Jeronimo Yanez, the officer who killed him, was acquitted of all charges.3
These are just a few tragic names in a long list of black lives taken too soon. Mothers ripped from daughters, fathers ripped from sons, and parents who will live the rest of their lives with a grief no parent should have to know.
This is just one of the many problems plaguing our world and there are so many days when these problems still feel bigger than us, but let this book be proof to you that we can always do something to fight back.
As Zélie says in the ritual, “Abogbo wa ni ọmọ r1ẹ nínú 1j1 àti egungun.”
We are all children of blood and bone.
And just like Zélie and Amari, we have the power to change the evils in the world.
We’ve been knocked down for far too long.
Now let’s rise.
1 VELEZ, ASHLEY. “I Made It to 21. Mike Brown Didn’t.” The Root, 2017.
2 PARK, MADISON. “After Cop Shot Castile, 4-Year-Old Worried Her Mom Would Be Next.” CNN, 2017.
3 S MITH, MITCH. “Minnesota Officer Acquitted in Killing of Philando Castile.” The New York Times, 2017.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’VE BEEN BLESSED to know and work with some of the best human beings the world has to offer and I believe that’s only possible because God put them in my life. Thank you, God, for everything You’ve done and all that You’ve blessed me with.
Mom and Dad, thank you for sacrificing everything you knew and loved to give us all the opportunities in the world. I’m forever grateful for your support when I embarked on this dream. Dad, you taught me to never settle and always pushed me to do my best. I love you and I know Grandma’s watching over us every day. Mom, I think my characters lose their moms young because you did and that’s always been my worst fear. Thank you for loving and supporting me in so many ways I can’t even list them all. Also thank you to the aunties and uncles who helped with the Yoruba translations!
Tobi Lou, if you hadn’t been so incredible when we were growing up, my spiteful childhood self wouldn’t have been motivated to be the best I could be. Thank you for pursuing your dreams so relentlessly that I knew it was possible for me to do the same. Toni, you were my mortal enemy for the first fifteen years of your existence and you were so mean to me on 11/25/17. (I told you you’d be sorry!) Nevertheless, I love you dearly, I’m proud of you, and I know you’ll be the most famous Adeyemi.
Jackson, my bae and my beta reader. You’ve believed in me and my book from before the beginning. Thank you for being my number one fan and supporter, and for pushing me when I was too scared to believe in myself. Marc, Deb, and Clay, thank you for accepting me into your family with open arms and grilled cheeses. I love you all, and Clay, I’m proud to call you my little bro.
DJ Michelle “Meesh” Estrella, you are an incredible person and an incredible artist. Thank you for the beautiful symbols in this book!
Brenda Drake, thank you for making such a selfless sacrifice to help so many writers achieve our dreams. Ashley Hearn, you poured your heart and your brilliant mind into this manuscript and you helped me tell the story I wanted to tell the entire time. I love you and I’m so lucky to have been mentored by you!
Hillary Jacobson and Alexandra Machinist, you both defy the term “dream agents” because you’re above and beyond anything I could’ve ever dreamed. You’re brilliant and fierce and I’m so blessed to work with you. Thank you for making the impossible possible.
To Josie Freedman, the most epic film agent ever, thank you for taking me from dreaming of working on a movie to talking with some of the coolest people in Hollywood about my movie. Hana Murrell, Alice Dill, Mairi Friesen-Escandell, and Roxane Edouard, thank you for making my story global. It literally means the world.
Jon Yaged and Jean Feiwel, thank you for believing in me and this series in a way that’s never been done before. You’ve made Macmillan such a wonderful home, and I’m blessed to publish this book with you guys.
DEAREST CHRISTIAN TRIMMER! You’re my Mama Agba: the badass, magical, impeccably dressed elder who gives me tea, a metal staff, and sage wisdom when I need it the most. Thank you for being an incredible champion for me and this book!
DEAREST QUEEN EMPRESS TIFFANY LIAO! You are my Amari. You got down and dirty and stabbed the arena captain to save my life, and you braided my hair on the boat and told me that you believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. Tiff, you are everything and I am blessed to work with such an incredible and brilliant woman. Rich Deas, every line, stroke, and letter in this book is nothing short of brilliant. Thank you for putting the most stunning cover on the book of my heart.
To my Macmillan publicity and marketing team, YOU GUYS ARE INCREDIBLE! Thanks for everything you’ve poured into introducing this book to the world. To my wonderful publicist Molly Ellis, the best days are the ones where I get to email you ten times. I feel so lucky to work with you. Kathryn Little, you’re a brilliant, badass director, and I’ve loved every moment I’ve gotten to interact with you. Mary Van Akin, I can’t type your name without thinking “AND YOU ARE A RENEGADE!” and laughing. You’re the BEST hype woman in publishing. #BBs for life. Mariel Dawson, you’re a goddess and everything you’ve done for this book has been as beautiful and epic as you are. Ashley Woodfolk, you wonderful writer, marketer, and friend. I love you and eternal happy book birthday to The Beauty That Remains! Allison Verost, I know that none of this incredible campaign could’ve happened without your guidance and support. And special thanks to the rest of my amazing team, including Brittany Pearlman, Teresa Ferraiolo, Lucy Del Priore, Katie Halata, Morgan Dubin, Robert Brown, and Jeremy Ross.
Thank you to the Macmillan sales team for your love and support of the book, with special thanks to Jennifer Gonzalez, Jessica Brigman, Jennifer Edwards, Claire Taylor, Mark Von Bargen, Jennifer Golding, Sofrina Hinton, Jaime Ariza, and AJ Murphy. To Tom Nau and everyone in Production who worked with our deadlines to turn this into a real thing! To Melinda Ackell, Valerie Shea, and the copyeditors for your hard work. To Patrick Collins, who made the inside of this book as beautiful as the outside. To Laura Wilson, Brisa Robinson, and Borana Greku at Macmillan Audio. And to every single person in that wonderful building who has done anything for this book, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To the CBB Film Team, there are no words to describe what it means to me to have you behind this movie. Thank you for your enthusiasm and passion for this story. Patrik Medley and Clare Reeth, you are wonderful humans with the most wonderful smiles. Thank you for loving this book and helping it find an amazing home. Elizabeth Gabler, Gillian Bohrer, and Jiao Chen, thank you for giving this book an incredible home with a studio that’s made so many of my favorite movies. I’ve loved every minute spent getting to know you, and I can’t wait for everything to come. Karen Rosenfelt, thank you for bringing your brilliance into producing this movie. Wyck Godfrey, thank you for bringing your love and enthusiasm to this project for as long as you could! Marty Bowen, John Fischer, and Temple Hill Productions, thank you for making the movies I’ve loved since I was a teen, and for adding CBB to your epic list. David Magee and Luke Durett, thank you for creating the brilliant script.
Barry Haldeman, Joel Schoff, Neil Erickson, thank you for working so hard to guide me through this crazy process!
Romina Garber, you’re a light to the universe and a blazing sun in my own life. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend and support. Marissa Lee, you’re talented beyond words and you’ve made me a better person and a better writer. Thank you for all the love and joy you’ve brought into my life! Kristen Ciccarelli, I’m forever grateful for all the times you’ve helped me work through this story and through my own struggles. My life, my book, and my heart are better because I have you. Kester “Kit” Grant, my darling writing wife! You’re a beautiful person inside and out, and I can’t wait for the world to meet A Court of Miracles. Hillary’s Angelz, thank you for the endless so
urce of love, support, and laughs!
Shea Standefer, you are the most compassionate human I’ve ever met, and your talent knows no bounds. Adalyn Taylor Grace, LOLOLOLOMG! You’re my eternal partner in crime and you let me send you so many pictures of BTS and other random men and that makes you a true friend. Thank you both for always being there for me and this book.
Daniel José Older, Sabaa Tahir, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Bryan Konietzko, thank you for creating the stories that made me want to create this book. Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Cordova, and DJO, thank you for helping me make CBB into a story I’m proud to put into the world. Angie Thomas, Leigh Bardugo, Nic Stone, Renée Ahdieh, Marie Lu, and Jason Reynolds, thank you for the love, support, guidance, and inspiration you’ve each given me at different points throughout my journey. I’m proud to be writing in a time when incredible authors like you are putting stories into the world.
Morgan Sherlock and Allie Stratis, I don’t know what I did to get such wonderful best friends, but I’m so glad that I had you growing up and that I still have you both now. I love you, I’m so proud of the women you’ve become, and I will never, ever forgive you for letting me get bangs. Shannon Janico, you have always been an unbelievable friend and you’ve grown into an amazing woman. I love you, and every kid you teach is one of the luckiest kids in the world. Mandi Nyambi, you’re the most intelligent, passionate, and hardworking woman that I know. Thank you for being a sister to me. I love you, I’m proud of you, and keep taking over the world. Yasmeen Audi, Elise Baranouski, and Juliet Bailin, you have always loved, supported, and pushed me to achieve my dreams. I love you and I’m blessed to have you in my life and am so proud of everything you’ve done, and everything you’re going to do. Also Elise, you can use this text as proof whenever someone doubts how close we actually are.
To my friends at TITLE Boxing and Cody Montarbo, thank you for keeping me sane! Lin-Manuel Miranda, thank you for creating such an inspiring work of art that kept me company during my all-nighters. Brilliant Black People, thank you for inspiring and motivating me. Special shout-out to Michelle and Barack Obama, Chance the Rapper, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Shonda Rhimes, Lupita Nyong’o, Ava DuVernay, Zulaikha Patel, Kheris Rogers, Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi.
To my teachers, thank you for helping me discover who I am and what I want to say. Special shout-out to Mr. Friebel, Mrs. Colianni, Mr. McCloud, Mr. Woods, Mr. Wilbur, Joey McMullen, Maria Tartar, Christina Phillips Mattson, Amy Hempel, and John Stauffer.
And last but certainly not least: to my readers. None of this would be possible without you. Thank you for taking a journey into Orïsha. I can’t wait to continue the adventure with you.
THE MAJI CLANS
IKÚ CLAN
MAJI OF LIFE AND DEATH
MAJI TITLE: REAPER
DEITY: OYA
ÈMÍ CLAN
MAJI OF MIND, SPIRIT, AND DREAMS
MAJI TITLE: CONNECTOR
DEITY: ORÍ
OMI CLAN
MAJI OF WATER
MAJI TITLE: TIDER
DEITY: YEMỌJA
INÁ CLAN
MAJI OF FIRE
DEITY: SÀNGÓ
AFÉFÉ CLAN
MAJI OF AIR
MAJI TITLE: WINDER
DEITY: AYAO
AIYE CLAN
MAJI OF IRON AND EARTH
MAJI TITLE: GROUNDER + WELDER
DEITY: ÒGÚN
ÌM3LÈ CLAN
MAJI OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT
MAJI TITLE: LIGHTER
DEITY: OCHUMARE
ÌWÒSÀN CLAN
MAJI OF HEALTH AND DISEASE
MAJI TITLE: HEALER + CANCER
DEITY: BABALÚAYÉ
ARÍRAN CLAN
MAJI OF TIME
MAJI TITLE: SEER
DEITY: ORÚNMILA
ẸRANKO CLAN
MAJI OF ANIMALS
MAJI TITLE: TAMER
DEITY: OXOSI
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tomi Adeyemi is a Nigerian American writer and creative writing coach based in San Diego, California. After graduating from Harvard University with an honors degree in English literature, she studied West African mythology, religion, and culture in Salvador, Brazil. When she’s not working on her novels or watching BTS music videos, she can be found blogging about creative writing at tomiadeyemi.com. Follow her @tomi_adeyemi, or sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Maps
Chapter One: Zélie
Chapter Two: Zélie
Chapter Three: Amari
Chapter Four: Zélie
Chapter Five: Zélie
Chapter Six: Inan
Chapter Seven: Zélie
Chapter Eight: Inan
Chapter Nine: Zélie
Chapter Ten: Zélie
Chapter Eleven: Inan
Chapter Twelve: Zélie
Chapter Thirteen: Zélie
Chapter Fourteen: Inan
Chapter Fifteen: Amari
Chapter Sixteen: Inan
Chapter Seventeen: Amari
Chapter Eighteen: Zélie
Chapter Nineteen: Inan
Chapter Twenty: Zélie
Chapter Twenty-One: Inan
Chapter Twenty-Two: Amari
Chapter Twenty-Three: Zélie
Chapter Twenty-Four: Inan
Chapter Twenty-Five: Zélie
Chapter Twenty-Six: Inan
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Amari
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Amari
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Zélie
Chapter Thirty: Amari
Chapter Thirty-One: Zélie
Chapter Thirty-Two: Amari
Chapter Thirty-Three: Zélie
Chapter Thirty-Four: Amari
Chapter Thirty-Five: Inan
Chapter Thirty-Six: Zélie
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Amari
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Zélie
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Inan
Chapter Forty: Zélie
Chapter Forty-One: Inan
Chapter Forty-Two: Amari
Chapter Forty-Three: Inan
Chapter Forty-Four: Zélie
Chapter Forty-Five: Inan
Chapter Forty-Six: Amari
Chapter Forty-Seven: Inan
Chapter Forty-Eight: Zélie
Chapter Forty-Nine: Amari
Chapter Fifty: Inan
Chapter Fifty-One: Zélie
Chapter Fifty-Two: Amari
Chapter Fifty-Three: Zélie
Chapter Fifty-Four: Inan
Chapter Fifty-Five: Zélie
Chapter Fifty-Six: Zélie
Chapter Fifty-Seven: Amari
Chapter Fifty-Nine: Zélie
Chapter Sixty: Amari
Chapter Sixty-One: Zélie
Chapter Sixty-Two: Amari
Chapter Sixty-Three: Zélie
Chapter Sixty-Four: Inan
Chapter Sixty-Five: Amari
Chapter Sixty-Six: Inan
Chapter Sixty-Seven: Inan
Chapter Sixty-Eight: Amari
Chapter Sixty-Nine: Inan
Chapter Seventy: Zélie
Chapter Seventy-One: Zélie
Chapter Seventy-Two: Zélie
Chapter Seventy-Three: Zélie
Chapter Seventy-Four: Inan
Chapter Seventy-Five: Zélie
Chapter Seventy-Six: Amari
Chapter Seventy-Seven: Zélie
Chapter Seventy-Eight: Zélie
Chapter Seventy-Nine: Zélie
Chapter Eighty: Zélie
Chapter Eighty-One: Inan
Chapter Eighty-Two: Amari
Chapter Eighty-Three: Amari
Chapter Eighty-Four: Zélie
Chapter Eighty-Five: Zélie
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
The Maji Clans
About the Author
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 by Tomi Adeyemi
Henry Holt and Company, Publishers since 1866
Henry Holt® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
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All rights reserved.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017945039
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First hardcover edition, 2018
eBook edition, March 2018
eISBN 9781250170989