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Description
An Instant New York Times Bestseller! Winner of the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic. 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. She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when 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. Read more
Publisher : Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date : September 15, 2020
Edition : Later Printing
Language : English
Print length : 512 pages
ISBN-10 : 1534441603
ISBN-13 : 06
Item Weight : 1.5 pounds
Reading age : 16+ years, from customers
Dimensions : 6 x 1.7 x 9 inches
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Kindle
On the surface Legendborn is a modern take on the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table - but for me that was just the foundation, and all of the stories and characters Tracy Deonn built upon that legend are what make this such an intriguing tale and one I highly recommend. We follow Bree, a very smart 16 year old girl getting ready to enter the early college program at UNC Chapel Hill with her best friend Alice. Her mother died in a car accident the day after she and Bree fought, casting a pall over everything as Bree dissociates into ‘after Bree’ with walls she puts up to protect herself. From the first night things take an unexpected turn - joining an older friend in a forbidden trip off campus, Bree stumbles upon lights and images and things she cannot explain, and an older teen who is able to do things and produce objects that make no sense to her. That teen powerfully suggests everyone leave, and they do until Bree feels the suggestive fog clear and returns to see the rest of an unbelievable battle. She finds herself in a police car, before the dean, and forced to take on a peer mentor to help her keep on the right track. Along the way she deals with the racism you would expect for the ‘good old boy’ North Carolina establishment. She also meets characters you will love or hate - Sel, Tor, Nick, William, Davis, Isaac, Fitz, Sarah, Greer, Vaughn, Witty, Patricia, Mariah, and others. The characters and their relationships - and the way the Arthurian legend is told and wrapped around 21st century life - makes for a fast paced and intriguing read. There are a number of things you simply wouldn’t have seen coming but fall into line perfectly once you know. A specific goal for me has been improving the diversity of authors and experiences I enjoy, and I love how the book doesn’t shy away from racism in many blunt and nuanced forms, and also shows people as fully formed individuals regardless of background, gender or sexual identity or preference. It celebrates the differences without pretending those differences don’t exist - and I loved that! My only criticism has to do with ages - Bree is 16 and feels mature for that age but not unreasonable, but some of the other characters who are supposedly juniors or seniors at the university are only 18 while others talk about helping the ‘under 21s’ get served. I feel this was done to not have 16 year olds romantically involved with 22 year olds, but it still took me out of the story a couple of times. I only found out about Legendborn as people were getting ready for the sequel, and for me that is exciting as I got to finish the first book and dive right into the next one! And Legendborn certainly leaves things wide open for a sequel while closing up many threads. Not a low-stakes book, so definitely be aware of potential triggers, but it is one of the better books I’ve read in the past year.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2023 by Michael J. Anderson
Format: Kindle
The best retelling of King Arthur I have ever read! Honestly 5 stars does not do this book justice at all! This was a very powerful read! I’m not a huge fan of YA and honestly haven’t read YA in a couple years but I had to pick this up and enjoy all that was offered from this story. We have a black FMC and then we have so much black history mentioned in here and it’s honestly what drew me in the most. Finally a book that’s fantasy and have a black main character it doesn’t get much better than this. Bree is our FMC and she is honestly learning more and more about herself as the book goes on. Every time she gets closer there’s another covered story behind another story. Bree is so strong, brave, and just an amazing character. The emotions she goes through throughout this book felt real and like my own. I could feel her pain and her strength! Nick our MMC is a good character as well! He shows nothing but sympathy for Bree when needed and love as well. He falls hard for Bree and fast but I love him more for that. Selwyn 😍 let’s just say I always have a thing for the “bad” guys and sel has worked his way in my heart and I just can’t let him go. There’s so much suspense and drama in here I suggest picking this up and having no errands on your to do list because this is a read you want to sit down for, get trapped in the story and never leave. Every single character was well written and I have no complaints for any character even the ones that are the “villains”. The love triangle with Bree, Nick, and Sel drive me insane because I want them all to be together and I just don’t know how it’ll turn out. I can’t wait to read Bloodmarked
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Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2023 by Valencia N
Format: Kindle
Let me start with what I enjoyed about this book and **many spoilers! warning** I really loved this modern take on Arthurian legend. The legendborn class system, Aether bloodcraft, Root, Bree's families special take on magic, the American history and cultural anthropology of the South in SC, and the inclusion of Modern Welsh! How fun! I really enjoyed discovering a magical world from a perspective that is entirely different from my own background and experiences growing up in LA, and that there was no way to guess the plotline or 'who did it' because there wasn't much foreshadowing. However... Bree is definitely a manipulative, rude, prejudiced, narcissist. Which made her not much better that her enemies. This made it really hard to like her character. I think Tracy was going for sassy but overshot the mark. I constantly wanted to reach into the book and smack Bree across the back of the head. She has so many great, supportive friends around her, but I don't see reciprocation. The fact that Bree would have found so many good, loyal friends when she isn't a good, loyal friend herself is unrealistic. Be kind, and do nice things for the people around you too chica! Also, when you're dating someone stop flirting with other guys just because you like the attention they're giving you. And stop acting like you don't know what's really going on... And seriously... if I was in that same world I would have been treated the same way by the legendborn community as an outsider not because of my skin color, but because I was in fact an outsider to that world... the victim mentality and constant offense while assuming it was all based on race is wild. Sure, it plays a part but let's be real... White people like every other race aren't one dimensional or have a single culture. A lot of different factors that have nothing to do with race come into play when being accepted by anyone. Religion, political ties, dress, how you treat people, education, diction, hobbies, lifestyle, food, where you grew up, how you are taught to socialize as a child with what behaviors are acceptable... the list is endless. I was happy that Tracy included the aspect of Bree jumping the line by becoming a Page to Nick when she's clearly unqualified from an insiders perspective. That much more realistically portrayed why people in the legendborn community would be angry with her. She's taking opportunities for wealth, prestige, and power away from kids and families that have worked hard and died for centuries to get to where they are. And she did it in a sneaky, selfish, and not cool way through Nick. Glad she felt some remorse for her actions (after developing feelings for Nick) or she would be downright sociopathic! Overall, even though I didn't like it, the fact that the main character is hard to like and selfish is refreshing. Great job Tracy making a very realistic, self-absorbed teenager! I hope Bree has some serious redeeming character growth in the future but if not that's fine. Some people never change. Key side characters could use more development. I felt the focus of the side characters was what Bree was receiving from them and no other real character background or development. Having so many LGBT+ individuals in one book who's setting was a very conservative setting was hard to believe. Very stereotypical tropes for Alice being Asian and Southern White men/frat boys being annoying partiers or racists. While Bree has scathing things to say about the latter, ironically, she falls for the southern frat boy. I found that delightfully hilarious! Maybe it's character development? Maybe it was an oversight in character beliefs by Tracy Deonn? Maybe it's fetishizing the blonde hair, blue eyed, tall, muscular, Southern boy stereotype? Whatever the case... I'm still amused. And the fact that the other love insterest was the tall, handsome, pale, emo, misunderstood type that wants to kill her was equally funny! Edward? Is that you? Tracy. You knew what you were doing with that Twilight reference ahahaha The white people are racist trope was definitely over done. Especially considering the majority of Bree's friends and supporters in the book were white... maybe they weren't grouped with the other evil white conservative rich racists because they were clearly portrayed as minority, liberal, or LGBT+? With the exception of Tor, of course. It makes me wonder if Tracy Deonn knows many white people who don't share her same beliefs. Or if she's ever given them a chance? Or maybe it was done this way to highlight Bree's stereotyped belief system and not necessarily the authors own? I'd love to pick her brain. If it is the authors own beliefs, I hope she finds healing so person by person we can create a better future for our children by changing our mindsets. Tracy Deonn, thank you for the wild emotional roller coster that is this book! I look forward to reading the next two and anything you write in the future! ✌
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Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2024 by Nicole
Format: Kindle
It has been a while since I read a book that turns ends up surprising and captivating me. I should first explain that I tend to avoid YA books so they rarely come across my radar. I first heard of this book/author after she went viral due to a silly fan’s disappointment after meeting the author and calling for people to cancel the author. Of course this led me to want to do the opposite and I instead brought the book and read it. This book will go down as being my favorite book this year. The author has a lyrical and poetic writing style which I love. Her storytelling is captivating from the moment I picked up the book. It’s riveting. There’s action, interesting magic system, mystery; and intrigue. I think I would classify this book as a cross between fantasy and paranormal. Very little spice and a hint of romance. I love the way the author chose to interlace American history/slavery with present day/bigotry, and mythology. Along with magic/ witchcraft/demons/dark academia. It’s all so creative and well done. I loved this book
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Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2026 by Sandra
Format: Kindle
The world building, the dialect, the characters, the twists. Every single part of this book kept me on a hook. I savored each chapter and honestly I’m grateful there are two more books to continue this story because whewwww.
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2026 by Amber C.
Format: Hardcover
This was my first fantasy read and I must say this definitely set the tone for future fantasy reads. This was amazing, but before I go their I will say I am a lover of fantasy shows but I have found myself staying away from the books because there have always been a lack of black protagonists in these books, and a lack of black fantasy writers when I was younger. Therefore fantasy books weren’t something that was of interest to me. However in my journey of discovering more black authors I have found several fantasy books with black protagonist written by black authors. I have purchased many and have them sitting on my bookshelf with the intent of reading them. 2020 was a year of romance for me but I told myself in 2021 I would finally branch out to other genres and read the fantasy books I have. All the hype is what made me start with Legendborn and I am so glad I did. Bree was the definition of BLACK GIRL MAGIC. Bree was a 16 year old girl who was super smart and comfortable and confident in her blackness. Tracy Deonn did not shy away from the glories or struggles of being a black girl in a world that wasn’t meant for her, from the feeling of being the only black person in the room full of white people who look down on you, the struggles of trying to prove you belong, right down to snapping on someone who thinks its okay to put their hands in your hair, and how much time it takes to wash that coily big beautiful hair. I mean this was everything and even though I am a grown woman I could relate to Bree in all these areas. The history in this book was another amazing aspect of the book. I often wish I could spend a day or take a “walk” with my ancestors to see what their life was like so for this to occur in the book to give Bree the full story of her family history was amazing. Tracy Deonn did a great job giving us historical facts in this book as well, I found myself googling several topics in the book. The only thing I didn’t care for is the love triangle but that’s just because it just isn’t my thing however it fits into the story. This was definitely a page turner, I was upset at myself for picking this book up during the busiest time of the month at work because I had less time to read so it took me a little longer to finish. Tracy just kept dropping bombs and I was so mad when I had to put the book down. Tracy captured my attention from the first page and kept my glued to this book in my spare time! If I ever have a daughter this is definitely something I will give to her to read. This was a great read and a great way to start my fantasy journey. I was left with so many questions and can’t wait for book two
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Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2021 by MelaninBookLover
Format: Audiobook
One must be ready to embark on a quest both thrilling and emotional when diving into Tracy Deonn's debut novel, 'Legendborn.' Taking the familiar threads of Arthurian mythology and infusing them with the vibrancy of modern youth culture and the poignant underpinnings of grief and self-discovery, Deonn weaves an engaging tale that pulls readers into a vibrant, living tapestry of magic, mystery, and adolescent awakening. 'Legendborn' draws us into the world of Bree Matthews, a smart, resilient sixteen-year-old dealing with the painful loss of her mother. A summer program for bright high school students at the University of North Carolina provides her with the opportunity to escape her past. However, it soon becomes clear that Bree’s journey will be more than academic exploration. Encounters with a secret society, the Legendborn, who claim to be descendants of King Arthur and his knights, introduce Bree to a world where magic and myth are dangerously real. The strength of Deonn's novel resides in its characters. Bree is undeniably captivating, a beacon of tenacity and determination. Her story is emotionally charged, providing a raw and honest exploration of grief and identity. We cannot help but admire her, not simply for her courage in the face of the supernatural, but for her heart and resilience in navigating the complexities of everyday life as well. The supporting cast is equally commendable, each one distinctly drawn, providing a nuanced, diverse backdrop that gives the tale its pulsating life. Moreover, Deonn's fusion of history, mythology, and contemporary issues is commendable. 'Legendborn' is not simply a thrilling tale of magic and mystery; it serves as a nuanced exploration of systemic racism, intergenerational trauma, and the struggle of reconciling personal identity within a world that seems so intent on classification and marginalization. There are moments when the pacing could have been tighter, and some plot twists are visible from a distance. However, these minor shortcomings don't significantly detract from the novel's overall appeal. 'Legendborn' stands tall as a compelling young adult fantasy novel, one that doesn't shy away from presenting its readers with thought-provoking themes and intricate emotional landscapes. The ending is both satisfying and tantalizing, tying up enough loose ends to satisfy, while leaving enough unanswered questions to have us eager for the sequel. 'Legendborn' is a page-turner that demands to be devoured but deserves to be savored. In 'Legendborn,' Tracy Deonn has woven a story that is at once richly fantastical and piercingly real. This is a novel that pulls no punches, is unafraid to delve into the complex realities of its characters' lives, and does so with a compelling blend of magic, mythology, and heartfelt human connection. It’s a must-read for those who appreciate tales of magical realism woven with threads of poignant human narratives. Don't let this book pass you by. Grab your copy of 'Legendborn' and get lost in the spellbinding world Tracy Deonn has conjured. Let the legend continue and live on in your heart and mind long after the final page is turned.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2023 by The YA Gazette
Format: Kindle
Satisfying unexpected book. I hope there’s a book 2. Great mixture of humanity with all its flaws and vulnerabilities along with historical parallels, magic and good vs evil.
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2026 by Sensima