There is a great deal of loss in the book, with several characters, including Inan, dying, but Zélie and Amari continue in their efforts. "Children of Blood and Bone" has received generally positive reviews, debuting at number one on "The New York Times" best-seller list for young adult books and receiving praise from the newspaper for how "it storms the boundaries of the imagination. Yet it also confronts the conscience." A starred review from "Publishers Weekly" lauded the novel for its complex characters and kaleidoscopic narrative. "Kirkus," which gave the book a starred review and nominated it for the Kirkus Prize, called it, "Powerful, captivating, and raw." Charisse Jones of "USA Today" praised the novel, giving it four out of four stars: "While Tomi Adeyemi's Africa-inspired fantasy was written for young adults, readers of all ages will be captivated by this engrossing tale". David Canfield of "Entertainment Weekly" called the novel a "phenomenon" owing to the success of a first-time author. Author and poet Kiran Millwood Hargrave in "The Guardian" praised, "the hate-to-love romance [that] comes with high stakes, and the relationship is realistically and passionately realised. All of it is packaged in a tightly plotted, action-packed adventure." Less positively, The A.V. Club said the book failed to live up to its hype, criticising the way magic works in the novel and its length. In 2018, the viewers of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" selected "Children of Blood and Bone" as the first ever "Tonight Show Summer Read". Adeyemi later appeared as a guest on the "Tonight Show" on July 24, 2018 to discuss the book. An 18-hour audiobook narrated by Bahni Turpin was released in March 2018. The audiobook was well received. It won the 2019 Audie Award for best audiobook and was a runner-up for best Young Adult audiobook. "There's something magical about the timbre of Turpin’s voice that's perfectly tuned to the fantastical nature of this novel. I felt transported into the world of "Children of Blood and Bone,"" said Ron Charles, a judge for the award. In a starred review, Hayley Schommer writing for "Booklist" complemented how the "pacing of the novel is further complemented by Turpin’s own, appropriate adjustments in pace."