This isn't the only racism Adeyemi discusses within, Children of Blood and Bone. In the Author’s note of this novel, Adeyemi discusses how writing this book helped her work out some of the frustration, and helplessness she felt during the Black Lives Matter movement. “I felt afraid angry, and helpless, but this book was the one thing that made me feel like I could do something about it.” (Adeyemi 526)

You also see one of the main characters, Zélie, experience racism in the first chapter. The girl she is sparring with refers to her as a “maggot.” Which in this fantasy world, the word is used as a slur for the Divîners. “Yemi’s voice dips so low only I can hear it. ‘Listen to Mama Agba. Be a good little maggot.’ And there it is. That word. That miserable, degrading slur.’” (Adeyemi 6) I cannot wait to keep reading this story and watch the culture, and politics continue to develop. 

Ever since the genocide, the Maji and Divîner’s are constantly being persecuted. They are seen as second-class citizens, and even taxed higher. Due to Zélie’s mother dying, her father has been struggling to the point where he needs someone with him at all times. Even though Zélie left, to graduate, it was her day to stay at home with her dad, not her brother. However, Zélie can be very hot-headed at times, and almost selfish. Due to her not being with her father, he ends up almost drowning. Zélie feels very bad about this, so she goes on a quest to the capital city in hopes of making a grand sum of money. On this journey, she meets another main character, Amari.

Amari is the princess of the kingdom in the world of Orïsha. She is quite passive, very shy, and incredibly afraid of her father, the King. In the palace, there is only one Divîner, Binta, who happens to be Amari’s best friend. At the beginning of the story, Binta is called in to see the King. Amari grows nervous and sneaks into the room to make sure Amari is okay, and what she sees is shocking. Binta is holding a scroll; a scroll said to bring magic back into a person. Then after the King shows this to Binta, he kills her, leaving Amari shocked. She is so overcome with grief she steals the scroll and runs away. 

Amari runs into Zélie, and Zélie takes her back to her village. Mama Agba tells them about her vision, in which they go on a journey together. That is where our story starts, Amari, Zélie, and Tzain going on a journey. We also follow Inan, whose fate may be intertwined! I am very excited to see the direction this story takes!

The map, and different cities were also very interesting and provide many different environments. One of the cities, Lagos, the capital city, has a large population and is overcome with traders. However, there is also a “bad” part of town where the Maji are forced to live. There are also desert settings, ocean-side towns, mountain regions, and forest-like locations. Nearly every detail in this book ties in with West-African mythology, and Nigerian culture. Overall Tomi Adeyemi’s, Children of Blood and Bone, is a wonderful piece of media with an intricate world that I can't wait to keep exploring.

They then arrive at a rather busy desert town. This town houses an arena of sorts, almost reminiscent of the Colosseum. People are fighting in this arena for a prize, which evidently is the sunstone. Amari fights in the arena, and they end up winning the sunstone. Now they have all the artifacts. 

Alongside Amari, Zélie, and Tzain’s journey, we are also following Inan. Inan has built a dreamscape in his mind where he can see and talk to Zélie. This use of his magic has caused a white streak in his hair to form. Inan ends up finding the others in the temple and murders the priest. However, the group ends up escaping. Inan is really struggling with his magic, since he continues to suppress it, which hurts him greatly. Due to the pain, he ends up trying to use his power and, in his rage, kills Kaea. 

After the group acquires the sunstone, they meet up with Inan. Inan and Zélie end up fighting, and Amarti and Tzain get captured by divîners. These divîners end up torturing Tzain for information. They torture him because Amari, a noble, has the scroll that, which scares them. Inan and Zélie decide to work together to save their siblings, quite reluctantly, might I add. Through their allyship, Inan begins to see the world through Zélie’s point of view, which causes him to be empathic towards her, which strengthens their relationship. Inan and Zélie then make it to the divîners base, and attack. Zu, one of the divîners, stops this fight and realizes they are with Amari and Tzain. The divîners stop torturing Tzain since they now know Amarti was telling the truth, that they are traveling with a maji. They all come to the conscience that they all want to restore magic to Orisha. 

The King and Inan devise a plan since they both agree that magic is too powerful. Due to the scar Zélie now bears, she is unable to access her magic, meaning she cannot complete the ritual for magic. Zélie moves to a more safe but more unlawful town and finds a man named Röen. He decides to help her on her quest to restore magic. Though as they arrive on the island, Inan and his father arrive with Zélie’s father. She immediately hands over the artifacts. Then they kill her father anyway. Zélie tries to retrieve the artifacts once again and go conduct the ritual.

Inan ends up being disowned once his father sees him doing magic. Inan does convince Zélie, however, to destroy the scroll. Amari ends up killing her father in a fight. Zélie tries to talk to the gods and please them since she doesn’t have the scroll. Zélie believes she is dying since she sees the god that appears before death. She also sees her mother and tells her it is not her time to go. She wakes on Röen’a ship, and Amari shows her the white streak in her hair, meaning Zélie’s ritual worked.

“In that moment I pictured what a sand city could look like, unrestrained by the laws and materials governing our architecture.” (Adeyemi 195) There are multiple moments in which our characters journey to, or through a desert region. I especially enjoyed how Adeyemi described these particular settings. With the sweltering heat, the dry dusty air, and the arid climate, I truly felt transported to the sand dunes. The landscapes in the novel, while they all are similar in a sense, all contrasted rather nicely. For example, the sandy desert, compared to the seaside town Zélie and Tzain grew up, provided a complex world.

Now the divîners, in current times, are treated as second-class citizens. When the royals and nobles discuss the divîners, it is as if they see them as disposable, or simply just collateral damage.“Those people died so Orisha could live.” (Adeyemi 223) They are not valued, they are heavily taxed, and many live in poverty. They are not offered many jobs, and the ones they are offered have horrible working conditions. “Mostly divîners, the laborers outnumber the villagers by hordes, dressed in nothing but tattered rags. Their dark skin blisters under the scorching sun, marred by the dirt and sand seemingly burned into their beings. Each is hardly more than a walking skeleton.” (Adeyemi 198)

The way the divîners are treated, and their way of life reminds me of immigrants coming into America. Many immigrants are not treated with proper respect, nor are they given ample opportunities. Many of the jobs presented to immigrants have little pay and poor conditions. This is similar to the work divîners are presented. It is very hard to move and begin a new life anywhere. This is why it would be very helpful if both the royals, and America were more inclusive, and moved on from their prejudices. 

Though as the story progresses, she becomes more and more independent. As she grows more independent, however, she also grows more distant from her family. “My own brother hunts me. Father probably desires my head. I can hardly fathom all the lies Mother’s spinning in my absence. Perhaps if Binta were still at the palace, I would risk crawling back with my tail between my leg. But even she’s gone. The sand is all I have left.” (Adeyemi 192) 

“Amari, sit up straight! Do not eat that. That’s more than enough dessert for you—No.” (Adeyemi 263) Amari’s mother would commonly say things like this to Amari. Amari’s family is not kind to her, so realistically, it was good that she distanced herself. Though the farther away she grows from the palace, the further she grows from her memories of Binta. Binta was Amari’s only friend in the palace. Amari loved her dearly and was completely distraught when she died. 

Amari also had a horrible relationship with her father. He would often abuse both Amari and Inan and make them fight one another. Before Amari left the palace, she was too scared to stand up to her father; it was even too hard for her to look him in the eye. Therefore her character arc, killing her father, is rather powerful. “‘Your blood is the true curse,’ I snap back. ‘It ends today.’” (Adeyemi 511) Amari stood up to him; she held her own. Amari was I character I loved following. Her growth was incredibly remarkable, and she became such a strong female character.