Book Review: Children of Blood and Bone
A Novel by Tomi Adeyemi
The young adult fantasy novel Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi is a story that deals with oppression and the afterlife.
Synopsis
Eleven years ago, magic was taken from the Diviners by the monarchy. Anyone born with the appearance of a Diviner is either enslaved or killed. An ancient scroll surfaces with the ability to resurrect a Diviner’s magic with one touch. The monarchy is determined to destroy the scroll and keep magic from ever coming back. Diviners want magic to return for a chance to end the cruelty of the monarchy. It’s a race against time to either return magic and rebel against the monarchy or forever lose the magic and a chance for freedom.
Review
I enjoyed this book very much. It’s told in the first person and jumps between the perspectives of multiple main characters. The world-building is rich and full of magic and riveting creatures. The character development is phenomenal and the struggles they face makes the story a gripping read. The magical abilities characters present are familiar and yet refreshing. For example, Zélie is a Reaper, and she can summon the spirits of the dead and bend them to her will.
Some of the abilities these characters have also reminds me of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse, specifically from the novel Six of Crows. If you like one or both of these, I’m positive you will highly enjoy this book too.
Content Warnings
This book contains sexual content, language, murder, and violence.