Saturday, March 31, 2018

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi - ESSENTIAL

Adeyemi, Tomi Children of Blood and Bone, 525 pages.  Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2018.  $19.  Language: PG-13 (40+ swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (several deaths and fighting).

Zelie’s life has never been the same since she watched her mother murdered by the king’s guards on the day that everyone just calls The Raid.  She has the telltale white hair of a diviner, a potential magic user, but magic has disappeared from the world.  She and her brother have traveled to the royal city in order to get a better price on their fish so that they can pay the new exorbitant taxes the king has levied.  Instead she gets caught up with the princess Amari who is on the run from her father and his guards, because she has stolen a scroll – a scroll that ignites magic in diviners.  Now the siblings and the princess are on a desperate flight – their chief pursuer is Amari’s own brother.  Their success will determine whether magic returns or not – whether the remaining diviners will live or not.

ADeyemi writes a tense fantasy novel that will attract many readers.  Its quality and plotting reminds me of Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta – in all the best ways.  Excellent high level fantasy reading!

MS, HS – ESSENTIAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher


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