Children of Blood and Bone is a Young Adult fantasy novel by Nigerian-American novelist Tomi Adeyemi. Children of Blood and Bone is the first book in the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy. It is followed by Children of Virtue and Vengeance. The final installment of the series is set to be released in 2023.
The text, written in first-person perspective that alternates between three different point-of-view characters, follows Zélie Adebola as she attempts to restore magic to the kingdom of Orïsha. Adeyemi drew inspiration from her studies of West African mythology in Brazil and wrote the novel partially in response to police brutality in America.
Henry Holt Books for Young Readers published Adeyemi's debut novel in 2018 in one of the biggest young adult publishing deals of all time, with a rumored seven-figure advance. Fox 2000 Pictures acquired film adaptation rights prior to the novel's publication. The novel also debuted at number one on the New York Times best-seller list for young adult books; Adeyemi was 23.
The novel received mainly positive reviews for its intricate world-building and thoughtful exploration of dark themes, such as racism, slavery, colorism, and institutional violence.
