With Tomi Adeyemi, the reading order is refreshingly clear. Her published fiction is centered on one completed fantasy sequence, Legacy of Orïsha, and the main rule is simply to read those books in order. There is no maze of side novellas, no competing timelines, and no need to separate companion material from the core story.

That gives this guide a different shape from the larger bibliographies above. The real question is not “how do I untangle this universe?” It is “do I want the finished trilogy now, or do I also want to know what comes next?”
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The shelf in one glance
There are two buckets here.
Published main continuity
- Children of Blood and Bone
- Children of Virtue and Vengeance
- Children of Anguish and Anarchy
Separate upcoming continuity
- The Siren
That means the active reading order is extremely straightforward: read the Legacy of Orïsha books in publication order, then treat The Siren as a separate starting point when it releases.
Tomi Adeyemi books in publication order
- Children of Blood and Bone (2018): Zélie’s fight to restore magic begins here, and the first novel establishes the world, the political violence, and the emotional stakes that power the rest of the trilogy.
- Children of Virtue and Vengeance (2019): The return of magic reshapes the conflict instead of solving it, pushing the series into a messier and more dangerous second phase.
- Children of Anguish and Anarchy (2024): The trilogy’s final book escalates the war, expands the threat facing Orïsha, and is meant to be read only after the first two novels.
- The Siren (2026): A separate YA dark academia novel, this starts a new continuity and should not be mixed into the Orïsha sequence.
The only reading order most readers need
If you want the correct Tomi Adeyemi order, use this:
- Children of Blood and Bone
- Children of Virtue and Vengeance
- Children of Anguish and Anarchy
That is both the publication order and the recommended order. In this case, there is no real conflict between the two. The trilogy was built to unfold in sequence, and there is no advantage to trying anything more complicated.
Why order matters here
Some authors can be sampled almost anywhere. Tomi Adeyemi is not really one of them.
Children of Blood and Bone introduces the emotional logic of the series. Children of Virtue and Vengeance depends on the consequences of the first book rather than resetting the board. Children of Anguish and Anarchy is the payoff book, so reading it early would not just confuse the plot; it would flatten the trilogy’s intended escalation.
This is one of the cleaner “read in order, no shortcuts” bibliographies.
Recommended ways to start
There are really two valid starting choices, depending on whether you mean “start reading now” or “start following her work overall.”
If you want to read Tomi Adeyemi right now
Start with Children of Blood and Bone. It is the true entry point, still the safest place to begin, and the opening of the completed trilogy.
If you are planning ahead for new releases
Read Legacy of Orïsha first, then keep The Siren separate. It is not Book 4, not a spin-off, and not an extension of the same world.
Tomi Adeyemi’s main series
Legacy of Orïsha
This is the core of her current published bibliography and the only completed series reading path you need to manage.
- Children of Blood and Bone (2018): The world of Orïsha is introduced through loss, resistance, and the return of forbidden power, making this the essential foundation for everything after it.
- Children of Virtue and Vengeance (2019): The sequel widens the fallout from the first book and pushes the characters into a more unstable political and personal struggle.
- Children of Anguish and Anarchy (2024): The finale closes the trilogy’s central war and should be saved for last because it is built as the culmination of the full arc.
Separate continuity
- The Siren (2026): This upcoming novel launches a different story line entirely, so it belongs beside the trilogy as a separate option, not inside it.
Best reading order for most readers
A practical Tomi Adeyemi order looks like this:
- Children of Blood and Bone
- Children of Virtue and Vengeance
- Children of Anguish and Anarchy
- The Siren once released, if you want to continue with her newer work in a different continuity
The reason this order works is simple. It gives you the finished trilogy first, then leaves the unrelated next project for afterward.
What to skip when building a reading order
Boxed sets and special editions do not change the order. They are packaging, not separate story steps.
If you see a collection of the trilogy sold together, treat it as the same three books, not as additional continuity.
Latest release status
The most recent published Tomi Adeyemi book is Children of Anguish and Anarchy (2024), which completes Legacy of Orïsha. The next confirmed book is The Siren, scheduled for September 29, 2026, and it begins a separate story rather than continuing Orïsha.
FAQs
Do Tomi Adeyemi’s books need to be read in order?
Yes, the Legacy of Orïsha novels should be read in sequence because they tell one continuous story.
Is Children of Anguish and Anarchy the last Orïsha book?
It is presented as the finale of the trilogy, so it should currently be treated as the conclusion of the main series.
Is The Siren part of Legacy of Orïsha?
No. It is a separate novel and should not be slotted into the trilogy order.
What is the best Tomi Adeyemi book to start with?
For almost everyone, Children of Blood and Bone is the correct starting point.
Final recommendation
Keep Tomi Adeyemi’s reading order simple. Read Children of Blood and Bone, then Children of Virtue and Vengeance, then Children of Anguish and Anarchy. After that, treat The Siren as a separate new beginning, not the next stop in the same world.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.

