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A review by vermidian
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a spoiler free review.
I would like to preface this review by saying that I thought the voice of the writer was excellent and her criticism of how white society has treated and continues to treat people is valid and important. As someone who lives in North Carolina, it was interesting to know the setting to some extent, though I didn't attend that particular college.
I also feel like I need to say that I don't particularly love Arthurian mythology. It's fun I guess? I've just never been into it but I keep wanting to find something that will draw me into the world of it in such a way that I find it enjoyable. This book was not it.
I also feel it is very vital to point out that a lot of this book deals with the trauma that the main character faces in her first two weeks of attending college, right after the death of her mother in a hit and run accident. She almost immediately gets wrapped up in a magical society of Arthurian blood purists, meaning every other page she's having to deal with the trauma of constant microaggressions and slurs. Please be advised going into this that this trauma is a constant presence throughout the book. Mostly that trauma is what Bree is facing, but there are other traumas present as well, such as how Nick and Sel were raised by a terrible parental figure, or what happened to Nick's mom. It can be a lot at times, so if you're looking for a lighter read, I would put this one down a little further on your TBR. Even the ending felt like a microaggression in itself, though I can't say a whole lot more or I'll hit true spoiler territory. There is also very little in the way of moments of joy in this book. The whole book felt very tense to me.
I thought the integration of the Arthurian world into a modern college campus was interesting, though the constant infodumping left me reeling a lot of times. And even after all that infodumping, I still don't feel like I have a solid grasp on a lot of it. Some might be that Bree just didn't get told all of it because a lot of the characters view her as an outsider. Regardless, it wasn't as polished as I'd hoped for. That being said, for this being a debut novel, it's still pretty decent. I think this is a skill Tracy Deonn will likely develop as she grows as a writer, and I look forward to that.
Tracy Deonn's writing is, by the way, beautiful. I love the way, she describes things. The metaphors, the descriptors, the almost tangible quality of the feelings she puts into the writing makes you feel how much she really loved this book and these characters as she wrote them. There's a poetry to her phrasing that is absolutely lovely.
One thing I noticed that took me out of the story a little was that most of the characters of Bree's generation seemed to have a nickname unless their names were already short enough to escape it. It was a little strange. I do have to say that with such a large cast of characters, I thought that Deonn did a good job keeping the characters and the personalities distinct, although I did sometimes mix up some of the smaller Knights and Vassals. I connected best with Sel, though hoo boy does he need to get hooked up with Bree's therapist. He was a DICK for a good two thirds of this book, but he starts to really get a grip by the end.
Ultimately, for a debut book, it was good. I don't think it's something I'm likely to reread, but a lot of others have found joy in it and I'm glad of that. I will happily pass this book on to another reader who is interested in reading the legend of Brianna Matthews.
I would like to preface this review by saying that I thought the voice of the writer was excellent and her criticism of how white society has treated and continues to treat people is valid and important. As someone who lives in North Carolina, it was interesting to know the setting to some extent, though I didn't attend that particular college.
I also feel like I need to say that I don't particularly love Arthurian mythology. It's fun I guess? I've just never been into it but I keep wanting to find something that will draw me into the world of it in such a way that I find it enjoyable. This book was not it.
I also feel it is very vital to point out that a lot of this book deals with the trauma that the main character faces in her first two weeks of attending college, right after the death of her mother in a hit and run accident. She almost immediately gets wrapped up in a magical society of Arthurian blood purists, meaning every other page she's having to deal with the trauma of constant microaggressions and slurs. Please be advised going into this that this trauma is a constant presence throughout the book. Mostly that trauma is what Bree is facing, but there are other traumas present as well, such as how Nick and Sel were raised by a terrible parental figure, or what happened to Nick's mom. It can be a lot at times, so if you're looking for a lighter read, I would put this one down a little further on your TBR. Even the ending felt like a microaggression in itself, though I can't say a whole lot more or I'll hit true spoiler territory. There is also very little in the way of moments of joy in this book. The whole book felt very tense to me.
I thought the integration of the Arthurian world into a modern college campus was interesting, though the constant infodumping left me reeling a lot of times. And even after all that infodumping, I still don't feel like I have a solid grasp on a lot of it. Some might be that Bree just didn't get told all of it because a lot of the characters view her as an outsider. Regardless, it wasn't as polished as I'd hoped for. That being said, for this being a debut novel, it's still pretty decent. I think this is a skill Tracy Deonn will likely develop as she grows as a writer, and I look forward to that.
Tracy Deonn's writing is, by the way, beautiful. I love the way, she describes things. The metaphors, the descriptors, the almost tangible quality of the feelings she puts into the writing makes you feel how much she really loved this book and these characters as she wrote them. There's a poetry to her phrasing that is absolutely lovely.
One thing I noticed that took me out of the story a little was that most of the characters of Bree's generation seemed to have a nickname unless their names were already short enough to escape it. It was a little strange. I do have to say that with such a large cast of characters, I thought that Deonn did a good job keeping the characters and the personalities distinct, although I did sometimes mix up some of the smaller Knights and Vassals. I connected best with Sel, though hoo boy does he need to get hooked up with Bree's therapist. He was a DICK for a good two thirds of this book, but he starts to really get a grip by the end.
Ultimately, for a debut book, it was good. I don't think it's something I'm likely to reread, but a lot of others have found joy in it and I'm glad of that. I will happily pass this book on to another reader who is interested in reading the legend of Brianna Matthews.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Death of parent, Death, Racism, Slavery, and Racial slurs