
The Unseen Library 