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A review by whatjamieread
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’ve been mulling over this review for most of the week because I’ve been trying to figure out how to articulate how amazing it is without divulging too many details that might tarnish someone’s reading experience. So instead of discussing specific plot points, I thought it best to discuss the significance of a story like this to me.
I’ve discussed this in the past but for much of my life, I didn’t have the privilege of seeing characters who look like me in the stories I read. When I was in middle school, I wrote a lot of fan fiction for my favorite book series & wrote in black & brown characters because I wanted to feel like I could belong in that world. I would be lying if I said that the race of the MC was not a motivating factor in me picking this up. Typically I don’t consider that. I try to diversify my library but I’m not immediately drawn to a book because someone in it is black, or Hispanic, or Asian. But growing up reading mostly fantasy & then forgoing the genre all together after years of being disappointed by not feeling like the fantastical worlds I was reading could welcome non-white characters, Legendborn was an immediate buy once I learned of it.
Bree is everything I’ve ever wanted in a main character. She’s HUMAN. She is not without faults or insecurities but she is strong & determined. She reads like an honest to god normal 16 year old just trying to figure out what it means to grow up while grappling with the crippling grief caused by the loss of her mother. Bree is a loving friend & daughter & someone I would have wanted in my life when I was 16. Tracy Deonn perfectly captured what I remember of being that age, especially what it was like navigating my first intense crush. My gripe with a lot of YA is that the teenagers in the stories seem so much more mature than I remember myself and my peers being & I often times have a tough time believing their actions but that’s not the case here. The world building in this story is impeccable. It is by far one of the best low fantasy stories I’ve ever read. The magic system in this world impeccable.
5⭐️ to Legendborn and Miss Deonn’s debut. I need more of this world ASAP!
I’ve discussed this in the past but for much of my life, I didn’t have the privilege of seeing characters who look like me in the stories I read. When I was in middle school, I wrote a lot of fan fiction for my favorite book series & wrote in black & brown characters because I wanted to feel like I could belong in that world. I would be lying if I said that the race of the MC was not a motivating factor in me picking this up. Typically I don’t consider that. I try to diversify my library but I’m not immediately drawn to a book because someone in it is black, or Hispanic, or Asian. But growing up reading mostly fantasy & then forgoing the genre all together after years of being disappointed by not feeling like the fantastical worlds I was reading could welcome non-white characters, Legendborn was an immediate buy once I learned of it.
Bree is everything I’ve ever wanted in a main character. She’s HUMAN. She is not without faults or insecurities but she is strong & determined. She reads like an honest to god normal 16 year old just trying to figure out what it means to grow up while grappling with the crippling grief caused by the loss of her mother. Bree is a loving friend & daughter & someone I would have wanted in my life when I was 16. Tracy Deonn perfectly captured what I remember of being that age, especially what it was like navigating my first intense crush. My gripe with a lot of YA is that the teenagers in the stories seem so much more mature than I remember myself and my peers being & I often times have a tough time believing their actions but that’s not the case here. The world building in this story is impeccable. It is by far one of the best low fantasy stories I’ve ever read. The magic system in this world impeccable.
5⭐️ to Legendborn and Miss Deonn’s debut. I need more of this world ASAP!