Today we are going to talk about October’s book of the month, Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. But first, let’s check out this book and see what it is all about.
Synopsis
They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.
Now we rise.
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.
Questions to think about and/or answer:
- What have you found interesting while reading Children of Blood and Bone? Did you Google anything?
- What real-world parallels can you draw between this story and our current world (or in history)?
- This book has been compared to Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Do you agree or disagree? If you agree, what similarities have you seen? If you don’t agree, tell us why.
- Let’s talk about Tzain. His story is told from Zelie and Amari’s point of view. Why do you think Tomi chose to write Tzain’s story from their POV? (Questions from Mocha Girl Classy on our Facebook Chapter)
Press Reviews
“A magnificent, heartrending, earthshaking debut.” ―New York Times-bestselling author Daniel José Older
“High stakes, a captivating fantasy landscape, and a brave heroine worth rooting for make Children of Blood and Bone unlike anything I’ve ever read.” ―Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Beautiful Creatures and author of The Lovely Reckless
“Powerful, captivating, and raw―Adeyemi is a talent to watch. Exceptional.” ―Kirkus, Starred Review
“Adeyemi’s devastating debut is a brutal, beautiful tale of revolution, faith, and star-crossed love.” ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“… Adeyemi keeps it fresh with an all-black cast of characters, a meaningful emphasis on fighting for justice, a complex heroine saving her own people, and a brand of magic made more powerful by the strength of heritage and ancestry. Perfect for fans of the expansive fantasy worlds of Leigh Bardugo, Daniel Jose´ Older, and Sabaa Tahir.” ―Booklist, Starred Review
Mocha Girls Speak
Mocha Girl Bookishrealm:
This was my second book for Tome Topple and holy shit this book was amazing. Trust me. I will be writing a full review on this book. If you haven’t read it pick it up!!! Now!!!
Mocha Girl Arlene:
Before I get into what I didn’t all too much care for let me tell you what the book is about, in the land of Orïsha, magic has been dead and gone for about 11 years and those who could one do magic, called maji, are known for their snow-white hair and are forever highly taxed and abused just on that fact alone. One day, the king gets his hands on an artifact that can change the face of magic forever and with that and the death of a maji servant girl set in motion a quest of bringing magic back to the lands of Orïsha. And the kings’ undying need to kill it forever! From page one, it has been nothing but action, action, action.
This was very much a YA book and that is not a bad thing. It followed so many of the common tropes in YA fantasy: a cruel king, the chosen one, a hate to love relationship, a magical quest with multiple stops to save the innocent, an unlikely friendship, an old wise woman pointing them in the right direction and denying one’s own true self. It had it all and still, I felt that I got great action, a fast read, a new take on a fantasy set in the African diaspora and I was very much gripped and intrigued by the story. It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year!
On the flip side of that I got teen angst, that “I shouldn’t be on this journey cause I’m not worthy”, or the, “this all falls on me thing”. And while once in a while that is okay, it can build towards the plot but for more than 50% of the book? I was over it. But by the second half of the book when thing started to turn I started to really love this book more and more. One last small thing that I couldn’t shake was sometimes I felt that the voice of Zélie and Amari were so close that I had to flip back to the start if the chapter to see who’s talking.
Now that I’ve said all that, I will go on to say that I really like the images Adeyemi writes for us as we go along with Zélie on this journey to bring magic back. I loved the different magical tribes that we get introduced to and where all their powers were derived from. I loved the multiple POVs, and I loved the short chapters. SO while I did have some issues with it, I still really liked it and don’t
regret for a second all my time reading it. I think this series has a great base and I can’t wait to see what the second book is going to be, because that whole second half of the book was my favorite and that ENDING? Wow
Mocha Girl The Novel Lush
Mocha Girl Kimberly
Book Details
- Series: Legacy of Orisha (Book 1)
- Hardcover: 544 pages
- Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st Edition edition (March 6, 2018)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 9781250170972
Mocha Girl Alysia
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