A review by nytephoenyx
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

adventurous hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

5.0

 Even though I understand Legendborn was not written for me, this book filled such a void in my recent reading.  Even in the early chapter, something about it felt warm and familiar.  Eventually, I was able to identify that fuzzy feeling - nostalgia.  Legendborn reminds me of the types of fantasies I read growing up.  World building and writing style evoking Vampire Academy and City of Bones and that whole genre of "young woman discovers magic abilities and is swept away into a secret club where she learns about a hidden world" feel... I loved it, I loved it so much.

Bree is a beautifully complicated character.  She has hopes and dreams, but the events of the book have made so many things unclear for her.  She struggles with anger and love and loss.  There's every shade of emotion in this book and it doesn't quite fall into many of the tropes that plague this kind YA fantasy.  I am such a big fan of Bree - but not just her.  I'm interested in Alice, William, Selwyn, Felicity... just about every character in this book has a journey and they're all interesting.

And the writing?  Tracy Deonn is a brutal writer.  Legendborn does not pull punches when it comes to betrayal and heartbreak.  There were a lot of twists I didn't expect.  Deonn does a great job of keeper the reader rooted in the moment and absorbed in the story - the ending surprised me chapter after chapter and I am looking forward to the next book.

Deonn wove her own culture into this story and carved - literally and figuratively - a place at the table.  Books like Legendborn remind us how underrepresented non-white protagonists have been in the past, and how they continue to struggle to be seen, much like the audience for whom they are written.  Like my first readthrough of Children of Blood and Bone, I was impressed with the representation, although I am not the appropriate person to say whether or not it is sufficient.  Please do read reviews from Black female-identifying readers for confirmation on the rep!

From the magic and mythology to the character arcs, carefully constructed plot, and smooth writing, Legendborn is an easy five-star read for me.  There's nothing in this book that I can say is mediocre or lacking - it is entirely enjoyable as a YA fantasy and refreshing from some of the repetitive themes I've seen lately.  For me, it's a revival of the style of stories I grew up loving and I can't recommend it enough. 
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