Legendborn

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn was an exceptional story. It is a modern day re-imagining of Arthurian lore combined with "African American history & spiritual traditions" as she writes in her author notes. It is an emotional journey that chronicles the depths of grief and trauma not only at the individual level, but throughout generations. This was an excellent story with relatable characters, wonderful world building and a few twists and turns. I can't wait to get Bloodmarked, book 2 in the Legendborn Cycle.

Really really enjoyed this modern take on an Arthurian legend story, and the funny thing is, it made me think of Cooper’s Dark is Rising series and turns out Deonn also was moved by those books. Very cool.

Anyway, I liked the characters and enjoyed the story. I had a little trouble keeping track of all the characters, and some of the nicknames didn’t help. Not as bad as in Russian novels, but challenging.

Thought the sequel was already out but turns out we have to wait until November!

4.5

It had everything you'd want in a YA fantasy, characters, plot, magic, themes, relationships, betrayals.. The only thing I could say is that I thought things happened a little too quickly but Tracy Deonn is so talented, this being her debut book, that I had to bump it up to 5 stars

I'm a longtime fan of Arthurian-themed stories, but have rarely enjoyed Arthur-in-the-now tales. Not so LEGENDBORN, which turned the legends into a remarkably c0gent alternate Now without completely disrespecting original sources.

I very much enjoyed this book, its characters and world, and am eager for the next one.