Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - Legendborn

This might just be one of the best books I've ever read.
The world building in first books of a fantasy series are tricky but this was done so wonderfully. And I loved the way the author incorporated and addresses trauma, therapy, racism, intergenerational trauma experienced by descendants of enslaved people and their history and mythology is amazing.

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cturn's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

4.5

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hmogie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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

3.5

I can see why there is so much hype around this book! Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read. I loved how the book explored grief, loss, and longing through an adventurous plot. I also loved the exploration of borrowing versus taking something that is sacred. As a YA novel, I thought it did a great job capturing the teenage experience, particularly through the relationship between Bree and Alice. I can remember being a teenager and wanting to be there for a friend who can't express/share what is happening to them. I thought the exploration of race dynamics and racism was done well for a YA audience, and I loved the author's note adding some history to the Root magic system.

As for some weaker areas, I did find the magic system to be a little confusing. I also had a little bit of trouble keeping up with the minor characters and where they fit into the magic system. This lessened some of the emotional impact that the book could have had. I also wasn't a fan. of a straight up villain monologue that was in the book. I thought Patricia was great as a character, but I couldn't help laughing at how poor she was as a therapist in terms of confidentiality (which was fun to have a chuckle at). Although this is being very picky, I also thought all the characters having the first syllable of their names as nicknames to get a little tiresome (Tor, Sar, Sel, etc)

I am very excited to read the next book in the series!

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quel_g's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious sad 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

4.25

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maggies's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.0

An enjoyable listen, the narrator was fantastic, but I'm not sure if I'll continue the series. I wish it had been more new adult than young adult—I couldn't really get over the fact that Bree's only 16, and I think it would have been better if she was slightly older, especially because the world-building was pretty complicated for a YA book.

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mariebrunelm's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

Bree has just lost her mother when she enters an early programme at university. If grief and this new life weren’t enough to deal with, she witnesses an attack by creatures who clearly aren’t human and suddenly her world expands. She discovers secret truths running through the fabric of what she knew, and finds herself in the midst of a very white secret society where she has to fight to prove she belongs even though she’s not sure about that herself.

This very clunky synopsis doesn’t cover half of what makes this book exciting. Although I’m not drawn to stories of evil creatures threatening the world, the way Tracy Deonn works with her tropes is stellar. Bree’s story of resilience and grief and blackness is intricately woven with a fast-paced narrative that had me reaching for this book over and over again. This book draws on some ancient themes (Arthurian legends, Black history in Southern USA) and shines a fresh, modern light on them. This book is admittedly more dark than academia, but there were very thoughtful narrative points in which the characters discovered untold truths about the past and their family histories. My favourite part may have been the balance between male, white, secret but official power, and the legacy of hidden Black power passed from generations through women. The way all the threads gathered between Bree’s fingers was extremely satisfying from a narrative point of view, and very moving as well.

I may not have been sold instantly on this book, but the speed at which I read the last hundred pages is a testament to how efficient it is.

Rep: Black MC, various LGBTQIA+ secondary characters including non-binary representation.

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emkplatts's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

I liked this book way more than I expected!!! It was so good! I love King Arthur retellings/adaptations, so I was pleasantly surprised when I started this book. My only critique is that I wanted more exploration of her powers and identity, but I'm hopeful that will come in the rest of the series. I also found the magic system a bit confusing with all of the medieval terms and rules etc. I thought the book discussed race and gender really thoughtfully. It integrated those real life elements into the fantastical world beautifully. It had a lot of important discourse woven into the fabric of the story, making it was easy to process. Which I felt was especially important for younger readers. I'm super excited to read the sequel and anxiously awaiting the third book to be released!

also my merthur heart is singing

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savvyrosereads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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

5.0

Rating: 5/5 stars

After Bree’s mother is killed in a car accident, she finds herself tangled up in a secret Arthurian society at UNC.

Before this year I hadn’t read a single Arthurian inspired fantasy, and now I’ve read two and I’m coming to the conclusion that I love them. This book was SO good—the world building is incredibly intricate but still manages to be accessible, and the plot had me actually gasping by the end.

In fantasy, it’s almost always the characters that are make or break for me, and I really enjoyed the characters here—especially both Nick and Sel. This is one of the rare times you’ll find me ALL THE WAY IN on a love triangle, and I can’t wait to get to Bloodmarked and see how things continue to play out.

Thanks to some awesome friends for buddy reading with me!

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Arthurian myths; well-done representation; love triangles

CW: Death of parent; grief; racism/slavery; lots of death/blood/injury; mentions of sexual violence

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