Children of Blood and Bone is the debut novel of Tomi Adeyemi, a 25-year-old novelist with a passion for ancient African culture. The novel is located in Orïsha, a fictional world where magic has been dead for several years. Only Zélie Adebola is able to bring it back and save her kind–the maji–all whilst evading the evil king and his son, Inan.

Children of Blood and Bone is an exceptional novel, placing emphasis on themes of acceptance, friendship, and family. The novel, switching perspectives between Zélie, Inan, and Amari, the king’s daughter, is rich with ancient African traditions and customs. Reliance on the gods is abundant throughout the story, as Zélie seeks their guidance in times of great distress.

As far as Adeyemi’s writing style, Children of Blood and Bone uses vast imagery and emotional appeal to create an immersive story. The story includes many action scenes and dialogue exchanges to establish atmosphere. It also pays special attention to its characters, realistically shaping villains and their motives. The character Inan provides an especially unique perspective in the novel, given his inner turmoil and desire to appease his father. Adeyemi paints Zélie as a strong, hardened leader, desperate to conquer her mission and vanquish all those that have wronged her. Amari is the character in between, gentle and calm, firmly set in her beliefs.

The hardships facing the characters are what makes this novel so distinct. Each chapter tests the characters in unfathomable ways, and Adeyemi is able to pull if off with grace. The novel has also been praised for its diversity. In fact, Adeyemi wrote it specifically to bring attention to police brutality and racism in our society. It is for this reason, and many others, that the novel will be made into a motion picture. Children of Blood and Bone is only the first in a series, and the next book is set to come out on March 5. The second book will be entitled Children of Virtue and Vengeance. Anyone seeking a novel with strong central characters, an intriguing narrative, and eloquent writing should start on this series. It is truly phenomenal.