Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

135 reviews

some_random_person_hi's review

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Kinda wattpad-y at some points and some characters & characterisations remind me so much of Heroes of Olympus that I wouldn't be surprised if this was originally riordanverse fanfic/ the author is a fan. 
All in all, very gripping once past the first 50 pages -> I binged this. I love the characters so much + the exploration of how historical institutions are hostile to POC (esp in USA) stood out to me. 
Had some flaws (
Sel's monologue at Nick's dad's house just felt like infodumping
  + so many characters they're hard to remember + sometimes the writing just felt clunky) but I greatly enjoyed it so 5 stars it is.

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racquelmae's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75


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midnightverde's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

Amazing! There is so much happening in the book and there are so many questions you ask yourself as you’re reading. I absolutely loved this and am eager to read the next books in the series. 

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nanci's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This book feels like it’s in need of some tighter editing for continuity, as well as reworking the overwhelming amount of telling instead of showing. There are a lot of good ideas and the magic system is interesting but I couldn’t articulate how it works to you after having read it because it’s confusing. Likely won’t be picking up the second book in the series. 

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litoreads's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

TL;DR:
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,
15 centuries of Legendborn magic lines will vanish, plunging the world into darkness and chaos
.

Simultaneously, Bree undergoes therapy where her therapist unveils
the magic system, Rootcraft
, and cautions her about
the dangers posed by the Order. After consulting with her ancestors, Bree resolves to infiltrate the Order to uncover the truth behind her mother's fate, as her mom was a Rootcrafter adept at manipulating plant energy
.

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
legendary power
. Unfortunately, this is a typical trope found in YA novels. Beyond this, the rest of the story is exceptional.

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
potential love triangle
in the sequel as well as a
larger war with incredibly high stakes
. If you're a fan of fantasy, magic, and coming-of-age tales, this book is an absolute must-read.

Five stars.

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talonsontypewriters's review

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adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5


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madelinegl's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


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kassidyscatalogue's review against another edition

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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

Wow.  I think this has to be my favorite book of the year.  

I've always loved the story of King Arthur, Merlin, and the round table, but this is such a fun and creative take on the legend.  Deonn modernized Arthur in such a unique way and really made me care about the characters and what was going to happen to them.

I was really impressed with Bree's story of grief and ancestral trauma that she fights through to become such a strong main character.  The way Deonn sprinkles in the history of the slaves and the treatment of black people in today's society was really eye opening to me and even added to what Bree has to go through while also just trying to survive classes and her own family issues.

I also appreciated how casual Deonn integrated lgbtq+ individuals.  Greer was definitely one of my favorite characters with how supportive they were of Bree and defiant of anyone who tried to slander them for being different.

I can't wait to read the next book and find out how the story continues with Sel, Nick, and Bree.

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tey_lynn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75


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the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Completely lived up to the hype! If you're looking for a YA magical adventure that centers diversity and reimagines Arthurian legends in a fresh and genuinely interesting way, this is the book for you!

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