I actually didn’t finish this book. I think it’s 100 percent reader error and not the book. I had so trouble with trying to understand the magic ranks, system, and everything going on. There are so many things that made this not a mix for me as a reader. I don’t know anything about King Arthur, Bree didn’t come across as likable, and I just felt so off because I really couldn’t understand who was who and what their power was. I spent way too much time looking into King Authur and rereading info instead of actually reading.

Legendborn, by Tracy Deonn, is a glorious, epic, thrilling blend of Arthuriana and Southern Black Girl Magic. Bree Matthews, whose mother has died only a few months before, finds herself getting drawn into a campus secret society based on the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table...which happens to be an ancient magical society weighted with the protection of the world against otherworldly demons. Bree, who has reason to believe this society of Legendborn has some connection to the secrets surrounding her mother's death, infiltrates with the aid of society member Nick, and despite the suspicions of the powerful mage Selwyn. The fantastical tale that follows goes so much farther than just "Arthuriana-themed fantasy on a college campus" could possibly suggest; Bree's quest finds her digging into her family legacy, as she exhibits powers that she's never tapped into before and struggles to figure out the truth about herself, her people, her heritage.

On more than one occasion, I thought Legendborn was taking a turn that kind of bored me or just seemed a little predictable, only to have it twist in a whole new, fabulous direction. I will say that while I don't hate love triangles automatically like many people seem to, the triangle built around Bree felt unnecessary; still, it isn't really that much of the book, and everything else is pretty - well - epic. It's a story that handles questions of colonialism and racism, generational trauma, the (often) (maybe usually) collision of heritages and how we become who we are, the culmination of our personal and cultural histories. Bree is a survivor, the daughter of survivors, the daughter of the women before her, and the inheritor of both the magic and the trauma that have led to her.

Legendborn is a beautiful book, a truly legendary book, and one which I have no doubt will become a favorite of many.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance review copy!

Wow! Legendborn will be on my 2020 favorites. This book is so good.

Alice and Bree get into early college and move into a dorm. Bree's mom died a few months earlier and she's still dealing with the grief. The girls go to a party and get in trouble. Alice is angry and she and Bree end up spending time apart.

Bree was mesmered to forget what she saw, but she starts remembering things. Not just from this current one, but also from the night her mom died. She's determined to find out why it happened and thinks her mom's accident might not have been an actual accident. Bree's peer mentor, Nick, is part of a society. He realizes that Bree is special because no one remembers after being mesmered. Bree is pulled into a secret society around King Arthur. They fight against the shadowborn and keep onceborn safe. Sel is the Kingsmage that mesmered her. He doesn't want Bree around and is pretty cranky most of the time. Nick renounced his title, but decides to join back. He brings Bree is to compete to be a Page even though she has no training. The Order uses Merlins's aether, magic. Sel can manipulate aether to create weapons they can use to fight the Shadowborn (demons). There have been more Shadowborn lately and they know something big is happening. Bree has to learn everything about the Order, be in school, talk to Alice without telling her any of the secrets, and still find out what happened to her mom. The society is very organized and Bree is the first person of color to be there. Racism shows in different ways. She does manage to become friends with some of the group, and she and Nick have a connection that's turning romantic. Bree finds out more about her mom and her family history.

Scions have been starting to awaken. When that happens, they get all the power from their knight. If Arthur is awakened, that means Camlann has come.

There are a lot of twists and secrets that come out in the book, so I'm going to keep this kind of vague. The pacing of the book is excellent and it's hard to put down. While this is an Arthur fantasy, it is also a book filled with heavy topics, including racism.

I loved this book and gave it 5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

Warnings for death of a parent, racism, sexism, talk of slavery, talk or rape, talk of abuse.

A demon steals energy from people and a legendborn who is a demon fighter. The story begins with Bree Matthews mourning the loss of her mother, her parents fought over her acceptance into an Early College program in North Carolina. Bree meets an friend named Alice. She discovers a secret society, searching for answers on how her mother died and her family history.

Bree is a strong and emotional character. Grief, racism, strength of Black women and family history are the themes of the book. Bree encounters microaggressions and racial abuse while on campus. The magic system is based on the legend of King Arthur. Detail and action was intense. I love the black and LGBTQ representation throughout the story.

"Some truths only tragedy can teach. the first one I learned is that when people acknowledge your pain, they want your pain to acknowledge them back. They need to witness it in real time, or else you're not doing your part."




"

As I’m in the process of writing my MA dissertation on modern reinterpretations of medieval mythology and legends, I have read an awful lot of them over the course of the last few months, so please trust me when I tell you that Legendborn truly is one of the very best. It is diverse, it is feminist, and it is a fantastic YA fantasy on top of exhibiting a deep understanding of the Arthurian corpus and making it its own. It is not merely a retelling of the classic King Arthur story, but it twists it in a way that is surprising and refreshing, mixing it up and turning it into something unique.

Not only that, but it mixes Arthuriana with Black girl magic, of which this world always needs more – Bree is a wonderful heroine, and the way Tracy Deonn manages to weave colonialism and slavery into the story and the Arthurian tradition is truly masterful. It makes Legendborn multi-faceted and layered – yes, it is a story that can just be read and enjoyed, but there was so much in the various timelines that a history nerd like me saw and got excited about and at the same time many things that people like me, who grew up white in Europe, often tend to forget and overlook because we are not personally confronted with them.

Another thing I absolutely loved about Legendborn is the fact that Bree is a very smart girl. The story is set on a college campus, and she has just entered early college. As someone who graduated High School early and went off to Uni at 16, I am always very excited when I get to read about characters I can identify with in that way – something that is incredibly rare. I’m not talking about characters that are constantly studying and great at doing homework, but naturally clever, and have a personality that truly enjoys learning and research. Thank you, Tracy, for giving me a book that makes me feel seen and combines it with my passion for medieval legends!

P.S. Legendborn also features two hot boys. There’s Nick, straight-laced cute boy, and Selwyn, resident slightly gothy bad boy… I recommend you add Legendborn on Goodreads ASAP and pre-order yourself a copy so you can decide whose team you’re on!

5 stars to this phenomenal book! Tracy Deonn did so many amazing things with this book, i don't even know where to begin.

First off: The Characters.

Each character was nuanced and flawed. Even seemingly sweet cinnamon roll Nick showed signs of complicated morality as the book went on.

Bree was a character who was at once fierce and badass but at the same time vulnerable and scared. She also knew the important of black girl self care (detangling and conditioning hair, painting nails, enjoying hot butter biscuits etc.). Even though there were a lot of times were she was frightened, she was brave enough to face her fears.

Selwyn was a character I wanted to hate, but by the end I just couldn't. He went through a lot of self loathing and self doubt which led to his paranoia and his initial distrust of Bree. By the end of the book I just wanted to hug him.

Alice Chen was a booksmart, die hard friend. The way she had Bree's back through everything made me love her even more.


Tor. I just wanted to punch her. ESPECIALLY because of that statement she made towards the end of the book. Chile, my blood was BOILING.

Speaking of inappropriate statements, that's another thing Tracy did so well in this book. Our main character Bree is obviously Black and attending school in racist North Carolina. As such, she has to not only be reminded of how this country was built on the literal backs of her ancestors, but she also as to deal with the racial tendencies the Order has against her. I love the fact that Tracy Deonn included this aspect in her book because it is so important. When you have a Black/POC character in your book, their race matters. You can't just create a character, paint them black, and that's it. Im not saying your Black/POC character have to go through some sort of trauma but the fact of the matter is your character being Black/POC AFFECTS them. They have to go through different experiences than your white characters do. (im mainly talking about contemporaries and urban fantasies. In a high fantasy setting, things can be different because you are creating your own world.)


I love how Tracy Deonn incorporated rootwork (or hoodoo) into her story. Having a magic system based off West African practices was truly interesting to witness. I almost cried at the scenes involving Bree's ancestors. It really hit home about how our ancestors really suffered for this America.


Tracy Deonn also brings up a really good point about how as African Americans, we can never really trace our roots far back, because of slavery. We will always be limited in our search while our white peers can go almost as far as they would like. It really puts things into perspective.

This is a YA fantasy, but I also feel that this was so much more. This was a powerful brilliant novel and that ending makes me want so much more. Im excited for this author and can't wait to see what happens with Bree next!

"Everything has two histories. Especially in the South."

What. Did. I. Just. READ?!?!?! Here's what I need from y'all. On 9/15, I need folx to go out and buy this book. Actually, I need you to just pre-order it now. I have an ARC but purchased the book because I need this gorgeous cover in my hands. What do I even say about this book that doesn't give it all away?!

As an Early College student at UNC, Bree Matthews witnesses a demon stealing energy from people, and the "Legendborn" whose job it is to fight the demons. After a failed attempt at wiping her mind, Bree realizes a connection between the Legenborn, their "Merlin" and her mother's murder, so Bree takes a deep dive into the Legenborn's world of rebirth, mystery, and Arthurian mythology.

That is the easiest blurb I can give you because this book is WILD. The first 20% or so is a bit confusing because we are learning about the Legenborn just as slowly as Bree is. But when this picks up, it really picks up, and by the end I was literally screaming. I looked at my husband and said "there is 8% left, people are dying left and right and things are happening that are blowing my mind."

Bree is amazing. She's 16 years old, and there is definitely some YA nonsense that happens that is a little distracting), but Bree is such an amazing, strong, conflicted, passionate, sad character. It is so easy to root for her, want her to succeed, and want to follow her to the end. I always think it is beautiful to see soul shaking and life changing grief as a critical part of a storyline because grief is part of life and shouldn't be shied away from. Tracy Deonn did an amazing job capturing that.

I loved the King Arthur lore, I loved the connections made, but I especially loved the Blackness. Bree experiencing racism everywhere across the school (subtle microaggressions and explicit racial abuse). Bree's hair care routine in a book was LIFE CHANGING - I honestly don't know if I've read about Black hair care in a book before. Bree makes varying decisions throughout the book of when to speak out and when to let things go and all of that felt true to what Black folx, and womxn especially, experience everyday. That question to yourself like "is it worth it for me to be upset, worth it for me to say something?". And don't even get me started on the threads of the strength of Black women and honoring our ancestors - I can't share anything without spoiling but know that Legendborn makes some connections that are beautiful and heartbreaking and so real. Legendborn made me want to call my Grandma and continue to dive into as much of my ancestry as I possibly can to try and understand the depths that my ancestors went to change, survive and thrive in order to give me the life I have now.

Last thing I will say is that Deonn also does a great job of adding LGBTQIA+ representation. We (publishing, readers, society) look at anything that isn't "the norm" (cis, hetero, white, young, able-bodied) as being different, when really there is no "normal". There are a few bi, queer, and nonbinary characters and there is no special fanfare. Correct pronouns are used, assumptions aren't made, and life goes on. I can't wait to see more books come out with similar representation. Diversity is important and we need to keep seeing folx in the room, with #ownvoices and nonstereotypical representation.

Legendborn is a fast paced action story about magical secrets in the shadows of our world, a quest for revenge and answers in the midst of grief, and turning tropes on its head. It's a story that consistently reminds readers of the racism in the South, under the grassy fields, and immortalized in stone. At the same time it's also a story about magic, elitism, and secret societies. A story about the rushing tide of grief, burning fire of revenge, and glittering ambition.

I loved the way Deonn looks at the concept of a legacy and who gets to be a legacy. How those with privilege, wealth, and titles have been able to be the Chosen Ones. The ones with family trees, lineage that never becomes lost, and where names unfurl. Legendborn is a story of Southern Black Girl Magic, a story that, while steeped in magic, never loses a sense of its contemporary setting. Words full of demons, power, and night time battles.

Legendborn ended up on my radar a few months ago because 1) it has one of my favorite covers ever, and 2) I'm a sucker for anything Arthurian. So I went into this one with a healthy dose of a 'pretty sure I'm going to love this' attitude. And oh maaan, I was not disappointed.

Just to real quick get it out of the way, the ONLY reason I didn't five star this one was for pacing. The beginning took off so fast that I felt like I was struggling to keep up(this seems like a dig at myself now that I'm really thinking about it...ha). Then the middle slowed down a lot and I did find my mind drifting a few times. It's one of those books where I simultaneously wanted it to be a little more condensed but also 300 pages longer. By the end though, all of the pacing issues I had disappeared. The last third was incredible from that standpoint, the ramp up to the climax was absolute perfection, and the ending was so satisfying.

Anyways! No other complaints from here on out, only good things to be said!

Tracy Deonn not only wrote a sort of Arthurian retelling with Legendborn, she made it feel like wholly her own story. The lore and magic systems she wrote for this book are so in-depth, so smart, they completely blew me away. The complexity, explained for readers in an effortless way, makes the things she added to existing stories and lore seem like it's all been there all along. Like Legendborn is just a part of Arthurian canon, and it always has been, we were just waiting for the right person to come along and tell us the story.

Bree was a phenomenal lead character. I enjoyed reading the story from her point of view so much. Always so heartfelt, every emotion she had came through clearly on the page. Her story was so compelling and authentic. The way she interacted with other characters always rang true (Deonn nailed the dialogue in this book). And the other characters were diverse and complex, not just there as props for Bree and her story. I feel like so many of them could have their own spinoff books, and I can't wait to learn more about every single character in the sequel.

I know I said the ending was good already, but I can't emphasize that enough. It's rare for the actual plot to beat characters as my favorite aspect of a book, but it really happened this time. They are intrinsically tied together in this story though, plot and character, and it worked so well to deliver a phenomenal ending. I... didn't see it all coming. At all. I thought I did, but wow. It hits really hard, and weeks later I just can't stop thinking about it. My husband isn't a reader, and I knew I'd never convince him to read this book, so I made him listen to me go on and on about the story, and even a second-hand account of the ending had him applauding the story. The whole book is good, but the ending packed a punch that is going to sit with me forever.

The last thing I want to touch on is how I just think this book is really well written. Other than my very minor issues with the pacing, this is a book I would study for the writing itself. It's the perfect example of a fantastic YA fantasy, and is a book I'll definitely be steering other aspiring writers to look to. It uses tropes so well. I'm not going to get on my trope soapbox again, but I'll go down fighting when it comes to defending the use of tropes. Legendborn uses a few familiar YA fantasy tropes *chef's kiss* perfectly. And the reason it works is because it's not just a rehashing of the same story and beats we've all read countless times. Deonn takes those tropes, finds the best parts of them, and puts those parts to use in new, dynamic, challenging ways. Seriously, I cannot stress enough how well written this book is.

So, in conclusion, I would like everyone to get this book, that way I'll have plenty of others agonizing with me over the wait for the sequel. Legendborn is one of those books that is going to stick in my mind, one of those books I'll actually remember out of the dozens I'll read this year. And I just know that many, many others are going to feel the same way after reading it.

Review based on a digital ARC provided via Netgalley.


4.5 stars


Legendborn is a fantastic take on Arthurian legend - full of great characters and nonstop action. African American folklore is mixed with this legend in a new and interesting way, lending real depth to the narrative.


The main character, Bree, is an African American teen, dealing with the death of her mother - trying to figure out why she died and if there was something more sinister behind it. While she’s reeling and trying to come to terms with it, she is just starting an Early College experience at UNC, something of which her mother did not approve. Once she arrives on campus with her friend, Alice, a Taiwanese American girl, things begin to happen that throw all of her previous concerns into stark relief. She stumbles upon a secret society, she begins to learn about her own family history, and these two things intertwine in ways she could never have imagined.


The story takes the predominately white male narrative of Arthurian legend and turns it on its head - necessitating a reevaluation of the “original” story and all that it entails. Bree finds herself embroiled in more than she ever bargained for as she searches for answers. She finds some new friends - some she is not sure of, while others begin to take up a more important place in her heart – and encounters both micro and macro-aggressions on campus. There are twists and turns throughout this story that surprise and allow the reader to think more deeply about what lies behind stories and what lies behind institutions that many hold dear. The author forces the reader to confront these things head on, but in an engaging way - through Bree’s development and continuing growth. She is a strong character, never shying away from what she must do, but at the same time, she is vulnerable when she needs to be. It is her journey that is at the heart of this story - her complicated journey through her grief and into acceptance of what her mother truly had to offer. The author deftly handles Bree’s grief, not downplaying it, but allowing her to process it in her own way in her own time, in a way that is powerful and empowering.


Most of the characters in the secret society are white, which makes sense for the narrative, as the author is tackling issues of race and history in the United States South, and the way those issues affect Bree as an African American teen. There are characters representing a variety of sexual orientations and gender identities, which is a welcome addition. Selwyn and Nick, the two main male characters, both white, are intriguing, both in their own right and in relation to Bree. Sel grows throughout this book, as he also learns more about himself and his past. Nick is a sympathetic character, but one who has not fully realized his potential. The character that I am most intrigued by is Alice, Bree’s best friend from home. She is strong, she is present, and she intervenes when she thinks it is appropriate, but we don’t learn too much about her. I hope that she gets a little more page time in the next book, as I think she has a lot to add to the story - both Bree’s story and her own.


I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to the next book in the Legendborn series.

Absolutely adored this book.

You've got:
Black Girl Magic (which YA needs more of)
Arthuriana (which I am always into)
A diverse cast of characters
Secret societies
Characters dealing with trauma in realistic ways
Romance that isn't the main focus but adds to the story
And so much more.

I was expecting this to be good based on what I'd heard about it. I wasn't expecting to love it so much but I really do.

I had such a good time reading this book! I loved Bree and her journey to reconcile with her family's generational trauma. The fact that this book can deal with such real and deep personal struggle while also giving us a main character who is exploring her independence and juggling friendships and new romance and have it all work is incredible.

Huge thank you to Simon & Schuster, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is a King Arthur retelling that follows sixteen year old Bree Matthews as she begins her Early College program at UNC-Chapel Hill. Bree hasn’t been the same since her mother was killed in a car accident. This program is the perfect escape for her to get away. On Bree’s first night on campus she witnesses a supernatural attack that sends her on an adventure to find answers. Bree is thrust into a world of demons, magic, knights, and legends. She discovers the Legendborn, a group who are the descendents of King Arthur and his thirteen knights. These Legendbord are all that stands between demons (the Shadowborn) and the human world.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Legendborn is an incredible YA fantasy that tells a wholly original story. Yes, it is a King Arthur retelling, but Legendborn is so much more than magic, spells, and legends. Legendborn is an urban fantasy that deals with grief, loss, power, legacies of colonization and slavery, being a Black woman in the South, and finding oneself.

I did not expect to be so profoundly affected by Bree’s story. Tracy Deoon tells an incredible fictional story that she connects to our society by directly confronting racism and the history plus the continued effects of colonization, slavery, and violence against Black people. As the reader, we see Bree encounter racism everyday . . .whether it be slurs, discrimination, stereotypes, or more. She also lives in a constant reminder of the slavery and brutality against Black people. As a white woman I will never understand what Bree is feeling or going through. I am so thankful that Tracy has given us this story and allowed me to gain more perspective through Bree’s eyes. I definitely recommend reading Tracy’s author’s note at the end of the book.

One of my favorite parts of Legendborn is Bree connecting with her answers and learning about her own family’s history.

Legendborn contains magic, mystery, romance, competition, and some MAJOR twists! I will say that the King Arthur lore and the history involved with the society, inheritance and magic was a bit confusing. I didn’t know much about King Arthur besides a little bit from “Merlin” and “Monty Python & the Holy Grail” so not much lol. I didn’t really know what to expect. I definitely had to take my time and do lots of highlights to keep everything straight. It is so extensive and there is a ton going on, but it never felt overwhelming. I felt like I was with Bree discovering and learning with her as she did. The world-building is all encompassing and so complete. Tracy Deoon truly crafted an entire world and lore using the legend of King Arthur.

The magic is also fascinating! From aether to Rootcraft . .. it was all so interesting! I was very excited to read the author’s note and discover that Rootcraft is inspired by African American history and spiritual traditions. Rootwork was created by enslaved Africans and their descendents. The Rootcraft that Bree encounters is fictional, but inspired by this Rootwork. This is such a cool detail and I love learning something new! Again . . . please read the author’s note. It is not only inspiring, but also provided some really awesome insight into the inspiration for Legendborn.

The cast of characters in Legendborn is amazing and so incredibly diverse! The best part is that the diversity is done naturally and it doesn’t feel like a “shtick” or just for token diversity points. A great example of this is one of the Legendborn pages, Greer. Greer is non-binary. This is not announced or a big deal in the slightest. Instead Greer’s non-binary status is seemlessly part of the story. I love that They are just another character and They are accepted as such. It’s incredible to see! I hope this is an inspiration for everyone that reads this to be more accepting and tolerant of those different than you. The world needs more kindness and respect.

Bree is an excellent lead. She is strong, fierce, and loving. It was heartbreaking to watch her experience the grief from losing her mother. I truly felt like I was with her on this adventure.

I am a little undecided on how I feel about the romance. It definitely was on the insta-lovey side. It kind of has to be though because the whole book only takes place over about three weeks. Also, there is an explanation for the insta-love near the end which helps. There’s also a potential love triangle that I think will be delved into more in the following books. I am not a huge fan of love triangles, but I am intrigued by this one!

The only reasons why I deducted a star is because of the insta-love and the overall rushed-ness of the beginning. Everything felt very boom boom boom. It all progressed very quickly. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, but it just felt a little rushed in the beginning.

Legendborn is an exciting fantasy story that has so many important themes. I am so glad that I read this book because 1) it’s a fantastic and unique story & 2) I am thankful that I was able to read a modern day fantasy through the eyes of a young Black woman. It’s not enough and I will continue to work to improve myself to be a better ally, but Bree’s story is one step and allowed me to gain more insight into what Black men and women experience every day.

I absolutely loved Legendborn. Even though it is inspired by the legend of King Arthur, this retelling feels totally original and utterly fascinating! I loved all the detail and the world building! And the ending was a rollercoaster of twists and reveals! I cannot wait to see where the story goes in the next book.

LEGENDBORN WILL BE RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 15TH BY MARGARET K. MCELDERRY BOOKS!

I really enjoyed Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. As a huge fan of the Mortal Instruments (et. al) series by Cassandra Clare, I have been waiting for something similar. And while I loved all the familiar pieces, I sort of struggled to get through this. Let me begin by saying I loved Bree and the magic system she (and we as readers) learn about, it was awesome! I loved the diversity and the Black Girl Magic and all of the history. I loved the memories and the groups of people we meet throughout the book. Alice and Bree's relationship was great ( the banter & snark was A+!), and I loved the very neat magical world/system, and how classism, racism and the real world intertwined with it.

But the chapters - as did the whole book - felt very, very long. I also struggled to understand all of the magic system at the beginning. There was a lot of information dumping, which I know is because Bree was new to the world, and truthfully I am not sure if there was any other way to tell us about the world and caste systems. Despite this, I loved SO much of this book and I look forward to recommending this book to tweens and teens. I really am excited about the sequel!!! This is probably closer to a 4.5 stars for me as a whole.

Infinite stars. This book is AMAZING, EXHILIRATING, and I pray it graces the big screen. The book centers around Bree, a young woman who is struggling to find her way through grief and life without her mom. The story that ensues will have you waiting with bated breathe for the next installment. This series can be as big as Harry Potter and Hunger Games. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoiling it. You will not be disappointed.

4.5 Stars

An incredible Arthurian-inspired fantasy and a powerful look at grief and history. Characters that will stay with you far beyond the end of the book. I definitely want more by this author!

Highly recommended to add to any 2020 TBR list!

Legendborn (Legendborn #1) by Tracy Deonn was one of my most anticipated releases of September, so I really lucked out when I was approved for the ARC. As it turns out, this novel is easily one of my best reads of 2020 so far. I can never resist an Arthurian retelling and this one hits all the right notes for me. The legend, the world building, the magic system, and diverse cast of characters are all marvelous. I loved that the classic legend isn't quite what you expect and the world feels very real as if you could pay everyone a visit. Every cast member is well developed and fleshed out and their relationships with each other are all well drawn. I don't want to give to much away, but I highly, highly recommend giving this a try. I'm extremely impressed to know that this is Deonn's debut novel because it's absolutely marvelous and promises much for her future. As far as I'm concerned, this is perfect and she can only go up from here. I can't wait to see where this series is going to go.

Legendborn is an excellent YA contemporary fantasy with a diverse cast of characters and outstanding world-building. This is a King Arthur retelling that merges in African American culture in a beautiful way. Tracy Deonn did a marvelous job at creating this world that blends histories. It is incredibly well-written and just so worth the read. Highly recommended to readers looking for diversity in YA fantasy. This is an excellent one to read!

I can’t praise this smart YA contemporary fantasy enough! It includes some of the expected elements of the genre we know and love like magic, action, and romance; but also goes into grief, the legacy of slavery in the south, and the main character’s reality of life as a Black girl forced to deal with every day racism. It took me a little bit to get into this story, so if it’s the same for you, stick with it - it’s definitely worth it! This book is one of my absolute favorites this year, and I can’t wait for the sequel!

The overall plot of Legendborn is great, especially the way the author subverts the Arthurian legend through the characters and the inheritance of power.

I wasn’t sure what to think for the first 40-50% of the novel. Way too much info dump and way, way too many pop culture references that will make this work feel dated in time. I wasn’t initially a fan of what I knew would be the inevitable YA triangle (the introduction of both love interests was super obvious and cliché). However, the triangle ended up being one of the best parts of the story, and surprisingly both Sel and Nick grew on me.

Bree, like Sel and Nick, was better in the second half of the story, though like many typical YA heroines, she was excessively stubborn and reckless when she really didn’t need to be. I further would’ve liked her to have more of a fully fleshed out personality. I did like that she was proactive (even to her detriment sometimes), and she did have genuine growth. I could also relate to her feeling caught between two worlds and the not feeling (or being made to feel) like she didn’t belong. The micro-aggressions were well done and realistic.

I think this novel would’ve been better if it hadn’t been YA. There wasn’t a reason for it to be YA except perhaps to be more marketable. It’s pretty hilarious to me how many YA novels today find loopholes to be YA while basically not being YA. Legendborn even skips the HS setting entirely through the EC program on a college campus. The characters barely go to classes (which suits me as a reader, but classes are a huge part of a student’s life). Everyone also talks and acts far older than they’re supposed age. Of course, that’s the case with a lot of YA today. It’s as if the adult authors aren’t even bothering to write actual teenagers anymore. Where I thought Ninth House, for example, tried too hard to be an adult novel when it was more of a YA novel that wanted to be “edgy,” Legendborn feels like an adult novel trying too hard to stay YA when its subject matter and themes are adult. Still, this problem isn't exclusive to Legendborn in any way.

Rootcraft is awesome, but underdeveloped. I hope that in the next book it’s given more equal weight to Bloodcraft. Otherwise, it just feels tacked on to the story.

The climax felt a little corny. The build up to Excalibur should’ve been more epic. I am curious about how Nick deals with the change in his and Bree's positions.

Overall, I think the sum of Legendborn is better than any of its individual parts. Still, I finished it in a day, and I enjoyed it enough to want to read the next book, so mission accomplished. I would definitely recommend this.