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ruthannejoy's review
adventurous
dark
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Rape, and Blood
Minor: Transphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Colonisation, Car accident, Torture, Sexism, and Forced institutionalization
depmythmoon's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
“They are past-tensing my heart—my whole beating, bleeding, torn heart—right in front of me.” (pg. 2)
“Death is not a thread. It is the sharp cut that severs us. Death separates us from one another, and yet it holds us close. As deeply as we hate it, it loves us more.” (pg. 305)
I have heard nothing but good things about this book, and I now see why! This has easily become my new favorite book, and I cannot wait to get my grubby little fingers on Bloodmarked and Oathbound when it’s released next year 😭. I don’t know why I put off reading it for as long as I have, but I will not be making the same mistake with the others in this series.
Brianna “Bree” Matthews is an African American teen who recently lost her mother to a car accident and is currently attending an early college program at the University of California, which her mother just so happened to attend 25 years prior. While there, she discovers that the world isn’t exactly as it seems, and there may be someone who knows about the mysteries surrounding her mother’s death. This story focuses heavily on the grieving process and the lasting, current impacts of slavery. As a black woman, I was able to relate to these issues and the anger/injustice that Bree felt throughout the book, which added another layer of enjoyment. However, anyone from any race can enjoy this book and learn from it, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has even the slightest interest in fantasy.
I’m not one to give out 5 stars so liberally, so believe me when I say that I really tried to wrack my brain for any possibly gripe I could have had with this book. None exist. This is an amazing book, 10/10, no notes. Period. Genuinely, I’ve sat with this book for a couple days, and I still am in love with it and I can’t even think to utter a negative word about it.
The background behind the magic systems was well thought out and helped push the theme even further. Bree was a complex character that helped spread awareness for PCBD, which is something I’d never heard of before reading this book. Alice was a true ride or die best friend that anyone would be lucky to have in their corner, and I loved their banter. There were cute, romantic moments that had me giggling and kicking my feet. And the TWISTS! My God! Towards the end of the book, my jaw gradually dislocated to the point that it hit the floor and beyond. I’m still picking it up to this day.
Ms. Deonn knows exactly what she’s doing!! I cannot wait to see where this story goes. I’m also curious about the end-game love interest. I have very high hopes for the rest of the series; I can hardly wait!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Slavery, Racism, Sexism, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Classism, War, Rape, Car accident, Racial slurs, and Alcohol
blakeandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
I am absolutely KICKING MYSELF for not reading this sooner!!! This is so much more than a fantasy book—it dives so deep into anti-blackness, colonization, racism, grief, self-discovery, familial history, complex friendships, and so much more. This is everything I want in a YA Fantasy. Bree is an absolute powerhouse, and I LOVED her as a main character. She has such an incredible character arc that I cannot wait to see develop into more of her power and strength in the rest of the series. I love all of the friendships she forms and how hilarious she is 😭 I honestly was expecting something wild to happen at the end, but I was so excited with how Deonn weaves Bree’s story together. I cannot wait to read Bloodmarked!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Colonisation and Death of parent
Minor: Rape
ebp's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Racism, Slavery, Grief, Violence, Classism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, War, Rape, Death, Violence, Car accident, Bullying, Kidnapping, and Sexual assault
Minor: Infidelity and Alcohol
chrisb913's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
The story and plot start out slow, we start off meeting the MC Briana a few months after the death of her mother. She has moved to a college campus to take part in an early college program with her best friend Alice. Immediately you are thrown into a plot of magic, demons, and secret societies. I found the initial descriptions of the hierarchy of the Order of the Round Table to be a bit confusing, but as you progress in the story it becomes significantly easier to follow along. One thing I really wish the author had done, was put a pronunciation guide in the back of the book, as there are several names and phrases that are repeated. She initially puts a phonetic description of how to say it in the story, but it would have been nice to have a reference page.
At the end of the day, while the beginning was slightly clunky for me, the ending more than made up for any grievance I had with the book. This story is such an interesting and unique take on the Arthruian lore and the characters are so incredibly realistic. I cannot wait to continue reading in this world and this will be one of my go to recommendations.
At the end of the day, while the beginning was slightly clunky for me, the ending more than made up for any grievance I had with the book. This story is such an interesting and unique take on the Arthruian lore and the characters are so incredibly realistic. I cannot wait to continue reading in this world and this will be one of my go to recommendations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Murder, Slavery, Bullying, and Child death
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Transphobia
fairytales's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.5
This book is amazing and groundbreaking—I enjoy how Deonn takes common fantasy legends and flips them on their head in this story. She employs a magic based secret society to make important statements about the power and perseverance of black women and the—usually unacknowledged—privilege of white people and especially white men. Those ideas are at the center of this story and I love how Deonn turns a overwhelmingly white secret society on its head. The ending is especially great. She does a great job with the mysteries as well—they are layered and complex so even as we solve part of a mystery, we discover another or are left with more questions.
I have hopes that this series will be a 5 star one for me, but there were a few things about this first book that didn’t quite get me there on the fantasy side. The biggest one being that the demon fighting felt very one dimensional, in that this first book just focused on using ether to fight demons and didn’t get into a more interesting or complex purpose. While root and Patricia brought time walking and other magics to the table, I felt like the fantasy/magic side of this book fell a bit flat for me. That being said, there was a lot of world establishing in this book so I have hopes that the magic will grow in its meaning and complexity in book 2 and beyond.
I have hopes that this series will be a 5 star one for me, but there were a few things about this first book that didn’t quite get me there on the fantasy side. The biggest one being that the demon fighting felt very one dimensional, in that this first book just focused on using ether to fight demons and didn’t get into a more interesting or complex purpose. While root and Patricia brought time walking and other magics to the table, I felt like the fantasy/magic side of this book fell a bit flat for me. That being said, there was a lot of world establishing in this book so I have hopes that the magic will grow in its meaning and complexity in book 2 and beyond.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Slavery
mfaye97's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
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
This book has the best and most logical magic system that I've read to date. Tracy Deonn did a wonderful job with bringing in history into this story in a way that's easy to digest and honors her ancestors. Furthermore, the story's plot twist made perfect sense, and even if predictable for some, it's so well woven into the plot that predicability doesn't matter. I love this book so much and had ordered Bloodmarked before I even finished it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Rape
jei_reads_sometimes'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, Racism, Violence, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Car accident, Slavery, and Medical content
Minor: Abandonment, Rape, Pregnancy, and Child abuse
withlivjones's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.25
This book was so good! A well-conceived magic system (bonus points for the Welsh inspiration!!), so many incredible plot twists, and a lot of really thoughtful insights about grief and race (particularly important in a genre - Western fantasy - that is pretty Eurocentric). I thought the romance was a little mid - I’m not one for love triangles or tortured bad boys - but overall the story was fantastic and had me glued to the page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Racism
Moderate: Rape and Car accident
racheldonna14's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
If I could give this book six stars I would.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Death, Sexism, Slavery, Misogyny, Hate crime, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Vomit, Stalking, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Abandonment, Car accident, Homophobia, and Sexual assault