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Kosidán
The fictional kingdom of Orïsha is the setting for the book, inspired by West Africa. It is comprised of a number of cities and includes regions in the desert, in the jungle, and on the coast. Many people in Orïsha, especially divîners and those who aid them, live in crippling poverty, while the monarchy reaps their taxes and labor.
Orïsha Quotes in Children of Blood and Bone
The Children of Blood and Bone quotes below are all either spoken by Orïsha or refer to Orïsha. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter One
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Deep down, I know the truth. I knew it the moment I saw the maji of Ibadan in chains. The gods died with our magic.
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Chapter Eleven
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Yemi meets my eyes with a hatred that impales me like a sword. Though her mouth never opens, her voice rings in my skull. “Safe ended a long time ago.”
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Chapter Thirty-Six
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“Those are Father’s words, Inan. His decisions. Not yours. We are our own people. We make our own choices.”
“But he’s right. Inan’s voice cracks. “If we don’t stop magic, Orïsha will fall.”
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Chapter Fifty-Four
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A pit of guilt opens in my chest, tainted with the smell of burning flesh. The fires I watched from the royal palace resurface, the innocent lives burned before my young eyes. A memory I’ve pushed down like my magic, a day I longed to forget. But staring at Zélie now brings it all back: the pain. The tears. The death.
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Chapter Fifty-Six
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The children of Orïsha dance like there’s no tomorrow, each step praising the gods. Their mouths glorify the rapture of liberation, their hearts sing the Yoruba songs of freedom. My ears dance at the words of my language, words I once thought I’d never hear outside my head. They seem to light up the air with their delight. It’s like the whole world can breathe again.
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Chapter Sixty-Six
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In that instant it hits me: Zulaikha’s death. Zélie’s screams. They don’t mean a thing to him. Because they’re maji, they’re nothing. He preaches duty before self, but his Orïsha doesn’t include them. It never has.
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Chapter Seventy-Four
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I stare at the blade; the inscription gleams in the moonlight. Its words simplify my mission, creating space for my pain. A soldier. A great king. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to be. Duty over self. Orïsha over Zélie.
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Chapter Eighty-Three
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I cannot end it like this. If I do that, I’m no better than him. Orïsha will not survive by employing his tactics. Father must be taken down, but it is too much to drive my sword through his heart—Father pulls back his blade. Momentum carries me forward. Before I can pivot, Father swings his sword around and the blade rips across my back.
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Orïsha Term Timeline in Children of Blood and Bone
The timeline below shows where the term Orïsha appears in Children of Blood and Bone. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter One
Yemi, who is a privileged Orïshan, looks down on Zélie and calls her a “maggot” as they are fighting—which only excites...
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Mama Agba begins to tell a familiar story: in the past, the land of Orïsha was home to white-haired maji who could perform all kinds of magic from the gods....
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Chapter Eleven
...King Saran, he repeats to himself, “Duty before self.” He must put the safety of Orïsha before his conscience. Yet he also thinks that these citizens are Orïsha.
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Chapter Nineteen
...sword, which Saran took as a sign of weakness. Saran said that Inan must chose Orïsha over himself by fighting when he does not want to. So, Inan lunged at Amari...
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Chapter Twenty-One
...the first time, Inan stands shocked. He feels that he finally understands Saran. He knows Orïsha cannot survive if that kind of power exists—but, he also thinks he may be able...
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Chapter Thirty-Six
...they can make their own decisions for themselves, as well as for the future of Orïsha.
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Chapter Forty-Four
...but he refuses, panicked. He says that he must keep his magic secret to save Orïsha, because it is the root of all Orïsha’s problems. But she counters that it is...
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Chapter Forty-Seven
...for her. He feels hopeless—he realizes now that instead of being the one to fix Orïsha, he is seemingly inextricable from the problem. Flooded by visions of Zélie’s memories of the...
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Chapter Fifty-Five
Zélie begins to believe Inan really does want to change Orïsha for the better, despite herself. Inan says he can’t bear to see any more blood...
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Chapter Fifty-Nine
...to give up his fear and violence toward the maji. He thinks they can unify Orïsha. Zélie is hopeful for a moment—but then she thinks, again, that magic is too dangerous....
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Chapter Sixty-Three
...outweighs her fear. She knows he is at the core of hate and oppression in Orïsha.
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Chapter Sixty-Five
...and she reveals her identity. She also says that she is the future queen of Orïsha, deciding in that moment that she must circumvent the line of succession to gain the...
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Chapter Sixty-Six
After they kill Zélie, says Saran, they will parade her body around Orïsha to put down any thoughts of rebellion. He says there is no other way, because...
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Chapter Seventy-One
Tzain says they have to find Baba and escape Orïsha. Amari agrees, saying they will regroup and find another way to fight. But one of...
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Chapter Seventy-Two
...fears mercenaries are hiding in every nook and cranny. This is the only place in Orïsha where it is possible to live outside of the long reach of the monarchy.
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...As for his men, Zélie says they will be employed by the future queen of Orïsha. Grinning, Roën agrees to the deal.
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Chapter Seventy-Four
...his heart will make him a noble king. Secretly, Inan thinks that he must choose Orïsha over Zélie. He says he knows how they can get the scroll back.
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Chapter Eighty-One
...with her heartbreak, but he focuses on his goal of ending magic. He can’t let Orïsha burn. He seizes the scroll and tries to focus his magic on it to destroy...
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Chapter Eighty-Five
...all be together. But Mama says it is not his time, nor is it Zélie’s. Orïsha still needs her. The blackness begins to fade as Zélie yells that she cannot leave...
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