Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

61 reviews

jess_always_reading'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

5.0

Wow, this was a blast! I usually stay away from YA but this book was not too YA for me. It's an amazing read with a really interesting story and a great perspective. I absolutely love the twisting of Arthurian legend, secret societies, and Demon hunting into this wonderful new adventure with some truly unexpected twists and turns. 

The mental health / grief representation and the exploration of black history and legacies were so well handled and incorporated into the story. 

There are quite a few characters and my tired brain sometimes lost track of who was who and who had done what in previous scenes but I think that's more of a me issue 😅

11/10 would recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexism, Torture, and Transphobia

sophieamreacher's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

Loved this so much. I loved the history and magic system. I loved the depth and sadness. I loved the world building and the characters. I especially loved Bree and I have a crush on Sel. Can’t wait to continue this story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

savanah's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The first approximately 80% of this book was a steady 3 stars. Not bad, but a lot of what I had experienced before in books as far as plot. The last 20% is really what brought it to the next level. All the loose ends and questions that had been drawn out in the first part were not only thoroughly answered, they made sense with the story and changed the context of some judgements I had made. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Slavery, Violence, and War

Minor: Child abuse, Rape, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

thehannahclaire's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Violence, and War

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture

sarahyjackson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

Incredible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture

alexiconic's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

legendborn manages to be a great action-filled book that made me turn the pages as fast as i could and have a main character that struggles, has feelings she is processing, and side characters that were fun and (mostly) different. it has a serious message and bree is struggling with the real questions of coming of age, but she is also in love, and she does badass magical things. it was great fun all the way through. 

i don’t know if this is a perfect book.

i am on the fence about the sel/nick/bree relationships, for example, and was afraid for a long portion that it would be a typical “she falls for the blond good guy but now here is a dark mysterious hottie and she will go for him” situation. buuuut it feels like that is a misread of the situation - the three have complicated relationships with each other (and really each other person). sel is bound to nick, has loved nick, nick and bree are in love, but bree is also in a unique relationship with sel because of their ancestors.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

sh3s_a_rebel's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Torture, and Grief

jocelyn62013's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Torture and War

Minor: Sexual assault, Slavery, and Transphobia

klsreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

God-tier. An absolutely perfect debut. This book made me cry so hard, and I loved every minute of it. I loved the characters and their relationships (don't talk to me about Bree and her mom). There are non-tokenized queer and nonbinary characters and a bisexual male love interest (!!!!!!!). It reckons with grief, racial trauma, colonization, and the premature deaths of Black folks in America. It meditates on history, who is remembered, and what it means to be cut off from ancestral knowledge and power (literally and figuratively). It mythologizes and reckons with real racial struggles and white supremacy.The magic system is so unique and fun. Sprint to get this book. Tracy Deonn is unbelievably talented, and I will read whatever she writes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Hate crime, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Rape, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Police brutality, and Stalking

katebella's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Racism, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault, Torture, and War