Nearly every time I go inside my local Indigo shop (it’s like the Canadian version of Barnes & Noble), and walk past the Black authors section, I think about picking up a copy of Tomi Adeyemi‘s 2018 YA novel Children of Blood and Bone. To begin, the cover is striking; it always catches my eye, the story sounds awesome, and I’ve been meaning to read more Black authors in general. When I heard Gina Prince-Bythewood was directing Paramount‘s adaptation of the first novel in Adeyemi’s series, I got excited. Prince-Bythewood’s version of the story premieres on January 15, but there’s one person who won’t be watching, the book’s author, Tomi Adeyemi.
Adeyemi distances herself from Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation
When asked by fans why she hasn’t been more vocal about the upcoming adaptation, Adeyemi revealed she has no plans to watch Paramount’s version of her book, saying on TikTok, “There is a reason I will not post anything about the adaptation of my work. That’s all.”
“And lastly since someone asked – I have not seen the film, and I will not watch it,” added Adeyemi, who also co-wrote the film with Prince-Bythewood. “It’s been painful holding this back from you all. … And I’m sorry if any of you thought I didn’t care about US. More than any glitter.”
Additionally, Adeyemi shared a screenshot of a DM she reportedly sent to Amandla Stenberg, who plays Princess Amari in the upcoming film. “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me,” the message said. Outlets have reached out to Stenberg’s reps for comment, but have not heard back yet.
According to the DM’s timestamp, Adeyemi sent the message to Stenberg in late February.
@tomi.adeyemi ✨🐉 for everyone’s who’s been asking – i’m answering this question once and for all. #childrenofbloodandbone #tomiadeyemi #booktok #blackbooktok ♬ original sound – shaalo_
Stenberg shares a heartening exchange between her and Adeyemi
“I had the opportunity to meet Tomi, the novelist, for the first time,” said Stenberg at the time. “Then, she goes, ‘Amandla, I want you to know that when you were a little girl and were cast as Rue in The Hunger Games, and you had these racist remarks thrown at you because people said that Rue’s death wouldn’t be as sad because you’re a Black girl — that inspired me to write this series, so that Black girls like you and Black girls of all shades could have a story written about them.’ We just started crying, and I said to myself, ‘God wants me here!'”
Here’s a description of Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone novel, courtesy of Amazon:
They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.
Now we rise.
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.
CinemaCon Footage
We were actually present at the much-discussed screening of footage from the film at CinemaCon. It looked like a pretty ambitious film, with an all-star cast that includes F1 breakout Damson Idris, Idris Elba, and Chiwetel Ejiofor in a rare villainous turn. It’s a shame Adeyemi isn’t on board, as it looks like a movie that could theoretically launch an intriguing new franchise.
Children of Blood and Bone is the first book in Tomi Adeyemi’s Legacy of Orïsha trilogy. Gina Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation of the first book premieres on January 15, 2027.
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