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tourmaline1703's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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
I adored Legendborn when I read it a couple of years ago and I can't believe it's taken me so long to get round to Bloodmarked. I cannot wait for the next book as I am pretty invested in this series and I think the stakes are going to keep ramping up throughout the next book.
The worldbuilding is beautiful and it's such an interesting concept. As it had been a while since I read the first book, it took me a while to remember everything but I got there eventually. We got to really dive deeper into the magic system, especially Bree's powers, of course, and got to understand how long rivalries and tensions had been around for. What of course makes me happiest, as a Welsh person, is the accuracy of the Welsh mythology, it is so pleasing to read.
The writing is wonderful, and the use of Old and Modern Welsh made me very happy. It felt like I was in on the characters' secrets because I could also understand what they were saying and the Welsh is written in beautifully. The start of the novel is written very cleverly as well with Bree's situation and I think the writing style reflected what she was going through very well.
The plot was well paced and I liked how that reflected the various obstacles characters were having to overcome. This novel isn't just characters on one mission and that's the sole plot, there are twists and obstacles in their way that keep the plot moving and changing. Despite this being a fantasy novel, the plot also deals with important modern issues such as racism and it discusses slavery a lot, which is incredibly important to discuss in the real world as well as its significance to the story.
I love the characters in this story and their dynamics with each other. It helped having a slightly smaller main cast of characters because we got to properly delve into their personalities and motives. It felt like there were actual risks as well, this isn't something where everyone constantly comes out unscathed, there are genuine risks. It is just fab.
The worldbuilding is beautiful and it's such an interesting concept. As it had been a while since I read the first book, it took me a while to remember everything but I got there eventually. We got to really dive deeper into the magic system, especially Bree's powers, of course, and got to understand how long rivalries and tensions had been around for. What of course makes me happiest, as a Welsh person, is the accuracy of the Welsh mythology, it is so pleasing to read.
The writing is wonderful, and the use of Old and Modern Welsh made me very happy. It felt like I was in on the characters' secrets because I could also understand what they were saying and the Welsh is written in beautifully. The start of the novel is written very cleverly as well with Bree's situation and I think the writing style reflected what she was going through very well.
The plot was well paced and I liked how that reflected the various obstacles characters were having to overcome. This novel isn't just characters on one mission and that's the sole plot, there are twists and obstacles in their way that keep the plot moving and changing. Despite this being a fantasy novel, the plot also deals with important modern issues such as racism and it discusses slavery a lot, which is incredibly important to discuss in the real world as well as its significance to the story.
I love the characters in this story and their dynamics with each other. It helped having a slightly smaller main cast of characters because we got to properly delve into their personalities and motives. It felt like there were actual risks as well, this isn't something where everyone constantly comes out unscathed, there are genuine risks. It is just fab.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Racism
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Infidelity, Slavery, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment
fleur____'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Racism, and Gore
Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, and Kidnapping
Minor: Infidelity
vaguely_pink's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
I was pretty meh about Legendborn but HOOOOOOO BOY this was so good I’m foaming at the mouth for book 3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, War, Death of parent, Grief, and Slavery
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Car accident, Abandonment, Medical content, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Rape, and Vomit
natsbooknook's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I decided it was 5 stars anyway but demand the third one posthaste. These books are so insanely well written, I feel every single emotion the author attempts to illicit. I’m simultaneously upset with myself for taking so long to read the sequel book, while also pleased that I’ll have a slightly shorter wait for the third book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Kidnapping, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, Death, and Rape
marippe's review
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
“That I am Arthur’s heir not by choice or honor, but by violence.”
Bloodmarked didn’t fail to impress me~
Sel’s screentime and rizz was CHEFS KISS.
That ending was criminal… Can’t wait till book 3!!!
that CARIAD SPEECH. got me KICKING MY FEET!! AND SCREAMING!!!!!
Bloodmarked didn’t fail to impress me~
Sel’s screentime and rizz was CHEFS KISS.
That ending was criminal… Can’t wait till book 3!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Xenophobia, War, Racism, Violence, Colonisation, Death of parent, Slavery, Death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Racial slurs
naturally's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
unfortunately, bloodmarked was a victim of the sophomore slump! the introduction of valec the cross roads baby from the memory walk in legendborn and the evolution of bree/sel were the only redeeming qualities of this book, for me. i still had a fun time reading. but, overall, bloodmarked is significantly weaker than it's predecessor...
the first 20% was very slow and infor-dumpy. plus, a large chunk of the story was spent away from the college setting that i fell in love with in book 1.
bree being disconnected from other black people worked with the themes that deonn wanted to explore in legendborn. however, bloodmarked, mostly exposes how bree's relationships with other black characters are centred around her having something to gain from them (be it therapeutic services, shelter or knowledge etc). the only relationship with a black person that feels non-transactional is the one she has with her father who wasn't around at all in book 2 :( . bree's attitude toward rootcraft was frustrating to read, because it was established that the practice was used to connect with the ancestors and that it focuses on reciprocal exchange. bree seemingly only calls on her ancestors when she needs them to teach her something, and the way she spoke to vera (an enslaved Black woman and victim of r*pe) was disgusting, disrespectful, UNGRATEFUL... whilst i understand that it was overwhelming for bree to deal with intergenerational trauma as well as her own...she displayed astoundingly little empathy and consideration for how vera suffered. vera made a deal with the shadow king and the ancestors so that her descendants (including bree) could LIVE. if not for that deal, her child, the true scion of arthur would have died. for a character who lamented about being unable to trace her lineage, it was strange that bree ended up destroying her own ancestral plane and sole method of conversing with the ancestors she only just discovered??? the series could be redeemed if bree reflects on her behaviour and choices, otherwise i'm failing to see what deonn wants the overall message of this series to be.
furthermore, i can at least appreciate that bree's messiness shines through in this book. her decision making,,,was not the best. as a reader, i was trapped in a weird cycle of witnessing her make the same dumb mistakes over and over and over again. how many times did i watch bree recklessly run into fights, knowing that her friends would put their lives on the line to save her untrained self???
perhaps it's that i read book 1 and 2 back-to-back, but the love triangle has lost it's flair a bit. the toxic side of me enjoyed sel and bree's chemistry - not a delena shipper, but their dynamic mirrors elena and damon in vampire diaries season three. however, it doesn't sit right with me that bree gave significantly more grace to her white love interest than her own ancestor...
nick was kind of a non-factor in this book, despite having a rescue mission triggered by his kidnapping. i'm confusion??? at least two more books are needed to flesh him out as a character and love interest, because bloodmarked exposes how little they know about each other outside of bloodline history and lust.
this review marks me taking a break from the series to get my head together. i'll probably return when the series has concluded.
going forward, i hope to see:
the first 20% was very slow and infor-dumpy. plus, a large chunk of the story was spent away from the college setting that i fell in love with in book 1.
bree being disconnected from other black people worked with the themes that deonn wanted to explore in legendborn. however, bloodmarked, mostly exposes how bree's relationships with other black characters are centred around her having something to gain from them (be it therapeutic services, shelter or knowledge etc). the only relationship with a black person that feels non-transactional is the one she has with her father
furthermore, i can at least appreciate that bree's messiness shines through in this book. her decision making,,,was not the best. as a reader, i was trapped in a weird cycle of witnessing her make the same dumb mistakes over and over and over again. how many times did i watch bree recklessly run into fights, knowing that her friends would put their lives on the line to save her untrained self???
perhaps it's that i read book 1 and 2 back-to-back, but the love triangle has lost it's flair a bit. the toxic side of me enjoyed sel and bree's chemistry - not a delena shipper, but their dynamic mirrors elena and damon in vampire diaries season three. however, it doesn't sit right with me that bree gave significantly more grace to her white love interest than her own ancestor...
nick was kind of a non-factor in this book, despite having a rescue mission triggered by his kidnapping. i'm confusion??? at least two more books are needed to flesh him out as a character and love interest, because bloodmarked exposes how little they know about each other outside of bloodline history and lust.
this review marks me taking a break from the series to get my head together. i'll probably return when the series has concluded.
going forward, i hope to see:
- bree having BLACK friends
the ancestors allowing alice, william and sel into volition...doesn't hold much weight because they aren't black. essentially, these are non-black characters entering black safe spaces and it feels a bit invasive rather than being a bonding experience. alice can do black hair??? SO??? i'm not sure what the reasoning was behind her not being black... - bree apologising to vera
- return of the unc setting
- more valec <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, War, Blood, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual violence
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content
bootsmom3's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gaslighting, War, Racism, Confinement, Medical trauma, Violence, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Moderate: Death, Rape, Cursing, Blood, Death of parent, Slavery, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Infidelity
midnacine's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
"Not here, not today. But somewhere, someday."
I started my book club in February this year, and Legendborn had been the first book we read together. It feels poetic that I'm closing out the year with its sequel.
I'd been waiting with baited breath for this book to be published, and lemme tell you: it did not disappoint. It was everything I wanted it to be, and then some more. I loved seeing Bree fight for who she is and who she wants to be, loved seeing the true colors of some characters because of it. I especially loved the hardcore flirting - absolutely no smut in this book whatsoever, but I was still blushing.
Overall, I am incredibly in love with this story and these characters. I can already tell this will be a series passed on for generations. And though I know masterpieces need time, I really need Tracy Deonn to come out with the third book like... now.
I started my book club in February this year, and Legendborn had been the first book we read together. It feels poetic that I'm closing out the year with its sequel.
I'd been waiting with baited breath for this book to be published, and lemme tell you: it did not disappoint. It was everything I wanted it to be, and then some more. I loved seeing Bree fight for who she is and who she wants to be, loved seeing the true colors of some characters because of it. I especially loved the hardcore flirting - absolutely no smut in this book whatsoever, but I was still blushing.
Overall, I am incredibly in love with this story and these characters. I can already tell this will be a series passed on for generations. And though I know masterpieces need time, I really need Tracy Deonn to come out with the third book like... now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, War, Confinement, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Racism
Moderate: Medical content, Stalking, Slavery, Murder, Death, Car accident, Blood, and Infidelity
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, and Child death
ashlikes's review
adventurous
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child abuse, Gore, Blood, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Torture, Kidnapping, Violence, War, and Racism
Moderate: Self harm, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Rape, Death of parent, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Slavery, and Child death
Minor: Pregnancy, Vomit, Abandonment, Car accident, Colonisation, and Misogyny
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