‘They’re about to spoil my favourite story once again’, ‘It’s 2025 and you haven’t read this? You’re missing out’ ‘I just know they are going to mess up this wonderful series’ - They all said.
The statements above, are instances that prompted me to read this book. Sometime last year, the news of a movie adaptation was released for this book, and I came across it. The people in the comments expressed their love for the series and I told myself I was going to read it. I also met a fellow bibliophile recently, and she couldn’t stop yapping about it. So, after my last book, I delved into it.
Now, let’s get into the review of the first book in the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy: Children of blood and bone.
The book opens with a glimpse into our protagonist’s memories of her mother. We are told of a time before her mother’s death, how peaceful and happy they once were as a family. Two pages after, we are transported to the current city of Ilorin. When the king of Orisha, orders the killing of the maji (citizens who wielded magic), their families are left at the mercy of his outrageous taxes, imposed on them for harbouring diviners (maji children).
Zelie, our protagonist, finds herself among a group of female diviners, training for defense against the injustice constantly meted out to them. One day, while at practice, the palace guards storm her home, demanding an increase in the tax paid the past week. This forces her ailing dad to go fishing, almost losing his life in the process. Hearing the news. Zelie rushes back home to her brother and dad. While contemplating their next line of action so she isn’t given away to the guards, she offers to go to Lagos to sell the fishes. Although, it didn’t seem like the best decision, it was the only plausible solution. A solution that served for only a few minutes, causing chaos in its wake.
It’s funny how a line of thought, which could easily be overlooked, could sometimes hold so much power? What are the odds that a random evening of listening to heartbreaking news, could have birthed a book accepted by millions of readers worldwide? This book, according to the author was inspired by the injustice meted out on helpless people, that she came across on the news one day. She said ‘What if these people had a way to defend themselves in the first place?’ This was admirable because what if she had discarded the thought that particular day? So many what if’s have plagued me since I read this in the acknowledgment because this read was everything.
The plot was too good to drop. I mean, it’s that type that even if you eventually left the book aside because you had priorities, it occupied your mind during those moments. It’s what you would describe as un-put-down-able. From the gripping action scenes, to the suspense, down to the fast pacing, it was everything.
Our characters in this book were likeable. They were smart and fun to read about. Although there were scenes where they fell short, and followed paths they shouldn’t have, I accepted it because they’ve been doing just fine by me for the longer part of the book. The constant change in POVs was really helpful. Thanks to it, I could explore character thought processes, and knew who deserved to be kept on a radar. I loved it.
I’ll rate this book a 9.8 out of 10. I’m glad the hype worked for me in this situation. I enjoyed reading so much, I didn’t hesitate to go find the sequel the same day I finished reading.
I was quite exhausted as at the time of writing this review, otherwise, I’d have done this with more enthusiasm than my current strength is allowing me to. But don’t be discouraged. If you’ve not read it, like one of the comments I highlighted in my first paragraph said, you’re missing out. Don’t hesitate to check it out as soon as possible.
Images are screenshots taken from my e-library.
Thanks for reading.