A review by _kjmac_books_
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

My friends and I were looking for a book at an independent bookstore for our next bookclub read. The friendly staff member offered this as a recommendation calling it a fun Arthurian YA fantasy that tackles racism in an easy-to-understand-&-learn way. After reading Legendborn, I completely agree. 
We really enjoyed this read together. It was an easy story to follow. My personal thoughts was that everything was “good” until the last 50 pages when everything became “utterly engrossing.” So yeah I got really invested farther in the book than I was expecting😅
I think I’ve somewhat grown out of some of the typical YA drama tactics used (*cough cough* love triangles) but nevertheless I thought this was a great read for how it tackled the complexities of being a black woman and racial trauma. I recognize I will never fully understand as I will never be a black woman, but I am grateful for books like this that offer perspectives sharing glimpses into their struggles and lives. Bree is fictional but she shows a version of black experience in a historically white space (the Arthurian court) and all the mess that entails. 
I loved how this book discusses grief. Also Bree’s dad was so supportive through everything she was going through and it really hit me in the feels🤍 Another fun feature is that there r 2 different magic systems that r both fascinating in their own way.
I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for YA Arthurian magic, black perspectives, a hint of mystery, and powerful women finding themselves. There’s trials, a college setting🏫, plenty of fight scenes⚔️, and secret societies😊

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