ARC, 600 pages
Release Date: March 6, 2018Published by: Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Read from: February 21-28, 2018Legacy of Orïsha #1Source: Publisher (I received a copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)For fans of: Fantasy, Magic, Bombshell Endings, Multiple POVs, DEAR, Debut Authors, Diversity, Own VoicesTomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and 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 the enemy.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I started and re-started this review about 8 times. I just don’t feel that I can do this book justice. It deserves EVERY SINGLE BIT OF THE HYPE IT’S BEEN GETTING. From the characters to the writing style, just everything was amazing! I can’t wait for more people to read this and be able to sing its praises too!
“I promise your Highness. I did what I could, but it would appear the gods have other plans.“pg. 53
Zélie has spent many of her days remembering and reliving the pain and suffering her people went through after their world was stripped of magic. Where it was once thriving and grand, it turned sour once the king ordered everyone with magic to be killed. When a chance to bring magic back falls into her hands by way of a princess, they must find a way to stay out of the king and the prince’s hands while they try to bring magic back. But their journey will be no easy task……
“Tell me Admiral, […] Whose plans do you fear more? The gods? Or mine?“pg. 53
Y’all, I loved everything about this book, but my most favorite part has got to be the writing style. Although Adeyemi almost gave me a heart attack with every page, I loved it. But seriously, this is one of those books where everytime you calm down from the last scare, something else immediately happens and makes your heart race all over again. This book was 600 pages and it didn’t feel like it at all. I was able to fly through it because I didn’t want to quit reading it because it seemed like I was always in the middle of a cliffhanger. It was just amazing.
“No matter how much I crave peace, the gods have other plans“pg. 113
Then there was the world-building. Everything was so descriptive and just beautifully described. I pictured everything as if I was standing right there. All the tombs and tunnels, but also the jungle and deserts were “shown” to me instead of just “told” to me. For me, with a fantasy novel, the world-building makes all the difference for me. I like when authors actually take heed to being a FANTASY world and making up an entire world just for their readers. And that’s exactly what Adeyemi does. From the culture of the people, to the magic they can do, to even the animals that live in the landwere described, Adeyemi does it all and it really stood out to me.
“Magic has a new face.“pg. 212
I also loved the characters! Y’all Zélie would definitely be my homegirl! I love how headstrong and defiant she is and how she fights for what she wants. She is definitely as stubborn as me, but she also doesn’t take any ish and I just LOVED her. Gah, I can talk about her all day. I also really liked the other characters. I loved that we get a glimpse into their heads because of the multiple points of view. It’s never confusing because everyone has their own distinct voice and thier own distinct roles in the story. I’m usually not a fan of books that have more than two POV’s, but this one was perfect.
“With all the gods on your side, you’re never truly alone.“pg. 410
Last but not least, that ending. Don’t worry, its not really a cliffhanger, just had a very large bomb drop and now we have to wait another year to figure out WTF is going on. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.
“My screams fall on deaf ears…“pg. 448
But really y’all, this book is so good. When I decided to pick this up I wanted something that would keep me in Wakanda after watching Black Panther. But now I just really want to go back to Orïsha. This book is worth the hype and so much more. Thank you Adeyemi for giving me a strong fantasy with a strong BLACK lead. This is definitely one I will remember and re-read for days to come.
Overall, I give this
Well damn, it's THAT good? I'm excited because I'm seeing Tomi on Thursday! I need to make time to read this (massive) book!