#OwnVoices: Children of Blood and Bone

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In Tomi Adeyemi’s debut novel, Children of Blood and Bone we follow along with Zelie Adebola as she tries to fight against the erasure of her identity and her people. She embarks on an adventure with her brother and a princess as they begin to question the history they’ve been taught and the people they once loved. Sides are changed and hearts are broken as these young adults learn what it means to fight for the truth, and what it really means to use your voice to empower others.  

Children of Blood and Bone takes place in the fictional land of Orïsha, inhabited by two distinct people: Divîners (who can become magical maji and are known for their white hair) and Kosidán (non-magical). About a decade before the book begins, King Saran learned how to disconnect Divîners from their powers and waged war on them, including Zélie’s mother. Since the war, divîners have been severely oppressed. 

Author Tomi Adeyemi, felt compelled, by the police shootings of black Americans, to write this coming-of-age YA novel. She also wrote this novel for personal reasons too. Growing up she experienced the lack of black protagonists in fantasy novels and decided that she wanted to be apart of the many chain-breakers in the writing community.  

This series is a great one to jump into. Not only do you get a taste of Nigerian culture, but it’s great for children and young adults to be able to see themselves in the pages. This book is just the start of that. Along with giving you African culture, Adeyemi also touches on systemic and racial issues that are very relevant in today’s world. She did a great job with balancing a YA fantasy and discussing the realities that people of color face daily.    

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Tomi Adeyemi
Henry Holt and Company Publishing Company, [2018]
Format: Print, eBook and eAudio

Seventeen-year-old Zélie, her older brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari fight to restore magic to the land and activate a new generation of magi, but they are ruthlessly pursued by the crown prince, who believes the return of magic will mean the end of the monarchy.

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#OwnVoices at Richland Library is a way for African American staff to provide thoughtful and well written book reviews, book lists and blog posts to promote African American authors and their work about the African American experience. The series invites our customers to learn one more way we are continuing the conversation in our community and speaking our voice. Find more resources on race, equity and inclusion, here.