Children of Blood and Bone (2017)
Children of Blood and Bone is a 2017 magic book written by Tomi Adeyemi.
Zelie remembers when magic lived in Orisha, when her mother could summon souls and the maji lit the world with power. Then a ruthless king had the maji killed, and the magic went silent. Now grown and marked by loss, Zelie is handed a chance to bring it all back, with her brother and a fugitive princess pulled into the fight. Tomi Adeyemi builds her debut on West African myth and language, writing a kingdom of divine bloodlines, brutal soldiers, and a young woman carrying more than she should have to. Urgent, angry, and full of movement.
Quick answers
What is Children of Blood and Bone about?
Zelie remembers when magic lived in Orisha, when her mother could summon souls and the maji lit the world with power. Then a ruthless king had the maji killed, and the magic went silent. Now grown and marked by loss, Zelie is handed a chance to bring it all back, with her brother and a fugitive princess pulled into the fight. Tomi Adeyemi builds her debut on West African myth and language, writing a kingdom of divine bloodlines, brutal soldiers, and a young woman carrying more than she should have to. Urgent, angry, and full of movement.
When was Children of Blood and Bone published?
Children of Blood and Bone was published in 2017.
Who made Children of Blood and Bone?
Children of Blood and Bone was written by Tomi Adeyemi.
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Children of Blood and Bone in our writing
- Companion guide: YA Fantasy & Science Fiction: The Complete Guide
A few thoughts on Children of Blood and Bone
Orisha's gods, castes, and elemental magic call straight to the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, where a hunted heritage and bending drive the whole story. The film Black Panther shares the West-African-rooted worldbuilding, royal weight, and questions of who deserves power, a strong next watch for readers gripped by Zelie's journey.
Epic fantasy built out of real mythology, not just borrowed tropes
Tomi Adeyemi builds Orisha directly from West African religion and language, so the maji's power feels like it comes from somewhere real instead of generic magic-system rules. These picks share that same grounding: worlds drawn from actual myth and belief, reworked into epic stakes without losing where they came from.
Oppressed people fighting to take back a power that was stolen from them
The king in Children of Blood and Bone did not just kill the maji, he made their magic illegal to even speak about, which is what makes Zelie's fight feel like reclamation rather than rebellion. These picks share that exact frame: people clawing back a birthright a regime tried to erase entirely.
Mismatched crews who band together against a throne
Zelie does not do this alone, she has her brother Tzain and a runaway princess who should be her enemy, and that unlikely trio is the heart of the book. These picks share the same setup: people who should not trust each other pooling what they have got to take on a much bigger power.
Unforgiving game worlds with real rage running under them
Children of Blood and Bone moves with a real, specific anger, grief that turns kinetic rather than sitting still on the page. These games carry that same charge: harsh, unforgiving worlds where nothing is handed to you and every fight costs something on the way to whatever comes next.