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A review by bex_knighthunterbooks
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.75
Incredible, especially for a debut! This plays with familiar tropes of the genre with a chosen one who discovers the magical world through a secret society at college, which made the story engaging and easy to follow, but with a fresh perspective and really interesting worldbuilding interweaving King Arthur myths with black culture and southern US history. My favourite elements were the two conflicting magic systems, and memory walking as a way to include history and the sacrifices of generations of black women especially.
The story was also incredibly tightly plotted with action, twists, and reveals galore. By the point the heavy world building started with all the terminology I felt well primed and just as hungry as the main character to learn more, and the secret society gave lots of potential for mystery. There were a few tiny parts of the 'Order' functioning that I don't feel I understand but that didn't impact my enjoyment.
I loved the main character, who was wilful and strong, while also facing the complexity of her feelings around her mother's death. It was also interesting to see the world through her eyes, including the racism she faced. Some of the side characters stood out but were perhaps underutilised, especially Alice her best friend (hoping to see her more in book 2!). There were a lot of Order side characters introduced but I wasn't always able to keep track and didn't feel as much as I expected when some died, but there was good diversity in the cast in general. The main boys were interesting enough, but kept a little close to standard tropes for my liking (the golden boy: heroic, puppy-energy vs. the dark one: brooding, traumatic past), and the relationship with Nick didn't develop as steadily as I'd like jumping all too quickly to insta-love and wanting to die for each other. I hope the love triangle element isn't leant into for this series, and that more books give opportunity for the relationships to grow organically. Very excited to pick the next book up!
The story was also incredibly tightly plotted with action, twists, and reveals galore. By the point the heavy world building started with all the terminology I felt well primed and just as hungry as the main character to learn more, and the secret society gave lots of potential for mystery. There were a few tiny parts of the 'Order' functioning that I don't feel I understand but that didn't impact my enjoyment.
I loved the main character, who was wilful and strong, while also facing the complexity of her feelings around her mother's death. It was also interesting to see the world through her eyes, including the racism she faced. Some of the side characters stood out but were perhaps underutilised, especially Alice her best friend (hoping to see her more in book 2!). There were a lot of Order side characters introduced but I wasn't always able to keep track and didn't feel as much as I expected when some died, but there was good diversity in the cast in general. The main boys were interesting enough, but kept a little close to standard tropes for my liking (the golden boy: heroic, puppy-energy vs. the dark one: brooding, traumatic past), and the relationship with Nick didn't develop as steadily as I'd like jumping all too quickly to insta-love and wanting to die for each other. I hope the love triangle element isn't leant into for this series, and that more books give opportunity for the relationships to grow organically. Very excited to pick the next book up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Gore, Car accident, Death, Slavery, and Racial slurs
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Vomit