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cady_sass's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.75
This is SO CLOSE to perfect - I love everything about it but the plot gets really muddy and confusing in the last couple of chapters with all the dream sequences and big reveals. I don’t often say this, so you know I’m serious when I do say it, if you need to add another 100 or so pages to make it make more sense then PLEASE do it and don’t rush through crucial plot points! All that said…… team selwyn forever ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ u can fight me idc
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
samanthamurk's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
OMG this is such a good book!!! I can’t wait for the rest of the series!! I’m a little mad at bree and Sel…team nick all the way ig. Idk how i’m supposed to wait for the next book in this series i need it noww!! all around an amazing book great writing storyline and characters!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Racism and Slavery
katvou'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
iamsammie27's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Slavery, Blood, and Medical trauma
gretchotter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
….Literally no words. Chapter 16 and Chapter 52 wrecked me. I am deceased.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Violence
dewugging's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
I need a while to recover from the experience that was the sequel to Legendborn. A plot that doesn't quit, a deeper exploration of the secret magical world, and too many emotions. That was a ride, and I cannot wait for the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Racism, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Slavery and Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny, Rape, and Vomit
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
I love Sel forever. He is my personal fav book boyfriend. I could not handle the ending. Words honestly cannot describe my feelings. Go read it now, I can't believe I waited this long to read it. I will be reading the next one immediately when it comes out.
Seriously though this book is even better than the first one in a lot of ways. The intricacy and uniqueness of the story is top shelf. This is even despite my one criticism which is the complexity of the Order, the amount of positions and characters are difficult to keep track of. I had to make lots of notes and even though the plot of the first book is recapped well I still struggled with how the characters fit into this hierarchy. Really this could be solved by adding a character list, or adding the names of people to the charts that are already provided.
I discussed with a friend also that I love love triangles when all parties have so much mutual respect for each other and there is little animosity between them. I have been team Sel from the beginning, but I liked Nick a lot more in this book because of the aforementioned respect he has for both Bree and Sel as people.
Bree is a freaking goddess. I love her as a MC so much and this is why the ending is so devastating because I fear she is going to a dark place. BUT I was absolutely feral for the 'lesson' learned at the end of this book which is that Bree can choose and accept her own power on her own terms. She doesn't need the assistance of her ancestors, but only to believe in herself.
1/5 🌶️ (the tension tho? 5/5)
Seriously though this book is even better than the first one in a lot of ways. The intricacy and uniqueness of the story is top shelf. This is even despite my one criticism which is the complexity of the Order, the amount of positions and characters are difficult to keep track of. I had to make lots of notes and even though the plot of the first book is recapped well I still struggled with how the characters fit into this hierarchy. Really this could be solved by adding a character list, or adding the names of people to the charts that are already provided.
I discussed with a friend also that I love love triangles when all parties have so much mutual respect for each other and there is little animosity between them. I have been team Sel from the beginning, but I liked Nick a lot more in this book because of the aforementioned respect he has for both Bree and Sel as people.
Bree is a freaking goddess. I love her as a MC so much and this is why
1/5 🌶️ (the tension tho? 5/5)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Rape, and Slavery
naturally's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
unfortunately, bloodmarked was a victim of the sophomore slump! the introduction of valec the cross roads baby from the memory walk in legendborn and the evolution of bree/sel were the only redeeming qualities of this book, for me. i still had a fun time reading. but, overall, bloodmarked is significantly weaker than it's predecessor...
the first 20% was very slow and infor-dumpy. plus, a large chunk of the story was spent away from the college setting that i fell in love with in book 1.
bree being disconnected from other black people worked with the themes that deonn wanted to explore in legendborn. however, bloodmarked, mostly exposes how bree's relationships with other black characters are centred around her having something to gain from them (be it therapeutic services, shelter or knowledge etc). the only relationship with a black person that feels non-transactional is the one she has with her father who wasn't around at all in book 2 :( . bree's attitude toward rootcraft was frustrating to read, because it was established that the practice was used to connect with the ancestors and that it focuses on reciprocal exchange. bree seemingly only calls on her ancestors when she needs them to teach her something, and the way she spoke to vera (an enslaved Black woman and victim of r*pe) was disgusting, disrespectful, UNGRATEFUL... whilst i understand that it was overwhelming for bree to deal with intergenerational trauma as well as her own...she displayed astoundingly little empathy and consideration for how vera suffered. vera made a deal with the shadow king and the ancestors so that her descendants (including bree) could LIVE. if not for that deal, her child, the true scion of arthur would have died. for a character who lamented about being unable to trace her lineage, it was strange that bree ended up destroying her own ancestral plane and sole method of conversing with the ancestors she only just discovered??? the series could be redeemed if bree reflects on her behaviour and choices, otherwise i'm failing to see what deonn wants the overall message of this series to be.
furthermore, i can at least appreciate that bree's messiness shines through in this book. her decision making,,,was not the best. as a reader, i was trapped in a weird cycle of witnessing her make the same dumb mistakes over and over and over again. how many times did i watch bree recklessly run into fights, knowing that her friends would put their lives on the line to save her untrained self???
perhaps it's that i read book 1 and 2 back-to-back, but the love triangle has lost it's flair a bit. the toxic side of me enjoyed sel and bree's chemistry - not a delena shipper, but their dynamic mirrors elena and damon in vampire diaries season three. however, it doesn't sit right with me that bree gave significantly more grace to her white love interest than her own ancestor...
nick was kind of a non-factor in this book, despite having a rescue mission triggered by his kidnapping. i'm confusion??? at least two more books are needed to flesh him out as a character and love interest, because bloodmarked exposes how little they know about each other outside of bloodline history and lust.
this review marks me taking a break from the series to get my head together. i'll probably return when the series has concluded.
going forward, i hope to see:
the first 20% was very slow and infor-dumpy. plus, a large chunk of the story was spent away from the college setting that i fell in love with in book 1.
bree being disconnected from other black people worked with the themes that deonn wanted to explore in legendborn. however, bloodmarked, mostly exposes how bree's relationships with other black characters are centred around her having something to gain from them (be it therapeutic services, shelter or knowledge etc). the only relationship with a black person that feels non-transactional is the one she has with her father
furthermore, i can at least appreciate that bree's messiness shines through in this book. her decision making,,,was not the best. as a reader, i was trapped in a weird cycle of witnessing her make the same dumb mistakes over and over and over again. how many times did i watch bree recklessly run into fights, knowing that her friends would put their lives on the line to save her untrained self???
perhaps it's that i read book 1 and 2 back-to-back, but the love triangle has lost it's flair a bit. the toxic side of me enjoyed sel and bree's chemistry - not a delena shipper, but their dynamic mirrors elena and damon in vampire diaries season three. however, it doesn't sit right with me that bree gave significantly more grace to her white love interest than her own ancestor...
nick was kind of a non-factor in this book, despite having a rescue mission triggered by his kidnapping. i'm confusion??? at least two more books are needed to flesh him out as a character and love interest, because bloodmarked exposes how little they know about each other outside of bloodline history and lust.
this review marks me taking a break from the series to get my head together. i'll probably return when the series has concluded.
going forward, i hope to see:
- bree having BLACK friends
the ancestors allowing alice, william and sel into volition...doesn't hold much weight because they aren't black. essentially, these are non-black characters entering black safe spaces and it feels a bit invasive rather than being a bonding experience. alice can do black hair??? SO??? i'm not sure what the reasoning was behind her not being black... - bree apologising to vera
- return of the unc setting
- more valec <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual violence
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content
lucual20's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Rape and Slavery
kaybob_0708's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Um that ending!!!!!!! I was so hoping an happy ending for the trio but damn I just got my heart ripped out of my chest an stomped on. I also just want to throw out a connection that I realized Bree is connected to Nick bc he’s the the descendent of Lancelot but idk how they are gonna do the rest of the story there bc the legend goes that Lancelot betrays Arthur by sleeping with Guinevere so I’m curious to see that play out an also that her an Sel definitely have a lot of chemistry due to the fact that he is a descendent of Merlin so of course he would feel a pull toward Bree even while being Oathed to Nick. I know it’s a stretch but I’m more team Sel than Nick just bc Sel an her have the best relationship an yes it started out being very toxic with him trying to literally unalive her in the first half of the first book but damn this book just solidified team Sel she made a bargain with the shadow king to save Sel so tell me she doesn’t have stronger feelings for Sel then Nick. Anyways aside from that this book is an absolute soild 1000⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me I loved that this book was deeply enriched in POC representation an history an that they didn’t stick to stereotypes, I felt rage, an heartache for what the characters went thru an faced an the nod to POC history an slavery at the hands of white Americans as a white women myself it was definitely an eye opening read an I am amazed at the strength an courage POC have to continue to educate an break down centuries worth of racism an inequality. I don’t want to drone on an sound like a broken record so I’m gonna end this review with saying this will probably be my top read of 2023 an I am highly anticipating the third an final book which I hope gives us Team Sel endgame an finally lets our broken love trio have there peace also just a quick throw out FUCK TOR I never liked her in the first book an I sure as hell hate her guts in this for putting Bree in a situation where they were literally torturing an going to experiment on my girl so yeah okay I’m done now
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Rape