Legendborn (1) (The Legendborn Cycle)

On the surface Legendborn is a modern take on the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table - but for me that was just the foundation, and all of the stories and characters Tracy Deonn built upon that legend are what make this such an intriguing tale and one I highly recommend.We follow Bree, a very smart 16 year old girl getting ready to enter the early college program at UNC Chapel Hill with her best friend Alice. Her mother died in a car accident the day after she and Bree fought, casting a pall over everything as Bree dissociates into ‘after Bree’ with walls she puts up to protect herself.From the first night things take an unexpected turn - joining an older friend in a forbidden trip off campus, Bree stumbles upon lights and images and things she cannot explain, and an older teen who is able to do things and produce objects that make no sense to her. That teen powerfully suggests everyone leave, and they do until Bree feels the suggestive fog clear and returns to see the rest of an unbelievable battle. She finds herself in a police car, before the dean, and forced to take on a peer mentor to help her keep on the right track.Along the way she deals with the racism you would expect for the ‘good old boy’ North Carolina establishment. She also meets characters you will love or hate - Sel, Tor, Nick, William, Davis, Isaac, Fitz, Sarah, Greer, Vaughn, Witty, Patricia, Mariah, and others.The characters and their relationships - and the way the Arthurian legend is told and wrapped around 21st century life - makes for a fast paced and intriguing read. There are a number of things you simply wouldn’t have seen coming but fall into line perfectly once you know.A specific goal for me has been improving the diversity of authors and experiences I enjoy, and I love how the book doesn’t shy away from racism in many blunt and nuanced forms, and also shows people as fully formed individuals regardless of background, gender or sexual identity or preference. It celebrates the differences without pretending those differences don’t exist - and I loved that!My only criticism has to do with ages - Bree is 16 and feels mature for that age but not unreasonable, but some of the other characters who are supposedly juniors or seniors at the university are only 18 while others talk about helping the ‘under 21s’ get served. I feel this was done to not have 16 year olds romantically involved with 22 year olds, but it still took me out of the story a couple of times.I only found out about Legendborn as people were getting ready for the sequel, and for me that is exciting as I got to finish the first book and dive right into the next one! And Legendborn certainly leaves things wide open for a sequel while closing up many threads. Not a low-stakes book, so definitely be aware of potential triggers, but it is one of the better books I’ve read in the past year.

When I tell you that I am not a YA Fantasy fan, but I ate this book up I am not kidding! This book had my attention from the start and I feel like it was totally worth the hype. Since this is not my typical genre, I can't say this this book follows a formula or if it is not any different from other books, but for me I was kept guessing the entire time. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, something else would happen. I love the world that was built, the characters were really flushed out, and I love the commentary on race and how Bree wasn't a girl who just stood by and let things happen to her. I will say that I was worried going in to this; not only because it's not my typical genre, but because this is all about King Author and I know literally nothing about King Author. I was afraid that I would be lost but I was not. Like I said I was hooked from the start. This book is a book that I wish existed when I was a teenager and much more likely to pick up YA fantasy, and you can not beat the literal Black girl magic! I can't wait to see how this series ends.

Excellent read with lots of blended genre tropes (romance, fantasy, contemporary) to keep your attention, turn pages, and get you to the unsuspecting end! I used this book for my YA college course to study all phases of Young Adult fiction, blended genres, and genre tropes. Deonn provided so many examples my classmates said they want to read this novel!As a new writer, I know how WorldBuilding is not an easy task and Deonn has done this masterfully with her Arthurian Legend integration of Antebellum history and black folk Root magic! I understand the pacing and attention to detail, i.e., characterization, scene and setting, plot and subplot, backstory and the reasons some areas seemed a bit drawn out. I learned to respect how she pulled this complexity off so well. Well done!!A really great Urban Fantasy Young Adult fiction book! Bravo!

When I picked this up, I’d forgotten how much YA relies on romance. That part caught me off guard. I was rooting for Bree from the beginning to master her magic. But there’s more if you keep reading.I really don’t want to spoil this for anyone but I have a loose thread that I’m not understanding…it seems like a plot hole to me. I won’t mention it, but it is the main reason I’m dropping a star. Even though I didn’t love the romance, it’s age appropriate & I didn’t drop stars for that reason.The Arthurian legend aspect was interesting. This story spreads wide and deeper than that. I was definitely intrigued. It works be helpful if you’re reasonably familiar with the tales surrounding King Arthur.*********SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT—Don’t read this paragraph if you want to know nothing going in ************ *****you had your chance *** Some of the references to the brutality in the south could be traumatic for some readers. And the story references the injustice of the past multiple times. I was a little sad that this black girl magic book pulled in that energy. (I loved how the Jumbies, a middle grade book didn’t do that.) Colonization is also mentioned. The brutality of slavery is intimated more than explicitly shown. ***** *************************DONEBree is an interesting character. There were moments when I wanted to shake her for being self-absorbed. But her personal trauma came through in a wonderful way. I liked Nick in the story—he’s noble but not quite perfect. Sel was a little harder for me because I felt like he changed almost at the snap of a finger. But I’ve heard some of my friends say he was their favorite.Overall, I’m giving it 4 stars and would continue because the twists give such an interesting ending point for this book. I want to know what happens next.

I honestly have no idea where to start with this book. I literally finished reading it and then cuddled it to my chest and felt completely distraught that I had finished it so quickly. I truly felt lost and still have, while writing this, an extreme case of book hangover. I don't know how on earth I am supposed to wait patiently for the next in the series or go about my life right now.I also just had to sit and take a few minutes to close my mouth, as I very much resembled a goldfish once I had read the last few words, for Authors amaze me and I felt stunned at how Tracy Deonn was able to create and weave this magical, magnificent story. Don't you just love it when you read an awesome book and your mind just has to take a second to comprehend that people can create such wonderful things?I guess I should try and start from the beginning and try to make this review articulate and not me just rambling but eeeek. Ok, my squeal is out of the way now. The prologue had me in tears. I was literally drawn in within the first few paragraphs at how honest, real and raw Tracy introduced us to Bree and what she was going through. My Nanna passed away back in December and I don't think I have ever been able to explain the hurt or fully write down and express the pain I felt. Life moved very fast afterwards and it all felt incredibly surreal and strange. The emotions and how Bree spoke when her mother died really hit me hard and I immediately connected to her on a level that had me hugging the book that early on. The way Bree reacted, her words and responses, I felt them in my heart and loved her and wanted to be there for her straight away.After the prologue and that heart breaking night, we then follow Bree and her best friend Alice to UNC where on their first night on Campus the best friends attend a party they shouldn't be at. This causes their worlds to flip upside down in more ways than one as Bree and Alice don't see eye to eye causing a rift in their normally solid as a rock friendship and Bree see's something that takes her breath away and that she doesn't quite understand or believe can possibly be real. Enter demons and Selwyn Kane, but more on him later.There are consequences to the girls actions and the next day the dean of UNC assigns them mentors to keep them on track. Enter Nick Davis...I'm holding in my squeals right now. Bree and Nick immediately connect, though Bree tries not to feel all the feels. She doesn't want a mentor. She doesn't want to need or like Nick. But after another attack on campus that only her and Nick (and Nick's world) are privy to, Bree has to talk to him. She saw something that transports her back to the night her Mother died and she starts to believe that maybe her Mom's death wasn't an accident after all. She has questions and it seems Nick might have some answers or can at least help her find some.Bree's right to some extent and Nick isn't simply a University mentor, he's part of a secret society, or at least he was, but has turned his back on it all, not wanting any part of it. However, the more Bree learns about the Legendborn and their world, she needs Nick's help and connections to get to the bottom of her Mother's death. She comes up with a plan to infiltrate the Legendborn and Nick can't let her do it on her own for he knows the dangers within. It's an extremely risky plan and one that will test every part of Bree physically and emotionally, not to mention test friendships and create enemies a long the way. But she has to do it. She won't rest until she finds out what really happened the night her Mom died.Ok, so I really don't want to give any spoilers away so I feel like I have to be careful with what I say and how I talk about the characters within this brilliant book. There are wonderful twists and turns, sad ones and happy ones too that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and have you giggling and excited, but I can't say too much about that, you will just have to read the book to find out what I'm talking about but the relationships...eeeek. I had to squeal again. I loved the connections Bree had with different characters and the things she uncovered that bonded them in specific ways or helped her understand them. Certain misunderstood people captured my heart and I fell in love with them. The banter they shared, the rollercoaster they went on to learn about each other and the feelings they get when each other is near...well...you have to read the book!!!!!But, I'm trying not to show favouritism because really every single character in this book had a hold on my heart. I adore Nick and love, love, loved how him and Bree connected, how they spoke to each other, that caring, flirting, understanding way they had with each other was just beautiful. Bree herself simply kicked ass and I loved her so much. She was so incredibly tough but you felt her pain and vulnerability and I truly thought she was just amazing, as was Alice. The strong unit they made was awesome and inspiring. The same can be said for those in the Secret Society. You absolutely MUST meet William. I thought Tor was another badass but I hope her relationship with the team and Bree will grow in the next book maybe. I fell in love with Sar because she was just a sweetheart and again, kicked ass and the love she had for Tor made my heart melt. Whitty was awesome and always made me smile and Greer pulled at my heart strings too with their kind nature and ability to really get Bree and be there for her. One of the biggest things I adored about this book was this beautiful cast of characters all belonging in this spectacular world. When reading this book, it felt like everyone was invited to the party and that was such a powerful thing. I could connect with so many different characters for different reasons and I think that was just magical and drew me into the story more. It made me happy, like ridiculously happy.As I mentioned above, I do have a favourite character but you will have to comment below if you've read the book so we can talk, as I don't want to say their name because then I feel like it gives things away!As for this action packed story and my fear of scary that I mentioned above, well, ok, there may have been a few gruesome bits when it came to fighting other worldly demons and creatures that had me 'ewwing' out loud, but at the same time I was gripping the book so tight and sat on the edge of my seat during these scenes. By the end of them I just wanted to be Bree and kick some ass too. I loved her strength and how many times she felt fear but she stood tall and fought. But, like I said, the story is so action packed and intricate and suspenseful and captivating that I found myself loving all the scary bits too. I loved every part of uncovering more about the world of the Legendborn and I had to keep turning the pages to find out what and who Bree was and why her magic was so different to the others. Finding out more about her ancestors was fascinating and so important, not just within the pages but I think the way Tracy Deon talks about race, history and what Bree's ancestors had to go through and what Bree herself has to go through daily, feeling like she doesn't belong in certain places, is so very important to read, hear and understand in order for us to keep fighting the fight in the real world and not dismiss this history, or her words, in order to see real change and stand up for change.The magic, the Legend of King Arthur, the Rootcrafters, the whole premise of this story will have you glued to the pages. It sucked me in so much; I was blown away and fascinated by it all. It was incredible when the pieces of the puzzle started being put together, how the lives, legends and families all intertwined and I could not get enough. Again, I found myself in awe of Tracy and her writing skills and was bouncing on the edge of my seat feeling inspired to write. I've been grinning all week, disappearing into my own little world of the Legendborn, planning Cosplay outfits, watching YouTubers and reading book bloggers reviews, just so I can hear and talk about this book. Ooh and I must mention too...have you just stopped and looked at this cover??? Initially, that is what drew me to this book. I had seen Tracy on Twitter and then when I saw this cover it might have been a situation where I judged a book by its cover and this time totally won because it's truly one of my favourites. I think it's stunning.I highly, highly, highly recommend picking up a copy of 'Legendborn' NOW! and then telling me that you have read it because we need to discuss it in more detail when I'm not worried about giving spoilers.So, if you've read it, let's talk. If you haven't read it, go buy it now and also, if you are a fan of Fantasy please will you let me know in the comments below what you would recommend for my next Fantasy read?

"𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘰. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰." 𝘏𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴. "𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴. 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦."After her mother passes away, Bree Matthews wants to escape. The Early College program at UNC-Chapel Hill seems like the perfect opportunity to get away, and then she witnesses a magical attack her first night on campus...I love this book. I love Bree. I love Sel. And Nick is alright I guess, but he's not Sel so 🤷🏻‍♀️ I honestly can't believe this is a debut, it is incredible. I could not put it down. I absolutely love the Arthurian magic system. It was so well executed, I could picture every single fight scene so vividly.Whilst reading this, I became totally enamoured with Bree, how she handles her grief, and overcomes all obstacles in her life. The way her grief is portrayed is really hard to read at times, but only because it is so accurate. I love how Deonn weaved the magical elements of the novel, to address very real issues like racism and oppression. I can't really say much without spoiling the book, but how she showed us Bree's heritage was so cleverly done, but so very heartbreaking, it is a scene that will stay with me for a long time.Something you may not know about me is that I don't get book crushes. 99% of the time romance in books makes me cringe. But I'm a obsessed with Sel. I was just picturing Timothee Charlemet the whole time, but with a gothic twist. The love triangle had me going crazy, and everytime Bree and Sel were alone together I nearly lost my mind. I need the next book now, so I can get more of that please🤣And that ending!!!! I was just screaming 'Yasssss queen'. If you love fantasy books, and you haven't read this already, what are you doing?!?! Go get it💃(TW Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape)

The characters, the world building, the sense of black history and community. Bree, Sel and Nick... I have to tell you their dynamic rocked my world, and if there is going to be another book(s) (I sure hope so! This legend needs it's continuation) I can't wait for more. The tackling of grief - so raw and true in its telling - that it resonates with me to the point of tears. The portrayal of the constant struggles of systematic and outright racism that real people of colour deal with to this day, the wrongness of it, and the strength of those who fight it's war every waking hour in the hopes that tomorrow will be better, brighter. The honour for the dead, all the names left unsaid, all the horrors they lived as slaves, as servants, even to the here and now, and we never knew, but remembered through their descendants, their legacy; bar the white men - the monsters - who deserve to be forgotten. Laid waste to the dust of time for the unforgivable. And oh the extended mythology, lore and magic new and old!! The incredible expansion of African/African-American rootcraft, the rich history and lore of those cultures and how they tie to Bree and her mother. The women, the bonds of daughters and mother's, and how I had to put this book down to go hug mine for how deeply it made me feel their sacrifice and anger and tragedy... and love! Arthurian Lore, is in itself the outline of human imperfection and hope, and to reflect that in the youth of today is a story that's worth the telling; a story that has been told a thousandth fold ways, yet in this iteration, still makes me believe in magic and heroes and the goodness of the human heart. Bree is my hero, so thank you Tracy for bringing her and her world to life. And to anyone reading this, as a wise Dad once said "Make it about the love."

Before you think that title suggest this book is bad... It's not. It's just not as good as the vast amount of 5* reviews suggest. It's a good book, yes. Is it one of the best YA fantasy debuts I've ever read? Not really. There's an interesting premise and I like the theme. But I'm not eager to read the next book and nothing blew my mind.Plus it fell into that boring fantasy trope of the main female as two love interest which I just find incredibly dull as it always works out the same way. I'll read the second if others think it is worth reading but I'm not chomping at the bit.Characters were OK - none overly loveable. I did like the main protagonist and her "main" love-interests relationship but there wasn't enough of it to understand why it advanced so quickly for me.

1. Legendborn is a continuation of the Arthurian legend, set 2000 years after Arthur's death featuring the descendants of the knights of the round table. There are tournaments, oathings, magic systems and demon battles with some Welsh thrown in.2. The thing about fantasy/science YA protagonist you can always count on them having one dead parent or being an orphan. They usually mention the dead parent once or twice to show depth and maybe used as a plot point to establish how evil the villain is and that's that its never mentioned again.With Bree you can actually feel her loss, pain and anger. It make her character seem realistic and sincere.3. I've heard claims of insta love but personally I don't feel like the romance was rushed. Nick and Bree are attracted to each other, they make out and is extremely protective of eachother with a bit of angst thrown in that's it, all the hallmarks of young love. Plus Their bond is explained thoroughly towards the end.4. Even though Legendborn covers various real world topics it never felt out of place or overwhelming. it still manages to be a fun entertaining read, seamlessly incorporating tropes without being cliche.5. Legendborn is set at north Carolina Gimghoul castle.