Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

693 reviews

theemangomami's review against another edition

I just lost interest and from what I’ve heard the racist micro aggressions only get worse from here and I don’t think that’s for me rn

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Grief

pagesofplatypus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

Let me start by saying I have loved King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and Arthurian Legend since I was 6. I love how Deonn explores and expands on Arthurian legend in a modern setting. Both the Scion and Rootcraft magic systems are strongly developed.

Second, I want to talk about how well Deonn explores grief. Bree's rage and want for justice are deftly and poignantly portrayed. I feel like adolescents and girls don't often get to see the anger and bitterness of grief in many mainstream portayals of grief, especially in portayals of bereaved teen girls.

Next, Bree is one of the most amazing protagonists I've had the pleasure of meeting in a long time. Everything about her is just so real. Her grief and also her goofiness, her excitement, her curiosity, her exhaustion, and her compassion. I appreciate that she always advocated for herself and knew her worth. And I love how Bree explored her history and her powers in her own way and on her own terms.

And Sel, I'm going to love seeing more of Bree and Sel. I love that snarky, brooding, charming Merlin. He is such a great companion for Bree in his steady dedication to her and understanding of her pain.

Overall, Legendborn is a terrific series introduction and pays plenty of homage to traditional Arthurian Legend while calling to light and honoring African American history and legend as well. Deonn's writing is exhilarating and powerful and she does a spectacular job of placing reader's into Bree's mind and experiences.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Racism, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Rape

danysgirl's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Classism, Sexism, Cursing, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Murder, Racism, Car accident, Grief, Rape, Death of parent, Mental illness, Violence, and Vomit

hilivingston7'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? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this fantasy. It was a great modern day telling of the legend of Arthur on the legacy of UNC Chapel Hill that examined how chattel slavery impacted and continues to impact characters. The depiction of Bree’s grief for her mother felt so real and coupled that with her feelings of tokenism and isolation as the only minority experiencing daily micro & macro aggressions. I loved how the ending threaded the nuance of her ancestors and her coming to terms with accepting her mothers death. Really excited to read the second! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

Moderate: Sexual assault, Car accident, Rape, Abandonment, Violence, Colonisation, and Sexual violence

shaynicole's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Sexism, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Slavery

adalinemccormick's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Violence, Car accident, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gore, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, and Racism

Moderate: Slavery, Rape, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Physical abuse

heggoandhoggo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I enjoyed some of this book. However I found the main character to be arrogant and selfish. She was hypocritical and thought she knew best in situations she really didn’t. She forced the love interest into uncomfortable situations and was downright rude. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Grief

Minor: Homophobia

This book does depict grief. And I believe it does this well. It also portrays racism in moderate and explicit circumstances.

one of the side characters calls the main character a nappy-headed bitch.

there are situations that the characters seems racist. I would personally disagree but that is my own opinion.

at the end Tor says she does not wish to follow Bree as Arthur. I believe this is a fair reaction as she has just been told everything she believed in life is a lie. I personally would be a bit miffed if this happened to me. I do not believe this has much to do with Bree’s race but others may disagree.

Also there is mild homophobia.

the reaction they have to Greer being made squire

this is very mild and most LGBTQ+ scenarios are handled well.

bzliz's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

I waited a long time to read this because people spoke so highly of it and I was worried it couldn’t possibly live up to the hype. I’m so delighted to say I had nothing to worry about because it exceeded my expectations in every way. 

I immediately fell in love with Bree and I wanted nothing but good things for her. I’ve never been hugely into Arthurian legend but I enjoyed the dip into that world in a modern context and I was completely engrossed in every twist she encountered. The beautiful balance between aether and root was so cool and Bree’s journey to learn both paths was so fun. 

The biggest compliment I can give is that I want to immediately dive into Bloodmarked but I need to give it a few days so I don’t get them confused with each other. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, War, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, Sexism, Vomit, and Grief

Moderate: Kidnapping and Slavery

Minor: Car accident, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape

Child abuse (off page):

mentions of the way Nick and Sel were raised involving physical abuse under the guise of being part of training for their duty.

Rape (off page): Mention toward the end of the book of one of Bree’s enslaved ancestors being raped by the master of the house, then threatened after she became pregnant. It’s not explicitly called by that name but it’s definitely what happened. Racism (on page):

Bree faces multiple instances of micro aggressions and overt racism. Nobody outright calls her any slurs but it’s pretty unrelenting because just like in real life even people who don’t mean harm can still cause harm.

bgoodbookclub's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

These books have been on my shelf for a long time and I've always heard great things and wanted to read them so I finally did! 2024 is turning out to be my fantasy year so it felt like the right time.

These books are pretty in depth with a lot of details but I didn't feel lost at any point. Deonn does a great job of weaving everything together so that any questions you had were intentionally left unanswered and then resolved later.

The racial aspect of this book is woven in so well and is unlike what I've seen in other books which really stood out to me. I loved the way the author intentionally used the terminology of root (as explained in the author's note).

I am very excited to read the next book in this series!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Grief, and Slavery

Minor: Death of parent

emilymuir's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious sad 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

SO GOOD. Favourite ya fantasy I’ve read in a long time

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Racism, and Slavery