Legacy of Orisha - book 2: Children of Virtue and Vengeance

Children of Virtue and Vengeance is the breathtaking second title in Tomi Adeyemi's YA fantasy trilogy, Legacy of Orisha, following her ground-breaking, West African-inspired debut Children of Blood and Bone.

After battling the impossible, Zelie and Amari have finally succeeded in bringing magic back to the land of Orisha. But the ritual was more powerful than they imagined, reigniting the powers of not only the maji but also some nobles with magic ancestry.

Now, Zelie struggles to unite the maji in an Orisha where the enemy is just as strong and magical as they are. When Amari's mother forms an army of royals with newly awakened powers, Zelie fights to secure Amari's right to the throne and protect the new maji from the monarchy's wrath.

But with civil war looming on the horizon, Zelie finds herself at a breaking point: she must find a way to bring the kingdom together or watch as Orisha tears itself apart.

"Black Girl Magic indeed! It's no surprise that this epic trilogy opener has already been optioned for film. Full of cinematic action sequences (the most memorable of them set underwater and employing an army of the dead) and creatures worthy of Star Wars (horse-sized lionaires have saber teeth and horns), it storms the boundaries of imagination. Yet it also confronts the conscience. Adeyemi's brutally depicted war between the noble, lighter-skinned kosidans, and the enslaved, darker-skinned majis poses thought-provoking questions about race, class, and authority that hold up a warning mirror to our sharply divided society."
The New York Times, on Children of Blood and Bone

"Infused with rich mythology of west Africa, Adeyemi's lush world-building and consummate plotting breathes new life into a YA fantasy epic. Themes of oppression and racism resonate all too strongly in today's political climate. The cliffhanger ending may leave some readers reeling but, rest assured, this is first in a trilogy."
Observer, on Children of Blood and Bone

"Epic fantasy YA debut of magic and war."
Guardian, on Children of Blood and Bone