Zelie Adebola is an diviner destined to become a maji like her mother. However, King Saran of Orisha found a way to destroy magic and murdered all the maji. The young diviners no longer become magi when they reach maturity. There is no longer magic in the world. There are no Reapers like Zelie's mother who control the dead. There are no tiders to control the water or burners to control fire. There are also no healers or any of the other 10 clans connected to the gods of Orisha. That doesn't mean they aren't oppressed and enslaved by Saran's regime. The diviners are called "maggots" and their families are forced to pay high taxes simply for living. If they are unable to pay those taxes they become slaves to the King and are forced to work till death because of course they can never pay off their accumulated fines and taxes. 

Zelie has been afraid since the day her mother was brutally murdered during the "Raid" that ended magic and her way of life. Because of this fear, she is always trying to prove herself even though she often makes poor decisions with disastrous consequences. One of those decisions involves helping a young woman in the market one day. That choice changes her life and the lives of the people of Orisha forever. 

The young woman she helps is Princess Amari. She is the daughter of King Saran but her life is anything but charmed. She has felt the wrath of her father and the bullying of her mother. On this day she witnesses her father murdering her only friend, her slave Binta, a young diviner. King Saran forces Binta to touch a scroll which awakens her powers. Of course she must then die. Amari steals the scroll and runs. 

Zelie and Amari are forced to flee ahead of the king's soldiers led by the crown prince Inan. Inan has been taught to put Orishi before himself his entire life. He is under his father's thumb. He truly believes magic is the root of all evil even after his own magic is awakened by the touch of the scroll. This causes a deep conflict in Inan that lasts throughout the book. 

Zelie and Amari are joined by Zelie's brother Tzain on their quest to return magic to Orishi. They discover the three artifacts needed for the ritual and Zelie is the key to everything. The path is not easy and many obstacles arise on their quest. Both Zelie and Amari are forever changed by what they discover about themselves and the world around them. 

Zelie has to come to terms with the fact that she is the hope of all the diviners. This is a great responsibility that doesn't always sit well with her. She has doubts brought on by her fear of what could happen to her and to her people. Amari's eyes are opened to the world on her quest. She lived a sheltered life in the palace and now sees the way people in Orisha are treated. She has never desired power but comes to realize she must take it in order to save them all. This is a story about feminine power in a world ruled by men. 

This book took me longer to read than a lot of other books, but it was definitely worth it. It is not an easy story, but it feels like an important one. Even though it is set in a fantasy world the story is very applicable to the world we live in. It is all about the oppression of the people of color who are different than the white ruling class in power. The oppressed diviners are treated horribly including rape, torture and death all while the upper class lives in splendor and ignorance. There were some passages that were almost hard to read but felt so true. 

I think the character of Inan was the one I struggled with the most. He spends the majority of the story doubting himself and believing his father knows best. This causes him to suppress his magic to a dangerous degree and do some terrible things. I really struggled with the blossoming romance between Zelie and Inan. It just didn't make sense that two enemies who never truly found common ground could develop romantic feelings towards each other. However, his story arc was what propelled both Zelie and Amari on their journey's so it did feel justified. 

I think Tomi Adeyemi is an author to watch. This is her debut novel and it was a powerful one. This book speaks to so many things that are currently happening in our world and things that have happened in our history. It feels like truth in a way I can't put into words.