Children of Blood and Bone: A West African-inspired YA Fantasy, Filled with Dark Magic

***Foyles Children's Book of the Year 2018*\

**A completely enthralling debut novel, and a prescient clarion call for the resistance to blind authority and the oppression of freedoms. Adeyemi conjures up the rich and complex world of Orïsha with unusually lucid language and writing that’s unwavering in its imagery. The burgeoning friendship between main characters, Amari and Zélie, lifts the novel to unexpected heights, and will stick long in the mind of any reader.

Synopsis

Once an enchanted land, Orïsha’s magic vanished without trace, leaving those who wielded it enslaved to a ruthless king. But now magic is returning and one girl has the chance to turn the tide…

The daughter of a great maji, Zélie Adebola remembers a time when magic flowed through the land and through the bones of the summoners. With her white hair, the mark of the gods, she is marked as one of the ibawi – the divine - those with the potential for power. When a chance encounter brings her face to face with a rogue princess escaping from the palace with an object of immense significance, Zélie finds herself on a mission to restore what was stolen from her people and claim her birth right. As Zélie journeys across Orïsha, she discovers a land full of unforeseen dangers: snow leoponaires, avenging spirits and the threat of the crown prince, who will stop at nothing to rid the land of enchantment once and for all. Already snapped up for development into a major new film by the producers of [*The Fault in Our Stars*](https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-fault-in-our-stars/john-green/9780141345659), *Children of Blood and Bone* is a fierce and unflinching saga of divided love, belief and legacy. The first in an epic new fantasy series, interweaving the influences of West African myth with unforgettable characters and expert world-building, it ripples with rage and magic. A novel that will haunt the reader long after the final page. “Magnificent from the off, Adeyemi’s richly drawn world is a breath of fresh air in Teen and Young Adult fantasy. Written with seemingly endless reserves of imagination, our booksellers were captivated by this distinctive and exhilarating novel, which is all at once fearless, immersive, emotional and cinematic beyond its pages. This poignant debut has more than enough to keep you on the edge of your seat and reading late into the night.” - Florentyna Martin, Waterstones Children’s Buyer The Legacy of the Orïsha series continues in the explosive second volume, [*Children of Virtue and Vengeance*](/book/children-of-virtue-and-vengeance/tomi-adeyemi/9781509899456). Published on Tuesday 3 December 2019 and available to pre-order now, [*Children of Virtue and Vengeance* ](/book/children-of-virtue-and-vengeance/tomi-adeyemi/9781509899456)tells the continuing story of the maji rising as civil war looms on the horizon.

• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• ISBN: 9781509871353
• Number of pages: 544
• Weight: 383g
• Dimensions: 196 x 130 x 41 mm