I just had my heart stomped on and couldn’t be happier about it. What a phenomenal book this was. I have to admit, I’ve been hyped for this book since the cover reveal months ago. It quickly became one of my most anticipated books of 2018.

That being said, I did try to temper my expectations before jumping into this book because it was so hyped. Fortunately, this book deserves all the hype it gets. CBB is beautiful, hopeful, and heartbreaking at the same time.

I will say, the plot of this story isn’t necessarily the most unique I’ve ever read. In a world where magic has been all but eradicated, a young girl discovers a way to bring it back permanently for her people. I’ve read books with similar concepts before. However, where this book excels is in its world-building and character development, which eclipses any issues I had with the less-than-original plot.

I absolutely love these characters. Zélie and Amari are such wonderful female protagonists. I love the fact that they are so different, and yet they are able to overcome those differences to work together for a common purpose. They are both strong in their own way, and they complement each other so well. I think Amari may actually be my favorite character in this book, which is funny because for the first hundred pages or so I wasn’t a fan of hers.
Inan was such a complex and disturbed character. He’s definitely someone I rooted for, even as he struggles with his own brand of morality. The one thing you can say about him is that he is doing what he thinks is best for his kingdom, even if you don’t agree with his actions. I liked that the author didn’t back down from exploring him and his justifications for his actions.

The world-building is another strength of this book. I felt like her descriptions were really well done and I could picture the world around me perfectly. The world she created felt so real, the culture so complex. We learned about traditions, customs, art, mythology, politics, class structure, and so many other things that just went into creating a rich world. The one thing I would critique is that I wish we’d had a pronunciation guide for some of the names and other words the author used throughout the book.

In the author’s note, Adeyemi talked about how she drew inspiration for this book from all of the horrific stories we see in the news on a far too regular basis about unarmed black men, women, and children being gunned down by people who are supposed to be protecting them. I think that inspiration is absolutely apparent for anyone who lives in our society today. I think she did a wonderful job creating a beautiful, empowering story out of something so tragic and frankly unacceptable.

And lastly, can we talk about the cover one more time? How stunning is that cover?!?! I. Just. Can’t.

I need the next book, like, now.