Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Legendborn

The legend of Arthur, reimagined with a female African American lead. The promise of a deconstructed colonised fantasy was the only incentive I needed to read this. And I am so glad that I did. I will admit that my exposure to Arthurian legend was limited - little more than hazy childhood memories of the Sword in the Stone on VHS, later supplemented by Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As such, some of the more predictable twists still managed to catch me by surprise.

Yet I still knew enough to be aware of the broad strokes; to understand it as a legend couched in heroism, magic, loyalty, and bravery. In essence, it was a story that portrayed colonisers as the heroes of history. Legendborn offers a much needed alternative; taking this legend of so-called heroism and injecting it with the reality of imperialism, exposing its horrendous impact upon marginalised bodies. If Arthur did exist, then he, his forebears, and his descendants would all be complicit in the subjugation of the oppressed.

Legendborn asks the reader to witness how imperial power harms - how those that benefit from these power structures act to preserve their privilege from even the slightest threat. (As an aside, it will be interesting to see how this aspect plays out in Bloodmarked, given the climactic events of legend born.)

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cady_sass's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Really enjoyed this! Takes a little bit to get going and I was a little bored at first, but once you get into the real meat of the story it moves very fast and keeps you on your toes! It’s refreshing to have author and protagonist of color in the fantasy space and the history is artfully weaved into the story. Coming of age, the stages of grief, exploring family history, and exploring a first love all in the midst of an early college experience and discovering the paranormal.

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fivecatsinacoat's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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kaceereads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I had extremely high expectations for this book given that I have heard nothing but good things about it, and I am happy to say that Legendborn lives up to the hype. However, the book was slow at the beginning and I wasn’t immediately drawn into the story. There was a lot of terminology thrown around, making it difficult to understand the “lore.” Though, as the story progressed, I felt myself getting lost in the world and the lives of the characters.

This book was beautifully written and I appreciate the depth given to each character. Bree’s grief was palpable and I’m glad we got to see her journey through navigating her feelings regarding her mother’s death. I enjoyed the other characters as well and I especially appreciate how Selwyn developed throughout the story.

Being from North Carolina, this book felt extra special. I love the way history was intertwined with the book’s lore. Also, the Bojangles mention! Loved it. Even though it took me a bit to get into it, I really enjoyed this story and the way the Legend of Arthur was presented. I’m excited to see what the next book has in store :D

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rorikae's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This story is just as intriguing and full of interesting twists and turns on the second read through. The audiobook is a great way to return to this story before continuing on to Bloodmarked.

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pins's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I'm a sucker for Arthur retellings and this scratched that itch so well.

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nicole_cob_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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art_books_chemistry's review against another edition

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adventurous dark inspiring mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I just reread this due to the sequel coming out shortly and loved it as much this time as when I originally read it in 2020. It is well thought out and developed. I like that it allows me to see a perspective that I cannot otherwise appreciate (of a black girl in the south) using a great storyline in a way that was real and not preachy. There is great representative and well handled discussion of difficult subjects. Tracey Deonn also wrote such an awesome refreshing novel take on the King Arthur legends, I am incredibly excited to see where else she takes this version of the Round Table.

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