Scan barcode
dani3lla_j's review
3.0
3.75 ⭐️
This is about Bree's journey as she encounters demons, swords, and Legendborn. She wanted to find out the mystery of her mother's death a year ago so she joined a secret society that reveals more to the story. The first half of the book isn't for me, it was full of worldbuilding materials that I can't comprehend since there are lots of terms and words. The 2nd half however, made me fall in love with this book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. While I was halfway through the book, I found out that the 3rd book doesn't come out until 2025!!!! I'm now deciding if I wanna read the 2nd book right away then reread the first 2 books before 2025 or pace myself and read the 2nd book mid 2024.
Nick is King Arthur's Scion which is like a descendant. Nick and Bree went into a romantic relationship with soft kisses and trust with each other. He is pressured by his father so that King Arthur may call upon him.
Sel is the kingsmage which is like a super soldier with highest rank and power. He can make aether. Sel and Bree goes into adventures in which Bree discovers her own lineage. He also taught Bree how to fight in the battle of Pages (newcomer's battle).
The first book is giving introduction and world building so I know that the 2nd book gets better because of how captivating the ending of this book was. Guess who is the real Scion of King Arthur? Clue: He's a she.
This is about Bree's journey as she encounters demons, swords, and Legendborn. She wanted to find out the mystery of her mother's death a year ago so she joined a secret society that reveals more to the story. The first half of the book isn't for me, it was full of worldbuilding materials that I can't comprehend since there are lots of terms and words. The 2nd half however, made me fall in love with this book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. While I was halfway through the book, I found out that the 3rd book doesn't come out until 2025!!!! I'm now deciding if I wanna read the 2nd book right away then reread the first 2 books before 2025 or pace myself and read the 2nd book mid 2024.
Nick is King Arthur's Scion which is like a descendant. Nick and Bree went into a romantic relationship with soft kisses and trust with each other. He is pressured by his father so that King Arthur may call upon him.
Sel is the kingsmage which is like a super soldier with highest rank and power. He can make aether. Sel and Bree goes into adventures in which Bree discovers her own lineage. He also taught Bree how to fight in the battle of Pages (newcomer's battle).
The first book is giving introduction and world building so I know that the 2nd book gets better because of how captivating the ending of this book was. Guess who is the real Scion of King Arthur? Clue: He's a she.
brittinclaire's review
adventurous
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
nereeque's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
bilbobaggings's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
hillmert's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book that mixes Arthurian legend, fraternal orders, college pledging, mixed with magic, folk-magic, demons, and mystery. There is a lot going on, but Ms. Deonn does a good job of explaining how all the threads weave together. I listened to the audio version and it held my attention. I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy.
raye_loves_reading's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted more. I love the legend of Arthur and all that entails and this was sold to me on that premise. I got that, however, there were elements I would have loved to learn more about.
Bree is an incredibly strong character and it's only when her mother dies that she starts to notice things aren't quite as straight forward and 1-dimensional as they seem.
When at a party with her best friend Alice, a new friend Charlotte and others she notices something that she probably shouldn't be witness to, and it starts her down a slippery slope of corruption, secrets and life-risking terror. For what she witnessed was a very secret society, the founders of the college, the town and much of the country have been hiding for more than 1000 years!
The premise of this book is seriously incredible, but I was just left wanting that bit more. What is rootbound magic? What are the reasons behind Bree's mother's death and her grandmother's and her great grandmother's? Who did they make a promise to?
I loved the idea of Bree's truth, but I just wanted more of it.
I didn't care about the romance, I just wanted to delve deeper into the magical system, the history of Bree's family and her culture and learn more.
I have Bloodmarked on my shelf and I am hopeful more will be revealed when I pick that one up.
Bree is an incredibly strong character and it's only when her mother dies that she starts to notice things aren't quite as straight forward and 1-dimensional as they seem.
When at a party with her best friend Alice, a new friend Charlotte and others she notices something that she probably shouldn't be witness to, and it starts her down a slippery slope of corruption, secrets and life-risking terror. For what she witnessed was a very secret society, the founders of the college, the town and much of the country have been hiding for more than 1000 years!
The premise of this book is seriously incredible, but I was just left wanting that bit more. What is rootbound magic? What are the reasons behind Bree's mother's death and her grandmother's and her great grandmother's? Who did they make a promise to?
I loved the idea of Bree's truth, but I just wanted more of it.
I didn't care about the romance, I just wanted to delve deeper into the magical system, the history of Bree's family and her culture and learn more.
I have Bloodmarked on my shelf and I am hopeful more will be revealed when I pick that one up.
mollbrownlee's review
4.0
After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC, with her best friend Alice –Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. Alice and Bree attend a ‘party’ is the woods with one of their old friends Charlotte. Here they also meet Evan (who Bree later finds out is part of the secret society – Legendborn.)
A flying demon feeding on human energies and a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw. (Sel)
The mage’s failure, which is completely unheard of, unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.
She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn (who is the direct decendant of King Arthur) and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.
Bree joins a tournament to become a Squire and meets other candidates: some are kind to her and others make racist comments. The candidates take magical Oaths in the woods. Bree meets Nick’s dad, Davis, and learns Nick is the heir of the legendary Arthur. Sel is Nick’s Kingsmage: a Merlin. At the end of the ceremony, an Order member is Awakened (possessed) by a Knight and a hellhound attacks. The more order members that are awakened means they are closer to Camlann and Nick, as Arthurs decendant, will be the last one to be called. But being awakened is not always a good thing as it shortens the lifespan of the Scion and their Squire.
At the dorm, Bree argues with Alice; the next day Bree’s dad calls and says she has to go to therapy. Bree meets a therapist named Patricia who tells Bree her mom was a practitioner of Rootcraft—a matrilineal Black spiritual tradition. They believe that the Legendborn ‘steal’ magic/root/aether whereas these other practicians borrow it and give offerings in return.
Bree returns to the Lodge; Sel thinks Bree is a demon in disguise. In the first tournament event, Bree and her partner pass the first round. A demon attacks Nick, but Sel kills it. Bree visits Nick after William heals him and stays in Nick’s room. They don’t kiss until the next morning when he drops her off at her dorm.
Patricia meets Bree in the cemetery, and they go on a Rootcraft memory walk where Bree sees Patricia’s ancestor helping a woman who was whipped by a slave master, the birth of a crossroads child (part-demon), and a Gate—a portal for demons—being opened on campus. Bree runs to the Lodge to tell Nick about the Gate but can’t find him; she talks with William and learns Merlins are part-demon. Sel comes to the infirmary and argues with them.
Sel begins the next tournament trial—a riddle-scavenger hunt—and pairs himself with Bree. Hellfoxes attack them, eating Sel’s magic. They escape through a system of tunnels, but the hellfoxes are waiting outside. They are obviously getting stronger. Bree and Sel kill them with magic but now Sel can see the amount of magic Bree has and he knows it is not normal. Although he now does not think she is a traitor. They meet with the Order and learn Tor has Awakened. Nick punches Sel and gets Bree healed before kissing her goodnight.
Patricia and Bree meet Mariah, who tries but fails to help Bree contact her ancestors. Back at the Lodge, Bree begins combat training. Patricia comes by Bree’s dorm and says she is ending their therapy sessions as it isn’t good for anyone and she does not agree with Bree being part of the order.
Bree finishes a week of combat training with Sel. She makes it through the combat trial with a couple wins in matches with practice weapons. She is knocked out by Vaughn after she wins their match and William heals her again.
Bree talks to an aether-drunk Sel. Sel takes Bree to his and Nick’s childhood home where they find a file about the Gate being opened. It confirms what Bree saw on her memory walk – a gate was opened while he mother was at school here. A lot of students were attacked but no one died. They wiped the memories of these people but kept monitoring them. Bree’s mom was one of them. It is then obvious to Bree that her mother really did die in a car crash. But they also find out that it was Sel’s mom who opened the gate in the first place – she is not dead, she is in prison. Bree avoids the Order members—including Nick. She wants nothing to do with them; she has her answers.
Bree’s dad meets her as Alice has told him she is having a rough time and he gives her her mom’s bracelet which contains a memory about the powers of her maternal line: both Bloodcraft and Rootcraft. In it her mother explains what she can do and that all of the women in her family die young and have these powers. She does not know why though.Bree attempts to contact her ancestors again. She becomes possessed by her grandmother, revealing that she is a Medium. Her grandmother says she’ll contact another ancestor who knows about Bloodcraft.
Bree goes to the Order’s Selection Gala. She dances with Sel, and Nick asks her to be his Squire. She accepts, enraging the Order. Bree sneaks a kiss with Nick before she is kidnapped by Davis’s Kingsmage, Isaac.
Davis makes racist and sexist comments and Isaac threatens Alice, so Bree leaves the Order. Bree is possessed by a different ancestor who helps her heal Alice. Bree reveals everything to Alice, and they agree to fight the Order together. They learn demons that are gathering in the center of campus where Excalibur is held. Bree goes through the tunnels with Fitz and Evan. Fitz is killed and Evan is revealed to be a demon in disguise. Bree knocks him into a ravine.
Bree’s ancestor Vera co-possesses her body and takes Bree on a memory walk. Bree learns one of the heirs of Arthur impregnated Vera while she was a slave, and thus transferred Arthur to their line. Which is why Bree has all these powers, Vera also called on Root Magic to protect her lineage. Because the heir’s wife was also cheating with another man from the line of Lancelot, it means that Nick is actually his descendant!
Arthur awakens in Bree, Rhaz reappears with more demons, and Bree/Arthur takes Excalibur (sword) out of the stone.
Many Order members die in the fight. Sel shapeshifts, and Nick Awakens as Lancelot before being abducted by Davis and Isaac. Arthur has the remaining Order members kneel before he allows Bree to regain control of her body. She has everyone rise and puts the sword back in the stone.
After she is healed, Bree and Sel go off into the woods together. She jumps off the cliff from the beginning of the novel. They need to go looking for Nick.
A flying demon feeding on human energies and a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw. (Sel)
The mage’s failure, which is completely unheard of, unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.
She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn (who is the direct decendant of King Arthur) and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.
Bree joins a tournament to become a Squire and meets other candidates: some are kind to her and others make racist comments. The candidates take magical Oaths in the woods. Bree meets Nick’s dad, Davis, and learns Nick is the heir of the legendary Arthur. Sel is Nick’s Kingsmage: a Merlin. At the end of the ceremony, an Order member is Awakened (possessed) by a Knight and a hellhound attacks. The more order members that are awakened means they are closer to Camlann and Nick, as Arthurs decendant, will be the last one to be called. But being awakened is not always a good thing as it shortens the lifespan of the Scion and their Squire.
At the dorm, Bree argues with Alice; the next day Bree’s dad calls and says she has to go to therapy. Bree meets a therapist named Patricia who tells Bree her mom was a practitioner of Rootcraft—a matrilineal Black spiritual tradition. They believe that the Legendborn ‘steal’ magic/root/aether whereas these other practicians borrow it and give offerings in return.
Bree returns to the Lodge; Sel thinks Bree is a demon in disguise. In the first tournament event, Bree and her partner pass the first round. A demon attacks Nick, but Sel kills it. Bree visits Nick after William heals him and stays in Nick’s room. They don’t kiss until the next morning when he drops her off at her dorm.
Patricia meets Bree in the cemetery, and they go on a Rootcraft memory walk where Bree sees Patricia’s ancestor helping a woman who was whipped by a slave master, the birth of a crossroads child (part-demon), and a Gate—a portal for demons—being opened on campus. Bree runs to the Lodge to tell Nick about the Gate but can’t find him; she talks with William and learns Merlins are part-demon. Sel comes to the infirmary and argues with them.
Sel begins the next tournament trial—a riddle-scavenger hunt—and pairs himself with Bree. Hellfoxes attack them, eating Sel’s magic. They escape through a system of tunnels, but the hellfoxes are waiting outside. They are obviously getting stronger. Bree and Sel kill them with magic but now Sel can see the amount of magic Bree has and he knows it is not normal. Although he now does not think she is a traitor. They meet with the Order and learn Tor has Awakened. Nick punches Sel and gets Bree healed before kissing her goodnight.
Patricia and Bree meet Mariah, who tries but fails to help Bree contact her ancestors. Back at the Lodge, Bree begins combat training. Patricia comes by Bree’s dorm and says she is ending their therapy sessions as it isn’t good for anyone and she does not agree with Bree being part of the order.
Bree finishes a week of combat training with Sel. She makes it through the combat trial with a couple wins in matches with practice weapons. She is knocked out by Vaughn after she wins their match and William heals her again.
Bree talks to an aether-drunk Sel. Sel takes Bree to his and Nick’s childhood home where they find a file about the Gate being opened. It confirms what Bree saw on her memory walk – a gate was opened while he mother was at school here. A lot of students were attacked but no one died. They wiped the memories of these people but kept monitoring them. Bree’s mom was one of them. It is then obvious to Bree that her mother really did die in a car crash. But they also find out that it was Sel’s mom who opened the gate in the first place – she is not dead, she is in prison. Bree avoids the Order members—including Nick. She wants nothing to do with them; she has her answers.
Bree’s dad meets her as Alice has told him she is having a rough time and he gives her her mom’s bracelet which contains a memory about the powers of her maternal line: both Bloodcraft and Rootcraft. In it her mother explains what she can do and that all of the women in her family die young and have these powers. She does not know why though.Bree attempts to contact her ancestors again. She becomes possessed by her grandmother, revealing that she is a Medium. Her grandmother says she’ll contact another ancestor who knows about Bloodcraft.
Bree goes to the Order’s Selection Gala. She dances with Sel, and Nick asks her to be his Squire. She accepts, enraging the Order. Bree sneaks a kiss with Nick before she is kidnapped by Davis’s Kingsmage, Isaac.
Davis makes racist and sexist comments and Isaac threatens Alice, so Bree leaves the Order. Bree is possessed by a different ancestor who helps her heal Alice. Bree reveals everything to Alice, and they agree to fight the Order together. They learn demons that are gathering in the center of campus where Excalibur is held. Bree goes through the tunnels with Fitz and Evan. Fitz is killed and Evan is revealed to be a demon in disguise. Bree knocks him into a ravine.
Bree’s ancestor Vera co-possesses her body and takes Bree on a memory walk. Bree learns one of the heirs of Arthur impregnated Vera while she was a slave, and thus transferred Arthur to their line. Which is why Bree has all these powers, Vera also called on Root Magic to protect her lineage. Because the heir’s wife was also cheating with another man from the line of Lancelot, it means that Nick is actually his descendant!
Arthur awakens in Bree, Rhaz reappears with more demons, and Bree/Arthur takes Excalibur (sword) out of the stone.
Many Order members die in the fight. Sel shapeshifts, and Nick Awakens as Lancelot before being abducted by Davis and Isaac. Arthur has the remaining Order members kneel before he allows Bree to regain control of her body. She has everyone rise and puts the sword back in the stone.
After she is healed, Bree and Sel go off into the woods together. She jumps off the cliff from the beginning of the novel. They need to go looking for Nick.
kdayer's review against another edition
5.0
I love it when a book actually lives up to the hype. So well thought out and executed. So many layers. I’m dying to discuss this with someone.
Okay gonna go read book 2 now…
Okay gonna go read book 2 now…
ktoth818's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25