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adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was easy to get into—I listened to it for 7 hours one day! The plot starts slow, ramping up steadily to a shocking climax. The magic system being built upon myth and history in equal measure was really interesting and sometimes heartbreaking.
I’m realizing that I haven’t read many YA books as an adult, and I think the ones I have read and loved left me wanting more (for better or worse). Luckily, in this case, there are more books to read so I can better understand the magical world and the side characters.
I was really shocked by some of the twists in this book, and am curious to find out where Bree’s heart and history will lead her next.
The romance in this book was a little frustrating to me. It felt like a side-plot but also had a huge impact on the decisions made by the MC. I kept getting love triangle vibes (which I kind of love) and felt like I had difficulty getting behind the relationship.
I noticed that the narrator, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, did a good job of differentiating a character’s inner thoughts from their out-loud dialogue. That’s something that I’ve found confusing in other audiobooks, but it was very clear here.
Overall this was a really good book, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series.
I’m realizing that I haven’t read many YA books as an adult, and I think the ones I have read and loved left me wanting more (for better or worse). Luckily, in this case, there are more books to read so I can better understand the magical world and the side characters.
I was really shocked by some of the twists in this book, and am curious to find out where Bree’s heart and history will lead her next.
The romance in this book was a little frustrating to me. It felt like a side-plot but also had a huge impact on the decisions made by the MC. I kept getting love triangle vibes (which I kind of love) and felt like I had difficulty getting behind the relationship.
I noticed that the narrator, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, did a good job of differentiating a character’s inner thoughts from their out-loud dialogue. That’s something that I’ve found confusing in other audiobooks, but it was very clear here.
Overall this was a really good book, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Slavery, Gaslighting
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“But when your entire world is shattering, a little bit of magic is...nothing.”
A book with a Black FMC joining a secret society based on Arthurian legend? Yes please!
A powerful, emotionally resonant YA fantasy with a totally original take on Arthurian legend. This book hit me in the heart with its themes of grief, racism, legacy, and identity, while also delivering a fast-paced magical mystery that I found hard to put down.
Unique premise & magic system: The blending of Arthurian legend with a secret society of magically gifted descendants felt incredibly fresh. The concept of descendants of King Arthur’s knights in a modern world, being served by multiple Merlins was just so cool.
Emotional depth & social commentary: The story weaves in powerful themes of racism, grief, and generational trauma with care and complexity. Bree’s experience as a Black female in a predominantly white elite space was handled thoughtfully, and her ancestral connections added a deeply moving layer.
A strong emotional core: The book opens with Bree dealing with the recent death of her mother, grounding the fantasy in real emotional pain. There were moments that genuinely made me pause to cry - particularly one gut-punch revelation from her ancestral past.
Great pacing & structure: The plot is fast-paced, with exciting trials, magical battles, and high-stakes secrets. I also really enjoyed the way the story shifted between present & past events and expanded on deeper lore/history.
Audiobook performance: I read this partially via audiobook and thought the narrator did an outstanding job conveying the emotional weight of key scenes. Her performance definitely elevated some of the most intense moments - you could hear the sorrow within her.
Surprise twists & satisfying ending: I loved the final chapters - there were turns I didn’t see coming, which made the ending all the more exciting. I'm already emotionally invested in seeing where the series goes next.
Pros
- Unique concept – Secret societies, modern descendants of King Arthur’s knights, and multiple “Merlins” working like magical sentinels? YES.
- Rich magic system – A complex, layered system rooted in legend and power, with enough clarity that you grasp it more is revealed.
- Amazing audiobook narration – Helped deepen the emotional scenes
- Plot twists! – Genuinely surprised me a few times, especially at the end. I love when a book keeps me guessing.
- Romance as a subplot – Present, but never overwhelmed the story. Was just the right balance.
Cons
- I found the lore to be a bit dense at first, and I occasionally had to reread or re-listen to stay oriented. But the author cleverly reinforces the worldbuilding throughout.
This book was so much more than just a magic school fantasy. It’s emotionally rich, clever, intriguing and beautifully written. I look forward to reading the next one!
Content Warnings:
Death of a parent, grief, racism, depictions of slavery, off-page sexual assault (not graphic), fantasy violence, demons (fantasy monsters, not Biblical demons)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Violence, Grief
Minor: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Contains demons (fantasy monsters, not Biblical)
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Abandonment
Minor: Police brutality
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
A fascinating addition to the genre—a young black girl grieving her mother’s death takes on the hero’s journey. She discovers magic at UNC and gets involved in a secret society (with a delicious love triangle!) Her therapist introduces her to root, the name Black people use for magic. She is torn between worlds and experiences discrimination in the white secret society. At the end she moves through her trauma and moves towards integration, finding her power.
I did not love the narrator so will switch to ebook for the next ones. I really loved this. Propulsive and thoughtful.
I did not love the narrator so will switch to ebook for the next ones. I really loved this. Propulsive and thoughtful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Rape
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am always here for a King Arthur retelling! Legendborn modernizes the tale in a poignant way. Excited to move on to the next book in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Car accident, Death of parent, Colonisation
Minor: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery
Legendborn features a main character, Bree, who is a black woman in the Southern US. With this setting, Bree experiences racism. As she learns more about her history, she becomes more acutely aware of the generational trauma experienced in her family. This all culminates when Bree realizes her powers stem from her ancestor being raped by her slave owner .
The story also starts with the main character learning of her mother’s death in a car accident.
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:
Complicated
This book took me a while to get through for no other reason than it made me want to brush up more on my lore half way through and then finish it. It was so good. I had to wait to get it back from my library, which took a while and when I say my mind kept drifting back to this book. I seriously can't wait to read the other and hope my loans for the next 2 dont take as long. Sorry if I miss an tw it's been a bit since I read the first half.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Slavery, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
Brilliant. Loved it. Only reason for four stars is that I had a hard time keeping the names straight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, War
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Slavery, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Death of parent
Moderate: Rape
adventurous
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation
Moderate: Rape, War
Minor: Vomit, Police brutality
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
many of my heart strings on such a personal level. bree matthews is such a complicated and beautiful character and i see so much of myself in her and her pain.
the way tracy deonn weaves together the fantasy and painful history of black people in america is amazing. i was gripped by uncovering the truth and i think that’s just so relatable to the black experience. 5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Rape