Children of Blood and Bone is a 2018 young adult romantic fantasy novel by Nigerian-American novelist Tomi Adeyemi.

Writing the book over 18 months and 45 drafts, Adeyemi drew inspiration from novels like Harry Potter and An Ember in the Ashes as well as West African mythology and the Yoruba culture and language.

The hopelessness she felt at police shootings of black Americans also motivated her to develop the story of Children of Blood and Bone.

The book received one of the biggest young adult publishing deals ever, including preemptive sale of film rights to Paramount Pictures.

Debuting at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list for young adult books, the novel received mostly positive reviews.

The novel takes place in the fictional country of Orïsha, presumably somewhere in an alternate pre-colonial Nigeria and inhabited by two distinct people: divîners (who can become magical maji and who manifest white hair) and non-magical kosidán.

Eleven years prior to the events of the book, King Saran figured out how to switch off magic and ordered the slaying of many defenseless divîners, including the mother of Zélie Adebola.

After visiting the capital city, Lagos, to make enough money to pay off an increased tax on divîners, Zélie and her brother Tzain help a noble girl flee the clutches of local guards.

Pursued by a contingent of guards led by Amari's brother Prince Inan and Admiral Kaea, the three travel to the temple of the maji, Chândomblé.

The temple's remaining priest, Lekan, tells them that they must use the scroll, the bone dagger (which he gives them), and an artifact called the sunstone to perform a ritual to renew the connection between the maji and the gods, who are the source of all magic.

Zélie does not reveal her power loss, and they hire a group of mercenaries, commanded by Roen, who allow them to infiltrate the secret island and temple to perform the ceremony.

"[5] Adeyemi drew inspiration from Yoruba culture and Western fantasy fiction like Harry Potter and Avatar: The Last Airbender and from both West African mythology and the Black Lives Matter movement.

[3][10] She worked hard to map the distances between cities and the time it would take a horse and lion to travel between them,[4] as well as reasoning through the logical implications of her creative choices, such as having characters ride big cats.

[1] Adeyemi entered Pitch Wars, a competition that matches emerging writers with mentor editors and authors to revise their work before submitting them to literary agents.

[20][3] While they struggle with the weight of these obligations, the point-of-view characters in the book are able to demonstrate wisdom, courage and compassion beyond that of the adults they are seeking to please.

[21] There is a great deal of loss in the book, with several characters important to the protagonists dying, but Zélie and Amari continue in their efforts.

"[23] Charisse Jones of USA Today praised the novel, giving it four out of four stars: "While Tomi Adeyemi's Africa-inspired fantasy was written for young adults, readers of all ages will be captivated by this engrossing tale".

[10] Author and poet Kiran Millwood Hargrave in The Guardian praised, "the hate-to-love romance [that] comes with high stakes, and the relationship is realistically and passionately realised.

"[34] Maggie Knapp in School Library Journal wrote of Turpin's ability to provide unique and distinguishable voices for both the main and supporting characters.

"[32] AudioFile magazine named it one of the best audiobooks of the year, praising Turpin's voices and her abilities to capture other elements of the novel, such as Yoruba incantations.

[36] Prior to publication, Children of Blood and Bone was optioned for a film adaptation produced by Fox 2000 Pictures and Temple Hill Productions.

[12] Adeyemi had appreciated the work Fox 2000 and Temple Hill had done in producing Love, Simon and that they were the studios adapting The Hate U Give to film.

[38] Adeyemi has said her dream cast would have Idris Elba in the role of Saran and Viola Davis playing Mama Agba.

[39] In September 2019, while talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Alan Horn revealed Kathleen Kennedy was in fact working with sister studio 20th Century Fox's chairman Emma Watts in developing the film.

Since Lucasfilm had wanted to focus on its own intellectual properties Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Willow, it and 20th Century Studios had allowed the film rights to Children of Blood and Bone to lapse in late 2021.