Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Reading this novel was like body surfing waves at a beach.  The story would be going along smoothly, floating in the swell, and then all of a sudden it would peak and crash down the other side and I'd have to re-orient myself to the latest plot twist.  This style lured me in.  It gave these calm moments to get to know Zelie and her brother Tzain and learn why their mother was killed.

Zelie has inherited her mother's traits to work magic, but the king has killed all the magic practitioners and destroyed all their artifacts.  Zelie, at most, can only imagine what it might have been like to have followed in her mother's steps.

Amari and Inan are the children of the king and have been taught to fear magic due to the damage it has done to the the land and it's people.  Duty above all is the mantra that Inan repeats to himself whenever he questions his father's brutal tactics.  After witnessing her father commit an atrocity, Amari flees the castle in a bid for her freedom.

I was captivated as I followed the intersecting paths of these four young people.  For the most part, they acted as I expected with the exception of Inan.  While his motivation was clear, he struggled with his conscience on how to respond.  This helped make him seem very real.

I do admit to enjoying the addition of magic to a story.  It opens up so many possibilities for plot lines that keep me guessing. As I read along, I couldn't help but imagine the potential of the various maji and how they could benefit their society.

This story should appeal to a wide range of teen readers, though I feel that due to the violence, it is most suitable for older teens.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc., in exchange for an honest review.

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