Instant New York Times BestsellerNew York Times Notable Children’s Books of 2018 TIME Top 10 Best YA and Children’s Books of 2018NPR’s Book Concierge 2018 Great Reads List Buzzfeed’s 24 Best YA Books of 2018Bustle’s Top 25 Best Young Adults Books of 20182018 Kirkus Prize Finalist YALSA William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist Paste Magazine’s 30 Best YA Novels of 2018Newsweek’s 61 Best Books …
YALSA William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist
Paste Magazine’s 30 Best YA Novels of 2018
Newsweek’s 61 Best Books from 2018
Boston Globe’s Best Children’s Books of 2018
Publishers Weekly Best YA Books of 2018
School Library Journal Best Books of 2018
2019 YALSA Teen’s Top Ten List
With five starred reviews, Tomi Adeyemi’s West African-inspired fantasy debut, and instant #1 New York Times Bestseller, conjures a world of magic and danger, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.
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.
“A phenomenon.” —Entertainment Weekly
“The epic I’ve been waiting for.” —New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu
“You will be changed. You will be ready to rise up and reclaim your own magic!” —New York Times-bestselling author Dhonielle Clayton
“The next big thing in literature and film.” —Ebony
“One of the biggest young adult fiction debut book deals of theyear.” —Teen Vogue
This title has Common Core connections.
#1 New York Times bestseller, March 14, 2018
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I liked this book very much
It was emotional
I absolutely loved this book! It’s an action packed page turner!
I listened to this book on Audible, and it was very enjoyable. The world-building is so unique and detailed that it immediately draws you into the story of a young maji name Zélie, who was a child when magic was stolen away and her people were enslaved by the king. Faced with growing injustices, and the memory of her mother’s death at the hands of the King’s soldiers, Zélie joins up with rogue Princess Amari on a journey to free magic.
Chased by the crown prince who struggles with his own demons, Zélie skirts the edges of dark magic and redemption as she attempts to restore magic and free her people. Their wild dash across Orïsha is filled with delightfully imagined lands, people, and creatures. The broader themes of oppression and abuse of power are especially poignant in light of today’s real world issues.
Readers should be aware that the book leaves off in a bit of a cliffhanger (which will make book 2 a necessary part of the conclusion of this narrative) but the story is satisfying nonetheless.
Love this book!!! I can’t believe I waited so long to read it!
Fresh fantasy world! Fabulous magic system. Cool pantheon. This book will inspire a generation of kick-butt girls who will grow up to be powerful, interesting women.
I’d give this book a 5 but the pacing was a little too slow for me. Nonetheless, a great fantasy read.
I don’t consider myself a lover of fantasy, by any stretch, but this book sucked me right in and kept me in its thrall until the very end. The insightful writing, the complex character development (so much internal conflict!), the non-stop action is all phenomenal. And then, of course, there is the way the book has so much to teach us about our own society. This a book to admire—not just for the superb storytelling and craft, but for what it seeks to do in the world.
I listened to the audiobook and Bahni Turpin is an absolutely fantastic narrator— as she always is (she does the audio for The Hate U Give, too).
Love the book from starting to end, an epic read that can keep the reader on their toes.
I had a hard time getting into this one and didn’t love the characters, but there is plenty of action.
Waiting for the next in the seires.
One of my favorite from the last couple of years!
While it’s not perfect, CoBaB makes up for most of its flaws with a fast-paced story, interesting characters, and a fantasy world based on Yoruba mythos and Orishas. It was just super refreshing to read a fantasy story set somewhere besides ‘magical Europe/England’, with an original magic system based on a mythology besides your default Greek or Roman. I really enjoyed reading CoBaB, and I can’t wait to read what’s next.
I was not expecting to be funny engrossed in this book, but I was. From the beginning I was hooked on the world-building and I absolutely loved Zélie.
This enthusiasm was only dampened in the middle of the book, which kind of felt to sag for me, but that may have been because that’s when the two romantic relationships spend the most time together and I wasn’t a fan of either of them.
My beef with the romances aside, I desperately want to pick up that next book because THAT ENDING! It wasn’t even the most dramatic cliff-hanger I’ve ever read but it’s opens the second book up to be amazing.
I enjoyed the characters and pace of the book. The only character I felt was a little under developed was the King. He had no redeeming characteristics. Otherwise I was totally engrossed in the plight of bring magic back to life.
This is a wondefully original book that imbues West African mythology into a plot and characters that drive a fascinating story. Zélie, Amari and Inan present us with a rich and often brutal tale that leaves us on a bit of a cliffhanger at the end and wanting more
Simply Remarkable
I honestly don’t think I knew this was a retelling, but regardless, this book is amazing. I’ve been waiting impatiently for the next instalment from this author, who is quite easily one of my favourite writers Of All Time.
Tomi Adeyemi is an author to BOLO as a rising superstar in fantasy!
This is not “yet another” fantasy novel. Rich characters in a well thought out world… we get to hear from multiple main characters. If we didn’t, we may not feel as empathetic with what could be perceived as the “villain” in this first novel.
Waiting with baited breath for the next in the series… Me. Adeyami is a gem.
It’s “ok”. There was so much potential here but instead this book fell into the same love story trap other books fall into. YA readers may enjoy it, however I doubt I will read the next installment in the series.
I have no idea how anything but the sequel will top this book. The worldbuilding is intricate and incredible with a story to match. The epitome of a coming age story with plenty of action, love, and magic.