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Children of Blood and Bone

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Children of Blood and Bone

Written by: Tomi Adeyemi
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
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About this listen

Winner of the Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year

This program is narrated by acclaimed reader Bahni Turpin, whose past work includes The Hate U Give and The Underground Railroad

"Bahni Turpin's breathtaking narration of this exhilarating novel will keep listeners rooted to their seats, listening intently...an audiobook not to be missed." (AudioFile magazine, Earphones Award winner)

In Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut.

They killed my mother.

They took our magic.

They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers - and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Praise for Children of Blood and Bone:

"[Narrator Bahni Turpin] excels at customizing her voice to capture the unique personalities of each character.... This excellent, refreshing performance of Adeyemi's exciting debut is recommended for all collections where fantasy is popular." (Booklist, starred review)

"One of the biggest young adult fiction debut book deals of the year. Aside from a compelling plot and a strong-willed heroine as the protagonist, the book deals with larger themes, like race and power, that are being discussed in real time." (Teen Vogue)

©2018 Tomi Adeyemi (P)2018 Macmillan Audio
Difficult Situations Fiction Legends, Myths & Fairy Tales Royalty Young Adult Emotionally Gripping Fantasy Witchcraft African Religion
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What the critics say

"Bahni Turpin's breathtaking narration of this exhilarating novel will keep listeners rooted to their seats, listening intently.... Turpin's captivating narration, with incantations sung in Yoruba, intense battles, and lively, devastating dialogue, makes this an audiobook not to be missed." (AudioFile)

"[Narrator Bahni Turpin] excels at customizing her voice to capture the unique personalities of each character.... This excellent, refreshing performance of Adeyemi's exciting debut is recommended for all collections where fantasy is popular." (Booklist)

Editorial Review

The ruler wants them wiped out. They must suppress their true selves, or die in the face of conformity. Though the maji of Orïsha have been oppressed, stripped of power, and beaten down, something is brewing deep within. A growing force in the dark and quiet places, ready to make itself heard once more. The Children of Blood and Bone will be silenced no more.

In the fictional land of Orïsha, people are divided into the magical and the not. When an oppressive ruler sought to eradicate all traces of magic, the gifted maji quickly learned to suppress their magical abilities or die. Zélie Adebola’s mother was one of the gifted and unlucky ones. Since then, the king has found a way to switch off magical abilities within his kingdom. When a chance encounter between Zélie and Princess Amari offers a way to bring the magic back, the two find themselves on the run, with an epic quest ahead.

Tomi Adeyemi weaves a wondrous tale of magic and fantasy steeped in West African mythology and culture. A triumph in the young adult fantasy genre, Children of Blood and Bone is sure to take listeners of all ages by storm. The tale offers everything you could want from a fantasy story: excitement, magic, uprising, and adventure, paired with strong characters that pull at heartstrings and form bonds with the audience. And it’s narrated by the brilliant and prolific Bahni Turpin. Winner of the Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year, this listen is a true masterpiece.

Adeyemi has been praised not only for her literary and narrative skills, creating a deep and complex world for her characters and their adventures. She roots everything in a deep sense of history and knowledge that adds layers of meaning and subtext to her work. Parallels between the divided people and their skin colour highlight racial tensions and cultural unrest, while the rebellious spirit of Zélie and her supporters reference political uprising and social justice. Within a gripping work of fiction, Adeyemi powerfully highlights oppression and the different paths taken in the face of it. At once an enthralling tale of fantasy and magic and a platform for change, Children of Blood and Bone is a pause-resistant listen that will leave you thinking. Adeyemi continues the story in her sequel, Children of Virtue and Vengeance.

Featured Article: The Best Female Narrators You Can Listen To All Day


When considering a new audiobook, one of the biggest questions listeners have is whether they’ll enjoy the narration style. This is understandable as audiobooks span at least a few hours, and sticking with one person’s voice for that period can feel like a big commitment. Luckily, there are so many excellent voice actors performing audiobooks that you might just find yourself gravitating to certain audiobooks based solely on the narrator’s strength.

What listeners say about Children of Blood and Bone

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Amazing!

Fantastic story. It evoked so many different emotions in me, such a powerful novel and the narrator really brought it to life and authenticated it with her beautiful accent. Amazing how she could create such distinctly different voices for both male and female characters. This novel complete with the riveting epilogue transported me to a higher level of consciousness each time I listened to it.

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Would recommend.

Great performance by the narrator. She's able to convey the emotion in the writing. It's a long book but your ears do not get fatigued from the performance.

Superb story by Tomi.

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CoBB

Great novel! enjoyed it the first time I read it and still enjoy it now. performance could have been a little better in some points but overall solid work 👍🏾

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I loved it

I really loved the characters narration and social justice message in this book. I eagerly await the next book in the series

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Beautiful Book

Stellar addition to my audiobook library. Fantasy turned on it’s head. The book deals with exposure to oppression the method of problem solving and so much more. I look forward to reading more.

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Amazing Setting; Characters need some work

Really interesting setting and the magic works. Really interesting premise and it has some great moments.

Falls a little short with character consistency (with the exception of Amari), but a fairly good story and message.

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Thoroughly enjoyed!

This book was an emotional coaster connecting the listener to realities that are happening in our world today. So much so it was sometimes hard to continue, but I'm very glad I did.

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Very good.

Darker overall than Harry Potter. But very well drawn world and characters. Was slow at times. But the moral dilemma that crept in the last third of the book made for an interesting internal conflict.

Bahni Turpin, the audio book narrator, was incredible!! She definitely helped to sell the world and characters with full-on African accents that were even differentiated by class. Even her male voices were well done! Will probably follow this series.

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Children of Blood and Bone

Loved this book and can't wait for the next one in the series is available.

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Awesome story, loved the narration as well

Awesome story, loved the narration as well, her accent made the story that much more immersive

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