You want to read this book. You especially want to read this book if you are interested in the power of matriarchal lines, an honest reckoning with the trauma of enslavement and the generational impact it has, all placed in a magic infused fantasy that is realistic enough to include a student actually going to classes(!). I got to walk with Bree on her journey with grief, learning to tap into her power (both magical and interpersonal). It was an honor to get to witness Bree's story, which I know is fictional but she was so realistic and human I doubted the fiction at times. Read this book.

Without giving away too much of the story, this novel is wonderfully developed and the characters are beautifully created. The main character struggles with her family, the sudden death of her mother, and because of this she struggles in these new, older, social situations she's put herself in by attending college earlier than most. However, she grows into a strong young woman filled with power and the world in which she finds herself is fascinating.

Wow! This book is so good! I have always been a lover of Arthurian legends. Demon does a great job of mixing those legends with modern day realities. The diversity is really great to see. This is the first fantasy YA book I've read that includes non-binary genders. Brew is a strong Black woman and I love how she fights back against the racism she faces from outside forces and from inside the Order. I can't wait to see how she struggles with her new situation in the next book. I highly recommend this first book in the Legendborn series.

There isn’t anything I could say that would describe how magical this book is. It has everything one Wendy’s in a story. Dynamic characters. Magic. Arthurian legend. Amazing plot. Twists and turns. I read this book 4 times, and it keeps getting better!

**Review will be posted to my blog closer to pub. date, on 9/1/20**
Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

I was nervous to read this book because I wanted it to be amazing! Look at that blurb, look at that cover! I could hold off no longer and I read all 500+ pages in one night. I was up until 5am in the morning and then was up at 8am to take care of two rowdy kids…I have NO regrets. 😬

My Reactions:

My Attention: totally captured and even though I needed my sleep, I just could not put the book down!

World Building: luscious, layered, epic world building – set in North Carolina, we get this secret society hiding at the University of North Carolina. This story combines the legend of King Arthur, Southern Black history, racism, and intricate magic systems.

Writing Style: the beginning is slower than the second half of the book but it’s because we are meeting Bree and she is dealing with major grief, but I was immersed in every aspect of this book and there are so many quotes I highlighted.

Bringing the Heat: 🔥 – some kisses and flirtation but mostly pretty mild 

Crazy in Love: ohhhhhh boy…the love drama between Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot is VERY well known…so…I’ll leave it at that! Haha

Creativity: absolutely amazing, I love how everything blended together

Mood: excited, ecstatic, obsessed 

Triggers: grief, racism, prejudice, violence, death

My Takeaway: you think you know and then you don’t

What I Liked:
*World building – I am in love with this world. King Arthur legend, secret society, mixed in with southern black history and magic? It made me feel warm all over, like it was ticking off all the boxes I love in a contemporary fantasy story. It was refreshing to see the King Arthur’s legend brought into our modern day world with a girl dealing with today’s societal issues plus the past and present of racism in America, especially in the South. The story has so many layers.

*The magic systems combined in this book is so good. We have Merlins (mages) who protect our “knights of the round table” heirs (Legendborns), and the enemy are the Shadowborn or various demons that come through gates. Then we have the Southern black magic or rootcraft magic that I loved SO much. It’s organic, it’s powerful, it’s the magic I would choose to practice because it involves ancestors helping to guide you. It’s beautiful. You borrow magic from your ancestors as opposed to Legendborns who have taken magic at a cost(colonizer magic!).

*Bree – I love that she’s not perfect and all her pain, all her journey through grief is relatable to me. I recognized all her stages of grief. She makes so many mistakes, but she also tries to do the right thing. And when she comes into her power…it is glorious! I was rooting for her all of the way!

*Nick and Selwyn…okay – yes, there is a love triangle brewing but according to legend, it’s expected. I love Nick, he is such an Arthur…but Selwyn and the enemies-to-whatever he and Bree are? I can’t help myself with enemies-to-lovers tropes and they aren’t even lovers…YET and I don’t know if they ever will be. 😭 And around them is a diverse bunch of couples – love is love is LOVE.

*There is action with so many demons to fight and a Page trial as well. There is a mystery about Bree’s mother, there is so much danger, there is friendship and love. There is truth, there is forgiveness, and there is a twist.

Things That Made Me Go Hmm:
*As I mentioned, if love triangles turn you off – then this book will not be for you.

*For any new fantasy book with a lot of details and characters, it’s easy to get bogged down with info dumps but personally, I did not feel that way with this story. I was so engrossed in learning about Merlins, rootcraft and everything else in this world.

Final Thoughts:
Some books give you that feeling: heart pumping, adrenaline in your veins, wanting to relive the world again and even wishing you could see the story come to life on screen. That was how I felt after I read this book. I was on this wild, emotional ride with Bree. I want more of the characters, more rootcraft, more of Bree and Selwyn, okay I don’t mind Nick too. I want book two in my hands right now. I think I’ve found a new book to obsess over.❤️

3.5 stars

I enjoy YA fantasy books, and this is a great example of that genre. There's a nice blend of mystery and romance, as well. It took me a bit to get into it, but once the pace picked up, it was easy to stay engaged. I liked the inclusion of Arthurian legends. At times, it felt like a bit too much was included, leading to a bit of confusion, but it sorted itself out in the end.

I loved this book so much! It’s a fantastic story, but more than that, it uses magic to explore power and history and legacy in a way that goes beyond typical YA fantasy. I stayed up way too late finishing it and pre-ordered a print copy.

If Percy Jackson, the Sword and the Stone, and Kindred had a love child, it would be this PHENOMENAL book!!  The story is about a young woman named Bree who is smart and lands herself Early College admission at the University of North Carolina short after her mother's unexpected car accident.  While on campus, she stumbles into the hidden world of secret societies, all while searching for answers behind her mothers death and her own heritage.   As a huge fan of fantasy fiction, I am so excited to see a story that combines all the elements that make great YA fantasy, black girl magic that isn't subversive or a trope, and depicts current thoughts and feelings that young African American women face with 100% accuracy.  I love that the characters are not all one-sided.  There is a progression in their storylines that leads to the deeper dive that you get when a book like this becomes a series.  Even though I've had the opportunity to read the advance copy, I can't wait to reread this in hardback when it is released and is sitting on my bookcase.

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her previous life, family memories, or her childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at a local university seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure reveals Bree’s own, unique magic and unlocks a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that she knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, Bree will do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn by becoming one of their initiates.

But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur and his knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.- Goodreads

There is a lot in this book. There is a lot of things that I wasn't expecting to read from a fantasy novel. I loved it. When everything came together it was just damn right perfect. 

This is going to be a short review and it is because if I give away any deal it will take away from the book. Everything from the beginning of the novel to the end is connected. 

I felt a whirlwind of emotions. Anticipation, frustration, disappointment, shock and some more shock.  None of these are negative emotions to describe this book. This is a fantasy novel with a whole lot of truth. There are a lot of historical references, specifically about UNC. 

I was on the fence with how long this book was and it probably could have been shorter BUT it was truly worth the read.  It took some time for me to get there but I really enjoyed this book. Even writing this review, I know I am being vague but geeze this book should be taught in class. 

Overall, 

4 Pickles

Legendborn is a remarkable debut that should firmly place Tracy Deonn on every fantasy and contemporary YA reader's radar. Deft and insightful blending of Arthurian legend and Southern Black American history make for an engrossing tale of mystery, romance, and finding your place in the world--an absolute must-read!

I loved Legendborn so freaking much! Definitely going to recommend it to everyone and shout about it when it comes out.

My blurb was -- 

“Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Kiersten White, Tracy Deonn's unique reimagining of Arthurian legend is full of magic and heart. A brilliant debut!” — Ashley Poston, National Best-Selling Author of Geekerella