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“No matter how much I crave peace, the gods have other plans.��

4 1/2 stars. Wow, I have had quite a week. I started Children of Blood and Bone last Thursday as I was going into labour (because, why not?). Normally, I would devour a book like this in a day or two, but those of you with kids will know that's just not going to happen with a newborn.

Instead, this book rode with me through the hospital stay, sleepless nights, and postpartum weepies. It kept my eyes open on those long, long nights. It picked me up and threw me into another world of action and magic right when I needed it. All I can say is: Thank you, Ms Adeyemi.

Oh okay, that's not all I can say. Though hopefully I don't sound too delirious.

Children of Blood and Bone is a West-African inspired fantasy set in the fictional land of Orïsha. It takes all the best bits of YA fantasy - princesses, tormented soldiers, the battle to restore magic vs suppress it - and does something completely new with these familiar elements. At its core, it's an action-packed, fast-paced adventure to restore magic to the world and complete a ritual before the approaching solstice is over and magic is lost forever.

Beneath that, though, there are many darker themes. The plot is intense and steeped in racially-charged violence. Adeyemi draws many parallels with our own world, forcing the reader to pause and consider systemic racism and injustice in prison systems. And Zélie remembers the genocide executed on King Saran's orders all too well. The "Raid", as it is known, took her mother from her. Now, Zélie is a divîner - a maji without magic, though her abilities lie dormant, waiting for the missing scroll that can return her power.

The book is told from alternating perspectives. One is Zélie, another is Princess Amari who Zélie reluctantly saves from the King's men, and the third is Amara's brother, Inan, who is sent to chase down and stop his sister and Zélie. With complex characters who naturally change and grow as the story progresses, I was hooked. I cared what happened to all three of them. There was never a boring moment.

It is always risky to step into a book as hyped as this one, but I, for one, think it very much deserves it. A compelling, exciting plot, a completely non-white cast of characters, AND a thoughtful consideration of race, skin colour, and prejudice... impressive, to say the least. Though that cliffhanger is EVIL. How will we cope until the next book?

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