Scan barcode
A review by phantasmaboo
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
4.5
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn tells the story of Bree Mathews, who is attending an early admissions program at UNC Chapel-Hill. There, she witnesses a magical attack. She realizes that this attack has many similarities to the death of her mother, which was rule to be accident. Bree then embarks on an adventure to enter a secret, magic-filled society to discover the truth about her mother's death. With the help of her mentor/friend Nick, she finds herself taking on the challenges of the society while trying to find the truth.
My overall impression is simply...wow. This book was amazing. The combination of the Arthurian Legend with the American history of slavery with modern racial and systemic issues was really great.
Among my highlights are:
Solid Young Adult Characters
The characters were overall what I would expect from a Young Adult novel. Bree is witty and Nick is charming. There's the required amount of drama, angst, and romance that is traditional in young adult books combined with a side of mystery and magic. All characters, even minor ones, have at least a semblance of a complex and nuanced personality, even the villains. No one particularly comes off as cliché or trope-like even though they do have the YA characteristics I mentioned before.
Good World Building
Although set in the modern times, there is a profound history at play in this book. The magic system and heritage system is something that Deonn set up very well. My only complaint is that it is so complex that I wish more time had been spent making sure I knew what it was. There is a chart in the back of the book I have that helps a little bit, but I would have liked to see a little bit more "show" rather than "tell" regarding the social structure of this magical society. I did consider this to be fairly minor, as I enjoyed the story and was able to mostly follow.
To add onto this, Deonn does a wonderful job at examining the effects of slavery not only on the modern-day individuals, but also on the Magic system that is in place. I cannot recall another book that I have recently read that does this. Sure, there are books where they have maybe a traditionally Black or African magic system that exists alongside of a traditionally white system, but Deonn takes it a step further. Deonn also does not shy away from addressing the horrors of slavery in America while also presenting them in an appropriate way for a Young Adult audience.
Good Mystery (Mysteries)
One of my pet peeves with books of this type is when the author forgets the original mystery and it is left by the wayside until they feel like picking it up again. Deonn does not do this. Instead, we do get other mysteries introduced to us, but they feel very natural and organic given that Bree has just entered this society. I never felt like Bree had abandoned her original mission either. Instead, her mission and curiosity grows.
There one thing I noticed that somewhat negatively impacted my reading was:
Plot Pacing
The plot to this is fairly medium-paced. There are parts to the story where it does have a bit of a lull, but I think that it's minor enough that I would say that it is paced well for the most part. There are some areas that I think could be improved by either slowing down or speeding up.
Final Review
I give this book a 4.5 / 5 stars. It was a wonderful read and I cannot wait to see what this series brings in the future. I also cannot wait to see how the revelations at the end of this book are handled in the remainder of the series.
My overall impression is simply...wow. This book was amazing. The combination of the Arthurian Legend with the American history of slavery with modern racial and systemic issues was really great.
Among my highlights are:
Solid Young Adult Characters
The characters were overall what I would expect from a Young Adult novel. Bree is witty and Nick is charming. There's the required amount of drama, angst, and romance that is traditional in young adult books combined with a side of mystery and magic. All characters, even minor ones, have at least a semblance of a complex and nuanced personality, even the villains. No one particularly comes off as cliché or trope-like even though they do have the YA characteristics I mentioned before.
Good World Building
Although set in the modern times, there is a profound history at play in this book. The magic system and heritage system is something that Deonn set up very well. My only complaint is that it is so complex that I wish more time had been spent making sure I knew what it was. There is a chart in the back of the book I have that helps a little bit, but I would have liked to see a little bit more "show" rather than "tell" regarding the social structure of this magical society. I did consider this to be fairly minor, as I enjoyed the story and was able to mostly follow.
To add onto this, Deonn does a wonderful job at examining the effects of slavery not only on the modern-day individuals, but also on the Magic system that is in place. I cannot recall another book that I have recently read that does this. Sure, there are books where they have maybe a traditionally Black or African magic system that exists alongside of a traditionally white system, but Deonn takes it a step further. Deonn also does not shy away from addressing the horrors of slavery in America while also presenting them in an appropriate way for a Young Adult audience.
Good Mystery (Mysteries)
One of my pet peeves with books of this type is when the author forgets the original mystery and it is left by the wayside until they feel like picking it up again. Deonn does not do this. Instead, we do get other mysteries introduced to us, but they feel very natural and organic given that Bree has just entered this society. I never felt like Bree had abandoned her original mission either. Instead, her mission and curiosity grows.
There one thing I noticed that somewhat negatively impacted my reading was:
Plot Pacing
The plot to this is fairly medium-paced. There are parts to the story where it does have a bit of a lull, but I think that it's minor enough that I would say that it is paced well for the most part. There are some areas that I think could be improved by either slowing down or speeding up.
Final Review
I give this book a 4.5 / 5 stars. It was a wonderful read and I cannot wait to see what this series brings in the future. I also cannot wait to see how the revelations at the end of this book are handled in the remainder of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Violence
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Child death