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bffwnho's review against another edition
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
4.25
I really enjoyed this book. While the initial world building and introduction to characters as well as the magic systems in the world got a bit confusing (due to the large amount of information to digest), once I got into the book I could barely put it down! I've read many fantasy books, and while a lot of the ones I have read tend to be quite diverse in terms of the characters, most of them aren't set in the real world and so don't always cover real world issues as this book does. I definitely have some new favourite characters to add to my list and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out in November!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping, and Car accident
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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? No
4.5
4.5 ⭐ CW: death of a parent, complex grief, racism/microaggressions, mass Graves of enslaved Africans and Black Americans, whipping, descriptions of blood, gore, and dead bodies, child abuse, alcoholism mention, rape of enslaved women, violence, murder, blood magic
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is a contemporary fantasy using Arthurian legend Hoodoo traditions. This book was much anticipated considering one of my favorite novels is The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, so you know I was pumped for a version with Black people in it!
We follow Bree Matthews as she navigates the grief surrounding her after her mother's sudden death. She goes to UNC-Chapel Hill for early college when she finds out about a secret society called The Order of the Round Table. Bree thinks the Order might be behind her mother's death, so she decides to try to infiltrate their ranks by coercing her new peer mentor, Nick Davis, to get her in.
I loved the magic systems in this! Especially the concept of the Root magic and Mediums to communicate with ancestors. That was one of the most profound things in this book, being able to know who your ancestors were at all and being able to commune with them. It was very powerful for a Black person to be able to do such a thing.
I loved how Deonn updated the Arthur myth by including colonialism and slavery, and how that trickled down to Confederate Monuments and building that were built by but never meant for Black people. I felt seen by all the microaggressions Bree had to deal with by being in a place with mostly white people.
I loved the enemies to friends we get with Sel and Bree. This book also had some great queer representation: bi girls and guys, gay guys and lesbians, and a nonbinary character. Also Alice (Taiwanese-American) is a badass of a best friend even if she starts off a bit rocky. I don't want to say too much more for fear of spoilers.
The twists at the end!!! Several times I yelled "I knew it!" And "Whaaaatt!" If you've been seeing this hyped, know that I approve. I'm hoping a book two comes soon! Read this book and come yell with me lol.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is a contemporary fantasy using Arthurian legend Hoodoo traditions. This book was much anticipated considering one of my favorite novels is The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, so you know I was pumped for a version with Black people in it!
We follow Bree Matthews as she navigates the grief surrounding her after her mother's sudden death. She goes to UNC-Chapel Hill for early college when she finds out about a secret society called The Order of the Round Table. Bree thinks the Order might be behind her mother's death, so she decides to try to infiltrate their ranks by coercing her new peer mentor, Nick Davis, to get her in.
I loved the magic systems in this! Especially the concept of the Root magic and Mediums to communicate with ancestors. That was one of the most profound things in this book, being able to know who your ancestors were at all and being able to commune with them. It was very powerful for a Black person to be able to do such a thing.
I loved how Deonn updated the Arthur myth by including colonialism and slavery, and how that trickled down to Confederate Monuments and building that were built by but never meant for Black people. I felt seen by all the microaggressions Bree had to deal with by being in a place with mostly white people.
I loved the enemies to friends we get with Sel and Bree. This book also had some great queer representation: bi girls and guys, gay guys and lesbians, and a nonbinary character. Also Alice (Taiwanese-American) is a badass of a best friend even if she starts off a bit rocky. I don't want to say too much more for fear of spoilers.
The twists at the end!!! Several times I yelled "I knew it!" And "Whaaaatt!" If you've been seeing this hyped, know that I approve. I'm hoping a book two comes soon! Read this book and come yell with me lol.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Gore, Racism, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, and Death of parent
perseffable's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The characters felt inconsistent and like Schrodinger's cat; they didn't exist in the world until Bree or the plot needed them. I also felt there was no development between any of the relationships and friendships. And the magic system? It was info dump after info dump and didn't make sense at all. The second magic system made more sense but still was hard to follow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and War
fujo_cat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
This was such a FUN book! The world is hecka interesting, the cast is amazing, the protagonist grew on me and if I DON'T GET A POLY ROMANCE BETWEEN NICK, SEL AND BREE I WILL RAGE- ahem, anyways, this was such a refreshing easy to read story! I was flying through it <3
P.S.: The last few chapters destroyed me emotionally tho aaaa
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Medical content, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
unwise_samwise's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
Intense and worth it, probably my favourite Arthurian YA
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Slavery, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape
coolbeancat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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: Death, Racism, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Slavery, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Vomit, and Pregnancy
caoimhe9876's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This is one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
kimi72714's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
I absolutely loved this book.
This book reminds me what great YA fiction should be like, and took me back a decade to when life is hectic, and confusing, but wonderful as a 16 year old.
There are difficult themes in this book that everyone will grapple with differently, but the acknowledgement that a country was built on slavery is an important issue for everyone to work through.
I laughed, I cried, I wanted to smack some characters, my chest tingled at the romance scenes.
This book was such a great YA SFF book and I'm so glad teens gave books like this to read now. Thank you so much Tracy Deonn!
This book reminds me what great YA fiction should be like, and took me back a decade to when life is hectic, and confusing, but wonderful as a 16 year old.
There are difficult themes in this book that everyone will grapple with differently, but the acknowledgement that a country was built on slavery is an important issue for everyone to work through.
I laughed, I cried, I wanted to smack some characters, my chest tingled at the romance scenes.
This book was such a great YA SFF book and I'm so glad teens gave books like this to read now. Thank you so much Tracy Deonn!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Slavery, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, and Alcohol
These themes are handled well within the text, and are appropriate for a YA novel. None are particular unexpected when thinking critically about the book and it's premise as a young black girl living in the American South, and a re-imagining of Arthurian legend.achingallover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
4.0
oh boy oh boy i was not expecting to love this and it has torn my heart out and stamped on it and i didnt realise it wasnt a standalone and now im dying
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
stephbakerbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
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
Okay, I don't know why I slept on this book for so long, because I loved it! From start to finish, I was captivated by the plot, by the characters, by the magic, by the setting. Easily the best fantasy I've read this year.
I don't always like books set in the South (I think they rely on stereotypes to often), but this was done well and I enjoyed the campus setting. The plot slowly built over the course of the novel, giving us sufficient backstory and world building and investment in these characters before the climax—and man, that ending, I could not put the book down.
History plays an important role in this story, and nothing is glossed over or forgotten—I loved how it showed, through the use of fantastical magic, how history still affects our present, in particular the US's history of slavery. There's a lot of powerful imagery here. The King Arthur aspect to it was also really enjoyable and I thought it was explained well.
The characters, of course, were all wonderful. I loved Bree as the lead—she's dealing with grief for the whole novel and she still manages to find bravery and strength and learn how to trust people. I loved her growth. I loved her relationships with the other characters, particularly her dad.I did think that Nick was interesting at first but became more flat as the story progressed. This could be because I found Sel to be a far more interesting character who only got more interesting as I kept reading and I looked forward to all his scenes. I don't not like Nick, and I do like him and Bree together and their relationship, but I'm just more intrigued by Sel and a potential relationship between him and Bree, and I don't usually root for the "other" person in a love triangle so idk what happened here, but I may be in love with Sel!! *has existential crisis over what this book has done to me*
All that to say, this is going in my favorites and I'm stoked for the sequel!
I don't always like books set in the South (I think they rely on stereotypes to often), but this was done well and I enjoyed the campus setting. The plot slowly built over the course of the novel, giving us sufficient backstory and world building and investment in these characters before the climax—and man, that ending, I could not put the book down.
History plays an important role in this story, and nothing is glossed over or forgotten—I loved how it showed, through the use of fantastical magic, how history still affects our present, in particular the US's history of slavery. There's a lot of powerful imagery here. The King Arthur aspect to it was also really enjoyable and I thought it was explained well.
The characters, of course, were all wonderful. I loved Bree as the lead—she's dealing with grief for the whole novel and she still manages to find bravery and strength and learn how to trust people. I loved her growth. I loved her relationships with the other characters, particularly her dad.
All that to say, this is going in my favorites and I'm stoked for the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Medical content, and Car accident