This is an emulation of Tomi Adeyemi's writing style.
How did she use Topic in her writing?
Tomi Adeyemi focuses on topics like oppression, rebellion, power, and cruelty. For example, the main character in her Legacy of OrÏsha series is a descendant of a powerful race of magic users called maji. The King of OrÏsha had destroyed magic and ordered a genocide of all maji above the age of 13. As a result, her people that survived are beaten, enslaved, taken advantage of, and taxed heavily in order to suppress them, despite the fact that they no longer have magic. The main character, along with her brother and the Princess, rebel in order to bring back magic to save the maji. In the process, the Prince and the King’s army are shown ruthlessly killing people while hunting down the three who plan to save the people of OrÏsha. One of Tomi Adeyemi’s inspirations for her Legacy of OrÏsha series are the Orisha which are supernatural entities, also known as deities, of the Yoruba religion of West Africa. Adeyemi used the names of the states in Southwestern Nigeria, where Yoruba originated, as the names of the Gods and Goddesses that granted the maji power. She also looked at subjects from African mythology to the Black Lives Matter movement to garner inspiration.
How did she use Characters and Speaker in her writing?
In both Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance, the characters are powerful and intricate people with many sides to them. Through the use of multiple first person point of views, Adeyemi can show the inner thoughts and outer shell of her characters. The readers are shown almost two different people in the same person. She uses this to show how complicated they are, and she shows that not everyone is as they seem. Not only is the person they are seen as and their inner thoughts displayed, but it is shown how the characters react when put inside each other’s thoughts. Through Zélie and Inan, there is a connection that further deepens the characters. Their reactions and feelings are then shown in their own chapters. Zélie, the main character, is strong-willed and quick to act, but she holds a lot of trauma from the death of her mother. She lets her guard down around Inan and puts everyone in danger. Similarly, Inan, the Prince, puts everything he can into being the best son and making his father proud, but when it comes to Zélie, he loses focus and promises her things he cannot give her.
How did she use Setting in her writing?
Adeyemi uses the setting to portray the tone of the scene. One example of this is when Zélie and Inan are in Inan’s dreamscape together. Their thoughts and feelings control how it shows up. The scene reflects Inan’s lack of control over situations as well as Zélie’s thoughts and desire for freedom. This is one example of how she uses setting to portray things. She also puts a lot of time and effort into describing the holy and important things like ChÂndomblé, the maji temple, and the temple on the hidden island. Each important place in their history is in vast amounts of detail that really make you visualize it and feel the importance and power of each place.
Emulation of Her Work
Legacy of Saviour
Mary:
As I watch the church burn, I yearn for the safety I once knew. We are no longer safe here. The church that once housed our group of universals was magnificent, despite being underground. With the high ceiling, stained glass that sparkled as the candlelight reflected off, and the dazzling statue of our god, it was everything we could have asked for. It wasn’t the best solution to the hunt, but John protected us. He hid us from the world. And as far as our healing goes, it cannot bring back the dead.
“John, what are we going to do?”
He whispers to me as I cry in his arms. “We’ll find a place, I promise.”
Joseph:
My chest tightens as the screams wail through the night. I did this. I lit the torch, I followed them to their hideout, and I killed them. I killed them. There were children in there, and now they’re dead. They probably couldn’t even control the tongues of fire yet. I don’t know what to do anymore. Why did I listen to the guards?
“What’s taking you so long to report, soldier?” Judas snuck up on me. He is the leader of our regime, the highest point of command.
“I was just making sure none of them escaped.” My heart is pounding. I know some got away, but I was too scared to run after them. I don’t think he saw them though. It’s almost pitch black, except for the flames rising out of the dirt.
John:
“We should go.” Mary is shaking as I talk to her.
She has tried to be so brave these last few weeks especially. I can hardly stand to see her like this. My little sister has barely come into her power and she has been overwhelmed by the pressure it puts on her. She has to know she’s not responsible for all of these deaths. She looks at me with tears brimming her bright blue eyes.
She is barely hanging on. I can see it in the way she shakes and by the crazed look in her eyes. “I could have saved them.”
“You couldn’t have helped them. It was too late. Maybe if we had gotten back sooner, we could have prevented it, but we needed the food. It’s not your fault or mine that it took so long to gather it.”
Mary:
It is my fault. I caused us to take longer to get back. I knew once I saw the guards that we should have turned around right then and there. I felt it in my heart. Now we stand here alone, the cool wind sending chills down my spine as the moon cowers behind the clouds.
I see a few guards running and hear their shouts.
“Make sure they’re all dead!”
“If any get away, you will take their place!”
WIth fear, I turn to John and pray to our god that we are spared. With a glint in his eyes, he runs, knife out. “Wait! You’re going to get hurt, possibly killed.”
“Run.” He sprints and jumps at the guards, catching them by surprise. I hide in the bushes and watch as he fights them. There is blood splashing, and I hear one of the guards grimace. Then, I see the other fall silently as John pulls his knife free. He comes running towards where I am hiding.
“Are you okay?” He is clutching his side, but I don’t think he really feels it at the moment.
“Yes, let’s go.” He takes my hand and we run. I don’t know where we will go, or if we will
find somewhere to even spend the night. I do know of a few hideouts where other universals might be.
John looks at me and says, “We’ll go south. I know of someone.”
Then, the night grows even darker as we are covered by something thrown on us.
Joseph:
“I got you.” I try to sound friendly, but the two kids are thrashing all over.
“Let us go!” The boy shouts as he starts to stab the blanket.
I start to panic as they won’t stop. I don’t think they will listen to me, but I have to try. “I am not here to harm you. I want to help you escape. Peter is after you, and he won’t stop until he finds you.”
I am ashamed of myself. I killed their people, yet here I am trying to help these two. I just hope they hadn’t seen my face.
Once they are free, the little one gives me a puzzled look. “I saw you. You were next to the one in charge.” The boy is enraged and starts to jump at me.
“I know where your people are!” I hope that settles them. “I am second in command, and I can help you escape. I can also help you save the people that survived the fire.” They calm down briefly and allow me to explain myself, albeit at knife-point.”
John:
“We’ll go. But, if you so much as breathe wrong, I will take off your head.”
We start to head out, and I hope I haven’t made a grave mistake.
How did I emulate her work?
How did I emulate her Topics?
I attempted to emulate the violence that is so important in the original books. I used the history of Catholicism in Germany when there were Nazis as inspiration for mine. I used Catholicism because I was raised catholic, and I know a lot about it. Just as the king wanted to erase all maji, Hitler wanted to erase all catholics.
How did I emulate her Characters and Speaker?
I used separate speakers in the first person point of view for each part just as Tomi Adeyemi did for each chapter. I also tried to have a complicated character, just as she does. Just like how Inan doesn't really want to be the bad guy, neither does Joseph. I hope to show that there is more to a person than what is shown on the surface.
How did I emulate her Setting?
I attempted to show the mood and the tone of the scene through the setting. I also attempted to show how important the church was by describing it that way.