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litoreads's review against another edition
- 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
Someone let Miss Tracy Deonn cook and she created a masterpiece. Five Stars.
The story starts with the heartbreaking loss of Bree Matthews' mother. A few months later, she heads off to USC, the same university her mother attended. Shortly after arriving at the school, she stumbles upon the exclusive Order of the Round Table, a modern-day rendition of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
As mysterious and perilous incidents unfold on campus, Bree seizes the opportunity to join the Order as a Page, facilitated by Nick, the prospective King and heir to King Arthur's throne. Amidst her training to be a Squire, escalating violent events prompt the original Knights to call upon their Scions to Awaken, signaling an impending war. The catch is that if Arthur's Scion (Nick) is Awakened and falls victim to the Shadowborn demons,
Simultaneously, Bree undergoes therapy where her therapist unveils
I won't spoil the rest for you; PLEASE READ IT. I couldn't contain my excitement and literally yelled and felt chills when the climax was revealed.
On the downside, I found a minor issue with Bree's frequent lack of awareness in certain situations. For instance, moments where she unexpectedly realizes actions she apparently performed without conscious awareness felt a bit inconsistent for a character with such
Here's what I appreciated:
- The engaging narrative
- Rich lore
- Well-crafted magic system
- Compelling characters, particularly Bree, Sel, Nick, and Alice
Bree's perspective as an intelligent Black woman resonated with me, offering a poignant exploration of how White society incessantly thrusts her race and gender in her face. As a person of color myself, I identified with many parallels, and the portrayal of racist interactions at times moved me to tears.
The inclusion of queer representation in the story is commendable. Same-sex relationships are normalized, and I applaud the matter-of-fact acceptance within the narrative. The diverse sexual orientations of characters, including Sel being bi (we need more bi men in books) and Alice being a lesbian, along with queer figures in high-ranking positions in the Order, is a refreshing and welcomed aspect.
Tracy Deonn's debut novel is a tapestry of adventure, gripping battle scenes, dynamic characters, a captivating magic system, and creative, imaginative lore rooted in Arthurian legend. It lays the foundation for a
Five stars.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Sexism, Misogyny, Car accident, Cursing, Death of parent, War, Death, Blood, Bullying, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Violence
tiredtori's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, Grief, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Violence, Alcohol, Death, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Minor: Car accident, War, Vomit, Slavery, Cursing, Gore, and Mental illness
erebus53's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Being one of the few Black girls on campus, Bree finds being in an elite society of blood and oath bonded mages pretty irksome. She is continually reminded that she doesn't belong, whether being mistaken as wait-staff, assumed to have been allowed entry as "affirmative action", or just wandering in the school gardens and finding a monument to the nameless slaves who built the campus.
Her boyfriend's paranoid bodyguard is sure that she's actually secretly a demon who is trying to manipulate or kill him... and just when she feels like she might be getting a grip on what is going on, she meets with a woman who used to know her mother, who tells her that this order of Blood Mages she has met with, are colonial scum who have stolen their magic, who never consider balance, and who are causing most of the imbalance that is drawing evil manifestations into the world.
And how do you learn all this stuff and still keep it secret from your childhood best friend.. with whom you are supposed to be living the college dream? To get anywhere Bree is going to have to start being honest with herself, get in touch with her own power, and be vulnerable enough to ask for help from unlikely places.
We've got a bit of diversity despite things being very White-centric. One of the main characters has relationships with guys and girls, another is non-binary gender (they/them), and Bree's best friend Alice is Taiwanese American. I've listened to a few books that have been read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt and she does a solid job, but in this particular book where most of the characters are White, it makes my brain work doubly hard. I have to keep reminding myself that the young men she is hanging out with are not Black. It's very easy for my brain to be lulled into the idea that Selwyn is a Black lad, because that's how his voice sounds in the narration. Maybe I just need to concentrate harder.
Quite a lengthy book, but it really does close off with a "first book feel" that leaves you wondering about enough to bring you back for another round... maybe later though.
Graphic: Mental illness, Slavery, Bullying, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, War, Child abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Abandonment, Classism, Colonisation, Gore, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape, Vomit, and Cancer
spooderman's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Bullying, Grief, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Classism, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Slavery, Death, Car accident, Confinement, Body horror, Violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Torture, Hate crime, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, Mental illness, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Deportation, Cursing, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Ableism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, Rape, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts
meghansarmiento97's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Slavery, Bullying, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, and War
ruthlessreads's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
The pacing was a little off and the characters were 8/10. Some of the side characters were a little stiff or spare and felt like part of the scenery, even some of the “bigger” side characters. Why was I supposed to care when that one dude (?) died? Sad I guess but, like, your after school club is “war but with mythology intertwined” lol so idk it just didn’t hit like I thought it should.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, can’t wait to read more, and will definitely be picking up book #2.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Stalking, Racism, Sexism, Grief, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Classism, and Colonisation
Minor: Alcohol
britgirlreading's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Torture, Toxic friendship, and Emotional abuse