Children of Blood and Bone

“My heart beats in my throat as I slow before Father’s throne room, the room I fear most. The first place where he ordered Inan and me to spar.”

Two key facts are revealed about Amari with this quote. First, it alludes to her history of trauma at the hands of her father and brother. Secondly, it highlights that she is willing to sacrifice her safety and wellbeing for those she loves, in this case Binta. This moment contrasts with her eventual triumph over her fear, as she faces and defeats her father at the end of the novel.

“My anger twists into a black rage, a darkness I sensed in Mama whenever the guards dared to get in her way. With its rush, I want to shove him back and snap each of the soldier’s fat fingers. But with my rage comes Tzain’s concern. Baba’s heartache. Mama Agba’s scolding.”

Zélie attempts to repress her anger when she is assaulted by guards outside of the city of Lagos. This moment showcases her desire to become a steadier, more decisive person. It also foreshadows that she will share the same type of magic as her mother, highlighted by both her own comparison to her mother and the description of “black” rage matching the energy she releases at the end of the novel.

“I failed him today. Him, and my kingdom. I let a divîner wreak havoc on all of Lagos. Of course he’s going to punish me.”

Inan’s biggest concern is finding his father’s approval. He internalizes his failure to capture Zélie and Amari, considering it solely his responsibility. He has also normalized the beatings his father gives him as justified, indicating that Inan places his father ahead of his kingdom in terms of priorities and highlighting how desperately he wants his father to be proud of him.

“I crush the spark inside of me before it can blossom into hope.”

When Amari presents Zélie and Tzain with the scroll for the first time, the two fight against their hope and disbelieve what she says. After a decade of subjugation at the hands of the monarchy, they are afraid to feel hopeful for anything in case it is taken away from them. This shows both their attempts to be practical and the impact trauma has had on their psyche.

“Though the cool metal usually anchors me, today it’s warm to the touch. It almost stings as it passes through my fingers, burning with Father’s impending truth.”

Inan sees the majacite pawn as a representation of his father and holds it for comfort. This also foreshadows the discovery of his impending magical abilities, as the usually cool object is now hot, as the majacite reacts with his now-magical blood.

“My eyes go back to the jagged white streak running through the prince’s hair, the only true marker of a maji. Our hair is always as stark and white as the snow that covers the mountaintops of Ibadan, a marker so dominant, even the blackest dye couldn’t hide maji hair for more than a few hours.”

Zélie identifies the white hair growing on Inan’s head that indicates he possesses magical blood. This moment also provides the reader with important context for why divîners don’t try to hide their hair, outlining why it is not possible to pose as a non-magical person.

“‘I know this won’t change anything, but I’m sorry,’ Amari whispers so quietly I can barely hear her. ‘The pain of losing a person you love, it’s…’ She squeezes her eyes shut. ‘I know you hate my father. I understand why you hate me, too.’”

This is Amari and Zélie’s first step towards reconciling and becoming friends. Amari reaches out with empathy towards Zélie, connecting through love and pain. Zélie responds favorably to this interaction, and the two begin to understand each other much better, recognizing each other as traumatized survivors with deep love in their hearts.

“I listen and watch intently. Binta comforts Amari in a way none of us can. She sings her to sleep with her melodic voice, and when Amari slumbers, Binta takes Mother’s old, dented tiara and places it on Amari’s head....”

Inan experiences a flashback vision of the first time that Amari wore the headdress that becomes her last physical connection to Binta. This outlines the special connection between the two girls and the emotional distance Inan feels from his own sister. Because this reflection takes place after he hurt Amari while sparring, it emphasizes the guilt he feels and his inability to comfort her.

“‘You mustn’t tolerate those who get in your way, Inan.’ Kaea steps over the corpse, wiping her blade clean. ‘Especially those who know too much.’”

Kaea foreshadows her own death after she kills a merchant who had too much information about their mission. By warning Inan in this way, she unintentionally casts herself as someone who could “get in his way” after she discovers his magic. Although her death is accidental, Inan attacks her to keep his secret safe.

“‘Skies…’ It’s almost too hard to bear the sight. Mostly divîners, the laborers outnumber the villagers by hordes, dressed in nothing but tattered rags. Their dark skin blisters under the scorching sun, marred by the dirt and sand seemingly burned into their beings. Each is hardly more than a walking skeleton.”

During Amari’s sheltered upbringing, she did not see the extent of the discrimination and racism the divîners experienced. This moment outlines her first time witnessing the forced labor many are subjected to. She allows the reader to also see this for the first time through fresh eyes, and this encounter gives her perspective on her own complicity in the system, because she spent years unknowingly benefiting from this subjugation. This experience reinforces her desire to help the divîners to make up for all the times she failed to help Binta. This moment fundamentally alters Amari’s perspective, propelling her towards the autonomy and strength she earns by the end of the novel.

“If I’m to have any chance at finding the girl, I have to let all my magic in. The realization haunts me, challenging everything I believe, But the alternative is far worse. Duty before self. Orїsha first.”

Inan is torn between his fear of magic and his sense of duty to his country. Both emotions directly stem from his father, who terrified his children about the power of magic and raised them to put their duty to his regime before everything else. Inan’s desire to find Zélie is rooted primarily in his need to kill her to protect his magical secret and avoid his father’s disdain.

“Father can never know. This monstrosity never occurred. Maybe Father could’ve overlooked me being a maji, but he will never forgive this.”

After Inan kills Kaea accidentally, his first thought is how to hide the event from his father. This highlights how his priorities are actually skewed towards getting approval and affection from King Saran, rather than the duty to Orϊsha he claims to prioritize.

“This time I hold on to Binta’s words, wrapping them around my body like a suit of armor. I can be brave. For Binta, I must be everything.”

Amari chooses to honor Binta’s memory and forces herself to step outside of what is secure and safe. Although this puts her at significant risk, she does so knowing that she must be ready to sacrifice herself for the greater good. She sees her duty to Binta and the rest of the continent as more important than herself, establishing her as a foil to Inan, who takes the opposite approach despite being raised in the same family.

“One by one, the shrieking dead race through me, not to become animations, but to escape. It’s just like the cleanse Mama led every full moon. A final purge to help the spirits pass on to alȃfia.”

Zélie, upon touching the sunstone, steps deeper into her heritage as a Reaper. The souls of divîners are only able to step into the afterlife if they had a peaceful transition from life to death or if their traumatic deaths are cleansed. In this moment, Zélie follows in the footsteps of her mother and successfully helps the spirits transition. This is one of the first moments in which Zélie experiences the beauty of her own magic and the way it is applicable to more than just violent scenarios.

“Looking at Zélie, I finally have the answer to the question I was too afraid to ask. I cannot be like Father. I cannot be that type of king. I let go of her wrists, but inside I let go of so much more. Father’s tactics. His Orїsha. Everything I now realize I don’t want to be. My duty has always been to my kingdom, but it must be for a better Orїsha. A new Orїsha.”

Inan’s empathetic bond with Zélie provides him with vital context for how the world functions for magical people. Along with this, he sees the negative impact his father has had on the population of the country, particularly the violence the magical community has survived. This causes him to challenge his father’s worldview and decide to work towards a more peaceful Orїsha that operates by diplomacy rather than violence.

“Our lack of power and our oppression are one in the same, Inan. Without power we’re maggots. Without power the monarchy treats us like scum!”

Zélie highlights a central concern in situations of oppression: Because her people have no magical, political, or social power, they unable to protect themselves from discrimination and experience blatant racism. The only way to ensure security is to access power that will allow the maji to negotiate for more fair treatment and revolt against their oppressors.

“All at once, I crumple to the ground, clasping my palm over my mouth to stifle the sobs. It doesn’t matter how strong I get, how much power my magic wields. They will always hate me in this world.”

Zélie experiences a moment of weakness as she tries to grapple with the disparity between her decade of abuse and her newfound capabilities. It is the first moment that she expresses doubt, which later results in her shift in perspective as she tries to reconcile her thoughts on magic with her experiences.

“‘Your magic isn’t poison.’ Her voice shakes. ‘You are. You push it down, you fight it back. You carry around that pathetic toy.’ She stomps over and rips the sȇnet pawn out of my hand, shoving it in my face. ‘This is majacite, you idiot. I’m surprised all your fingers haven’t fallen off.’”

Zélie reveals that the pawn Inan carries as a reminder of his father is made of a material specifically designed to harm magic users. This moment highlights how his attempts to repress his magic, seeking his father’s approval, is extremely harmful to his wellbeing. Furthermore, it shows how little Inan knows about the magical world as he was unable to identify the majacite, emphasizing his need for community and education.

“‘These people.’ I clutch her headdress. ‘They mean the world to me. I love you, Inan, but I won’t allow you to hurt the maji the way you’ve hurt me.’”

Amari stands up to Inan, warning him about his intentions and behaviors. In this moment, she chooses the maji over her brother without hesitation, seeking to defend them against potential harm. By having this discussion with a member of her family, Amari clearly and decisively chooses a side and commits herself to the magical cause. This is yet another step in her journey to full authority and autonomy.

“Inan stares at me, a flash of tears in his eyes. ‘You think I want this? You think after planning a new kingdom with you I want this?’ I see my own grief reflected in his eyes. The death of our dream. The future Orїsha will never see. ‘I thought things could be different. I wanted them to be different. But after what we just saw, we have no choice. We can’t give people that kind of power.’”

Inan’s deep fear of magic resurfaces because of a maji using their power to defend the divîners against attacking soldiers. He no longer believes in diplomacy and returns to a perspective that magic users must be suppressed to keep the continent safe. This juxtaposes with Zélie’s experience, as she reasserts her belief that magic must be returned to the divîners because the magic users tried to settle matters peacefully before the soldiers escalated the situation. This moment stands as the point of no return for both characters, as their connection is severed by differences in ideology.

“Father removes his black majacite blade from its sheath and points to an inscription on the tip that I have never seen: Duty Before Self. Kingdom Before King. […] Father extends his sword to me and my stomach clenches, unable to believe the gesture. All my life, I’ve never seen my father without the blade strapped to his side.”

King Saran presents his sword to Inan in the first open acknowledgement of his approval and affection for his son. This comes after Inan gives up his hope for a brighter future, a future he shares with Zélie. Inan takes the inscription to heart. It serves as the encouragement for his final betrayal, symbolizing his absolute devotion to his father’s cause. 

“I hold Zélie close as she sobs into my arms, releasing everything she’s been trying to hide. My own throat chokes up with her cries; it’s my family who’s caused her all this pain. Holding Zélie makes me wonder about Binta and all the days she probably needed this. She was there for me in all my struggles, yet I never got to be there for her in the same way.”

Following Zélie’s torture, she and Amari reach a new level of understanding. They both have suffered deep trauma at the hands of King Saran, and this trauma ties them together and allows them to bond in a way previously inaccessible. Amari also uses this moment to reflect on how she has grown as a person and regret that she was not who she has grown to be for Binta. This showcases not only her growth as a character but also her capacity for reflection.

“I’ve sacrificed too much for it to end this way. All the pain I caused in his name.”

At the climax of the novel, Inan exposes his magical powers and his father connects him to Kaea’s death. Inan’s efforts to satisfy his father and gain his approval are met with murder. He is betrayed by the man he sacrificed everything for. In having given up his morals to satisfy his father’s desires, Inan betrayed others and himself, and he ends the novel alone.