Where to Start with Tomi Adeyemi
Tomi Adeyemi is a Nigerian-American author who burst onto the literary scene with a debut that became an instant number one New York Times bestseller and changed what YA fantasy could look like. She studied West African mythology, religion, and culture in Salvador, Brazil, and channels that research into fiction that draws its entire magic system and world-building from Yoruba tradition. Named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, she writes epic fantasy that takes African culture as seriously as the genre has always taken European folklore.
Start here
Children of Blood and Bone
Tomi Adeyemi · 531 pages · 2018 · Easy
Themes: oppression, magic, West African mythology, resistance, identity
In the land of Orisha, magic once thrived, wielded by the maji who channeled the power of the gods. Then the king ordered the Raid, killing every maji adult and leaving their children powerless and persecuted. Zelie still remembers the night soldiers dragged her mother away. Now she has one chance to bring magic back, and with it, the hope of her people.
Why Start Here
Children of Blood and Bone is Adeyemi’s debut and the book that defines everything she does as a writer. It is the natural starting point because it introduces her world, her mythology, and her voice in their most concentrated form. The entire Legacy of Orisha trilogy builds from this foundation.
Adeyemi built her magic system entirely from Yoruba mythology. The orisha (deities) are not decorative additions to a Western fantasy template. They are the engine of the story. Each maji clan channels a different orisha, and the varieties of magic, from healing to animation of the dead, feel grounded in a real cultural tradition because they are.
The novel also works as a powerful allegory. Adeyemi wrote it in response to police violence against Black Americans, and the story of a people stripped of their power and identity resonates far beyond its fantasy setting. Zelie’s fight is personal and political at the same time, and Adeyemi never lets one overwhelm the other.
What to Expect
A fast-paced YA fantasy with alternating first-person narrators. The prose is energetic and visual, the pacing relentless. At 531 pages, it is long but reads quickly. The emotional register runs high throughout. First of the Legacy of Orisha trilogy. Ideal for readers who want a page-turner that takes African culture seriously.