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A review by starcrossedstacks
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
5.0
“ᴛᴡᴏ ꜰᴀᴜʟᴛꜱ. ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍʏ ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴀᴜʟᴛꜱ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴇɴɢᴛʜ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴍᴀɴ ᴄᴀɴ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʀᴇʜᴇɴᴅ.”
I am entirely enchanted and overwhelmed by this book. I've read so much fantastic literature, but this book stands so tall above the other YA fantasy I've read in recent memory.
Legendborn is a YA fantasy with romance elements, but its so much more. It's steaming commentary on being a Black girl going to school in the south and making space for herself in societies where some view her as an "affirmative action" pick. It's about grief and loss, and the complex relationship that people (specifically Black Americans) have with their ancestors and bloodlines.
I was not at all ready for how deeply this book would emotionally affect me - I honestly cried reading one of the first pages, where the main character so artfully talks about the loss of a loved one:
“ɪ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴜꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ ᴛᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ᴡʜᴏ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ-ᴛᴇɴꜱɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ—ᴍʏ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ʙᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ, ʙʟᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ, ᴛᴏʀɴ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ—ʀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ꜰʀᴏɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴇ.”
And again, the social commentary and struggles are nothing that I expected in a YA fantasy, but absolutely set the bar high for me for future reads.
“ɢʀᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴏᴜᴛʜ, ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪɴ ᴏʟᴅ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ… ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴀ ʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ, ᴀ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴄ ᴅɪꜱᴛʀɪᴄᴛ, ᴏʀ ᴀ ꜱᴛʀᴇᴇᴛ. ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜱᴘᴀᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴜɪʟᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴜꜱɪɴᴇꜱꜱ.”
Beyond the fact that this author now has my whole heart for the above mentioned reasons, the romance throughout was interesting, engaging, and exactly what I wanted from a YA romance novel! I normally would include tropes, but I recommend you reading as to not spoil and of the fun!
The magic of this world is so interesting, intertwining both Arthurian legend and bloodline magic with a nature-based, ancestor-powered magic. Some of the themes feel familiar, but the ways they are used feel new and kept me guessing.
The writing had moments that genuinely affected me - I both read the book and listened to the audiobook as I was making my way through the story, and can highly recommend both! The narrator of the audiobook was absolutely phenomenal. I plan on jumping right into book two after writing this review, and hope you give this book a chance!
Quotes:
“ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴏɴᴇ’ꜱ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜰᴀʀ ɪꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴏᴍᴇᴅ. ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡꜱ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴇᴍᴀɴᴄɪᴘᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. ꜱᴜᴅᴅᴇɴʟʏ, ɪᴛ’ꜱ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɢɴɪꜰɪᴄᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟʟ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴅᴇɴɪᴀʙʟᴇ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ɪɢɴᴏʀᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴀᴅᴇQᴜᴀᴄʏ. ᴛʜᴇɴ, ᴀ ʀᴜꜱʜ ᴏꜰ ꜰʀᴜꜱᴛʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʙʟʏ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴄᴏʀᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀʟʟ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ’ꜱ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀꜱ ꜰᴀʀ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜɪꜱ? ᴡʜᴏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ, ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ, ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ? ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴀʟʟ?”
“ᴀʟɪᴄᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴀʟꜰ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ. ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴋɪɴɴᴇᴅ ᴋɴᴇᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴄʀᴜꜱʜᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ꜱᴜʀᴇ ᴏᴜʀ ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇʀꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱɪᴅᴇ ʙʏ ꜱɪᴅᴇ.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
I am entirely enchanted and overwhelmed by this book. I've read so much fantastic literature, but this book stands so tall above the other YA fantasy I've read in recent memory.
Legendborn is a YA fantasy with romance elements, but its so much more. It's steaming commentary on being a Black girl going to school in the south and making space for herself in societies where some view her as an "affirmative action" pick. It's about grief and loss, and the complex relationship that people (specifically Black Americans) have with their ancestors and bloodlines.
I was not at all ready for how deeply this book would emotionally affect me - I honestly cried reading one of the first pages, where the main character so artfully talks about the loss of a loved one:
“ɪ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴜꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ ᴛᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ᴡʜᴏ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ-ᴛᴇɴꜱɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ—ᴍʏ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ʙᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ, ʙʟᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ, ᴛᴏʀɴ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ—ʀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ꜰʀᴏɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴇ.”
And again, the social commentary and struggles are nothing that I expected in a YA fantasy, but absolutely set the bar high for me for future reads.
“ɢʀᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴏᴜᴛʜ, ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪɴ ᴏʟᴅ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ… ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴀ ʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ, ᴀ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴄ ᴅɪꜱᴛʀɪᴄᴛ, ᴏʀ ᴀ ꜱᴛʀᴇᴇᴛ. ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜱᴘᴀᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴜɪʟᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴜꜱɪɴᴇꜱꜱ.”
Beyond the fact that this author now has my whole heart for the above mentioned reasons, the romance throughout was interesting, engaging, and exactly what I wanted from a YA romance novel! I normally would include tropes, but I recommend you reading as to not spoil and of the fun!
The magic of this world is so interesting, intertwining both Arthurian legend and bloodline magic with a nature-based, ancestor-powered magic. Some of the themes feel familiar, but the ways they are used feel new and kept me guessing.
The writing had moments that genuinely affected me - I both read the book and listened to the audiobook as I was making my way through the story, and can highly recommend both! The narrator of the audiobook was absolutely phenomenal. I plan on jumping right into book two after writing this review, and hope you give this book a chance!
Quotes:
“ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴏɴᴇ’ꜱ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜰᴀʀ ɪꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴏᴍᴇᴅ. ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡꜱ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴇᴍᴀɴᴄɪᴘᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. ꜱᴜᴅᴅᴇɴʟʏ, ɪᴛ’ꜱ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɢɴɪꜰɪᴄᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟʟ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴅᴇɴɪᴀʙʟᴇ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ɪɢɴᴏʀᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴀᴅᴇQᴜᴀᴄʏ. ᴛʜᴇɴ, ᴀ ʀᴜꜱʜ ᴏꜰ ꜰʀᴜꜱᴛʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʙʟʏ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴄᴏʀᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀʟʟ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ’ꜱ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀꜱ ꜰᴀʀ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜɪꜱ? ᴡʜᴏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ, ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ, ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ? ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴀʟʟ?”
“ᴀʟɪᴄᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʜᴀʟꜰ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ. ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴋɪɴɴᴇᴅ ᴋɴᴇᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴄʀᴜꜱʜᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ꜱᴜʀᴇ ᴏᴜʀ ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇʀꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱɪᴅᴇ ʙʏ ꜱɪᴅᴇ.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5