Reviews with content warning for Rape - Legendborn

Kinda wattpad-y at some points and some characters & characterisations remind me so much of Heroes of Olympus that I wouldn't be surprised if this was originally riordanverse fanfic/ the author is a fan.
All in all, very gripping once past the first 50 pages -> I binged this. I love the characters so much + the exploration of how historical institutions are hostile to POC (esp in USA) stood out to me.
Had some flaws (

Sel's monologue at Nick's dad's house just felt like infodumping

+ so many characters they're hard to remember + sometimes the writing just felt clunky) but I greatly enjoyed it so 5 stars it is.

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chelseanaylor's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

4.0

This was a beautiful story about finding your own identity while also embracing your history. I enjoyed Bree's development through the story, especially the processing of her grief.

I LOVED the reimagining of the King Arthur myth and how Deonn crafted such a unique and enthralling world! I cannot wait to read book 2.

I do think the author bogged the reader down with so many characters and nicknames (Sarah doesn't need to be shortened to Sar) with fairly surface level development; the cast of characters was necessary because of the premise, but of the dozen or so side characters few of them felt well -rounded or like they existed beyond the scenes they were in.

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spicycronereads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad 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

4.5

I delayed finishing this book because it was so fun. I didn’t want it to end. Bree, the FMC is independent, smart, and funny. The MMC, Nick, supports her and, I think, fits the definition of the golden retriever boyfriend. He definitely has some trauma of his own to work through, but he supports Bree all the way.

There are a few strong secondary characters. Alice is a lot of fun and provides an important foil to Bree. I look forward to seeing her story develop in subsequent books. Selwyn is the darker, more morally ambiguous counterpart to Nick. I sometimes struggle with a love triangle. But this one I didn’t mind too much. The author does some creative things with it.

The book deals with Arthurian legend in a novel way. With a really interesting magic system. The book also deals with the legacy of the history of slavery in the United States, and in particular, with the experience of being a Black student in a space that isn’t welcoming. I thought these were both done really well. It does seem a little didactic from time to time, but it is a YA book and so I think that’s necessary for this primary audience. The story is well-paced and the action is well-written. There were a few twist and turns that I didn’t see coming.

With multiple BIPOC women characters, as well as queer, genderqueer, and disabled characters, this book has lots of diverse representation.

This is a YA book so spice expectations must be adjusted. There is longing; there is kissing; there is swoon. 🌶️

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read and I can’t wait to read the next one of the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 🌶️

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midnightverde's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

Amazing! There is so much happening in the book and there are so many questions you ask yourself as you’re reading. I absolutely loved this and am eager to read the next books in the series.

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nanci's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This book feels like it’s in need of some tighter editing for continuity, as well as reworking the overwhelming amount of telling instead of showing. There are a lot of good ideas and the magic system is interesting but I couldn’t articulate how it works to you after having read it because it’s confusing. Likely won’t be picking up the second book in the series.

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