This was a fast paced fantasy story, with great character's and exciting plot and very well writen.

I found it to be a great read and once started could not put it down until the very last page.

Okay, this book was something special. It was a lot to take in and I very often felt like I did not understand fully what I was reading. Things happen very quickly and the world built is very complicated, with many...many new terms that are not always explained as we go...so i felt lost in many occasions. BUT i kind of still loved it. I liked bree, Sel, Nick and every character in this book... The whole arthur legend thing/demon hunting was kind of cool and very original.

I did not finish this book at 29%

I know that this is a very unpopular opinion as I saw and read so many 4 stars and 5 stars reviews. I wanted to like this book so much, but I just could not get into the story. This book has great potential and I understand why it is so popular, but sadly it was not for me.

The basic storyline of the book is quite easy to follow, but the Legendborn world? Not that easy…
Bree’s mother died three months ago. Now, Bree just left her home to start fresh at the University of North Carolina. There, she sees magic and realizes that it is in fact the second time that someone used magic to erase her memory (but it did not work, and no one can explain why). The first time was the night her mother died. Determined to find out what really happened to her mother, Bree decides to try to join the Legendborns, a secret group dedicated to eliminating the Shadowborns (demons) with their magic (called aether), so she can find out what happened the night her mother died.

Bree got used to the fact that demons can access her world through gates fast and easily. She also learned specific vocabulary quickly. Honestly, I got lost during the explications a few times, there seemed to be so many different factions to the Legendborn (or should I say different Chapters with a very strict hierarchy: Legendborn, Vassals, Page, Scion, chosen squire, Mage, etc.). I could not get a clear picture of this secret organization. The members talk about ‘’The Code of Secrecy’’ or ‘’The Order Law’’, but do not give any more details about it. I do not mind a complex magic system and the one in this book is actually really interesting, but there were whole pages of info-dumping.

It has a Mortal Instrument vibe, but in this book, the Legendborns need to worry about their everyday life. They are not invisible beings that spend their whole days killing demons. They need to go to school and keep up the appearance of normal life at any cost. I liked this part, it made everything much more relatable. What bothered me was how well Bree adapts to her new reality, she even says how she has an advantage over the other Pages because she saw someone use aether before and she saw demons twice before entering the secret society. It feels as if everything falls right into place for her. She is a 16 years old teenager and she managed to infiltrate the Legendborn society even though she knows nothing about them, more than that, people just tell her inside information because she asks them. She manages to fight a demon when almost everyone else gets injured… I like that she is fierce, but it didn’t feel right how everything was going so well for her after 72 hours of being thrust into this new world.

Bree is a great main character; she has spunk and is not afraid to speak her mind. It is also nice that she is a black character, I have (sadly) not read a lot of book with a black main character and it was nice to discover this story with a slightly different perspective than what I am used to. It was interesting to discover her inner thoughts and to see how she deals with racist comments and assumptions or how her perspective is affected by the history of segregation in the United States. Nick is the golden boy sidekick who lives near the campus and decides to help Bree even though he rejected his Legendborn legacy many years ago. He is a nice character, but nothing special. Then there is Selwyn, he is intriguing, and I think that I would have liked him.

Overall, I know that this is a great book for many people, but it was not one for me. It was hard for me to get into this story because of all the info-dumping.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay I love this cover!
Now if you know me, you know fantasy isn’t my fave but I totally wanted to give this book a go because P.O.C. Character on the cover, the story is about “secret societies” and really what else can a person want. Oh and there were representations of LGBQT+ characters as well.
At the beginning when the world building was happening I did find the magic system a bit dense, so I was getting lost a bit, but once stuff is revealed it made more sense. And can I just say Bree is one of the most bad ass female characters ever!
Trying not to sound ignorant, every book by a person of colour, I learn so much from them. It literally hurts my heart the amount of shit they have to go through on a daily basis, and lots are things I would even have thought would be possible. Like come on people it’s 2020.
My biggest issue is HOW COULD TOY LEAVE US HANGING LIKE THAT? I totally will be continuing on with this series 100%. Worst part of ARCs is having to wait even longer for the next book to be released haha.
Literally everyone needs to grab this book and read it.

An exciting new fantasy book with unique powers and great representation. That cover is stunning every time I look at it and the story within also kept me turning the pages. Bree is a strong character and being thrown into a magical society that hunts down creatures, she took it very well. I enjoyed the people we met along the way and this one was a fantastic read!

Legendborn is the first book in The Legendborn serie by Tracy Deonn. I have really like this Arthurian legends retelling. And really can't wait for the sequel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

Bree's mother dies in an accident and she wants nothing more than to leave her childhood home and all the memories they're is there. So a residential program at a UNC–Chapel Hill seems like a perfect way to go away from there but then Bree witnesses a magical attack on her very first night on campus. Demons feeding of human energy. A secret society that hunts those demons and a mysterious teenage mage who call himself a “Merlin”. When this one attempts to make Bree forget what she saw he fails. Which meens that Bree have some stuff that been hidden from her from her past.

Bree’s mother recently died, and now Bree is heading off to college, trying to keep her broken pieces together and convince her father she is okay. But then she meets a group at college who wield magic and hunt monsters, and she is swept into a reality she may have more to do with than she realized at first.

Wow. This was an amazing debut. It was really well written, and gripped me early on. I really felt for Bree, even if I didn’t understand all her choices, and I learned more about her as her story unfolded.

I love that this book is a fun fantasy ride based on Arthurian legends but that it also deals with issues of today. It had a deep current running through it and was more than just a good time.

Would recommend, and I’m looking forward to the rest of this series!

I really enjoyed this retelling and take of the King Arthur legend. Bree is such a badass MC who is figuring out who is she and wants to be in the face of incredibly dangerous and intense situations. I am really looking forwarded to learning more about Sel and Nick’s past and stories as well as where the story itself goes next
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy retellings of fairytales and myths

Trigger Warning(s): Grief. Till the point I read.

Disclaimer: I received this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review via the publisher and Netgalley.

Rep: Bree is Black. Alice is a Taiwanese Bisexual.

My Review: DNF

I was really enjoying the story in the beginning! Bree's voice was poignant and it was hard not to binge read. I continued reading eagerly awaiting the magic system.

Much to my dismay I did not care for the magic system or any other character aside from Bree and Alice.

Recommend: I recommend this book due to the rep, mystery, characters (mainly Bree), and the magic system.

As mentioned above I thought Bree was a fantastic character! The mystery was alluring and of course a large part of the novel. The magic system will most likely appeal to other readers. Other reviewers have mentioned that the author make several points about how Eurocentric the Arthurian mythology is.

Mixing Arthurian legend, demon hunting and a modern setting made this a fun story. The world building was pretty outstanding and I loved (almost) all of the characters.

I can see Deonn’s next book being even better as she grows as an author. Looking forward to book 2!

From the outset, this novel reminded me of Cassandra Claire's The Mortel Instruments with its references to demons and the people who hunt and slay them. This novel, despite its promise, does not live up to my expectations of it. Too often I felt that the author was in a lecturing mode explaining the characters actions and beliefs. I would have preferred learning of these things through the actions, dialogue, and experiences of the characters themselves. For me this was a disappointing read.

Legendborn was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. I love all things Arthurian, and I was excited to see a YA featuring Black girl magic mixed with Arthurian legend. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. It felt like Bree accepted things way too easily. The story launched right in and suddenly there was magical stuff happening and someone referred to himself as a Merlin and Bree was like ‘oh, he’s a Merlin’ and just accepted it and set out to learn more, even though it was obviously incredibly dangerous. I also thought the story got too bogged down in the set-up of magic and the characters and the lore. I read for hours and made it to 37%, saw there were still 7 hours to go, and couldn’t do it. I was somewhat curious about what would happen, but not enough to keep reading for 7 more hours when the first 37% was such a slog.

I did appreciate the talk about grief and how Bree saw herself in terms of Before and After her mother’s death. That was very relatable and I connected with her over that, along with her dad and best friend’s worries about her.

I sincerely hope this book will find the right audience and that many people will love it, but it just wasn’t for me.

Loved this book! The story was enticing the magic system was interesting and honestly, I finished it in like 2 days I just couldn't put it down! The only thing that I didn't like was the cliffhanger at the end and that I will have to wait months, at least, for the sequel. I have already put a hardcopy onto my wishlist and I can't wait for the next one!

Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn is truly something magical. As much as the book plays on pieces of Arthurian legend, the way in which Deonn makes the story something entirely new is something I haven’t seen from a book (or really anything) in a long while. I can see many readers - specifically Black girls - relating to the Bree and seeing themselves in a way they probably wouldn’t have imagined (yes, there’s even mentions of Wash Day!). It’s rare to find pieces of ourselves in fantasy books as so often, Black girls and women are not at the forefront of these tales. For this, I will be forever grateful for Deonn’s wonderful work.

In Legendborn, Deonn masterfully combines elements of magic and lore with the racism Bree faces and the journey of her navigating her grief. The novel also does a great job at commenting on history, white privilege and the deeply rooted racism we find ourselves surrounded by - especially Bree being a Black girl in the South where confederate monuments haunt her at every turn. Deonn paints the perfect picture of how that is something that will always set someone at ease. Every time you step into a place, you’re met with the knowledge that you weren’t welcome there and perhaps still aren’t. Every step of the way, Deonn makes sure that you’re invested in everything about Bree’s life and the shocking world she finds herself in and that despite its magic, the literal demons are not the only ones that make Bree’s life a nightmare. Even in this secret society, it’s evident that no one like Bree has ever been part of it.

Bree does her best at navigating all of this while trying to solve the mystery of her mother’s death and prove to the Legendborn, Merlins, and everyone else in between that she deserves her place in this world and deserves to know the truth. Everything about this book is done so well and it was difficult to put it down. There is so much more I want to say, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Just be sure to read Legendborn; you won’t regret. I already cannot wait to see what the next epic chapter of this series is going to be. Once again, thank you to Tracy Deonn for gifting us all with this brilliant book!

Steeped in Arthurian mythology, magic and wonderfully written, Legendborn is the best fantasy book that I’ve read in 2020 thus far.

Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending me an ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 stars.
I absolutely loved Legendborn! It was such a unique story that had familiar elements brought together in a new way. I really enjoyed the take on the King Arthur legends and the way that the secret society was incorporated.
I went into this book expecting some mystery, some intrigue, a secret society, magic, and a strong Black female lead. I got all of that, but it was so much better than I had expected! Though it seemed to start a bit slowly, the plot quickly picked up and then it felt like it didn’t stop. Even when nothing seemed to be happening, we were learning and discovering new things with Bree.
I thought that Bree was such an amazing character. She’s a strong Black girl who’s dealing with the recent loss of her mother. The portrayal of Bree’s grief felt super realistic, and I enjoyed the way that it was tied into the plot. Bree’s character growth felt realistic and I really liked seeing how she grew throughout the story. Bree also faces other issues, primarily in regards to race.
Legendborn is set on a college campus in the Southern US. Our main character is a Black girl. Race is going to be brought up in this story. The character is going to experience racism. This is my warning that Legendborn deals with some heavy topics such as slavery and the horrors that go along with it including assault/abuse and rape. We don’t see these things happen, but we do see the aftermath of them. I thought that the author handled these topics in an honest and raw way.
I also really loved Nick, Sel, and William’s characters! They kept making me laugh and smile, and I kept wanting to return to their world and see what would happen next. The other characters were super interesting as well, and I liked the different dynamics that the characters shared. The cast of characters include some awesome diversity: Bree’s best friend Alice is Taiwanese, there’s a non-binary character, a few characters that are bi, a w/w couple, and other Black characters.
I would absolutely recommend this contemporary urban fantasy book with a secret society that’s built on the legends of King Arthur and the demons that they fight. It was a fantastic book and I’m already excited for the sequel!

I LOVED this book! I will definitely be recommending it to all fantasy lovers. The magical system was complex and perfectly flushed out, the characters were relatable and likeable, and the pacing of the book was perfect. Normally I don’t like books with too much action (ridiculous, I know) but I thought that this book achieved such a good balance that the abundance of action scenes didn’t bother me too much. There was action, but there was also romance, friendship, self-discovery, and teen drama. The writing definitely draws you in, especially since I love the world of secret societies so much. A wonderful bonus was the addition of Selwyn Kane — a powerful Merlín with a dark secret, and I CANNOT wait for book 2 because if just know (AKA hope) that he hooks up with Bree.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Publication Date: September 15, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill 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 mysterious 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 unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

The Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s 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.”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @simonschusterca and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
Booking friends - if you’re a YA fantasy fan pick this up! By far one of my favourite YA fantasy book this year! I don’t know where to begin praising this book. Praise 1: I’m a big fan of the Arthurian legend and Deonn did a fabulous job in bringing legend and contemporary together. Praise 2: talk about diversity. As a woman and visible minority, I am applauding the representation in this book. Praise 3: the romance was neither drawn out nor did it get an eye-roll from me. It was perfect. Praise 4: the wicked weaponry, magic wielding, muscle-flexing, swoon-worthy actions. Praise 5: I can go on and on about the themes of grief, friendship, loyalty, demons, legend, history...seriously, just read the book! Tracy Deonn, I’m a fan!

don’t make life about the loss, make it about the love

AHHH this was so good! What a thrilling journey, especially the last quarter of the book!!

What I loved about Legendborn outweighed the pacing issues I had. I found at times I was being fed an overload of information and that was a bit hard for me to keep track of (yay for dyslexia); however, I understood that was just the world/magic building necessary for the story to work. The pacing at parts was also a little off for me. There were times were things were very fast-paced and then they’d slow down (a little too drastically) and I found myself wanting to (but didn’t!!) skim to get to the good parts.

Along with Bree being black, there were other diverse characters. Bree’s best friend, Alice, was Asian; William was gay, Greer was non-binary, and Selwyn was (presumably) bisexual (he‘d once feelings for a male character and had also had a relationship with a female character).

I loved how unapologetically black this book was. Black girls especially will relate to this. There were so many small details surrounding our main girl, Bree, that made her that more relatable as a young black woman, from not planning on washing her hair too wash day but she had to because it got wet 😂 to her wondering where she could get a satin scarf to wrap her hair since the pillowcase she was sleeping on that night wasn’t satin. Along with those details, we get the black history surrounding the school where Bree is attending early college and the Order and her struggle for equality and to identify.

Built on slavery, the racial discrimination still runs through the core of the Order right down into the magic. We see themes of colonization and the heavy presence of discrimination (black and brown people are still very much viewed (and used) as “the help”). I loved, however, how much black history played a role in building of magic in this story together with the use of the story of King Arthur and the Round Table. I enjoyed the trials the Pages had to endure to in order to be potentially selected as Squires by the Scions and I loved that, one bound, there was an intimate connection between Squire and Scion, only known to them. The connection and chemistry between Bree and Nick, and Bree and Selwyn was a big hit for me! Bree and Nick warmed my heart but Bree and Selwyn...oof the potential there🔥 (THAT I BEG HAPPENS IN BOOK TWO)!

As someone a bit newer to fantasy, I found this very enjoyable and I think seasoned (YA) fantasy lovers would feel the same. Diversify your reading! Learn something! Support black authors! Read about black people (particularly women) portraying the heroes in 21 first century-set books! Read Legendborn

Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. And thank you so much to the author, Tracy Deonn, for writing such a phenomenal, strong, young black woman and a story that is inclusive of our history and gets right to the “root” of Black Girl Magic

Before I start my review, I would first love to shout out a huge THANK YOU to the publishing company, Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with the E-arc for Legendborn by Tracy Deonn!
When I read the blurb, my initial reaction was “YES PLEASE!”. An Arthurian mythology retelling sounded sooo amazing. I knew this was going to be an action packed adventure and boy was this one. I am still shocked and surprised at how this is Tracy Deonn’s debut novel! (soo please go support her and send her some love). This is a novel that is in many people’s TBR and I’m hoping they will get the chance to read it soon and experience the magical world building the author has created. I have read only one Arthurian retelling in my life (Avalon High by Meg Cabot). I do not know much, but this is a great way to start. I learned soo much, yet the author somehow made it her own. A great way to summarize this novel that many have depicted it is “King Arthur retelling with Southern Black Magic”.
So, the story involves Bree, a 16 year old who sadly lost her mother. She gets accepted to the EC program alongside her friend Alice. Yet, on Bree’s first night on campus, she is a witness to a demon attack that oddly enough she is the only one that saw it (which totally gave me City of Bones by Cassandra Clare vibe). Sal (one of my favourite characters so far) tries to wipe her memory, yet it doesn’t go as planned. She still remembers everything that happens and oddly enough this has awakened magic powers within her…
So, read this book to find out how this all connects to King Arthur and with her mother. This had so many plot twists that you can only read to find them out. I cannot recommend this one enough and you will be dying for the second one to come out soon.
Read this book for the strong Black female lead.
Read this book for diverse characters and representation in fiction! Our protagonist is black, her best friend is asian and lesbian and side characters are gay, bisexual, nonbinary and people of colour!
Read this book for it is not only an epic YA fantasy adventure, it tackles issues of racism, slavery and colonization.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

The Good
– THAT COVER
– Deonn is a fantastic storyteller
– Bree is a compelling, likeable and sympathetic main character
– Readable writing, beautiful descriptions
– Not only tackles hard topics like slavery and grief, but weaves them into the core of the story
– Diverse cast
– Deonn convinces me to love Selwyn, who I am genetically programmed to loath

The Bad
– Painfully awkward, amateur set-up (which takes FOREVER)
– Information / world-building happens in awkward order
– Timeline hell
– Instalove
– Beginnings of a love triangle

Legendborn is an emotional, epic powerhouse of a story that starts with a slow and awkward beginning. 

Story—★★★★☆
A few pages past the prologue, and I was worried I'd need to write a critical review of Legendborn I didn't want to write. The prologue itself? Quick, useful, meaningful. Drops a couple details we need before the story starts: Bree's mother died two months ago, they argued the last time they spoke, and Bree notices a few odd details when she speaks to the officer but passes them off as shock or grief. It's perfect. It accomplishes the job it sets out to accomplish.

The next 15% to 20% is a bumpy road.

First, Bree encounters two Legendborn at an illicit off-campus campfire. Bree hides and watches them fight a demon while terms like "mage" and "Merlin" are thrown around. She mentally exclaims about and questions every little detail: A bow?? Mage?? Merlin?? Magic?? What could it all mean?? It's excruciatingly awkward to read through. Worse, the order Deonn gives this information is counterintuitive. We should receive information in an order in which we can build on what exists already.  Rather, after not one but two encounters with shadowborn where terms are thrown around willynilly, Nick infodumps nearly EVERYTHING in a rushed few pages. At ~159,000, Legendborn is longer than your average YA, so that rough ~15%+ hits particularly hard. Authors need to capture the attention of YA readers in particular immediately, so this set-up puts Legendborn at a disadvantage.

I hate saying, "You just need to push through until this part...." because I'm a staunch believer in that a good book should be good all the way through. But dang, once Bree is initiated as a Page and someone explains all the round table lineages to her? From here on out Legendborn is utterly compulsive and magnetic as Deonn alternates between Bree's exploration of her history, grief, and own new abilities and high-octane Page Trials and fights against the shadowborn.

Legendborn contains so much and Deonn balances it all out SO WELL. Late night scuffles with monsters; intrigue about the Order; intrigue about Bree's magic; secrets upon secrets; moments of pure joy; moments of grief; parts I genuinely laughed aloud at and giddily reread.


Characters—★★★★☆
Let's talk BREE: she is an AMAZING character and AMAZING protagonist.

There is so much to love about Bree. Both my experience with her as a character and a protagonist was great. Deonn is clear in Bree's grief, trauma and drive but never hits the reader over the head with it. She's enjoyable to read about and easy to empasize with as a protagonist. Despite some hiccups, Deonn makes it easy to root for her from page one. Deonn's also done an EXCELLENT job with her as a protagonist: Bree gets shit done and Bree gets shit done well.

But here's where Deonn has done something special: she's convinced me to love rude, arrogant, holier-than-thou Selwyn. When he's introduced, Selwyn is the archetype of every male character I hate. All the talk of how unusually attractive he is, how he treats Bree at first, his borderline cruelty etc. I am genetically programmed to hate this guy. And YET, somewhere in the middle I stopped hating him and started loving his interactions with Bree. He stars in what is the funniest moment in the book—and possibly one of the funniest moments I've read in ages.

Nick is... well, he's basically one of those human versions of Golden Retrievers. Blonde, sweet, goodhearted, valiant, etc. I liked him enough to root for him when he was on the page, but I wasn't particularly dedicated to him.

I should note one of my least favourite things with Legendborn. Legendborn only takes place over the course of a few weeks, but Bree and Nick get close ridiculously fast. It's not instalove and the length of the book makes it feel more natural, but the two are ready to make some pretty big sacrifices for each other in a very short span of time, and I was not crazy on that.

It's also looking like there's a love triangle on the horizon, but oddly enough, I don't feel like I would hate it. It's going to come down to how Deonn handles it and Deonn has thus far handled most things with skill.


Writing Style—★★★★☆
Legendborn is written in first person, present tense from Bree's point of view.

The introductory chapters suffer from similar issues to the plotting: although Deonn has some really nice descriptions, she doesn't know what to focus on at first.

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.

Deonn has a few weak points in her style, and one of the most standout is her use of filter and weak words: a sight makes Bree's heart ache, an isel makes a sniffing sound, thinking about something makes her heart pound. These words are unnecessary, and can either be removed or replaced with something stronger. However, her overall storytelling and keen pacing of events more than make up for it. Deonn is a great storyteller, a hard ability to learn and one that encompasses much more than my prose nitpicks. Even during the awkward beginning phases, she moves from scene to scene with ease. More importantly: she knows how to write some genuinely hilarious moments.

Themes and Representation—★★★★★
Legendborn is book brimming with casual, intelligent representation. Bree is a Black girl in the American South, daughter of two Black parents. In the supporting cast, Deonn includes a Taiwanese-American character and a white-passing half-Venezuelan character; as well as multiple LGBT+ characters, including nonbinary, lesbian, bisexual, and gay characters.

Legendborn tackles a lot of issues and themes and handles them well: Bree's grief over her mother's death; generations of grief of girls losing their mothers too young; identity; discovering and reclaiming heritage; the inherent cruelty of racist and patriarchal power structures.

But here's the thing: Legendborn is not just a well-written book, or just an Arthurian retelling, or just a book about grief, or just a book about a Black girl discovering and reclaiming her heritage. Nor is it the sum of these elements. Deonn has written something truly special with Legendborn—something truly more—because she not only juggles all these elements with grace, she has also written a powerhouse of a novel.

Overall—★★★★☆

Recommended For...
Fans of Arthurian retellings; readers looking for an emotionally intelligent and compelling read; readers who want more substance from a YA Fantasy; fans of dynamic and engaging reads. Although Nick is a pretty decent guy, I think the speed of their relationship might put more readers off. Likewise, I think readers hoping for a more romance-centric read might feel unsatisfied.