Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy of Orisha, 2)

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I honestly think that Zélie and Amari had a stronger relationship than any of the relationships there and even a more real power-couple potential than any of them both with any of the males in the book. I am a bit disappointed Tomi Adeyemi couldn’t actually make this romance happen. Wait!” Amari calls from behind. She sprints down the iron ramp of the warship that’s been our home since the sacred ritual. Her soaked, white tunic is a far cry from the ornate geles and gowns she wore when she was Orïsha’s princess. It clings to her oak brown skin as she meets us at the thrashing tides. Zélie was also stubborn and too smug to listen to anything or anyone and she always acted like she’s the only important creature in the world and no one else comes at least a bit closer to her own, colossal pain. She was the only one allowed to suffer, and no one else. And, (bonus!) you could always count on her to say or do something worthy of a facepalm. To better contextualize the events in this sequel, here's a brief rundown of how and where Children of Blood and Bone ended:

You keep pretending all you want is to kill my brother, but I saw the way you two looked at each other at Chândomblé. I know there’s more in your heart than rage!” I point at her chest. “If you want to lie to yourself about how you really feel, fine. But if you damn us to this warpath, you’re putting innocent lives on the line!” It’s been three years since I read “Children of Blood and Bone” and for some reason it doesn’t feel like it? XD I mean here I am starting with book two and I still remember the first book more than just vividly. Seriously, if I’d remember everything in my life as well as I remember books! *lol* Meanwhile, Zélie wakes up from the dreamscape, immediately telling Amari that Inan is alive, and vowing to kill him. Tzain, Zélie, and Amari, unsure of what to do, decide to free the maji trapped in a nearby fort, but are stopped by Roën. He explains that the Iyika have hired him to fetch them, and he brings them to their camp. When they finally meet the Iyika, Zélie learns that Mama Agba is the founder of the group, and that they have built a sanctuary called Ile Ijosin. Mama Agba leads the group to the sanctuary, where they meet the elders of the Maji Clans. The elder of the Eranko Clan, a Tamer named Na’imah, has received a message from one of their spies in Lagos, Raifa, about Inan’s proposed rations, but Zélie angrily insists that Inan is a liar and will do nothing to help the people of Orïsha. Amari attempts to defend her brother, but is told off by Ramaya, the Èmí Clan elder, who says she is unwelcome.For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for theMarie Claire newsletter. But with that out of the way, I have to say I liked some of the changes to characters. Tzain was given a bit more agency which is something I liked. He seemed like a bit of a useless and extra character in book one. This time he had more purpose. I do think Roen needed more time and development for his drive and motivations to be truly believable. And Amari… They called out to me like a lullaby, leading us away from the forest path and toward the sea. The ocean breeze ruffled the loose coils in my hair. Rays of sun spilled through the thinning leaves.

Inan realizes that the monarchy is corrupt and decides to abolish it altogether. He then informs Zélie of his actions through a letter. I’ve raved about Children of Blood and Bone to so many people in my life. I thought it was one of the most enthralling and richest fantasy stories I had ever read. I loved nearly everything about it. I still do!! It was so so good! I’ll probably listen to it on audio soon because I heard that it’s FAB. I am so disappointed by this book—so much so that it breaks my heart. I am emotionally spent so I want to keep this as short as possible without ranting. I adored Children of Blood and Bone so much that I gave it five stars. The only reason why this isn’t getting one-star from me is because it’s not a bad book and I don’t want it to come across like it is because I have respect for Tomi Adeyemi. But with civil war looming on the horizon, Zélie finds herself at a breaking point: she must find a way to bring the kingdom together or watch as Orïsha tears itself apart. Plot [ ]

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It kind of kept going with that — just that what I wanted became more magical.But subconsciously, what I wanted also became: Oh, in this, my fantasy, I can be white. Like, oh, I can have magic and I can be white; or I can, you know, shoot lightning out of my hands and I can be biracial. And it was like: It took a lot for me to become the type of person who could even write a story like Children of Blood and Bone. When we finally saw it, my small hand slipped out of Baba’s. My mouth fell open with awe. There was magic in that water. This sequel leaves so much to be desired that I cannot possibly list down every single flaw in this book. So I won't even try. But here are my major issues with Children of Virtue and Vengeance: Ultimately, the plot was tedious. Chapters with different POVs became tiresome due to the characters being in the exact same place at the same time, it slowed down the rising action and tension Adeyemi desired, immensely so. Even dialogue from different characters repeated frequently! Maybe this was a struggle for Adeyemi due to pressure (which hello - completely natural - I haven’t written a freaking book!!!), so this result is a shame. When it comes to this one, I felt like the main story sold its soul to someone and made an Uturn to the misdirection (mostly it moved aimlessly!)

You read that right. All throughout Children of Blood and Bone and even at the beginning of this sequel, Amari is built up to be this really admirable heroine with a heart of gold. Despite her upbringing as a noble, she is able to sympathize with the maji (thanks to the maji handmaiden whom she befriends) and defies her father by stealing the scroll that can restore magic. As we eat up the chapters of Children of Blood and Bone, we witness her grow an actual spine and a remarkable fierceness. By the end of the first book, we do want this girl as the next ruler of Orïsha. The fact that Inan is alive. REALLY? You couldn't have come up with another way to handle the 'plot' that he carried. It's so dumb to me that he is alive.Zélie somehow survives and gains EVEN MORE power. She is able to give the same power to a few other Elders. Together, they magically resurrect all of Amari's mass murder victims. The pit of guilt in my stomach hardens, squashing my fantasy. But that same pit turns to a flutter when Roën slides a hand around my waist. For all of these things, the world-building, the change of pace, the dynamic action, this book gets all of my admiration. As the Romanian in me would say, it’s beton armat, reinforced concrete (aka super cool).