BOOK REVIEW: Children of Blood and Bone – Reviewed by Brittany Hawes
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEIGHSA WRIGHT
[dropcap]“T[/dropcap]hey killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us. Now we rise.” These four sentences on the book’s cover inspired me to pick up this novel and give it a chance.
“Children of Blood and Bone” (2018) is the debut novel, and the first in a trilogy, by Tomi Adeyemi, a 25-year-old Nigerian-American writer. The cover was gorgeous, with outstanding artwork and color scheme. Those simple sentences promised an impressive plot and they delivered dastardly villains and a rollercoaster ride through all 500-plus pages. I was a little apprehensive at first. The book was getting tons of hype and I didn’t want to be disappointed. After finishing the novel, I can say that this work deserves all the attention it has garnered and more.
The story takes place in the fictional country of Orïsha, a place largely inspired by West African countries. If the name “Orïsha” sounds familiar, you may have heard of the Yoruba people. Believers of the Yoruba religion speak of orishas, descendants of the African god Olodumare. Orishas are thought to have great spiritual powers, and they seem to have been the inspiration behind the fantastical characters in “Children of Blood and Bone.”
In the fictional world Adeyemi created, the race of people called “maji” are able to manipulate the elements. The main character, Zélie Adebola, can even call forth souls. As beautiful as that may sound, not everyone loves the maji people for their powers. An evil king orders their deaths and Zélie is forced to flee. The fast-paced and action-packed story that ensues is told through the eyes of three young dwellers of Orïsha: Zélie; Amari, who is a runaway princess; and Inan, who is Amari’s cruel older brother. He is the person both girls must outrun if they hope to restore peace to their land.
I found the creation of a fictional world to be the most compelling factor of this novel. The land of Orïsha was rich with lore and legends, so much so that I felt this land could very well have been a place of existence some time long ago. The heart of this book is much more than a fantasy story aimed at young adults. As the story evolved, I felt the author intended to convey a message. For me, the message was to love thy neighbor.
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About Brittany Hawes
Born in Illinois, Brittany and her family moved to Northwest Florida when she was 8 years old. She is a recent graduate of Florida State University, a university that she referred to as her second home during her time there. Her first novel was published in 2014, following a fiction contest for manuscripts. In her spare time, Brittany likes to peruse secondhand bookstores for dusty thrillers, fantasy books, and an occasional graphic novel. Her favorite place to read is in a library.