Tomi Adeyemi has brought back the gods and to be honest, she is a goddess herself. At the age of 23, the Nigerian-American author, speaker and fashionista opened the doors to Afro-fantasy books with her debut novel. Children of Blood and Bone in 2018. The fantasy world, set in a reimagined Nigeria, stars Zélie Adebola, a young fortune teller who strives to restore magic to her village after an oppressive monarchy takes it away. Seven years later, Adeyemi has two #1s News from New York best sellers, Children of Blood and Bone and the sequel Children of virtue and revenge.
Now, with millions of copies sold worldwide and a movie in the works The Lady King director Gina Prince-Bythewood at the helm, her Legacy of Orïsha trilogy ends with Children of anguish and anarchy, published on June 25. As Adeyemi's characters have grown and matured, so has she. At 30, she's embracing and reveling in being a creator who can do whatever she wants, like Beyoncé.
Unearthing several protagonists through an illustrative moment
“I look at the world, and I just see the fabric of the world… I just see this as part of the fabric of the world. And so I'm grateful,” Adeyemi says nerdy. “I'm grateful to play a role with all the amazing creators and storytellers who have been fighting this fight, not just in our generation, but I even look at Gina Prince-Bythewood, who has been creating these stories for us for 30 years. It's an incredible opportunity, and I'm excited to continue to see this story spread around the world.”
Adeyemi did not always see himself within the fabric of the literary world. Although always a voracious reader, Adeyemi could not be seen on the page. This lack of representation initially influenced the way his characters were described. He usually wrote what he wanted his life to be; however, their titular characters were often white or biracial black girls. When she got to college, she started looking back at her writing and had an awakening: it had been erased from her subconscious just as her Negrita was ignored in the books she read.
“We grew up with these amazing fantasy novels, these amazing characters, but in the same way that I can watch a Bollywood movie every day for three years and believe in love… destiny… family … the color … the music … the dance is the same way I can look like all these worlds and consume them and love them and say, oh wait, I don't belong here.” said Adeyemi. “And even if she didn't consciously tell me, I noticed it and subconsciously internalized it because how does a little girl spend ten years writing from her imagination?”
This personal journey of self-discovery and fulfillment is a common thread that connects Adeyemi's work with her readers, fostering a sense of empathy, understanding and pride.
The tangible impact of Tomi Adeyemi Children of Blood and Bone
Since the debut of her first novel, a wave of YA fantasy novels with black protagonists, such as The Goldens by Namina Forna, The skin of the sea by Natasha Bowen and Blood at the root by LaDarrion Williams, have emerged. This increase in diverse representation is a testament to the transformative power of Adeyemi's work, inspiring a new generation of writers and readers.
Now, with her characters Zélie and Amari, dark-skinned, frizzy-haired black girls, as the newest faces of fantasy, Adeyemi sees a new future for the next generation of black girls. She believes that the popularity of her book series and upcoming movie will make it impossible for a young black woman to not be seen on bookshelves, television screens, movies, and even toys.
“I'm very excited because when I left Children of Blood and Bone in 2018, there were none [many] covers like Zélie,” Adeyemi notes. “They were few and far between. Now, if you click on Children of Blood and Bone, the algorithm will show you dozens of fantasy novels with beautiful black girls on the cover. I [it will be] similar to this [movie adaptation]. When I was writing Children of Blood and Bone, Black Panther he had not yet been released. So now, to actively bring this trilogy to a close in book form, to actively awaken this franchise and film form, to meet with the cast and production, and just to see all the collective genius…brought to life in this movie… in two generations, I don't think a young Tomi will have a chance to not see herself.
Inserting Ifa and the Orishas into a fantasy world
The representation that Adeyemi has brought to the culture goes beyond the phenotype. His series highlights the ancient traditional African religion of Ifa – the Yoruba tradition practiced in the black diaspora.
Although she was raised by two Nigerian parents, Adeyemi did not learn about the Orishas until she did a fellowship in Bahia, Brazil, after graduating from Harvard University with a degree in English literature. She stumbled upon a shop in the market with the Orishas strewn on plates and was amazed. I had never seen or read about gods that looked like her. Through his Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, he has brought these revered Nigerian deities to the forefront of pop culture, instilling a sense of pride and admiration for Nigerian heritage and culture in his readers.
“The way the Yoruba tradition has spread throughout the diaspora, whether you call it Ifa, Candomblé, Santeria… it's human, spiritual and divine,” Adeyemi said. “And when I started this journey with this trilogy and I saw the Orishas for the first time, I was surprised, I guess, by my own divinity because I had never even imagined myself in a divine light. So to be face to face with these ceramic dishes and not even know what I was looking at, but to see African divinity and be like, wow, here we are.”
He said being able to help bring Ifa and the Orishas out of the shadows while breaking the stigma and stereotypes around the divination system has been beautiful and glorious. The reception of the fans continues in Adeyemi's heart. Those who practice Ifa feel seen, and those who discovered the Orishas through this series say that this knowledge was life-changing.
Children of Blood and Bone It moves to live action as Children of anguish and anarchy Enter the shelves
Now, the movie is moving forward, with Adeyemi announcing that casting is underway. He can't wait to see how people react to the film and says that working on the film has been impressive. So many creative geniuses, who he won't name, are on board to bring his story to life.
“[There are] Academy Award nominees who have designed things that have taken over pop culture in front of the camera, behind the camera…bringing one hundred percent of their genius to 1% of this story ” he teases. “And every time, just my mind doesn't know what to do with it… to have a genius come in and say, 'Look at all the details I'm using to build [this world].' To see a fight coordinator design a style for Zélie that no one has ever seen, that has never existed, and show it to me… like, what the hell did I just see? This is changing cinema, and it's all of us…it's crazy and wonderful to have [people that look like us] in the lead.”
The excitement over the movie and the latest installment is not limited to Adeyemi. Turned on Children of anguish and anarchyrelease date of, kicked off his long-awaited book tour at Barnes & Noble-Union Square in New York. When she entered the sold-out affair wearing a stunning burgundy leather ensemble designed by British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker, she received a standing ovation with fans chanting: “Tomi, Tomi!”
The emotions that culminated at the end of this seven-year journey overwhelmed her as she tearfully thanked her fans and family in attendance for all the support they had shown her. After trying—and failing—to keep the tears at bay, she allowed herself a beautiful moment of vulnerability.
“This is not even about the book; it's about looking into this room…you've been reading this and supporting me, and supporting this series makes you everything you're blinded to look at right now…thanks for being here,” said entre tears.” This has been the journey of a lifetime and encapsulates much of the first half of my life. It encapsulates the girl in her room watching Naruto and reading Harry Potter. The teenager who used to desperately come to Barnes & Noble… touch the books dramatically… even walking around Barnes & Noble is very emotional. To walk into that room and see all your faces means a lot to me.”
As Orisha's legacy continues to be a global phenomenon, Adeyemi is breaking the glass ceiling in terms of what black writers, young Nigerians and others in the diaspora can achieve. However, she says she's not focused on comparisons to being called “Black JK Rowling” (Editor's Note: Nobody wants to be like her in 2024.) or Octavia Butler, the mother of Afrofuturism. In her words, just call her move because she is only competing against herself.
“I think there are great people who have done incredible things,” says Adeyemi to close our interview. “I'm still fascinated by Octavia Butler; I have to write a foreword apparent for the new edition… and that has been an incredible honor. It's an incredible honor to be compared to a literary titan. Even if it is [considered] a literary [icon]i still want to wear [my] boxing gloves and how they fight [my]myself and better and stronger and deeper and learn more about the human experience and then you like to take yourself to church.”
