Reviews with content warning for Cursing - Legendarii

TL;DR:
Someone let Miss Tracy Deonn cook and she created a masterpiece. Five Stars.

The story starts with the heartbreaking loss of Bree Matthews' mother. A few months later, she heads off to USC, the same university her mother attended. Shortly after arriving at the school, she stumbles upon the exclusive Order of the Round Table, a modern-day rendition of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

As mysterious and perilous incidents unfold on campus, Bree seizes the opportunity to join the Order as a Page, facilitated by Nick, the prospective King and heir to King Arthur's throne. Amidst her training to be a Squire, escalating violent events prompt the original Knights to call upon their Scions to Awaken, signaling an impending war. The catch is that if Arthur's Scion (Nick) is Awakened and falls victim to the Shadowborn demons,

15 centuries of Legendborn magic lines will vanish, plunging the world into darkness and chaos

.

Simultaneously, Bree undergoes therapy where her therapist unveils

the magic system, Rootcraft

, and cautions her about

the dangers posed by the Order. After consulting with her ancestors, Bree resolves to infiltrate the Order to uncover the truth behind her mother's fate, as her mom was a Rootcrafter adept at manipulating plant energy

.

I won't spoil the rest for you; PLEASE READ IT. I couldn't contain my excitement and literally yelled and felt chills when the climax was revealed.

On the downside, I found a minor issue with Bree's frequent lack of awareness in certain situations. For instance, moments where she unexpectedly realizes actions she apparently performed without conscious awareness felt a bit inconsistent for a character with such

legendary power

. Unfortunately, this is a typical trope found in YA novels. Beyond this, the rest of the story is exceptional.

Here's what I appreciated:
- The engaging narrative
- Rich lore
- Well-crafted magic system
- Compelling characters, particularly Bree, Sel, Nick, and Alice

Bree's perspective as an intelligent Black woman resonated with me, offering a poignant exploration of how White society incessantly thrusts her race and gender in her face. As a person of color myself, I identified with many parallels, and the portrayal of racist interactions at times moved me to tears.

The inclusion of queer representation in the story is commendable. Same-sex relationships are normalized, and I applaud the matter-of-fact acceptance within the narrative. The diverse sexual orientations of characters, including Sel being bi (we need more bi men in books) and Alice being a lesbian, along with queer figures in high-ranking positions in the Order, is a refreshing and welcomed aspect.

Tracy Deonn's debut novel is a tapestry of adventure, gripping battle scenes, dynamic characters, a captivating magic system, and creative, imaginative lore rooted in Arthurian legend. It lays the foundation for a

potential love triangle

in the sequel as well as a

larger war with incredibly high stakes

. If you're a fan of fantasy, magic, and coming-of-age tales, this book is an absolute must-read.

Five stars.

Content Warnings

sissanmisha's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

antijeffbozo_love2read's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

Content Warnings

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Completely lived up to the hype! If you're looking for a YA magical adventure that centers diversity and reimagines Arthurian legends in a fresh and genuinely interesting way, this is the book for you!

Content Warnings