Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi Book Review

Title: Children of Virtue and Vengeance
Author: Tomi Adeyemi
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, African Mythology
Year of Publication: 2019
Date of Publication: December 3, 2019
Pages: 448
ISBN-10: 1250170990
ISBN-13: 978-1250170996

Our Rating of This Book

Summary of Children of Virtue and Vengeance

Children of Virtue and Vengeance is the second installment in Tomi Adeyemi’s Legacy of Orïsha series. The story picks up after the events of Children of Blood and Bone. Remember Zélie and Amari have succeeded in bringing magic back to Orïsha.

However, their victory is short-lived as they discover that the ritual not only restored magic to the Maji but it surprisingly also gave powers to some of the nobles who have magic in their ancestry. These nobles become known as the Tîtáns. The Tîtáns had no power before the ritual but once the ritual was completed, their magic was awakened.

We learn about a Maji rebellion group that is formed to fight against the Tîtáns. They call them the Iyika. The Iyika and the Tîtáns clash as each side claims to be fighting for the good of their people.

Main Plot & Characters

Zélie is now a Reaper with the ability to command the dead. She deals with the loss of her father and the responsibilities of leading the Maji. Amari, the princess who once sought to end her father’s tyrannical rule, finds herself at odds with Zélie as they differ on how to unite the kingdom. Alliances are tested and a civil war looms between the Maji and the monarchy.

Key characters include:

Zélie, Amari, and Inan: The three of them return in this book.
Roën: The leader of a mercenary crew. He loves to flirt with Zélie and calls her “zïtsōl,” which means home.
Queen Nehanda Olúborí. She’s King Saran’s wife and the mother of both Inan and Amari.
Mama Agba – the wise, seasoned healer and clan leader who founded the Iyika rebellion.
Mâzeli: One of the reapers who Zélie comes to care for.
Ojore: Inan’s adoptive cousin who serves as an Admiral in the monarchy’s army.
General Jokôye. He is depicted as a stern, unwavering commander who strongly supports King Saran and Queen Nehanda’s hardline stance against the Maji.

Writing Style

Once again, Tomi Adeyemi uses multi-perspective to tell the story. We get to see the narrative unfold through the eyes of Zélie, Amari, and Inan. She captures the intensity of battles and the depth of personal struggles of each character.

As a reader, you are conflicted by each point of view. You can see reason why each side takes the actions they do and half way through the book, you are conflicted on how it would all end. Would Orïsha fall because of mutual anger, hate, or just pure vengeance?

When it comes to the pacing, it is super fast, one event quickly rolls into another. For world building, there weren’t as many new places introduced instead a lot of the book takes place in Lagos, Ibadan and the Temple from the first Installment where Lekan, the sêntaro, had done the ritual on Zélie.

Just like the first book Tomi Adeyemi integrates the culture using not just Yoruba language but with foods that add to the authenticity of the story. The characters talk about foods such as sweet plantains, fried bean cakes, Egusi soup, and even suya!

Favorite Quotes

“Duty over self. Duty above all else.”— Words of King Saran
“Orïsha waits for no one.”— Amari recounting her father’s words.
“Then the greatest reaper who ever lived better get it on the first try.”— Zélie