Let's just say this off the bat: It's really, really refreshing to read a fantasy book that isn't set in fantasy England. Fantasy Nigeria was incredibly well done, and just as fleshed out as you could imagine, it was great.
Okay, so into the book review! I loved Children of Blood and Bone. Were there a couple YA fantasy tropes? Sure, but that didn't detract from the depth of this novel. When I say depth, I mean as the target audience of a young person of non-African background you can read this book and have a really good time. On the other hand, if you are familiar with Nigerian history, black history, and socioeconomic issues between West Africans, or West Africa and the world, this book doesn't just talk to you, it sings to you.
Small details from a maji's hair being flat when she has no power, and full and curly into a mane when she does turn social expectations on their head. The class system and obsession with lighter skin tones is addressed in a subtle way. The obvious undertone of talking about race and race based power is done so well that you can say that it is both directly addressed, and yet not so overt that a young reader would pick up on everything Adeyemi is saying.
Another fantastic touch that I would like to bring up was that instead of making up a magical language, Adeyemi simply used Yoruba as the language of the maji. Why is this important? Well, Nigeria is a world power, a strong economy, and a beautiful multilayered nation. Now how many people would say they are interested in learning Yoruba before reading this book? Before you say to me that Yoruba only has a very minor application that it could be useful for, let me remind you that High Valyrian (from Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice And Fire) and Klingon (from Star Trek) are actual language options on DuoLingo language learning software, while Yoruba is not. I love that she's using her platform to subtlety get audiences interested in cultures and languages that just aren't apparent in most fantasy, given that most fantasy is set firmly in the West.
In summary, this book was amazing, and I would definitely gift it to any young reader or fantasy buff in my friend group. I can see why it's already gotten a 17 country release deal and a motion picture deal as well. I look forward to seeing Adeyemi's future works, as she's now firmly on my radar.
