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clairew97's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Racism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Slavery, Violence, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Classism, Pregnancy, War, Murder, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Alcohol, Cursing, Misogyny, Rape, Car accident, and Stalking
kimilyn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I’ve been hearing about this book for years. People raving about how good it is. Now that I think back no one ever mentioned any specifics.. probably because this book is actually pretty average. The magic system is interesting but it takes a while to understand it and there were a lot of info dumps and not many demonstrations.
Characters
The characters are pretty bland. Everyone has a nickname. Eg. Sar and Tor and Sel and Whitty. But there aren’t a lot of defining characteristics. It felt like everyone was just doing what the plot demanded and weren’t making choices based on their needs or wants. When certain characters were in mortal danger I didn’t really care because I didn’t know them enough to care.
The two main boys were your typical golden haired good boy and dark haired bad boy. Each with their own super-tragic-traumatic-secret-backstory. Given the way the two boys are connected I wouldn’t mind a little polyamory between the three of them… But I doubt the author will be brave enough to do that. Trad pub and all. unfortunate because that would have made them a lot more interesting besides them fulfilling their trope roles and being “omfg! 😳 so shmexy! 🥵 can’t focus 😍”
Bree just felt stupid. There were a couple things the author was going for here according to the author’s note. Related to trauma and secret magic reasons, but for me it just didn’t work. I didn’t ever know why Bree was doing what she was doing. And not in a fun way that made me want to know more. It was more in a frustrating way that made me want to quit reading. Also can someone go back and keep track of how many times she passed out at the end of a scene? because I’m pretty sure it was more than five.
Plot
According to the author’s note the goal was to center Bree’s relationship with her mother and ancestors. But to me the only thing that was centered were the boys she was obsessed with. There was definitely a focus on Bree wanting to find out what really happened to her mom, but that wasn’t about their relationship. That was just a mystery to solve that happened to make her spend time with the hot boys. The ancestors storyline picked up near the end but it didn’t really seem centered. More of an addendum.
Plot Twists/Reveals (No Spoilers)
I usually enjoy plot twists. But not when they come out of nowhere with no hints or setup. During the last fourth of the book it felt like every few pages was another reveal or twist. Some of them worked but some of them were kind of annoying because it felt like the author was just throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck. I’m sure it was well planned out but it was a lot and for me personally not everything hit in the way I think it was intended.
Worldbuilding
The whole Legendborn thing is a very interesting idea. But it was explained in either info dumps or from Bree magically connecting dots. It was very confusing for me for a lot of the book. I think I got most of it by the end but it took a lot to get there. I like exploring a fantasy world but every time there was a new pause in the story for another info dump I was just irritated.
Racism
Just to preface this I am a black woman and fantasy is my favorite genre. Any time I can see myself reflected in the genre is a win. This included. But I prefer when racism, especially anti-black racism, is left out completely. I get why it wasn’t here. Kind of a crucial piece of the story. but to me it could have been handled more intentionally.
The actual day-to-day racism Bree experienced felt like superficial representations. Most felt over the top or heavy-handed. Maybe my experiences with racism have been different from this author’s. But the racism I usually see is a lot more subtle when it’s face to face. More passive aggressive and disguised.
It also was weird that this was a very white, historic secret society, yet there were only one or two instances when someone made Bree feel unwelcome. From my experience it felt unrealistic. Places and people like that will make black people feel othered all day long. did you see Get Out? That was way more accurate. The looks, the comments, the body language. Wish there had been more of that here to emphasize Bree’s sense of not belonging.
And I know this book was long so there probably wasn’t room, but some nuance around the discussion of racism would have been nice. Like if either of her boyfriends had been unintentionally racist a few times so she could correct and educate them. Just a little more acknowledgment that everyone is a at least a bit racist, intentionally or not but that doesn’t make you a bad person if you learn from it and do better.
Diversity
There were five non-white characters in this book. And I think there were four LGBTQ+ characters.
It was weird to me that Bree kept talking about being black and wanting to connect with her heritage, but made no efforts to connect to black kids her age. Bree had zero black friends.
All the LGBTQ+ kids felt like afterthoughts. There was a non-binary kid and the vibe was that they were such a disruption and almost as much of an outsider as Bree. But it was just said, no one ever actually treated them any differently.
Final Thoughts
Like I said, for me this was average. Probably won’t pick up the rest of the series. But if you like a twist on Aurthurian Legend with a black lead, go for it.
**(Also am I crazy or is it weird that Bree is sixteen and her love interests are at least nineteen? That age gap is weird right?)
Characters
The characters are pretty bland. Everyone has a nickname. Eg. Sar and Tor and Sel and Whitty. But there aren’t a lot of defining characteristics. It felt like everyone was just doing what the plot demanded and weren’t making choices based on their needs or wants. When certain characters were in mortal danger I didn’t really care because I didn’t know them enough to care.
The two main boys were your typical golden haired good boy and dark haired bad boy. Each with their own super-tragic-traumatic-secret-backstory. Given the way the two boys are connected I wouldn’t mind a little polyamory between the three of them… But I doubt the author will be brave enough to do that. Trad pub and all. unfortunate because that would have made them a lot more interesting besides them fulfilling their trope roles and being “omfg! 😳 so shmexy! 🥵 can’t focus 😍”
Bree just felt stupid. There were a couple things the author was going for here according to the author’s note. Related to trauma and secret magic reasons, but for me it just didn’t work. I didn’t ever know why Bree was doing what she was doing. And not in a fun way that made me want to know more. It was more in a frustrating way that made me want to quit reading. Also can someone go back and keep track of how many times she passed out at the end of a scene? because I’m pretty sure it was more than five.
Plot
According to the author’s note the goal was to center Bree’s relationship with her mother and ancestors. But to me the only thing that was centered were the boys she was obsessed with. There was definitely a focus on Bree wanting to find out what really happened to her mom, but that wasn’t about their relationship. That was just a mystery to solve that happened to make her spend time with the hot boys. The ancestors storyline picked up near the end but it didn’t really seem centered. More of an addendum.
Plot Twists/Reveals (No Spoilers)
I usually enjoy plot twists. But not when they come out of nowhere with no hints or setup. During the last fourth of the book it felt like every few pages was another reveal or twist. Some of them worked but some of them were kind of annoying because it felt like the author was just throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck. I’m sure it was well planned out but it was a lot and for me personally not everything hit in the way I think it was intended.
Worldbuilding
The whole Legendborn thing is a very interesting idea. But it was explained in either info dumps or from Bree magically connecting dots. It was very confusing for me for a lot of the book. I think I got most of it by the end but it took a lot to get there. I like exploring a fantasy world but every time there was a new pause in the story for another info dump I was just irritated.
Racism
Just to preface this I am a black woman and fantasy is my favorite genre. Any time I can see myself reflected in the genre is a win. This included. But I prefer when racism, especially anti-black racism, is left out completely. I get why it wasn’t here. Kind of a crucial piece of the story. but to me it could have been handled more intentionally.
The actual day-to-day racism Bree experienced felt like superficial representations. Most felt over the top or heavy-handed. Maybe my experiences with racism have been different from this author’s. But the racism I usually see is a lot more subtle when it’s face to face. More passive aggressive and disguised.
It also was weird that this was a very white, historic secret society, yet there were only one or two instances when someone made Bree feel unwelcome. From my experience it felt unrealistic. Places and people like that will make black people feel othered all day long. did you see Get Out? That was way more accurate. The looks, the comments, the body language. Wish there had been more of that here to emphasize Bree’s sense of not belonging.
And I know this book was long so there probably wasn’t room, but some nuance around the discussion of racism would have been nice. Like if either of her boyfriends had been unintentionally racist a few times so she could correct and educate them. Just a little more acknowledgment that everyone is a at least a bit racist, intentionally or not but that doesn’t make you a bad person if you learn from it and do better.
Diversity
There were five non-white characters in this book. And I think there were four LGBTQ+ characters.
It was weird to me that Bree kept talking about being black and wanting to connect with her heritage, but made no efforts to connect to black kids her age. Bree had zero black friends.
All the LGBTQ+ kids felt like afterthoughts. There was a non-binary kid and the vibe was that they were such a disruption and almost as much of an outsider as Bree. But it was just said, no one ever actually treated them any differently.
Final Thoughts
Like I said, for me this was average. Probably won’t pick up the rest of the series. But if you like a twist on Aurthurian Legend with a black lead, go for it.
**(Also am I crazy or is it weird that Bree is sixteen and her love interests are at least nineteen? That age gap is weird right?)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gore, Grief, Death, Blood, and Kidnapping
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Classism, Colonisation, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Infidelity
evieolive's review
adventurous
challenging
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
WOW. Just wow. Beautiful writing, amazing characterisation - a masterpiece.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Racial slurs, Rape, Misogyny, Murder, Infidelity, Infertility, Car accident, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
bookcaptivated's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Racism, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, War, Body horror, Murder, and Sexism
Minor: Bullying, Infertility, and Infidelity
bffwnho's review
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: Racism, Misogyny, Slavery, Death of parent, Grief, and Rape
Minor: Car accident, Child abuse, Infertility, and Kidnapping
abby_shupe's review
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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Amazing. I don’t remember the last time I’ve read a book with such deep complexity in terms of magic origins and development.
The lore, the talk of generational trauma, the magic, the characters were all so well thought out, meticulous, and made for an amazing and unforgettable book.
The author managed even in a predominantly white environment to weave in the most diversity I’ve seen in a book in ages, which definitely says something.
Every scene was done so seamlessly, though I hope in the sequel Bree can find a community of which she can relate too more when it comes to <spoiler- root, and her medium abilities -spoiler>.
The romance was amazing, normally I’m not a fan of love triangles, but I’m on the edge of my seat with this one! (team Sel over here 😇) I found all the (likable) characters to be extremely lovable, Sarah, Alice, Russ, Felicity, Sel, Whitty, and Greer were definitely my favorites! I devoured this entire book in a day and a half, and I put it on my TBR because I love the Renegades series and heard there were some similarities, but also as I continued reading, found it has similarities to the book, “This Poison Heart”, in terms of magic via black ancestors, and deep hidden secrets. If you liked any of those books, I highly recommend giving this one a try!
The writing is SO GOOD for a YA fantasy book, and is as good as you’re ever going to get.
There is a large amount of names and vocabulary you have to learn, (like when books make up random words), and it’s a lot to memorize and keep in your head when it’s referred to. And lastly, the ending was a tad bit rushed; everything happened so fast! but i’m not complaining about it, it made the last few chapters all the more captivating.
And now I’m editing this review to say, this is a book that when you re-read it, it’s even better. I know the terms used and am more familiar with the plot to be able to pick up on smaller details that make the storyline even better!
I can say with certainty this is the best book I’ll ever read, a complete masterpiece! I’m looking forward to Bloodmarked but mad I have to wait till November!
The lore, the talk of generational trauma, the magic, the characters were all so well thought out, meticulous, and made for an amazing and unforgettable book.
The author managed even in a predominantly white environment to weave in the most diversity I’ve seen in a book in ages, which definitely says something.
Every scene was done so seamlessly, though I hope in the sequel Bree can find a community of which she can relate too more when it comes to <spoiler- root, and her medium abilities -spoiler>.
The romance was amazing, normally I’m not a fan of love triangles, but I’m on the edge of my seat with this one! (team Sel over here 😇) I found all the (likable) characters to be extremely lovable, Sarah, Alice, Russ, Felicity, Sel, Whitty, and Greer were definitely my favorites! I devoured this entire book in a day and a half, and I put it on my TBR because I love the Renegades series and heard there were some similarities, but also as I continued reading, found it has similarities to the book, “This Poison Heart”, in terms of magic via black ancestors, and deep hidden secrets. If you liked any of those books, I highly recommend giving this one a try!
The writing is SO GOOD for a YA fantasy book, and is as good as you’re ever going to get.
There is a large amount of names and vocabulary you have to learn, (like when books make up random words), and it’s a lot to memorize and keep in your head when it’s referred to. And lastly, the ending was a tad bit rushed; everything happened so fast! but i’m not complaining about it, it made the last few chapters all the more captivating.
And now I’m editing this review to say, this is a book that when you re-read it, it’s even better. I know the terms used and am more familiar with the plot to be able to pick up on smaller details that make the storyline even better!
I can say with certainty this is the best book I’ll ever read, a complete masterpiece! I’m looking forward to Bloodmarked but mad I have to wait till November!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Slavery, and Vomit
Minor: Classism, Homophobia, Infertility, and Rape
luxvestravitae's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Car accident and Slavery
Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Torture
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