Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Children of Blood and Bone, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Prejudice and Inequality
Duty to Family vs. Self
Faith and Tradition
Cycles of Violence
Summary
Analysis
Zélie remembers when her mother was killed in the Raid, when she swore never to let anything like this happen again—but now it has, as the life drains from her father. Zélie is filled with images of Baba’s life. It is the greatest blood magic—and it summons her powers back.
Zélie feels once again that she has let down her responsibility to protect her family members, which is a deeply painful feeling. However, the depth of this pain also allows her to reconnect with her magic, showing the way that her faith is connected to sacrifice.
Themes
As the guards approach Zélie, she sends her magic arrowing at them. All she wants is blood and death, to avenge her fallen family, but she hears Baba’s voice telling her that revenge is not the path—she must fix things. She needs to restore magic, so that the maji can finally be treated with respect, so they can ward off violence with the threat of their own power.
Zélie feels tempted to fight the death of her father with more death, but on some level she knows that such tactics are self-defeating—nor will they bring her peace. Instead, she needs to focus on her broader aim of restoring equality to the kingdom, and giving the maji the power to fight their oppressors.
Themes
