{I’m always in a bit of a quandary on what to do with books in a series. I’ve sort of settled on reviewing the first book, then waiting and completing the rest of the series as a group. But I’m not making a hard and fast rule here, so we’ll see how it plays out.}
Tomi Adeyemi‘s Children of Blood and Bone (2018) has received a ton of adulation and attention, much of which is very well deserved. It feels like (and I’m sure for those that pay more attention to publishing this is very, very old hat) there has been a clear separation from the YA market to a more-mature-but-not-fully-grown-up market. Children of Blood and Bone belongs to the latter, although perhaps not as much as, say, The Magicians series.
The world of the novel is very grounded in West African traditions, and that forms a large part of the appeal. These are mythologies and stories that are woefully underrepresented in the genre, and so that, alone, would make Adeyemi’s novel worth supporting.
Luckily, it’s also good, with young protagonists that are simultaneously coming into their own (including the requisite magical/extraordinary powers) and trying to save each other and, you know, the world. The locations are memorable, moving between different geographies and micro-cultures with ease, while never losing a sense of character-based continuity.
It is followed by 2019’s Children of Virtue and Vengeance, and a final entry in the trilogy is promised (and rumors of various adaptations are rife).
Highly recommended for fans of the genre.