Cynthia Erivo will lend her voice to the audiobook edition of Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Anguish and Anarchy, Macmillan Audio announced in a news release.
Adeyemi’s novel is the final installment in her Legacy of Orïsha trilogy of young adult fantasy books. The series, which follows Zélie Adebola, a teenager trying to restore magic to her home country, began in 2018 with Children of Blood and Bone and continued the following year with Children of Virtue and Vengeance. Both books were No. 1 New York Times bestsellers; the first novel is being adapted into a movie directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood.
In a review of Children of Anguish and Anarchy, a Kirkus critic called the book a “thrilling, climactic storm with an abrupt conclusion.”
Erivo is an actor and singer who won a Tony and Grammy Award for her role as Celie in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple and its accompanying cast album. She was nominated for Academy Awards for her role as Harriet Tubman in Harriet and for performing the song “Stand Up” on the film’s soundtrack.
Adeyemi praised Erivo in a statement, saying, “Cynthia is a once in a generation type of talent. Maybe even once in an eon. Everything her beautiful spirit and voice embraces touches my heart. I am absolutely honored that she will be bringing the final installment of this trilogy to life with her incredible talent, and I personally cannot wait to devour her narration!”
Erivo returned the compliment, saying, “I was so excited to get the chance to help bring Tomi Adeyemi’s breathtaking world of magic and hope to life by narrating the epic conclusion to this exhilarating series. I’ve always been a huge fan of the series so it’s an honor to narrate the final book.”
The print and audiobook versions of Children of Anguish and Anarchy are scheduled for release on June 25.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
