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A review by danadoesbooks
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
5.0
Bree Matthews is ready to leave the past behind her as she starts the Early College program at UNC - Chapel Hill. She attends a party her first night on campus and sees a magical demon feeding on human aggression. When a "Merlin" tries to wipe her memory, Bree is able to fight it off. She realizes that it is the same feeling she had when the cop was telling her that her mom had died in a car accident. Bree's new mission is to get closer to this "Merlin" and the rest of his order to find out more. Was her mother's death truly an accident?
I had heard good things about Legendborn but I didn't realize it is a reimagining of Arthurian Legend. At the time I was running out of new Merlin episodes to watch so I wanted to read something based on the same legends. However, Legendborn is so much more than an Arthurian reimagining. There is so much more than just the plot in this book and even at the most basic level, the plot is phenomenal. The author includes so much about the history of our country, rootcraft, and grief, which she details in the Author's Note at the back of the book.
I love the representation in Legendborn because it feels authentic. On many occasions, Bree must confront her feelings attending a school that was built by slaves and being the only Black member of The Order. There are also other details like the way Bree cares for her hair that are seemlessly woven into the story. The author also includes Greer, a character who identifies using they/them pronouns, and Gillian, who has a prosthetic leg. The diversity feels genuine because these aspects are only a part of the fully developed character.
Legendborn is definitely a favorite book and may even be my favorite book of 2020. Don't mind me as I continue to recommend this book to everyone in the next few months.
I had heard good things about Legendborn but I didn't realize it is a reimagining of Arthurian Legend. At the time I was running out of new Merlin episodes to watch so I wanted to read something based on the same legends. However, Legendborn is so much more than an Arthurian reimagining. There is so much more than just the plot in this book and even at the most basic level, the plot is phenomenal. The author includes so much about the history of our country, rootcraft, and grief, which she details in the Author's Note at the back of the book.
I love the representation in Legendborn because it feels authentic. On many occasions, Bree must confront her feelings attending a school that was built by slaves and being the only Black member of The Order. There are also other details like the way Bree cares for her hair that are seemlessly woven into the story. The author also includes Greer, a character who identifies using they/them pronouns, and Gillian, who has a prosthetic leg. The diversity feels genuine because these aspects are only a part of the fully developed character.
Legendborn is definitely a favorite book and may even be my favorite book of 2020. Don't mind me as I continue to recommend this book to everyone in the next few months.