Children of Virtue and Vengeance

Tomi Adeyemi

Dec 2019 · Legacy of Orisha Book 2 · Sold by Henry Holt and Company (BYR)

About this ebook

An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA Book Club Pick

"Adeyemi has sparked magic once again." —The New York Times

After battling the impossible, Zélie and Amari have finally succeeded in bringing magic back to the land of Orïsha. But the ritual was more powerful than they could’ve imagined, reigniting the powers of not only the maji, but of nobles with magic ancestry, too.

Now, Zélie struggles to unite the maji in an Orïsha where the enemy is just as powerful as they are. But when the monarchy and military unite to keep control of Orïsha, Zélie must fight to secure Amari's right to the throne and protect the new maji from the monarchy's wrath.

With civil war looming on the horizon, Zélie finds herself at a breaking point: she must discover a way to bring the kingdom together or watch as Orïsha tears itself apart.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance is the stunning sequel to Tomi Adeyemi's New York Times-bestselling debut Children of Blood and Bone, the first book in the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy.

Praise for Children of Virtue and Vengeance:

“Electrifying . . . With this second book Adeyemi brings a new maturity and depth to the series. Her characters are no longer underdogs on a hero’s journey to return magic―now they are leaders who are suffering from the consequences and trauma of their previous quest.” ―The New York Times

“Like its predecessor, Children of Virtue and Vengeance is fast-paced and unafraid to ask tough questions about the cyclical nature of oppression and the systems that enforce it.” ―TIME

“Relentless even beyond its finish, this is a sure-fire hit.” ―Booklist, starred review

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The Complete Legacy of Orïsha Series:

Children of Blood and Bone (Book 1)
Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Book 2)
Children of Anguish and Anarchy (Book 3)

Ratings and reviews

Growing up I loved learning the different mythologies of the world so I'm glad to have discovered this series. That said, I wish she would have included an additional appendix complete with the meaning of certain words and how to pronounce them. She uses alot of cultural themes and references that are lost on people who aren't culturally African. If the idea is to connect and appreciate afro-culture a appendix or even a companion guide would help in this regard.

Really disappointed in this book actually. The beginning starts off slow but then picks up with the introduction of the royal family soon gaining powers. The relationship between Zelie and Amani felt strained and was well fleshed out but as it continued it became enragingly annoying as Zelie soon becomes hateful and stupid. She loses that cool edge and becomes another boring character. Her brother feels like such a wallflower throughout and Zelies love interests (yes plural) are now confusing and dont make sense. This book unfortunately suffered from middle book syndrome. The set up from the final fight leading towards the next book was fast and left me confused. I'm now worried for the final wrap up to the trilogy.

I'm sorry to say that this was a let down after the beauty of the first book. Slow, dry and perfunctory, a chore to read at times with a very anticlimactic and unsatisfying finish. Disappointing...

About the author

Named one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people, Tomi Adeyemi is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Nigerian-American writer and storyteller based in Los Angeles, CA. After graduating from Harvard University with an honors degree in English literature, she studied West African mythology, religion, and culture in Salvador, Brazil. Her first novel, Children of Blood and Bone, debuted at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller list and is being developed into a movie by Disney's Fox & Lucasfilm. Its highly anticipated sequel, Children of Virtue and Vengeance, also debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. When she’s not working or playing with puppies, Tomi can be found teaching creative writing at thewritersroadmap.net. In 2020, she was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Media, and her website has been named one of the 101 best websites for writers by Writer’s Digest.