Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha (1))
Download As PDF : Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha (1))
Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha (1))
I'm befuddled by all the positive reviews. Did these people actually read the book? Adeyemi has created a world with great potential, but she fumbles so badly I found myself dragging through most of the book. If I hadn't had to read it for work, I would have given up. The "strong female characters" are not strong AT ALL; they're just violent. I'm all for violence when it serves a greater purpose, but here it is gratuitous and even at times confusing. Adeyemi is killing off little kids and describing graphic torture of a mother and of the main character, among others. The naval battle/gladiator part is equally odd--it doesn't even really make sense, and since it is already abundantly clear how horrifically the magi suffer at the hands of their oppressors, it doesn't move the story along at all. In the end, a father kills his son due to pure bigotry, then the daughter/brother kills her father because she recognizes that her father is purely evil. (So purely, in fact, that her brother comes off as an idiot for ever being loyal to him, much less staying loyal when he's trying to kill his love interest.) The whole thing is so forced it's almost funny! Meanwhile, though several women do wield some form of power in this book, many others are quite pathetic, e.g. Zelie's mother, who we only see tortured and victimized until the last chapter, the Queen, and even Kaea, who though high up in the military is merciless and full of hatred (like many in this book). As for male characters, they are pretty lame--there's the vicious, hateful king Saran, his son, Inan, who is a blind follower until he falls for a magi, at which point he promises to betray his horrid father, after which he backtracks and ends up destroying the girl he's been ogling and smooching. Tzain, the heroine's brother, is better, but he seems angry and powerless through much of the book, and as a character he never really comes alive. Lastly, what is with the pseudo African tribal elements? An attempt to copy The Black Panther, maybe? There were tons of chants in some sort of dialect, but since we never get more information, it wasn't at all clear where that language came from. (I think it might actually have been a real language, perhaps? But it came off like a cheesy fake magic "tongue.") Bottom line: Children of Blood and Bone seemed to involve Adeyemi listing the things she thinks young adult readers would like (violence, fantasy, revenge plots, sex), then dropping them haphazardly into a narrative that might have been compelling in the hands of a more skilled creator but, alas, Just. So. Wasn't.
Product Description Instant New York Times BestsellerNew York Times Notable Children's Books of 2018 TIME Top 10 Best YA and Children's Books of 2018NPR's Book Concierge 2018 Great Reads List Buzzfeed's 24 Best YA Books of 2018Bustle's Top 25 Best Young Adults Books of 20182018 Kirkus Prize Finalist YALSA William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist Paste Magazine’s 30 Best YA Novels of 2018Newsweek’s 61 Best Books from 2018Boston Globe’s Best Children's Books of 2018Publishers Weekly Best YA Books of 2018School Library Journal Best Books of 2018 2019 YALSA Teen's Top Ten List 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."A phenomenon." ―Entertainment Weekly“The epic I’ve been waiting for.” ―New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu “You will be changed. You will be ready to rise up and reclaim your own magic!” ―New York Times-bestselling author Dhonielle Clayton“The next big thing in literature and film.” ―Ebony“One of the biggest young adult fiction debut book deals of theyear.” ―Teen VogueThis title has Common Core connections.#1 New York Times bestseller, March 14, 2018 Amazon.com Review Tomi Adeyemi’s debut novel is the start of what promises to be an epic, addictive new series. The Children of Blood and Bone is influenced by Adeyemi’s West African heritage, and in it she bends religious deities (the Orïsha) and a diverse landscape into a refreshing new take on fantasy. The Children of Blood and Bone is told from multiple points of view, as Inan and Amari, children of the iron-fisted king, and Zélie and Tzain, siblings who have suffered greatly under the king’s regime, find themselves on a dark, magic-filled quest for power. Their journey is accompanied by violence and betrayal, but friendship and even star-crossed love also play a part. Enriched with themes that resonate in today’s social and political landscape, The Children of Blood and Bone takes on injustice, discrimination, and a struggle for change. The action and danger ramp up with each chapter, and I found myself racing through the final pages, holding my breath right up to the cliffhanger ending. -- Seira Wilson for the Amazon Book Review Review New York Times Notable Children's Books of 2018 TIME Top 10 Best YA and Children's Books of 2018NPR's Book Concierge 2018 Great Reads ListBustle's Top 25 Best Young Adults Books of 2018 2018 Kirkus Prize Finalist Paste Magazine’s 30 Best YA Novels of 2018Newsweek’s 61 Best Books from 2018Boston Globe’s Best Children's Books of 2018Publishers Weekly Best YA Books of 2018School Library Journal Best Books of 2018 Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2018 New York Public Library Top Ten Showstopper Favorite of 2018 (Notable 100 Books for Kids)A TAYSHAS 2019 Reading List Pick2019 YALSA Best Fiction Pick2019 YALSA Teen's Top Ten List “A magnificent, heartrending, earthshaking debut.” ―New York Times-bestselling author Daniel José Older "High stakes, a captivating fantasy landscape, and a brave heroine worth rooting for make Children of Blood and Bone unlike anything I've ever read." ―Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Beautiful Creatures and author of The Lovely Reckless "Powerful, captivating, and raw―Adeyemi is a talent to watch. Exceptional." ―Kirkus, Starred Review"Adeyemi’s devastating debut is a brutal, beautiful tale of revolution, faith, and star-crossed love." ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"... Adeyemi keeps it fresh with an all-black cast of characters, a meaningful emphasis on fighting for justice, a complex heroine saving her own people, and a brand of magic made more powerful by the strength of heritage and ancestry. Perfect for fans of the expansive fantasy worlds of Leigh Bardugo, Daniel Jose´ Older, and Sabaa Tahir." ―Booklist, Starred Review"...A refreshing YA fantasy with an all–West African cast of characters that should be on every shelf." ―School Library Journal, Starred Review"This is an exceptional debut from the author and will have a huge audience desperately waiting for more. Children of Blood and Bone is perfect for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Nancy Farmer, and Angie Thomas." ―VOYA, Starred Review"Nigerian culture and geography... give this fantasy a distinct flavor, further distinguished by the intensity of emotion." ―Horn Book “Meet Tomi Adeyemi―the new J.K. Rowling. (Yep, she’s that good).” ―Entertainment Weekly“Poses thought-provoking questions about race, class and authority that hold up a warning mirror to our sharply divided society.” –The New York Times“A fast-paced, excellently crafted hero's journey…populated with compelling and nuanced black characters.” –NPR“A debut novel that is nearly impossible to put down.”–USA Today“Adeyemi’s writing is beautiful and immersive.” –Tor.com“A miraculous achievement.” –The Guardian About the Author Tomi Adeyemi is the #1 New York Times-bestselling Nigerian-American author of Children of Blood and Bone. After graduating Harvard University with an honors degree in English literature, she received a fellowship to study West African mythology, religion, and culture in Salvador, Brazil. When she’s not working on her novels or watching BTS music videos, she can be found blogging and teaching creative writing on her website. She lives in San Diego, California.
