Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy of Orïsha, #2)

by Tomi Adeyemi

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.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

5 of 5 stars

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Children of Virtue and Vengeance is the second novel in Tomi Adeyemi’s Legacy of Orisha series. And that means this is a book that fans have been looking forward to all year. And with good reason! Children of Blood and Bone immediately caught our attention, captivating readers and then leaving us desperate for more.
Orisha is still torn apart by war and hate. Zelie, alongside Amari and Tzain, brought back magic to Orisha. But things didn’t go at all how Zelie planned. Or hoped. The magic came back to the maji, but it also went to some of the nobles as well. And that means the war against the Maji is far from over.
Zelie has given up so much for this quest of hers. And now the end she had been hoping for is nowhere in sight. She started this quest with the best intentions in mind, with hope high in her heart. But now she’s seen the worst of what her country has to offer, and she’s sacrificed so much to get to this point.
Amari is still determined to be the queen she believes her country deserves. Her father is dead, and her brother presumably so as well. That leaves Amari free to take the throne and save her people. But the real question is; how is Amari planning on making them all listen?

“I open my eyes to the cold, gray sky; to the howling ocean crashing against Jimeta’s rocky bluffs. I can’t stay in the past.”

Children of Virtue and Vengeance was a powerful and intense read, from cover to cover. This is one of those books you’re not going to want to put down. Seriously, I mean it. Put aside some time to read this book all in one go, if you can manage it. You won’t regret it.
I honestly can’t get over how brilliant this book was. I’ve been looking forward to it ever since I finished reading Children of Blood and Bone (which admittedly I took longer to get around to than I’d like to admit). But I wasn’t sure if the sequel would hold to my expectations. But it honestly and very seriously did. I couldn’t be happier with what Tomi Adeyemi came out with here.
The writing in this book was intense and compelling. Adeyemi was very careful in the way that she handled some of the characters. But I still couldn’t help but notice some intentional parallels being drawn. They’re perfect and carry the story even further.
And man, the emotions this book made me feel! I’m anticipating a book hangover in my future because this one really got to me. And I mean that in the best of ways, of course. Children of Virtue and Vengeance had all of the highs and lows one would expect from an epic piece such as this. And then perhaps a few little extra twists.
I was thrilled by the chance to learn more about the maji; their history, culture, and way of magic. It was exactly what I had been hoping to see, and yet I still wouldn’t say no to seeing even more of it.
One thing I will warn readers (spoiler warning). This book does end in a bit of a cliffhanger. Like, I’m already chewing on my nails from my anxiousness to start reading the next book. It’s not an awful cliffhanger…but it will hurt those of us that are seriously invested in Zelie’s tale.
On the bright side, that just means we’re going to be all the more eager for any news from Tomi Adeyemi about her next novel. And that I’ll probably reread Children of Virtue and Vengeance in the meantime, because I didn’t give myself a whole lot of time to savor it (can you blame me?).

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 4 December, 2019: Finished reading
  • 4 December, 2019: Reviewed