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A review by starcrossedstacks
Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
5.0
“ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ'ꜱ ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴅ ʜɪꜱ ʙʀᴜᴛᴀʟɪᴛʏ ɪɴꜱᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴜʀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴇᴍʙᴏʟᴅᴇɴɪɴɢ ɪᴛ?”
Bloodmarked is book two in the Legendborn Cycle series (trilogy?)
This lived 100% up to my expectations. Some of my favorite things about the first book apply to this one as well, including the struggles of a powerful black girl trying to navigate racist structures. This theme persists throughout the development of the plot in new ways as things progress, and the cutting commentary from the last book also has a home in this one!
“'...ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ɪᴛ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ‘ᴘʟᴀɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴠᴇɴᴜᴇꜱ’ ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡᴇᴅᴅɪɴɢꜱ.' ꜱʜᴇ ᴡʀɪɴᴋʟᴇꜱ ʜᴇʀ ɴᴏꜱᴇ ɪɴ ᴅᴇʀɪꜱɪᴏɴ. 'ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴇᴅ, ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴜᴛᴄʜᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀꜱꜱᴀᴜʟᴛᴇᴅ, ʀᴀᴘᴇᴅ, ᴡʜɪᴘᴘᴇᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴠᴇᴅ, ꜰᴀᴍɪʟɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏʀɴ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ. ᴛᴀᴋɪɴɢ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏꜱ ᴏɴ ᴛᴏᴘ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴜʀɪᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ. ꜱʜɪᴛ ɪꜱ ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ɢʀᴏꜱꜱ.'”
The romance shines in a few key parts of this book, and I am, frankly, rabid to find out what happens in the next book with these characters. I think some people will struggle with this, but it felt like an elevated version of some of the romances I read when I was younger.
“ɪ’ᴍ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪɴᴄᴜʙᴜꜱ, ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏᴜʀꜱᴇ ɪ’ᴍ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪꜱ,” ʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀꜱ ꜱᴍᴏᴏᴛʜʟʏ. “ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛ, ꜱᴛᴏᴘ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ, ɪꜰ ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ.”
In this review, I can't say too much about some of my favorite bits without spoiling, but I will say that some of the twists and turns that occur in the plot were certainly not things I expected, and take the story in a very interesting direction for the next book.
The only place where this book stumbled was with a couple of moments within the plot - there is just so much happening that once or twice I got a bit jumbled or felt like there was a pacing stutter, but nothing that I would say ruined the experience for me.
The side characters are so lovable, the main character's struggles continue to manifest and evolve in ways that I find really compelling, and I am chomping at the bit for book three! Absolutely add this to your TBR if it isn't already there!
PS - The audiobook, as was the case with the first book, is also so well done!!
Quotes:
“ʙᴜᴛ ɢʀɪᴇꜰ ɪꜱɴ’ᴛ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴ. ɪᴛ’ꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀɴ ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ᴘᴀɪɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ꜰɪɴᴅꜱ ᴜꜱ. ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀ, ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴏᴜʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴠᴏᴜʀ ᴜꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ꜱᴏ. ɢʀɪᴇꜰ ɪꜱ ꜱᴜꜰꜰᴇʀɪɴɢ, ᴛᴀɪʟᴏʀᴇᴅ.”
“ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ’ꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢ. ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅʙᴏʀɴ ʟᴇɢᴀᴄʏ ɪꜱɴ’ᴛ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ; ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75/5
Bloodmarked is book two in the Legendborn Cycle series (trilogy?)
This lived 100% up to my expectations. Some of my favorite things about the first book apply to this one as well, including the struggles of a powerful black girl trying to navigate racist structures. This theme persists throughout the development of the plot in new ways as things progress, and the cutting commentary from the last book also has a home in this one!
“'...ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ɪᴛ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ‘ᴘʟᴀɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴠᴇɴᴜᴇꜱ’ ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡᴇᴅᴅɪɴɢꜱ.' ꜱʜᴇ ᴡʀɪɴᴋʟᴇꜱ ʜᴇʀ ɴᴏꜱᴇ ɪɴ ᴅᴇʀɪꜱɪᴏɴ. 'ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴀʀʀɪᴇᴅ, ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴜᴛᴄʜᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀꜱꜱᴀᴜʟᴛᴇᴅ, ʀᴀᴘᴇᴅ, ᴡʜɪᴘᴘᴇᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴠᴇᴅ, ꜰᴀᴍɪʟɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏʀɴ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ. ᴛᴀᴋɪɴɢ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏꜱ ᴏɴ ᴛᴏᴘ ᴏꜰ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴜʀɪᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ. ꜱʜɪᴛ ɪꜱ ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ɢʀᴏꜱꜱ.'”
The romance shines in a few key parts of this book, and I am, frankly, rabid to find out what happens in the next book with these characters. I think some people will struggle with this,
Spoiler
especially those who aren't used to serious love triangles,“ɪ’ᴍ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪɴᴄᴜʙᴜꜱ, ᴏꜰ ᴄᴏᴜʀꜱᴇ ɪ’ᴍ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪꜱ,” ʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀꜱ ꜱᴍᴏᴏᴛʜʟʏ. “ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛ, ꜱᴛᴏᴘ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ, ɪꜰ ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ.”
In this review, I can't say too much about some of my favorite bits without spoiling, but I will say that some of the twists and turns that occur in the plot were certainly not things I expected, and take the story in a very interesting direction for the next book.
The only place where this book stumbled was with a couple of moments within the plot - there is just so much happening that once or twice I got a bit jumbled or felt like there was a pacing stutter, but nothing that I would say ruined the experience for me.
The side characters are so lovable, the main character's struggles continue to manifest and evolve in ways that I find really compelling, and I am chomping at the bit for book three! Absolutely add this to your TBR if it isn't already there!
PS - The audiobook, as was the case with the first book, is also so well done!!
Quotes:
“ʙᴜᴛ ɢʀɪᴇꜰ ɪꜱɴ’ᴛ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴ. ɪᴛ’ꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀɴ ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ᴘᴀɪɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ꜰɪɴᴅꜱ ᴜꜱ. ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴀ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀ, ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴏᴜʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴠᴏᴜʀ ᴜꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ꜱᴏ. ɢʀɪᴇꜰ ɪꜱ ꜱᴜꜰꜰᴇʀɪɴɢ, ᴛᴀɪʟᴏʀᴇᴅ.”
“ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ’ꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢ. ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅʙᴏʀɴ ʟᴇɢᴀᴄʏ ɪꜱɴ’ᴛ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ; ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.75/5