This book was so good! It's been awhile since I read and enjoyed a YA fantasy this much. I think the way it handles grief is done well, which is so important to me. I really enjoyed the character dynamics, and would 100% read the sequel.

4/5
Original rating: 3/5

** Second time reading I can definitely say that the format of the arc hindered my enjoyment of this story. I absolutely loved this the second time around and fell even deeper in love with the subsequent book. Can't wait for the third book and def recommend this to everyone!!!

Honestly speaking William is like, literally, the only reason why I was able to finish this book.

I was hoping to love this more then i did, 3 stars are still good but i wanted to have a better feel for it. I loved the magic system and some of the characters but i did not care for the school part or the ending of the book. Tracy's writing is also not to bad to read but this book was not for me sadly. I would still recommend this to other people as i know ALOT of people love it.

In a world where history intertwines with magic, Bree Matthews navigates a labyrinth of grief and discovery at a university teeming with secrets. "Legendborn" is an unflinching exploration of Black history, the enduring scars of slavery, and the persistent shadow of inequality. This own voices narrative doesn’t hold back, presenting the brutal realities faced by Black people, both past and present.

As the protagonist, Bree is instantly captivating. Her journey from a state of grief to fierce determination makes her a character to root for. She begins feeling lost, but as she delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding her mother’s death and the university’s hidden truths, her strength and resilience shine through.

While the book may take some time to fully immerse you into its urban fantasy realm, the effort is well worth it. The complexity of the magical elements might initially seem daunting, and the middle section does slow down a bit. However, the richly developed characters keep you engaged, each one feeling vibrantly real and deeply intriguing. You might find yourself flipping back to remember who's who, but by the end, the story’s intricate legend and diverse cast will have you hooked.

I love this book with all my heart. I value a book that can gently nudge me into a circle of friends. I care for the main charachter, I laugh with her and sometimes cry. The diversity of her fellow students has me delighted and curious to know what will they get up to next! The plot was fast paced, and kept me turning the pages faster and faster. It is a well executed Arthurian inspired plot with a punch of a conclusion. I can't wait to read the sequel and I highly recommend!

This was so much fun! I truly enjoyed Deonn's take on the King Arthur legend, blending in the magic and Black history. While I found the narrative flow occasionally waded down by exposition, there is so much richness and intrigue that I never found my attention waning. This was incredibly nuanced and layered, with some excellent twists. Looking forward to the sequel.

There was a lot going on in Legendborn, but I loved it just the same. Tracy Deonn did an excellent job of tying together explorations of grief, magic rooted in Black slave history, and a cool new take on the legend of King Arthur. Tracy, thank you for sharing your talent with the world - I can't wait to get my hands on Bloodmarked!

Legendborn by Tracey Deonn is a unique retelling of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table. Blending the legend with the unique history of southern black history and culture we get an intense, heartfelt (and harsh) coming of age story of a young woman trying to come to terms with her past, the loss of her mother, navigating two worlds as a young black woman, and the strength within her to not only fight her demons, but actual literal demons.

Legendborn is a fantasy rich in characters, and rich in world building blending contemporary society with the "strict" rules of an Arthurian (white) court. Anyone who likes the story of Arthur or fantasy in general will appreciate the twist Deonn has given to this legend and the genre.

I really enjoyed all of the neat twists on legends in this book—they were really inventive! Bree was a very relatable character and I felt like I really rooted for her. This was a great read.

This is officially my new favourite spin on the Arthurian legend. It’s also precisely that: legendary. Layered and nuanced and honestly? I’m convinced that Tracy Deonn’s words are laced with something intoxicating.

I’m mad that it took me this long to get to, but also grateful because it means there’s less time to go until Bloodmarked.

What an ending! Legendborn is about grief and love, and is full of magic, demons and lovable characters. I truly enjoyed this one and it had so many twists and turns. Will definitely read the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the free ebook copy in exchange of an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC. Apologies for the late posting, I've had a terrible bout with an autoimmune illness.

This book is like food for the Black girl's soul. Growing up, high fantasy books with magic and love triangles were out of our scope; we were always limited to being the "sassy friend" or "comedic relief." We never really were given the chance to be the heroines in fantasies about us. Tracey Deonn gives us that chance to be seen.

I'm not a fan of Arthurian legends as they never really appealed to me, but Deonn takes the legend and spins it on its head. Legendborn contains hilarious moments, triumphant moments, and moments filled with Black pain, which can be traumatic, but they're ultimately healing throughout the course of this book. If you're interested in a story that will leave tears in your eyes due to the book ending, this is one I highly recommend.

I liked this book a lot, and it hooked me right from the first chapter. The pacing was good, as well as the character dynamics. The magic system was really cool and was explored really well too.

Listen, if the second book does not come out in time, I may actually die. I need to know EVERYTHING!! This was the sort of book where you stay up way passed bedtime. The kind you take everywhere with you, just in case you have a minute to read. It was so well written, I could not get enough.
Bree is a BAD ASS!!! Also, I might be in love with Sel?! Alice, William, Greer and Whitty were meant to be my best friends. Nick, oh sweet Nick, I hope that boy gets a happily ever after soon. Precious little baby angel that he is. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that the characters were done so incredibly well that you easily love or loathe them right away. There’s a huge twist that, let’s be honest now, NOBODY SAW COMING! That’s a sign of epically well written books.
I want to know, more than anything, about Brees family. About their gifts and their brilliance. I need to see more of her ancestry, to learn the hows and the whys of each woman’s struggle. Slavery was a disgusting piece of history, and sadly racism has picked up where it left off. I want to see the people who feel and act that way get what they deserve, in this story and world wide. I don’t and never will understand the struggles and brutality brought upon entire generations, but I’d like to be seen as taking the Oath to pledge myself to forever standing up for what is right and shunning out loud those who speak filth on another. This book is absolutely 100% an excellent piece of literature that focuses on, without making the entire story about, racism and slavery, and how those things are still alive and thriving in some communities.

I don't even know where to begin my explanation of how much I loved this book and why. I went in knowing only that it takes place at a university and secret societies played a role in the narrative. (I honestly recommend knowing as little as possible and just trusting me that it's really good so that you can be surprised by all the reveals).

I guess I'll start at the beginning where this story starts off with a bang and was such a page-turner that I didn't stop reading until I was about 30% of the way through (I would have read more but I had to work). I finished it in 3 and a half days (keep in mind that I've read like 5 books in the last 3 months so this is a big deal lol). Basically, I was also in a mega reading slump before this and this book cured me. I feel so in awe and empowered by Bree's story and how epic this book was that it makes me want to read more and even do some writing of my own. The characters are fantastic, the setting is so vivid, and the magic and lore are honestly so freaking good. The way every thread is woven together and converges at the end was breathtaking. (I always try to keep my reviews spoiler-free so sorry if this is super vague. If I haven't convinced you to start reading this yet then here are some more reasons):

There are so many great female friendships and relationships
Fierce, funny, and loveable main character
Broody dark side character (I don't know about you but that's always a big reason why I pick up a book lol)
Swords and other cool weapons
Uh, magic ovbiously
Specifically Black girl magic (the magic system is just *chefs kiss*)
There's a ball and a really pretty dress
Good character banter
Diverse characters
SWORDS
Amazing fight scenes !!!
So many plot twists
An ending that is heart-wrenching, satisfying, very epic, and so many more things. I'm just overwhelmed in the best way.

READ LEGENDBORN!!!!

This book had me gripped from page one. I was so drawn in to this wonderful world that Tracy created. I have never seen an arthurian retelling quite like this and I was here for it!

The exploration of grief in the book was very present as the main character loses their mother before the book begins and you can tell that it affects her throughout and motivates her to push forward with her personal objectives.

I really enjoyed Alice (her best friend) as a character and will look forward to getting more of her in the next book. I also liked that there was some different relationship elements at play in this book.

Something I really enjoyed about the book was its pacing. It had a steady pace with a lot happening and it just kept up the whole time.

Oh and the different magic systems were really cool!

Overall, I really liked the book and did not expect it to become one of my favorites of the year but here we are!

Legendborn is a novel that I have seen everywhere since the ARCs first went out, and I finally carved out the time to see what the fuss is all about. Y'all weren't lying when you were screaming about it being fabulous!

Sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews is still reeling after her mother died in an unfortunate car accident. Needing a change, she enrolls in a university program for high school students. But almost immediately after arriving at Chapel Hill, a party goes awry when monsters attack--and Bree can see them. Soon she is swept into a secret organization that circles around demons, King Arthur, and his knights. The Order is a place she shouldn't belong, and discoveries about herself and her mother make Bree second guess everything. This a very deep and thoughtful contemporary fantasy that should be on everyone's shelf.

I really liked Bree as the main character. She's someone you immediately want to root for. There is a big sense of her being set adrift in the beginning with her grief, but her determination shines through once she realizes there is more to the university and her mother's death. I thought the story thread of Bree trying to find where she fits in was well done. She's a young, inexperienced Black girl trying to infiltrate a white-dominated, elitist organization that isn't necessarily welcoming to her, especially with this being North Carolina. However, when she learns who her mother truly was, it's another scale for her to measure against. Black magic, or aether. As a whole, I thought the race aspect of her growth was well-handled. It did not hold me out at arm's length but was thought-provoking, balanced great, and built Bree's character beautifully.

For a while I was going to rate this as four stars because I struggled to piece together the world building. It's very smart, but the general consensus of it being complex is correct. There are a lot of pieces to this Arthurian organization, so allow me to attempt to explain.

The Order dates back to King Arthur's time because it is essentially the continuation of his round table. The world is divided into Onceborns (normal humans), Shadowborns (demons) and Legendborns. Legendborns are the direct descendants of King Arthur and his knights. Depending on how close the world is to a type of demon war called Camlann, the spirits of the original knights will awaken within the bodies of their Scion, or descendant. These Scions inherit an affinity for aether and take on their knight's magical abilities, like super strength, speed, etc. They arrive in a specific order, and if Arthur awakens, Camlann has come. There are a lot of rules surrounding the timelines of each Scion, lines of succession, magic and merlins, pages, squires, etc. but it is very clever. I admit I'm still a bit fuzzy on a few things, but once I got a strong sense of what everything was, I could better appreciate the story.

The romance was an interesting one. Bree and the scion of Arthur, Nick, hit it off pretty quick once they become partners in the story, and I found there to be a very fine line between this being insta-love and a slow burn. Like, it takes 400 pages for the love word to get tossed around, but also, it's barely been a week my dude. There is a hint of a possible love triangle, and while I'm not a fan of those, I have my fighter locked in. You pushed Nick at me and made him look good, but then you left the tiniest glimmer of hope for a tortured half demon boy. Guess who I'm going to go with?

I chose to read the audiobook for this, so please forgive me if there are any mistakenly spelled names or terms. I'll definitely be looking out for the sequel! I give this 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5!

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn was something special. Inspired by the tales of King Arthur mixed with demon hunting. This book embodied black girl magic, with great character’s and an exciting plot

During the read we follow Bree, who recently lost her mother in an accident. Still coping with grief Bree unrolls herself in a program at UNC Chapel Hill to get away from her childhood home and the painful memories. What seemed like a perfect escape takes a turn when Bree witnesses a supernatural attack on her first night on campus. Involving a secret society that hunts demons. A mysterious mage who calls himself a “Merlin” attempts to make Bree forget what she saw. Unfortunately his spell has no effect on her, leaving Bree to remember everything. As the story unfolds, Bree begins to realize something deep inside her as she gets tangled up with the secret society

Legendborn was no cookie cutter YA read, it was so much more. Tracy was able to intertwine magical elements with real life issues such as grief, racism, mental health, slavery and heritage that would hit you hard during the read

Bree was an amazing character. I was able to connect with her and felt for her during the vulnerable moments of processing her mothers death. As she tries to uncover what truly happened to her. Even through her pain I loved her strength of speaking her mind and not letting people treat her poorly or push against her boundaries. I also enjoyed the romance between her and another character. Hopefully there will be more between them in the next book

Overall, this book was incredible. Filled with diversity, representation, action, romance, friendship and self-discovery

This was the best book I read in 2020. The whole world was amazing. The characters was interesting and the plot twist I can say I didn’t see coming. This is a book a normally wouldn’t pick up but the cover was breathtaking and synopsis/story was I’ve never read before. I can’t wait for the sequel. A four star read.

Even though I loved this book; I didn't write a review right away. It was almost like there was so much to unpack and talk about here I didn't know where to start. Now it's been over a month since I read it and while many things are still crystal clear in my mind (because that is how good this story is); a lot of it has faded some. So I'm going to be more general than usual in this review.

Arthurian Legend
Tracy Deonn herself has admitted to a lot of influence from Arthurian legend. And it's obvious once you start to read this that she has intentionally used it to make her story feel familiar; yet different. These days I am not a huge fan of Arthurian legend being used as the basis for any fantasy world or idea. I got over dosed with it as a kid/teen (I'm 38 right now) and, regardless of Marion Zimmer Bradley's politics and personal opinions, my Arthur and his fellows is in Mists of Avalon. Therefore I was not excited to read more Arthur legend based stories.
However, Deonn has changed this enough that it wasn't a deal breaker for me. I still wish she'd just made up her own heroes and lore instead; but I do understand that the Arthur construct is easier to use and people are already familiar with it so it requires less explaining. All that said I still rolled my eyes when Excalibur came on the scene. Not only is it over the top and just outrageous; but it's also a catalyst for the story (sigh).

Themes
What isn't in this book? There are strong themes of grief and coping, oppression and slavery, teenage angst (including an almost love triangle), and then the overall construct of magic is also a commentary on power. My favourite part of the fantasy elements in this story is the magic. It costs practitioners and isn't infinite. I also really adore the struggles of one of both the main boys that are put in positions of "power" that they may or may not want. Each wrestles with the idea of duty, commitment, and wanting the ability to have more freedom and make their own choices. This is a reminder that not all chains are actual chains.

Own Voices Perspective
There is one huge take away from Legendborn that I do not think will ever leave me, or I hope it doesn't. Our lead gal is a black girl attending a historic college. Upon on entering the historic main building she thinks to herself that it's weird to be proud to be there as a black girl; but also to feel awkward knowing slaves built it. As a white woman I will confess I have never thought of this conundrum before. You want to be proud to be one of so few from your race or culture to 'make it' somewhere; and yet feel bad that you are benefiting from being somewhere that would have used slaves for labour.
THIS is really what own voices is all about in my opinion. Deonn takes a typical feeling of pride that many of us would have to attend a historic college and strips it away in one sentence. And she's absolutely right; we cherish our ancient buildings and monuments (the pyramids are a prime example) even though we know they were built by those being oppressed.
I don't have a solution for this conundrum; and I do love, love old things, especially buildings. But it is worth seriously thinking and remembering each time we enter an ancient/old place that someone likely shed blood and freedom for the place to exist at all.

Overall
Legendborn surprised me in a number of ways. I didn’t love everything about it but for a YA fantasy it’s top notch. Right up there with Bridget Kemmerer as a new YA fantasy author to stay with.
If nothing else it brought me out of a big time 2020 reading slump for which I am very grateful. I look forward to following Bree, the boys, and the creepy adults in the next installment of the Legendborn series.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.