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elustrabable's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
SPOILER WARNING
Bree was the absolute downfall of this book. So many times she had SO many chances to actually be useful and make smart decision but instead she let her stubbornness and hot-headedness ruin any semble of a plan and then go on to cry about it like girl... grow a spine??? SO many times her selfish actions willingly put all the characters around her in danger that at many times I did not feel bad for her. It became so repetitive too. She does something selfish, people around her get hurt, she feels bad about, get depressed, and then go back to do it all again. She does not learn and she does not grow as a character at all. Even more frustrating is that she even ACKNOWLEDGES when she messes up!! And she STILL go on to let her emotions and hot temper ruin a situation.
The whole plot for saving Nick too was such a mess. It just kept going back in circles and every time I think they are FINNALY moving forward, they get right back the beginning with nothing being done to advance the plot because Bree got hurt and nearly died. Again. For someone so powerful, I don't think there ever was a time Bree was ever useful in battle. She got tapped so many times and nearly died during all of it it was very frustrating. I felt so bad for William like he trully was the only thing keeping this story together because of his healing ability. The story wouldve ended like 10 different times if it wasn't for Will healing Bree from death.
The romance was atrocious too the whole time I was literally screaming "BREE YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND!!!" ugh..... Bree downright cheat on Nick but it's all okay because Sel had a crush on Nick when Sel was 14... 🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️ This was not a love triangle, this was Bree cheating on her missing boyfriend with the guy who told her to her face he had planned to kill her in the first book. Absolutely no chemistry between them too just a bunch a "oh look he has a hot body" and "oh no I can't do this im dating Nick"
The ending was just terrible. There was no indications, no hints at all that even remotely showed Bree had any clue or plan of what was going on in the story. Throughout the whole book 90% of it was them running around in circles not getting anywhere and then suddenly in the last pages Bree solves the big mystery and then dissappears. What a let down.
This such a shame too because Tracy is an amazing writer who I immediately fell in love with. She has so much skill and range as a writer especially with the themes she tackles. Sucks her main character is so unbearable in this book.
Bree was the absolute downfall of this book. So many times she had SO many chances to actually be useful and make smart decision but instead she let her stubbornness and hot-headedness ruin any semble of a plan and then go on to cry about it like girl... grow a spine??? SO many times her selfish actions willingly put all the characters around her in danger that at many times I did not feel bad for her. It became so repetitive too. She does something selfish, people around her get hurt, she feels bad about, get depressed, and then go back to do it all again. She does not learn and she does not grow as a character at all. Even more frustrating is that she even ACKNOWLEDGES when she messes up!! And she STILL go on to let her emotions and hot temper ruin a situation.
The whole plot for saving Nick too was such a mess. It just kept going back in circles and every time I think they are FINNALY moving forward, they get right back the beginning with nothing being done to advance the plot because Bree got hurt and nearly died. Again. For someone so powerful, I don't think there ever was a time Bree was ever useful in battle. She got tapped so many times and nearly died during all of it it was very frustrating. I felt so bad for William like he trully was the only thing keeping this story together because of his healing ability. The story wouldve ended like 10 different times if it wasn't for Will healing Bree from death.
The romance was atrocious too the whole time I was literally screaming "BREE YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND!!!" ugh..... Bree downright cheat on Nick but it's all okay because Sel had a crush on Nick when Sel was 14... 🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️ This was not a love triangle, this was Bree cheating on her missing boyfriend with the guy who told her to her face he had planned to kill her in the first book. Absolutely no chemistry between them too just a bunch a "oh look he has a hot body" and "oh no I can't do this im dating Nick"
The ending was just terrible. There was no indications, no hints at all that even remotely showed Bree had any clue or plan of what was going on in the story. Throughout the whole book 90% of it was them running around in circles not getting anywhere and then suddenly in the last pages Bree solves the big mystery and then dissappears. What a let down.
This such a shame too because Tracy is an amazing writer who I immediately fell in love with. She has so much skill and range as a writer especially with the themes she tackles. Sucks her main character is so unbearable in this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, and Forced institutionalization
staticz77's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved this book so much!! I loved how well it tied into the first one, I found the king Arthur stuff a bit less confusing the second go around!! I really love how incorporated her rootcraft is, and how everything is revealed!! Like her being marked by the shadow king? Absolutely fucking amazing. I loved but also didn't love how she got with sel, But I mainly love it. The ending was so juicy!! The biggest flaw I found with this book was just that it was very confusing to me, there would be pages and pages I wouldn't understand but I'd have to act like it. But all in all, I really liked it!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism
areyoubibliokay's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Colonisation
Minor: Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
imds's review
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
gabriella_'s review
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
5.0
This book has almost everything. Structures of oppression, intergenerational trauma, grief, romance, war, friendship conflicts, learned bigotry & privilege, and governmental conspiracy. It scratches any itch you have from Harry Potter, Maximum Ride, and The Hunger Games all rolled into one. Shit, it even satisfies the Warriors cat series fans too. It does all this will surpassing all of these series. Wish I had this when I was a younger, more voracious reader.
Tracy Deonn one-ups herself in this sequel book. This book further expands on characterizing her central cast while also giving other (more background) characters a chance in the limelight. She developed a core ensemble cast that feels compelling and stand-alone. This book made me cry, especially whenBree talks with her mother - Bloodmarked is raw and real. Bree is one of my favorite series protagonists I’ve ever read. She feels so real. I love reading about a protagonist who is strong, really strong, and in more than just a physical (or even girlboss) way. She has grit and emotional stamina and she’s navigating through systems rigged against her.
More random things I love about this book that didn’t seem to have a place for me to write them in this review:
Tracy Deonn one-ups herself in this sequel book. This book further expands on characterizing her central cast while also giving other (more background) characters a chance in the limelight. She developed a core ensemble cast that feels compelling and stand-alone. This book made me cry, especially when
More random things I love about this book that didn’t seem to have a place for me to write them in this review:
- The rest of the cast - especially Selwyn - tugs at my heartstrings.
- Tracy Deonn’s dream sequences are an amazing exploration of themes that are relevant later in the book and offer a refreshing way to engage with old magic.
- The descriptive settings!!
- The use of LANGUAGE. Ugh. CARIAD!
- The men in this book have a “written by a woman” charm. Well, the men that matter do, at least.
I love the way this author lays the groundwork for future plot twists - she has a gift for finding a way to keep the reader on their toes without insulting their intelligence AND while still making the twists believable. Some you can see coming - but that’s a credit to her foreshadowing.
I just want to keep gushing about this book because honestly it left me soooo hungry for the next book in this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
abookwormspov's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ayoung720's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.5
Another amazing entry in the series, I love how the world has opened up to the diverse forms of magic and comparing how they all view power and heritage. Sel has become a much more well-rounded character with a storyline beyond "brooding bodyguard who hates the protagonist" and Bree and her friends have really developed too. Bree does make some absolutely infuriating decisions throughout the book which made me want to reach through the page and shake sense into her, but that's the beauty of having a teenage protagonist trying to navigate their way through this new world - she will make mistakes and not know what to do, while we get to see her grow on that journey. I do wish the book hadn't ended on yet ANOTHER one of her dubious choices, especially because her status within the Legendborn society was already so in doubt before the final scene, but I'm very much excited for the following entry!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
saltylane's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
The two books in this series (so far??) are full of emotions and plenty of drama & action. There are many mysteries intertwined, and by the end, most are buttoned up nicely… Others are left to either set up for an additional book or to give readers something to think about after.
It’s rough listening to some scenes, especially because the reader is excellent at inflecting intense emotions in their voice acting. There are heartbreaking moments, as well as moments that will leave you mentally yelling at the very-much-flawed characters when they make questionable decisions.
The author has a good method of fleshing out characters in a way that makes them very three-dimensional and making their interconnected relationships really show in the best and worst ways. The twist endings and plot points are also ones that make sense and aren’t there only to mess with the reader expectations. The end of this book especially makes me want to know the answers to the many questions left by the last words. If there’s not an additional book in the series, the ending still works, even with threads hanging in uncertain directions.
It’s rough listening to some scenes, especially because the reader is excellent at inflecting intense emotions in their voice acting. There are heartbreaking moments, as well as moments that will leave you mentally yelling at the very-much-flawed characters when they make questionable decisions.
The author has a good method of fleshing out characters in a way that makes them very three-dimensional and making their interconnected relationships really show in the best and worst ways. The twist endings and plot points are also ones that make sense and aren’t there only to mess with the reader expectations. The end of this book especially makes me want to know the answers to the many questions left by the last words. If there’s not an additional book in the series, the ending still works, even with threads hanging in uncertain directions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Minor: Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Transphobia, Vomit, and Pregnancy
mimo_'s review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tracy deonn, you have done it again, constantly raising the bar for us all and doing it flawlessly.
i am shaking and crying
i want pg 479 printed onto my forehead and framed above my bed
ALSO WHY DID IT END LIKE THAT PLZZZZZZZ
i am shaking and crying
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Rape
martin27's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
I had a lot of high expectations set by the first book, and this sequel goes above and beyond. The characters from the first book are just as enjoyable and easily remind me why I love them, and the new characters fit in seamlessly. I especially love that Alice got to be a main member of the cast for this one, since she spent the first book mostly as a background player.
The world building is incredible and the different real world inspirations are balanced so well. And Deonn is especially good at writing hooks that keep you reading just one more page, just one more chapter… until you’re halfway through the book in one sitting. The twists are wonderful.
Most of all, Bree is just such a wonderful protagonist. It’s impossible not to root for her (pun not intended). She’s a complex character with a lot of hopes, dreams, and fears, and she’s… well, as Valec likes to call her, a powerhouse. It’s so satisfying to see Bree call out hypocrisy and to push back when others want to make her choices for her. She’s a joy to read about, and I’m very patiently awaiting the next book in the series (well, sort of patiently).
The world building is incredible and the different real world inspirations are balanced so well. And Deonn is especially good at writing hooks that keep you reading just one more page, just one more chapter… until you’re halfway through the book in one sitting. The twists are wonderful.
Most of all, Bree is just such a wonderful protagonist. It’s impossible not to root for her (pun not intended). She’s a complex character with a lot of hopes, dreams, and fears, and she’s… well, as Valec likes to call her, a powerhouse. It’s so satisfying to see Bree call out hypocrisy and to push back when others want to make her choices for her. She’s a joy to read about, and I’m very patiently awaiting the next book in the series (well, sort of patiently).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Torture, Medical content, and War
Minor: Vomit
Tagged “torture” because that is specifically what it’s called in the book, but it’s more similar to magical gaslighting, I guess. Tagged “medical content” because while most of the healing in the book is magical, the guy doing the healing is also a med student and usually describes what’s going on