Children of Blood and Bone
With five starred reviews, Tomi Adeyemi’s West African-inspired fantasy debut, and instant #1 New York Times Bestseller, conjures a world of magic and danger, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.
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.
Favorite Quotes
“We are all children of blood and bone. All instruments of vengeance and virtue.” (Featured on the art print)
“I won't let your ignorance silence my pain.”
“Reality told us we would fail. But again and again, we fought. We persevered . We rose.”
“Courage does not always roar. Valor does not always shine.”
“You crushed us to build your monarchy on the backs of our blood and bone. Your mistake wasn't keeping us alive. It was thinking we'd never fight back”
What was in the box?
This box shipped in April 2018 and dove deep into a stunning, high fantasy world that our team absolutely fell in love with.
Readers unwrapped three stunningly immersive gifts, including a chestnut tasseled crossbody bag containing a gemstone shaped bar of soap, a replica scroll inspired by the text, and a burnished gold and citrine headdress.
It was such an exciting moment for our team to have chosen this title solely because we loved it internally to then see it absolutely dominate the bestseller lists and make headlines for months following its inclusion in our box! We hope that in some small way, we were able to contribute to the success of this incredible book.
Discussion Questions
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1. Children of Blood and Bone showcases great sibling relationships and turmoil, with themes of inheritance and legacy. Would you protect a sibling if you were fighting for an opposing belief? What would you do?
2. What makes Zélie fierce?
3. Which of the two relationships did you find yourself rooting for? Zélie and Inan, or Amari and Tzain?
4. In the novel, you see the division between race, class, and authority. They are living in fear of having someone get taken away and not getting justice. How does that relate to our society today? What do you think the author was trying to portray?
5. In the book, the author does a great job of having each character struggle with disagreeing with something, but at the same time empathizing with those who do believe in it. Where do you draw the line when someone hurts you for reasons you can understand and relate to?
Tomi Adeyemi
Named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Tomi Adeyemi is a Hugo- and Nebula Award–winning writer, speaker, and model based in New York, New York. Her debut novel, Children of Blood and Bone, was featured in April 2018.
