Tracy DeonnRecensioni

This book blew my mind. I loved it so much!

Gr 8 Up—Bree is driven to find the truth about her mother's death and its connection to a college secret society
rooted in the centuries-old legends of King Arthur, and she will need to call on her own magic to find answers. The
detailed world-building, fast-paced plot, and richly drawn diverse characters successfully bring to life a world where
medieval magic meets African American root work.

I enjoyed this book, but I did not love it as much as the first book. It felt like there was too much going on and too many new characters, and nothing got fully fleshed out. However, I continued to enjoy the magic system, and the romance is great. Bree is a fantastic protagonist as well. Overall, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun urban fantasy series.

Been a while since I’ve been this stoked over a cliffhanger! I can't believe how cool that final plot twist was? I really got those "hoOOOHHH SHIIIITTTT" goosebumps.

This story is a moving, mega-creative modernization of Arthurian Legend, with heaps of history, queer rep, weighty genealogical webs, and best friends who’ve memorized your comfort food when you wake up with a magic hangover.

2/8/2022 update: This book is even better on the second readthrough. Such a powerful reinvention, I'm so glad the sequel comes out this year!

3.5

I’m really not the audience for this book but I did find it pretty fun to read. It’s pretty much like every book these days: badass young woman with hidden magic power tasked to save humanity while also navigating a love triangle with a handsome hero and an equally handsome anti-hero.

There’s a ton of set up here and world building which I found a bit tedious at times but the Arthurian angle was new for me and the similar but different root magic storyline coming through from the heroine’s enslaved ancestors is a nice twist too.

My biggest beef is why did the author choose to make Bree 16 years old and in “early college”. The entire plot revolves around a college campus and it’s history so forcing a teenager into it makes no sense especially when the love interests are regular college students. Just let them all be in college! It’s barely mentioned but I just really don’t understand at all because when it comes up it makes me mad.

The book ends with a pretty big cliff hanger so I will probably dive in to book two since the library has it and I don’t have to wait years to find out what happens next.

I liked this one a lot more than Legendborn which in retrospect is mostly setup for all the action in Book two.

This story is a lot more layered as we explore racism, black history, colonialism and of course lots of complicated magic and fierce battles.

I was looking forward to listening to the audiobook, but it was too corny for me. I guess I'm jaded when it comes to YA fantasy. I only want to read in this genre if there are no cliches. I rolled my eyes when Nick was described as having the physique of an Olympic gymnast and "the bluest eyes I've ever seen" on top of smelling amazing and having a smile "probably on a poster in a dentist's office." Blergh. I did keep listening beyond perfectly-handsome-Nick, but not much.

A retelling of Arthur and the Round Table…this is a solid story. I’m not typically a fan of YA, but this book took on grief, challenges on the POC community, growing up, and generational trauma in a beautifully moving story. Recommend.

I really wound up enjoying this read. I really loved how this book combined the merlin elements but also how much this book was so well written. I also loved how this book was really focused on diversity in the story. It was such a fun read. I also really liked how this book combined so many elements like competition but also had such a fun foundation in merlin lore but turning the lore on its head. I also really enjoyed how this book tackled grief and depression. I struggled a bit with with the pacing and also felt like i would liked to see other elements of the main character life, but i will def be checking out book 2!

I really wound up enjoying this read. I really loved how this book combined the merlin elements but also how much this book was so well written. I also loved how this book was really focused on diversity in the story. It was such a fun read. I also really liked how this book combined so many elements like competition but also had such a fun foundation in merlin lore but turning the lore on its head. I also really enjoyed how this book tackled grief and depression. I struggled a bit with with the pacing and also felt like i would liked to see other elements of the main character life, but i will def be checking out book 2!

Favorite of the year!

I was really looking forward to getting back to this world but this was overly long and sometimes convoluted. I'm a reader who needs closure so I'll be reading the next one - but I'm hoping for a stronger edit.

Some very strong writing in Deonn's tale of Bree and her discovery of how the past still lives in her.

It’s going to be difficult waiting on the third book to come out! Tracy Deonn is a master at character development and keeping the reader guessing and in suspense. I knew the second book would most likely end in a cliffhanger, and was not wrong. Looking forward to reading the third installment and hoping for the best. Awesome read!½

This book has a very solid foundation. Well crafted plot construction, at least somewhat unique characters and, while at times somewhat slow, a very well managed pacing.

But despite being far beyond average in its writing quality there is nothing behind it all.
The entire story is hollow. It's hackneyed and corny clichées all the way down in a very pretty package.
It's YA, so it's no surprise that a lot of this book comes across as shallow to me.

Somewhat of a pet-peeve I want to mention is the whole speel about revenge not bringing back your loved ones. It is true that the drive for revenge can easily become an unhealthy obsession but I can say from experience that many people can only start to process their grief after the person responsible has been brought to justice. Many people are stuck in this never-ending quest for justice because they need closure to even begin to get past their loss. It's a good example of the kind of pseudo-wisdom the book is packed full of.

The only aspect that actually had the potential to convey some actual wisdom was the whole racism thing with a black protagonist. But instead of a nuanced and complex take on the issue, the execution is just one-dimensional and lazy. It reads more like BLM propaganda with a good portion of destructive cancel culture on top.
It promotes everything from willful destruction of monuments to the concept of blood-debt in a form one usually only finds in the mafia. It's disturbing really. And I am not even disputing that racism in general, as well as racism against black people in America in particular, are very real problems. But counter-bigotry is not the solution. It only inflames the conflict to the point where a reasonable debate becomes impossible. I can see how a young person could develop a world-view as this MC does in regards to discrimination against her. It's very believable. But in all other aspects, the cast acts exemplary in all things or at least demonstrates how not to do a thing by immediately having the consequences rain down on them as a harsh lesson in typical YA fashion. Maybe I am doing the series a huge injustice here and all this prejudice and bigotry will be addressed in a more nuanced fashion later on but at no point was there any indication for this. It very much feels like the author believes she is fighting the righteous fight against white oppression.

I want to emphasize here that I tried to keep my judgment of other aspects of the book independent from my problem with the whole racism part. It only is a small part of this 500-page book after all.

I can see how young readers with little reading experience might get a lot more enjoyment out of this than I did.

{first in Legendborn Cycle trilogy?; fantasy, urban fantasy, Arthurian fantasy, young adult, magic, southern America, college, teen romance} (2020)

Sixteen year old Briana Matthews (Bree) applied to Early College at the University of North Carolina but her mum wasn't keen and they argued about it; then her mum was killed in a car accident. Unable to face living at home, and with her grief and anger still simmering under the surface, three months later Bree starts at UNC with her best friend, Alice Chen. But on their first night there Bree sees something that she's not supposed to see, that no-one else can. And when another college student 'mesmers' her so she forgets what she's seen, she finds that she can shake it off and remember. Which triggers a memory about the time her mum died.

When she accidentally discovers the Order of the Round Table, a secret society on campus which deals in magic and which then unsuccessfully tries to mesmer her again, she determines to join them to see if they had something to do with her mum's death. And so she enters a world which lies hidden within our own where Legendborn, the descendants of Arthur, Merlin and twelve of the strongest knights of the Round Table, battle demons (Shadowborn) to keep humans (Onceborn) safe.

This was a fast-paced, action packed story; I was literally holding my breath over some of the action sequences. There are some slower paced sections to let you catch your breath but I found it one of those books that you can't put down for too long. It twists and turns in unexpected directions. There's a touch of (young adult) romance and also a bit of an Arthurian triangle happening.

I did find the hierarchy of the Order a bit confusing at first; you may find the following helpful.

"Our Vassal friends and their contemporary fiefdoms are the Order's lower limbs. Without them, we would not have walked through fifteen centuries of this war, would not have advanced from the Middle Ages to modernity. Pages are the left hand: once Oathed, you will be granted Sight in order to hold the shield while we fight in the shadows. Merlins are the right hand, the sword and fists of the Order. Our guardians and weapons against the darkness. The Legendborn Scions and Squires are the heart. The holy text of their Lines has fueled our mission from the beginning. The Regents are the spine, directing our eyes and energies to the urgent matters at hand."

There are thirteen Legendborn Lines descended from the last knights of the Round Table and they can take Onceborn Pages and Squires who then become part of the society. There are also Vassal families (Onceborns) who don't get involved in the fighting but are pledged in service to one of the Lines; they accrue financial and other benefits and their children may be chosen to be Pages. Pages (usually from Vassal families) are invited by Legendborn for initiation and granted Sight after taking the Oath of Fealty; they can then compete for limited spots to become Squires (battle partners) to Scions (who can belong to a different Line from their sponsor). Scions are Legendborn, born with the title; not just descendants but heirs of the knights. Merlins are the Order's sorcerers. There is also a High Council of Regents which rules the society.

I liked this story; however, there were a few minor issues. I found that most of the secondary (male) characters in the Legendborn society were indistinguishable from each other so they were just a welter of names to me and there were a couple of times that Bree extrapolated information that wasn't obvious to me. There were a few plot points towards the end that I could use clarification on - or maybe that will happen in the sequel - such as how the demon got past the wards. And I do wonder why the Order of the Round Table isn't still in Wales, or at least Britain, rather than in the United States - or even scattered around the world.

One thing I wasn't comfortable with - though I appreciated how comfortable Bree was about being black-American - was the way Deonn often highlighted negative attitudes which Bree encountered because of her skin colour. I know it's a real world issue but I did not enjoy it when it cropped up (there's a reason I read fantasy, after all) and I didn't feel it added anything to the story; in some instances it fell forced. I understand why the author put it in but I felt the narrative could have done without those encounters. Docking half a star.

Other than that, I thought it was a really good story and I'll be looking for the next book - once I've recovered my breath!

(October 2023)
4 stars

Loved the world building, loved the twist, did not love most of the characters (except William, he was adorable) and hated the obligatory super dramatic convoluted love stories. Still, I've been reading a LOT lately and some of the stories sort of melt into each other - not this one though. Definitely unique, and with a very difficult theme yet still a pleasure to read.

I freaking loved this book!! The story was fast paced and included all the great character elements; friendship, crushes, family ties etc! The magic system was intense, as was the Arthurian legend reference. You definitely had to pay attention! I loved all the characters, but Bree was for sure my favorite. She was strong but yet vulnerable at the same time! Her best friend Alice comes in at a close second! They have a great relationship. Of course, with it being YA there were a few ya tropes involved in the love relationships, but I was not turned off by them since the rest of the story was so amazing! A MUST read! I can’t wait for the next in the series.

Wow! In this Young Adult fantasy world writen by Black female author Tracy Deonn, we find an amazing magic system based off the Arthurian Legends. The note of the author at the end of the book was very insightful of her creative process, going into detail on how the book addressing different types of grief and trauma was her way of processing the death of her own parents at a young age. She also takes inspiration from african american history and spiritual traditions for some of the magic system. So cool!

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/hugos-2023-lodestar-award-for-best-ya-book/

I thought that the notion of the Round Table turning up in Chapel Hill as a phenomenon among university students was a load of rubbish when I read the first volume in 2021, and I think so still. I gave this 50 pages before tossing it aside.

This book is so well done. I loved the first book but this one simply builds on this world so well and is so compelling

I really enjoyed this modern fantasy! The depth of history added to the magic system and the realistic issues within ground this story more.

I really liked this book

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:
From the author's website:

Death of a parent and traumatic grief, combat/battle flashbacks, alcohol consumption, mind control/memory manipulation, drugging/medical abuse, forced captivity, racist macro and microaggressions, emesis (vomiting), blood, ritual magic self-harm to access blood (via hands with safety pin and sword), mild gore, torture, combat/interpersonal violence, murder, death, and mention(s) of: physical abuse, racist violence, sexual violence.

Legendborn was an incredible read, and here I am attempting to put into words how I feel about its sequel Bloodmarked months after reading it. To be quite frank, I still don’t have a clue where to begin. Tracy Deonn has written another exceptional book that will rip your heart out multiple times, fix it up a bit and then tear it into shreds all over again.

The stakes get even higher in this book, and it shows Bree who her friends and allies truly are as the Regents reveal how they plan to handle everything that happened in Legendborn. Bree has to fight with everything she has, and to do that she needs to learn to use her powers. The problem is that her Scion powers don’t want to play ball, and too many people are taking that as a sign of weakness. With her back against the wall Bree accepts help from the last place she wants to, putting her in more danger than she ever imagined.

In Bloodmarked Deonn takes Bree’s story down a much darker path, continuing to highlight real world issues through a fantasy narrative. Once again Deonn forces the reader to look their biases right in the eye and acknowledge them. I wasn’t even aware of one that had been with me since my own youth and was still causing me harm until a massive light was shone on it in Bloodmarked. That is how powerful Deonn’s writing is, and The Legendborn Cycle is a must-read for all ages.

The character development in Bloodmarked is some of the best I have ever seen, and there are too many beautiful scenes to mention. The ending of the book is a cliffhanger, but in a way I don’t consider it a bad one. I’m putting my final thought under a spoiler tag due to a spoiler:

After everything Bree goes through, all the choices taken from her and how she is used and abused, it is good to see her take the control back. It’s her power now and she is shaping her destiny.

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Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

It’s taken me a long time to find the words to write this review because Legendborn is not just a fantastically written novel, it’s an important novel. There are some novels that you read that just stand out from the crowd, and for me, Legendborn is one of them. You might be thinking, oh yeah, here’s another white girl jumping on the Black Lives Matter bandwagon. I grew up in London and people of colour make up a good percentage of London’s population and unfortunately while racists do exist there (and are on the rise again), most of us have grown up alongside people of colour. They’re our friends, our neighbours, they are our teachers, etc.

So reading a novel like Legendborn set in the US, and particularly in a part of the US where racism is rife, isn’t just a massive culture shock, it’s sickening. In a way, it was also educating because as a disabled bisexual pagan I’ve had to deal with my fair share of prejudice and yet there were things I hadn’t even considered that black people might notice or feel. For example, the feeling of being unwelcome in historical buildings because they were built for white people. That one completely floored me. I also understood it because when I walk into old churches and cathedrals I feel like an imposter as a pagan. I feel a little uncomfortable and a small part of me expects someone to turn to me saying “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”. However unlikely that sounds some extremely devout men still do say that to women with bright coloured hair, tattoos and piercings in the UK. Any discomfort I may feel in a religious building is due to my religion not because the building was designed for me to never enter. In fact, it was designed exactly with people like me (“heretics”) in mind. I can’t even begin to comprehend the visual monument of being unaccepted and unwanted that these buildings represent to the black community.

That is just one example of how in-depth and personal Legendborn gets with racism. I’m probably making it sound like this book isn’t a fantasy novel at all, however, Tracy Deonn expertly weaves Bree’s racial identity and the racism she encounters with the main plot of the novel. As Bree looks for answers about the magic she’s witnessed has to contend with a secret society that is predominantly white, and when she has to infiltrate it to find out more she has to contend with racism from multiple fronts.

Bree is also still struggling to come to terms with her mother’s death and when her father grows worried about her he signs her up for therapy. This leads her to new information about her mother and her extended family, and through the connection with her therapist, Deonn explores several main themes; Bree’s family, the history of racism in the US, and her struggle with grief. I was really impressed with how Deonn wove Bree’s grief and journey with her grief into the story. You didn’t feel like you were reading a novel about a girl who had lost her mom, just like you didn’t feel you were reading a book about a girl who struggled against racism; you were very much reading a fantasy novel based on Arthurian Legend.

It’s this ability that Deonn has to weave everything together so that it feels genuine that makes Legendborn so important. It’s a book that people can enjoy for the world-building and magic, but it’s also one where they can relate to Bree and her friends as well. Because life is messy, life isn’t split into these nice neat compartmentalized blocks where only one thing happens at a time or one person only has one thing to deal with. Ok, so most people aren’t going to be infiltrating a secret society of the Knights of the Round Table but they know what it’s like to say the wrong thing to their best friend and upset them.

On the topic of magic and world-building in the book, I’m not sure how much I can say without giving major spoilers. It’s one of the most unique takes on Arthurian legends I’ve seen. The synopsis explains that the Legendborn are descendants of King Arthur’s knights but there’s so much more to it, and like all magic systems there’s a drawback. By the end of the book, everything has been completely turned on its head and you won’t see it coming. Throw in an interesting and varied cast of characters and Legendborn is an amazing book that I really can’t recommend enough. Even better, it’s the first book of the series so there’s more to come!

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