Children of Blood and Bone
By Tomi Adeyemi
The (a) story takes place in Orïsha, a mythical kingdom that was once full of magic. Wielded by people known as maji, the magic brought diverse powers to the Orïshans that connected them to the gods and the land around them. But when magic inexplicably vanished from the kingdom, a ruthless slaughter of maji followed.
Now, only divîners remain: those who had yet to come into their power when the magic disappeared. And after years of being harassed by the king’s guards and haunted by the memory of her mother’s brutal murder, Zélie Adebola struggles to keep her head down in order to protect her family and survive in the harsh world created by an oppressive monarchy. But when Zélie and her brother Tzain cross paths with a runaway princess in possession of a magic scroll, it looks like her powers may not be gone for good after all.
Now, it’s up to Zélie and her friends to save the magic and restore balance to Orïsha—before their last shred of hope is also taken away.
The (A) story is about experiencing a loss of agency. This is most clearly represented through the maji and the divîners, who were oppressed, assaulted, and/or killed the minute they became vulnerable. Frequently throughout the story, Zélie recalls how powerful her mother was, and how she would have made their oppressors pay if only she hadn’t had her power taken away from her. But what’s even worse in Zélie’s case is being helpless as you watch people you know and love suffering the consequences of your mere existence. As a divîner, those around her are equally oppressed for associating with her, including being mercilessly taxed for housing and/or employing her. This clearly weighs on Zélie’s mind as the story unfolds, and she continuously watches others suffer beneath the monarchy’s thumb.
The story is also about race and class, as indicated through the noble families of Orïsha, who live like royalty behind the protection of guards and city walls while the rest of the kingdom lives in poverty. This theme is also shown through the distinction of the divîners, who are recognized by their bright, white hair. As a trait that makes them visibly stand apart from others, it makes them especially easy to target and subjugate.
But perhaps one of the strongest themes represented within Children of Blood and Bone is the theme of corrupt police force. Again, we see this in the way Zélie and the other divîners are treated by the king’s guards. But we also see the effect this has on Zélie in particular when she confronts the young prince, admitting that she is and always will be afraid no matter where she goes or what she does.
This book brought me to a rich, imaginative world full of adventure, while beneath the surface it served as a poignant allegory for the black American experience. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon back in 2018, Tomi Adeyemi jokingly described the book as “cake with asparagus,” which I think perfectly fits the epic adventure story layered on top of a commentary for social justice. But while I knew the “asparagus” was there as I was reading, it did not overwhelm the “cake,” as I have previously found with stories conveying an obvious message.
One thing I will say is that I found the romantic side plot uninteresting. Maybe it’s because I’m an adult now, and horny teenagers just make me roll my eyes, but it seemed tacked on to the rest of the story. Other than that, Children of Blood and Bone was a smooth and highly enjoyable read.
I would definitely recommend it to any avid reader!
