Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Legendborn

Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

106 reviews

saltylane's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad 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

4.75

This is a great story that subverts a lot of tropes and defies expectations. It twists and turns with unpredictable but believable mysteries and resolutions. Just when you think you know something, you’re surprised with where the plot and characters go. It has a lot of painful realism stuffed in with the magical fantasy, and I commend the author for not pulling punches.
Highly recommend & I’m going to read the next book asap.

Content Warnings

arangele's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous 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? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

erebus53's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

Bree's mom has just died in a car accident, but she has just been accepted into an early College plan, and she needs to get away from the house where her Dad is pining. She finds herself embroiled In a magic school with a twist, when she is drawn into a secret society that may or may not have something to do with the death of her mother. The story is somewhat romantic, but with a little bit of a triangular.. thing.. going on. Either way there is very little mooshy stuff and no hanky let alone panky.

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.

Content Warnings

teacherkmd's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

bookthief's review against another edition

Go to review page

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? It's complicated

5.0

A couple of years i ago I watched the BBC series Merlin and I loved it and when I heard about this book, which has a modern day retelling of a modern day Arthurian Legend, I knew I would love this book!

Bree was a fantastic character. She was strong, brave and resilient. I loved how throughout the book she accepted her grief for her mother and used it to discover the story of her origin through her ancestors. I was so surprised at the end that Bree was actually the Scion of Arthur. But I’m so glad that she is because she would be a great leader and king. Her powers are incredible and awesome and super strong. I can’t wait to see what type of king she will become in the next book!

Nick was an incredibly kind and determined person. The way he helped Bree when they had only known each other for less than a day was very sweet, and putting his life on the line several times for her. I would love it if Nick and Bree got together and stayed together as they work so well together. However a small part of me wants Sel to swoop in and be with Bree:)

The writing of the book was brilliant. The organisation was done perfectly as everything flowed smoothly and leaving mysteries at the perfect time.

I would definitely recommend this book to those of you who like fantasy and retelling of Arthurian Legend.

Content Warnings

iheartapolloxxi's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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

I loved this book. I just finished a couple minutes ago whilst I was bawling and listening to frank ocean. One of my all-time favorite fantasy books. Adrenaline will be induced, my heart and chest are still recovering. I love Bree and I connect with her in so many ways.

Content Warnings