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tetrootz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gore, Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Slavery, Classism, War, Abandonment, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Mental illness, Torture, Bullying, Car accident, Gaslighting, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
Minor: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Acephobia/Arophobia, Police brutality, and Rape
midnightverde's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Car accident, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, Murder, Racism, Slavery, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Grief, Classism, Gore, Bullying, Violence, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, and Misogyny
Moderate: Infidelity and Rape
gagereadsstuff'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
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Mental illness, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Grief, Police brutality, Torture, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Racial slurs, Car accident, Child abuse, and Rape
litoreads's review
- 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
hey_mj'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
Graphic: Racism, Grief, and Mental illness
Moderate: Slavery and Sexism
Minor: Colonisation and Rape
warlocksarecool21'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
I thought the premise and world-building was really interesting. the whole idea with the Scions being descendants of the Knights of the Round Table and all the other interpretations of the myth was a really unique interpretation and it was so fun to read. It honestly gave me Percy Jackson vibes in that sense which was cool.
I’ve already gushed about Bree, but I loved the dynamics she had with other characters. I adored Alice and I’m glad she got her chance to shine at the end. I’m hoping she plays a larger role in the rest of the series, she’s a badass and she’s such a good friend. Now, in regards to Nick and Sel I was absolutely unhinged about them. I usually think love triangles (especially in YA) are so overdone and stupid but this one was so fascinating to me. The dynamics between all three of them are so compelling and I honestly just want them to be in a poly relationship bc that’s the only way I’ll be satisfied lmao. I thought Nick and Bree were really cute together although I’m not exactly buying that they’re in love after knowing each other for two weeks ajdjdjfj. Like yeah they have this legendary ancestral connection or whatever but y’all don’t know shit about each other 😂😂😂. That’s one of the only issues I had with the book that it was so quick and in such a short amount of time I think the relationship could have been fleshed out more but that’s not to say I didn’t like them together. However, when I am presented with a snarky & vicious and kind of pathetic character like Selwyn I will always go for that option. Nick and Bree might have had a lot of affection and care for one another but nothing beats the chemistry she had with Selwyn like I was obsessed with him. I would have been all over him if I read this in high school. And I’m even more feral about it knowing he liked Nick before and clearly has this bonded attachment to both Nick and Bree now like PLEASE i’m begging you Tracy make all 3 of them queer for each other 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 (i’m probably delusional but I fully embrace it).
Anyways, this book was so much fun and is probably a new favorite. I’m really excited to continue with the series and see where the characters go.
Moderate: Violence, Mental illness, Death of parent, Sexism, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Racism
saraseisolieb'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
4.25
Moderate: Car accident and Mental illness
Minor: Slavery, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Racism, and Pregnancy
torij2000'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
4.75
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Violence
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Grief, Racism, and Mental illness
Moderate: Pregnancy, Child abuse, Gore, Death of parent, Violence, Abandonment, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Bullying, Slavery, Sexism, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Police brutality, and Car accident
gabriella_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Tracy Deonn is excellent at character writing and establishing interpersonal dynamics (and conflicts). She also creates a unique atmosphere with obvious (and not so obvious) foes. She empowers her protagonist and makes her multifaceted. She breathes life into Bree and, as a reader, makes her feel so real. And this doesn’t get into how she writes an ensemble cast either - good GOD I would be remiss if I didn’t get into that.
Every character contributes something to the plot and it’s amazing that this author finds a way to do that without rendering them to be one-note or just a plot device. She has a plan for every character - and pieces of dialogue have a way of retaining relevance chapters later in a refreshing way.
I wish I had a book like this when I was a kid. 2,000/10 recommend reading this book if you are interested in fantasy and coming of age books. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Tracy Deonn, thank you for writing this.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Blood, Body horror, Death, Car accident, Child death, Violence, Kidnapping, Racism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Classism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and War