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saltylane's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.75
This is a great story that subverts a lot of tropes and defies expectations. It twists and turns with unpredictable but believable mysteries and resolutions. Just when you think you know something, you’re surprised with where the plot and characters go. It has a lot of painful realism stuffed in with the magical fantasy, and I commend the author for not pulling punches.
Highly recommend & I’m going to read the next book asap.
Highly recommend & I’m going to read the next book asap.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Violence, Racism, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Bullying, Slavery, Car accident, Classism, and Gore
Minor: Rape, Vomit, and Transphobia
kemikemi's review against another edition
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
4.5
I didn’t know anything about the plot going in so I was very surprised about the King Arthur/Knights of the Round Table thing, but the sheer amount of questions I had as well as the intriguing characters got me through the beginning exposition and it picked up quickly after that; the presence/tie-in of root magic made it even more interesting, as I had no idea how these two separate worlds could connect at first, but once the connection was revealed it felt like a world explosion. The premise of this book by itself sounds unusual and wouldn’t normally catch my attention, but the author make it work so incredibly and I had a blast finishing this book and becoming attached to the characters.
Also I want the Nick-Bree-Sel throuple so badly like all three have such delicious relationship connections to each other and I can SEE THE POSSIBILITIES GOD PLEASE
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Death, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Racism, and Slavery
Minor: Rape
erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Bree's mom has just died in a car accident, but she has just been accepted into an early College plan, and she needs to get away from the house where her Dad is pining. She finds herself embroiled In a magic school with a twist, when she is drawn into a secret society that may or may not have something to do with the death of her mother. The story is somewhat romantic, but with a little bit of a triangular.. thing.. going on. Either way there is very little mooshy stuff and no hanky let alone panky.
Being one of the few Black girls on campus, Bree finds being in an elite society of blood and oath bonded mages pretty irksome. She is continually reminded that she doesn't belong, whether being mistaken as wait-staff, assumed to have been allowed entry as "affirmative action", or just wandering in the school gardens and finding a monument to the nameless slaves who built the campus.
Her boyfriend's paranoid bodyguard is sure that she's actually secretly a demon who is trying to manipulate or kill him... and just when she feels like she might be getting a grip on what is going on, she meets with a woman who used to know her mother, who tells her that this order of Blood Mages she has met with, are colonial scum who have stolen their magic, who never consider balance, and who are causing most of the imbalance that is drawing evil manifestations into the world.
And how do you learn all this stuff and still keep it secret from your childhood best friend.. with whom you are supposed to be living the college dream? To get anywhere Bree is going to have to start being honest with herself, get in touch with her own power, and be vulnerable enough to ask for help from unlikely places.
We've got a bit of diversity despite things being very White-centric. One of the main characters has relationships with guys and girls, another is non-binary gender (they/them), and Bree's best friend Alice is Taiwanese American. I've listened to a few books that have been read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt and she does a solid job, but in this particular book where most of the characters are White, it makes my brain work doubly hard. I have to keep reminding myself that the young men she is hanging out with are not Black. It's very easy for my brain to be lulled into the idea that Selwyn is a Black lad, because that's how his voice sounds in the narration. Maybe I just need to concentrate harder.
Quite a lengthy book, but it really does close off with a "first book feel" that leaves you wondering about enough to bring you back for another round... maybe later though.
Being one of the few Black girls on campus, Bree finds being in an elite society of blood and oath bonded mages pretty irksome. She is continually reminded that she doesn't belong, whether being mistaken as wait-staff, assumed to have been allowed entry as "affirmative action", or just wandering in the school gardens and finding a monument to the nameless slaves who built the campus.
Her boyfriend's paranoid bodyguard is sure that she's actually secretly a demon who is trying to manipulate or kill him... and just when she feels like she might be getting a grip on what is going on, she meets with a woman who used to know her mother, who tells her that this order of Blood Mages she has met with, are colonial scum who have stolen their magic, who never consider balance, and who are causing most of the imbalance that is drawing evil manifestations into the world.
And how do you learn all this stuff and still keep it secret from your childhood best friend.. with whom you are supposed to be living the college dream? To get anywhere Bree is going to have to start being honest with herself, get in touch with her own power, and be vulnerable enough to ask for help from unlikely places.
We've got a bit of diversity despite things being very White-centric. One of the main characters has relationships with guys and girls, another is non-binary gender (they/them), and Bree's best friend Alice is Taiwanese American. I've listened to a few books that have been read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt and she does a solid job, but in this particular book where most of the characters are White, it makes my brain work doubly hard. I have to keep reminding myself that the young men she is hanging out with are not Black. It's very easy for my brain to be lulled into the idea that Selwyn is a Black lad, because that's how his voice sounds in the narration. Maybe I just need to concentrate harder.
Quite a lengthy book, but it really does close off with a "first book feel" that leaves you wondering about enough to bring you back for another round... maybe later though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Slavery, Bullying, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, War, Child abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Gore, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape, Vomit, and Cancer
anniehayez's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
This book sucked me into the world so fast. I love the characters and the magic and everything about it. I quite literally couldn’t put it down. The way this book highlights the everyday burden or micro and macro aggressions that black people face in America everyday was eye opening and infuriating. The book was able to tackle so many tough topics like racism, grief, and painful legacies without getting weighed down. The ending was epic and painful all at the same time. The only reason it’s not 5 stars for me was that I felt Alice’s character felt significantly underdeveloped and her relationship with Bree is told to us rather than shown many times. I also felt that some of the plot points were too similar to other YA fantasy and leaned a little too much on some recognizable tropes but I loved it so much I can get past all that. 1000% would recommend this to people and would absolutely read it again. I’m ordering the second book in the series immediately.
Update after reading Bloodmarked:
I stand by my criticism that some aspects of the first book lean a bit on classic YA tropes (games/trials, love triangle, nobody with powers). I also stand by the fact that Alice and Bree’s relationship is not explained enough in this book but now I completely love the two of them. I wouldn’t change a thing about the first book after reading the second book. Everything in this book is a fun way to enter this amazing world. Bloodmarked is so closer to a 5 star book and this is just a hair behind. Definitely one of my top 4.5s of the year.
Update after reading Bloodmarked:
I stand by my criticism that some aspects of the first book lean a bit on classic YA tropes (games/trials, love triangle, nobody with powers). I also stand by the fact that Alice and Bree’s relationship is not explained enough in this book but now I completely love the two of them. I wouldn’t change a thing about the first book after reading the second book. Everything in this book is a fun way to enter this amazing world. Bloodmarked is so closer to a 5 star book and this is just a hair behind. Definitely one of my top 4.5s of the year.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Gore, Racism, Sexism, and Slavery
rosenau's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident, Kidnapping, Slavery, Classism, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Cursing, and Sexism
Minor: Alcohol, Transphobia, War, Bullying, Rape, Slavery, and Sexual assault
gloriousreader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
The last 20% of this book was a rollercoaster and the twist was just *chef's kiss*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Death of parent, Violence, Racism, Slavery, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Gore, and Sexual violence
spooderman's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Bullying, Grief, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Classism, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Slavery, Death, Car accident, Confinement, Body horror, Violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Torture, Hate crime, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, Mental illness, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Deportation, Cursing, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Ableism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, Rape, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts
renettereads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? No
5.0
“My agony has a hunger, I’ve discovered. It doesn’t want the truth. Not really. It just wants to feed itself sorrow until there’s no other emotion left.”
Reeling from the grief of her mother’s death, Bree wants to escape and a residential programme seems like the perfect place until she witnesses a magical attack and quickly becomes embroiled in a world of secret societies and Arthurian legend.
Oh my goodness, this was friggin amazing. I’m actually quite annoyed at myself for putting it off for so long, but having read it now, I can’t recommend it enough. Bree is an engaging main character and her grief and anger were so palpable – which is a credit to Tracy Deonn for writing such a complex and wonderful character – that I found myself angry and heartbroken for her. Though the cast is large, and some of them probably could’ve been fleshed out a little more, the main characters (Bree, Selwyn and Nick) were all wonderfully rounded, and I appreciated the chemistry between them – even more so when they loved to hate or hated to love each other.
There is a lot of world-building here, but I think it’s written in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. The magic system is well crafted and the prose shines. Tracy takes on racism and generational trauma in a really impactful way and that alone makes this an important read for everyone, but especially white readers. I enjoyed every single moment of this even when the tiny font was killing my eyes (that alone is saying something) and I can’t wait to pick up where we left off, especially with how unexpectedly things went.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Racism and Death of parent
catreads247's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
Loved! Absoluetly loved! The characters the storyline, everything worked and was written beautifully. Can’t wait to read book two!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Sexual violence and Slavery
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Is this the best book ever written? Maybe not.
Is this the best YA fantasy book ever written? Maybe?
At least, it's one of the best I've read. Truly, the writing is fantastic. I laughed, I cried, I was at the edge of my seat and turned page after page after page. And I just found out this is Tracy Deonn's debut novel?! What?!
Loved the writing. Looooved the characters, the character work, development, their dynamics are so good. There are some tropes I usually don't enjoy that much, but here I didn't mind, I was even invested. I'm here for it. And there is so much LGBTQ+ representation! Gay, Lesbian, Bi Characters, a non-binary one. And the way they are casually part of the story made me SO happy.
Also, Bree as the protagonist is such a delight to follow. Even when she is grieving and angry. I love her.
I'm a fan of Arthurian legends. One of my first fantasy books ever was a retelling of the legend. Since then, I've encountered many more and this one is so unique. I have to admit, it is confusing at the beginning. There is a lot of world building (A LOT), a lot of names, and details. The magic system is wild and equally confusing. And then halfway through the book a second magic system comes into play. And I loved this one even more. But it worked for me. In the end everything came together perfectly, the plot, the characters, the mysteries. The ending is so satisfying.
And all that, the character dynamics, the friendships, the romance, the magic, the (for me perfectly paced) plot is interwoven with themes like grief, racism, colonization, slavery, generational trauma in such a brilliant way. I could say so much more and talk about this book for hours on end, but I don't want to spoil anything. I'm just in love which this story and can't wait to continue with Bloodmarked right away.
Is this the best YA fantasy book ever written? Maybe?
At least, it's one of the best I've read. Truly, the writing is fantastic. I laughed, I cried, I was at the edge of my seat and turned page after page after page. And I just found out this is Tracy Deonn's debut novel?! What?!
Loved the writing. Looooved the characters, the character work, development, their dynamics are so good. There are some tropes I usually don't enjoy that much, but here I didn't mind, I was even invested. I'm here for it. And there is so much LGBTQ+ representation! Gay, Lesbian, Bi Characters, a non-binary one. And the way they are casually part of the story made me SO happy.
Also, Bree as the protagonist is such a delight to follow. Even when she is grieving and angry. I love her.
I'm a fan of Arthurian legends. One of my first fantasy books ever was a retelling of the legend. Since then, I've encountered many more and this one is so unique. I have to admit, it is confusing at the beginning. There is a lot of world building (A LOT), a lot of names, and details. The magic system is wild and equally confusing. And then halfway through the book a second magic system comes into play. And I loved this one even more. But it worked for me. In the end everything came together perfectly, the plot, the characters, the mysteries. The ending is so satisfying.
And all that, the character dynamics, the friendships, the romance, the magic, the (for me perfectly paced) plot is interwoven with themes like grief, racism, colonization, slavery, generational trauma in such a brilliant way. I could say so much more and talk about this book for hours on end, but I don't want to spoil anything. I'm just in love which this story and can't wait to continue with Bloodmarked right away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism
Minor: Bullying, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Stalking, Car accident, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gore, and Rape