Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

74 reviews

nclausel25's review

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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mary_stormageddon's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

I love this book, I love this series, and I love everything about it. The characters, the plot, the magic, the world, all of it. I cannot wait until book 3!
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bookcheshirecat's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

3.0

“But grief isn’t a competition. It’s not an identical pain that we all meet one day when death finds us. It’s a monster, personalized by our love and memories to devour us just so. Grief is suffering, tailored.” 

➽ Bloodmarked felt like a filler book and didn't live up to Legendborn at all! This was a big case of 'sequel syndrome' wherein Bloodmarked was mostly set up for the next book. I hope Oathbound is actually the finale, as I don't think I'll finish this series if it'll be longer than 3 books. I loved Legendbnorn when I read it and finally got around to checking out the sequel. Let's start with the positives of Bloodmarked first! The story follows Bree, a now awakened Scion of Arthur who is trying to prove herself as a leader in the upcoming war of demons against Legendborn. Her boyfriend Nick has been kidnapped and after the events of the first book, the Order is in disarray.

➽ I liked the themes of the book and the exploration of Bree's powers. Despite being meant a leader to the Legendborn, Bree immediately clashes with the Order. They aren't thrilled that Nick wasn't Arthur's descendant after all and now they're stuck with an unfamiliar face. Bree being a powerful Black girl just further sets them on edge as the society is very white and conservative. Just like in Legendborn, Bree is confronted by how traditional and backwards the Order can be. They're not planning on letting her take power and make decisions that easily, especially as her abilities are extraordinary for a Legendborn. I liked seeing the lengths the Regents went to in order to save face and control the narrative. They care less about stopping the war and more about their own politics and power struggles. I have to admit that I was a bit lost on the order hierarchy though. I still don't quite understand the function and goals of the Regents and thought they all were interchangeable as characters.

➽ Bree is also trying to control her Rootcraft and Legendborn powers. She still can't summon aether like normal Legendborn and is struggling with her new connection to Arthur. Bree definitely feels different from everyone else, as she's also a Medium and Bloodcrafter and deeply connected to her Root. She can't quite summon her Legendborn powers with intention, which is a problem as she's now hunted by the demons who want to kill her and end the Legenborn Cycle. Traitors are everywhere as even the Order wants to subdue her power. Bree feels more like a tool and an experiment than a person under their gaze. She's still dealing with her grief, anger and frustration that she can't do more to help. Her actions often get others in trouble, but I understood her feelings as she's constantly told what to do by everyone around her. I loved that the focus was more on Alice - Bree's best friend - and William - a healer from the lien of Gawain. I liked both characters in the first book and it was interesting to see Alice enter Bree's world as a Onceborn who can't see aether.

➽ The main issue Bloodmarked has is its slow pacing and plot that went all over the place. The first 30% were especially tough, as Bree's struggles with the Order were accompanied by info dumps and political squabbles. Even later, it felt like the search for Nick took a backseat as the characters walked around in circles. Sel, Bree, Alice and William didn't feel like they truly worked towards their goal of rescuing Nick, it felt like the plot happened to them. They were constantly taking steps back and changing their approach, so it felt like nothing happened except for the setup for Bree's powers. There was so much traveling and the focus of the story was everywhere. This didn't feel like Legendborn, because we left the setting and most characters behind. Even worse, it felt like the war took a backseat in the story, despite supposedly being the most important event that has the power to wipe out the entire world. Apart from Bree, Nick and William, the other Legendborn lines were barely mentioned. Most background characters felt interchangeable at this point, I couldn't tell the other Legendborn apart anymore.

➽ In the end, the audiobook for this was 22 hours long and even on 2x speed it felt neverending. Things only heated up in the very end! Even then, I didn't like some of Bree's choices.
Her rejecting Arthur's bloodline needs to be explained in the next book: How could she do that? Doesn't it go against the entire cycle?? Even worse is her rejecting her Root and entire bloodline. After all the sacrifices her ancestors made so she could have a chance, Bree turns their back on them just so she can have a 'girlboss' moment. There would have been a way to reclaim her power and agency without disrespecting her family!


➽ The romance was already my least favorite part of book 1 and this didn't improve here. You're out of luck if you're a Nick fan, as he's absent for most of the book and only occasionally appears via Bree's medium powers. In general, there were too many dream sequences/memory walks! I still like Sel as a character, but NOT as a love interest. His actions in the last book (almost killing Bree because he suspected she was a demon and generally harassing her) were somewhat addressed, but once again Bree is expected to absolve Sel of his guilt. He still acts like a jerk and his overprotectiveness annoyed me. I know he has his reasons, but I don't think he tried to understand Bree's frustration of being shoved to the back constantly. All Bree and him do is fight, so I don't see any positive connection between them. Sel betrayed Bree's trust -
mesmering her when she's had such a bad experience with it & her entire bloodline has been terrified of Merlins
- and is still often more hostile than he has to be. The love triangle is just exhausting, I honestly don't want Bree to end up with any of them.
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charliebites's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad 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? No

5.0

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some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Wow. Just wow. Also, I need fanfic rn rn (why are there so little on ao3 this is so sad)
This book has reminded me of how bad I am at spotting plot twists (there is foreshadowing I just can't find them until hindsight kicks in). There isn't rlly an overarching plot throughout the book; it's more of a series of events and characters' reactions to them -> plot harder to follow than that of 1st book. Somehow has more fight scenes than prev books.
Love love love how the magic system & thus world got expanded. Treasured this series so much I was sort of procrastinating reading it so I could keep reading it for longer. This book sure is heavier than the first with how much more racism shows up & affects the plot + Bree's heritage gets explored. Also I just love when writers explore intergenerational trauma. I think Bree's character arc should have had the turning point during the climax instead of after so I felt like the character development could have been stronger. 
Two main parts that I am rlly interested in: 1) love triangle & 2) legendborn cycle as ecoliterature
1) Before I read this, I thought that I'd end up shipping the 3 of them tgt as a throuple but now idk if I ship any of them w/ any of the others💀.
Bree's reasoning for kissing Sel even with her rship with Nick does not make sense to me at all. Liked Bree X Nick before that aghhhhhh why did that have to happen :( *Technically* still salvageable though. There is just so much to unpack between Nick & Sel and I worry about whether the author would have time for them to both get past it and also fall in love + they might get more baggage between them as the series progresses :sigh: Sel & Bree has that 2 year age gap which while does happen irl, I feel weird about. Anyway, I loved loved loved the dream sequences where Nick showed up & the parts where all 3 were together were some of my favourite scenes. WHEN NICK LEFT THEM I FELT SO BETRAYED (I kind of feel like Nick killed that mageguard bc of Sel'd bloodlust?) Why did they have to all get seperated as the ending😭😭😭 Now praying for multi POV Oathbound
I would like to take a moment to say that sonnet xvii by Pablo Neruda fits ot3 brilliantly it's like it was written for them.
2) Aether as metaphor for western imprialism's extractivism that is unsustainable w/ a high price (planet dying just like Abatement) while root as metaphor for a more balanced way of interacting and living in nature.
Volition is self-sustaining while the Order felt a need to expand to the point where they have Vassals in power in many places. The way root is more communal and not used for violence while aether users fight the never-ending war against the Shadowborn -> system that cultivates burnout just like a capitalistic society. There is something to be said about the story sold to Legendborn & those who wish to be Scions on how cool & powerful they'd be just like the legends vs it's actl the Regents in power just like the American dream vs extreme wealth inequality in USA w/ very little social support. The way aether users hunt root users down just like how USA interfered in leftist states to prevent their success. Dreaming as a sort of bridge between the past and present, as well as a way for connection (similar to Avatar) & ✨problem solving✨(like Word for World is Forest). "Sometimes, our dreams are memories revisted, sure, but other times, dreams depart from what was, and become something else."

There are sooooo many good quotes it's unbelievable. I'd like to specifically highlight
"There are many reasons to hid the truth from those you do not know. But when there is care between two people, and trust built, there is only one reason that lies continue: not fear of safety, but fear of judgement." 
"'Think of the power you possess and the woman who gave it to you.' I used to think that woman was my mother, and, through her, you. Tried it her way, and it didn't work." "And why is that?" "Because you all didn't give me my power. I did" 
"You said they ran so I wouldn't have to. But I think they ran so that one day I could choose. And today, I choose me."
"By burning away their roots, I am finally free to grow my own."

Has its flaws but it really is something special so 5 stars anyway. (Also I want to come back and see how long of a review I ended up writing lol)
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kiwij96's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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

Bloodmarked really continued the adventure from Legendborn in a way I didn't expect. The characters really came into their own here, granted they were all under a lot of stress. This history and heritage and culture was beautifully done. The Iaeth Cymraeg (Welsh Language) which was also used in the story brought so much joy to my proud Welsh heart.

The friendships, the betrayals, the romance, the plot twists, the community, the grief. Everything was so wonderfully written with a great amount of depth for a story that was so action-packed. I genuinely didn't know what was going to happen next and I just couldn't put it down.

This is a YA that I would also highly recommend to adults.
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lqne's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.0

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queenkath32's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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savvyrosereads's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the sequel to Legendborn and the second book in the series of the same name.

Selwyn Kane is EVERYTHING and honestly the primary reason I enjoyed this book as much as I did. Overall, I’d say this one suffered from a bit of a sophomore slump—I wasn’t as connected to or engaged with the plot, and I was a bit frustrated with some of the characters’ decisions and with the ending overall.

But SEL. When I latch on to a fictional character I never let them go, and Sel is absolutely mine now. I urgently need more books in this series specifically because I urgently need more of him.

Overall, even with some mild criticisms, I do enjoy this series and think the world and magic system here is so interesting! I highly recommend these books for anyone who enjoys older-YA fantasy, and particularly fantasy with diverse rep and Arthurian inspiration!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Arthurian legend; Welsh terms of endearment (IYKYK); Black Girl Magic (literally)

CW: Blood/injury/violence; grief; racism and sexism; discussions of slavery
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sahramahtab's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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 sequel did not disappoint! I could barely put it down and with each page turned I fell in love with the characters more. And that ending? Did not see the plot twist coming at all. Can’t wait to read the next book and hopefully get to enjoy more Selwyn and Bree interactions!
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