I rarely read books aimed at teens or young adults (except a few brief readings of extremely popular books, usually before I see the movies they've been made into) but I'm extremely grateful I made an exception for this one. What initially caught my eye was the overwhelming positive buzz around the book as well as plans for a feature film and after reading the synopsis I was more than intrigued; and this book more than lived up to the hype and expectation.

After reading I was floored to put it mildly, this is leagues past most of the young adult fiction phenomenon we've seen in the past decade or so, hunger games who? divergent series what? Sorry, this isn't meant to disparage Suzanne Collins or Veronica Roth, only to express how amazing I think this book was (and full disclosure, I have only read the first couple books of the aforementioned authors so maybe I'm not quite as informed as I could be). All that being said, move over Twilight / Hunger Games / Divergent there's a new YA powerhouse in town and this one is breathtakingly readable, with detailed and vivid world building and, best of all, populated with deep, conflicted, messy, intimately human characters.

I won't spoil the ride for you because I think everyone needs this experience for themselves but I will attempt to back up why I'm so enamored with this work. To being with, and perhaps most importantly, this is a teen novel that doesn't pander to it's audience, there are no comfortable cliches or familiar tropes we can put our trust in, the novel is just as unpredictable and dangerous as the real world. This is something I appreciate and I think this generation of teens, perhaps more than any other, can appreciate as well, it's a teen novel that doesn't soften, sugar coat or simplify, it's as raw and demanding as any adult book. Additionally, the novel is set in a richly storied and complex world complete with different cultures and a vibrant, if sometimes bloody history. Think Westeros or Middle Earth but instead of a fantasy medieval Europe, Orisha (the nation the book takes place in) is a fully realized African land with it's own unique customs, peoples, and mythology, we're talking THAT level of intricate world building; and it's expressed masterfully, details are shared organically through discussions and stories, no clunky exposition to be found here. For anyone wishing for a fantasy novel not set in some facsimile of a bygone European country, this is book for you. The crowning achievement of this world building is without a doubt the magic and religion of the nation, the two are inextricably linked and each is fascinating and fairly different from anything in fiction I've read before. As I said, I won't give out spoilers but rest assured the magic in "Children of Blood and Bone" is on par with Rowling's witches and wizards, it's that cool, I promise. Finally, the characters. I love these characters, our protagonist is flawed, impulsive, and sometimes makes choices we the readers disapprove of and I adore that. The other characters don't lack for detail, humanity, or growth by dent of not being THE main character either, they're all just as well written and have as much of an impact on the story, no one feels like a side kick or plot device. Even the characters we despise and root against feel like real, human villains.

To sum up, this is an excellent and worthwhile book. If, like me, you rarely or never read YA lit then make an exception and read this one. If you are a fan of the genre you then absolutely need to experience this book to see how far the bar has been raised. I haven't been this impressed by ANY book, adult, teen, or otherwise in a long, long time and I couldn't be more thrilled that it seems to be part of a planned series (Legacy of Orisha #1). I, and the world, need more of Tomi Adeyemi brilliant writing as soon as possible.