19 books we can’t wait to get our hands on in 2019

Children of Virtue and Vengeance – Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bone was another huge hit released during 2018, made considerably more impressive by the fact that it was a debut novel. And Tomi Adeyemi is wasting no time releasing the sequel to her African-inspired fantasy story. Children of Virtue and Vengeance is set to hit bookstores in March, and fantasy lovers are already itching to get their hands on it.

While the first novel dealt with the disappearance of magic from the land of Orïsha, its sequel focuses on magic’s return. And though Zélie and Amari are happy to have successfully brought back magic, they’re also surprised by how powerful the ritual turned out to be. Not only did they awaken the powers of the maji, but they’ve also sparked magic in nobles whose ancestors once possessed it.

And though the playing field has been leveled, the two groups refuse to unite over their similar powers. Instead, the nobles view their new strength as a way to fight the maji, and the maji become more determined to defend themselves. There’s also the problem of the throne. The monarchy and military of Orïsha insist on keeping Amari off of it, despite the fact that she’s the rightful heir—and probably the only shot at uniting the kingdom.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Zélie and Amari can actually prevent their kingdom from splitting in two, especially given that Zélie has experienced such pain at the hands of the monarch and the military. But if anyone can handle writing that kind of character growth, it’s Adeyemi.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance will be released on March 5.