Children of Blood and Bone is a 2018 young adult fantasy novel by
Nigerian-American novelist Tomi Adeyemi. The book, Adeyemi's debut novel and
the first book in a planned trilogy, follows heroine Zélie Adebola as she
attempts to restore magic to the kingdom of Orïsha, following the ruling class
kosidáns' brutal suppression of the class of magic practitioners Zélie belongs
to, the maji.
Writing the book over 18 months and 45 drafts, Adeyemi drew inspiration from
novels like Harry Potter and An Ember in the Ashes as well as West African
mythology and the Yoruba culture and language. The hopelessness she felt at
police shootings of black Americans also motivated her to develop the story of
Children of Blood and Bone.