Quick, longish review for a progressive read. I first finished reading "Legendborn" back in 2021. To give context to where my head was when I finished this book, my father had passed away that year. He didn't pass from COVID, but it was during the height of the pandemic where those events made it difficult to fully grieve him in a way that my family and I truly wanted. Reading a YA fantasy title that dealt so intimately with grief definitely struck home with me in a way that met the moment. The parts of "Legendborn" that struck home the most for me in my initial reading dealt with Bree's grief in losing her mother so suddenly that it shifted her world. And Bree's pursuit for the truth throughout the book when the circumstances of her mother's death is called into question, as well as the moments in which Bree reunited with her mother in memory, had moments that definitely stayed with me long after I finished the book.

Coming back to "Legendborn" after four years, I wondered if my impressions of the book would be the same as it was when I first picked it up. I'm glad I had the chance to re-read this in 2025 to write a formal review that allows me to collect my thoughts. Now that three books have been released ("Legendborn", "Bloodmarked" and "Oathbringer") it felt necessary to revisit and point out the start to this King Arthur-inspired YA Urban Fantasy series. (Yes, I'm going to call it an Urban Fantasy series. For the long, varied history that Urban Fantasy has had as a subgenre, alongside its respective elements, tropes, and characterizations, "Legendborn" sits pretty firmly with its respective company with what it offers for story and experience.

By the genre definition: (cited from the Masterclass website):

"Urban fantasy is a genre of literature encompassing novels, novellas, and short stories in which fantastical characters and concepts are placed in a real-world urban setting, often in the present day. It is a subgenre within the broader world of fantasy literature. This expansive genre may even include elements of science fiction or thrillers, but it also overlaps with fantasy subgenres like sword and sorcery, high fantasy, epic fantasy, dark fantasy, and more."

I can't overlook or pretend that "Legendborn" does not fit all of those definitions very handily, including the strong focus on place and city (campus of UNC-Chapel Hill in North Carolina, as well as surrounding areas), the attention to detail with the magic lore, the characters wielding magic, the sword and sorcery focus, the dark themes and atmosphere, as well as the modern day setting. Considering Deonn has said (in the past) it draws inspiration from series like "The Mortal Instruments," which is also a strongly asserted YA Urban Fantasy, it would make the most sense to name them as peers. I'm willing to do pretty passionate debate on this note for definition and inclusion in the subgenre, considering I've been a fan of the Urban Fantasy genre for many years. It was also the reason I very much picked up this book initially for interest.

A closer reading of this book four years after my initial reading made me realize several things. Several pieces of this book still stuck the landing with a strongly asserted beginning to the larger series, but with things that also didn't sit well with me the closer I read into it. We'll talk about that all in brief (without major spoilers) in this review.

Bree Matthews is a 16-year old Black girl who begins in an early college program on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill. When we first meet Bree, she's reeling from the sudden death of her mother several months before, after a car accident and following a disagreement that involved Bree applying to the college against her mother's wishes. Something that I will say I appreciated was the attention to detail to Bree's grief process. That felt consistently realistic throughout the entire novel, and you can see how this impacts Bree in her interactions, day-to-day, and relationships.

Several months after the accident and during her first week at UNC, Bree meets a mysterious boy (Selwyn Kane, also known as Sel) who stops her from cliff jumping along with other students at an off-campus gathering. From the events after that encounter, Bree realizes there's more to the environment she's in. She witnesses several events involving magic that leave her with many questions about why she can see things that no one else can. Not to mention that she realizes that Sel erased her memory (which failed) and compelled her away from an encounter alongside another student/witness.

Her attendance at the off-campus gathering gets her in trouble, alongside her friend and roommate (Alice). The girls get let off with a warning by the Dean, but it causes tension between the friends.

Bree ends up getting saddled with a mentor (Nick), who also seems to have more to him than Bree realizes. I didn't find the way that Nick was so easily handed information about Bree prior to their meeting to be realistic, I'll be honest. That was something that bugged me even in my first read through, but was more pronounced during my second. Especially considering protections put on a college campus environment with respect to academic and living circumstances for students. You don't/can't waive individual consent on those things through ANY program and that was basically a weird note to try to justify Nick getting her info. But I digress. Even with that, Bree seems to get on well with Nick. Up until the point she gets targeted by a hellhound on the way back to her dorm. Nick helps her heal after being attacked, but reveals also secrets about himself and who he is that align with what Bree overhears in the strange encounter with Sel. From there is a series of events that have Bree learning that her mother's death may not have been an accident. Also joining a secret society on campus that Nick and Sel are a part of in order to learn more about who she is and what happened to her mother. Learning about abilities her mother never revealed to Bree while she was alive, learning pieces of her family history, and having to fight several harrowing battles in a space that's none too welcome to have her there.

To say that this is a lot to unpack is an understatement. For the most part, I was along for the ride it took me on for much of the novel. The attention to the landmarks and campus of the university was good, solid for environment. The rolling action sequences were solid, the amount of fear Bree experiences with the hellhounds, foxes, and creatures were a fair share of harrowing. The attention to ranking, the detail in building upon what rootcraft is and the definition of the Legendborn and various associations had my attention. Even the very distinct battle sequences (which included brutal deaths, especially towards the end) among the group encounters felt vivid and harrowing. I enjoyed/felt for those pieces, both in my initial read and upon re-reading. For all accounts, the most effective pieces of "Legendborn" are its attention to both personal grief associated with Bree's mother, having to navigate that, while also being thrown into an unknown environment while grappling with magic she doesn't fully understand and having a personal goal to uncover the truth about it all in a secret society of students. Alongside the worldbuilding of the place, magic and craft and action sequences.

It's a bit harder to navigate certain pieces of this story when taking a closer look at the racial trauma and how that's handled in the book. The backdrop is accurately drawn from the history of societies, monuments, and events that actually happened in Chapel Hill, NC. Some of this history of the campus I actually learned about. But much of this narrative hinged on Bree being isolated as a Black girl on campus,when the actual campus of UNC-Chapel Hill has a thriving environment for Black students to socialize, even looking at specific spaces. Campus student groups, activities, social events, etc. Felt weird that Bree just...didn't experience any of the joy or camaraderie of being in the company of other students like her. (Black alumna here who participated in a lot of things with BSU and other opportunities for students like myself on campus. Even if it were a measure where there were distinctions of how social groups interacted, felt like there could have been more realistic representation to that.) I will say that this did a solid job of including prominent characters representing other backgrounds, including LGBTQ characters. I hope that in the spectrum of this series, regardless of how many books it may be, it has room to expand and improve upon that.

The overarching cast themselves were strongly drawn, I felt like I could keep up with who the individual characters were, even if there were things I didn't love through the narrative that they did. For the most part, I followed Bree well through this novel and understood why she had the reactions she did throughout the narrative - we followed her discovery, grief, and determination well through the book. Nick's role made sense as a boy who was reluctantly pulled back into his "duty" as part of the declaration for this secret society (also for helping Bree, because he felt compelled to help her), but we also see the complicated fam history he has and ultimately what his role ends up becoming as the narrative marches to its conclusion. Sel...I think I thought he was an asshole in my first read and he comes across the same in my reread, but he reminded me a lot of Damon from "The Vampire Diaries" (which that character in both the TV and book series I had complicated feelings over, so it didn't surprise me at all I'd have the POV I had over Sel's role in this).

I could understand the isolation Bree felt in the sense of these individual secret groups she was a part of because it made sense - considering they were "good ol' boy" networks and mostly male, all white spaces. There were points to make with that, but even early on in this book, I remember Bree's father asking if she met other Black students on campus and thinking there would be something more to that as the narrative went on. (It didn't really pan out beyond that for the student piece.)

Lot of the narrative did focus on Bree's family history and the established connections to the Order, and the folks who were a part of that, so I understood for context. I also understood that there were other Black characters through the narrative she interacted with such as her therapist (which, *sighs* there were things that I picked up on that bothered me this time around with how Bree's therapy sessions and interactions were handled). Bree meeting with her ancestors provided some powerful moments through the book establishing her specific history.

There were details that in retrospect that could have been handled with more sensitivity than what they were, particularly for Bree being young as she is and the weight of things she learns. Particularly familial history trauma and how it relates to some of the characters that she's come to know (I'm tap dancing around a major spoiler that is revealed towards the end of the book).

There were many moments/details I could delve into that I think could have been more realistically drawn, but without getting too much into the weeds, I think this did provide moments of a promising start to an interesting YA UF series. I'm curious to see more of where it goes and will be reviewing "Bloodmarked" and "Oathbound" as part of my mass reading of the series.

Sticking with my original rating of 4 stars - I enjoyed the strongest pieces of the novel when they landed, but felt other aspects could have been done better.

Overall score: 4/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley from the publisher, but I also purchased a copy.

"Legendborn is an addictive mix of magic, mystery, and deeply personal storytelling. Tracy Deonn reimagines Arthurian legend through Bree, a fierce heroine grappling with grief, power, and legacy. The twists keep coming, and the worldbuilding is unmatched. Perfect for fans of urban fantasy with heart, secrets, and unapologetic Black girl magic!"

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is one of those books that completely sucked me in from the start. It’s a mix of fantasy, mystery, and so much magic. The story follows Bree, a teenager who’s dealing with the death of her mother. When she ends up at a secret society at her college, she discovers a hidden world of magic, demons, and legendary knights. Plus, Bree has some serious powers of her own that she doesn’t quite understand yet.

What I loved about this book is how unique it is. The world-building is amazing, with a lot of cool, twisty lore about Arthurian legends, which I never expected to be so interesting! Bree is such a strong, complex character, and it’s easy to relate to her—she’s smart, fierce, and doesn’t back down. The plot is packed with action, suspense, and a little bit of romance, and you can tell there’s so much more to uncover as the story goes on.

The pacing is perfect, and it’s got some great emotional moments too. Bree’s journey isn’t just about magic—she’s also dealing with loss, identity, and finding her place in a world that’s more complicated than she realized. The ending has a huge cliffhanger, and I'm so ready for the next book ASAP.

I am grateful to Simon and Schuster Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital advanced reader copy of Tracy Leon's "Legendborn." I was fascinated by how Ms. Deon, who is African American, connected the experiences of enslaved people both historically and culturally to magic and the Arthurian legend. "Legendborn" follows Bree's journey to uncover the mysterious circumstances behind her mother's death. As she delves into her investigation, Bree stumbles upon a connection to the past that shatters her world. Ms. Deon has penned a suspenseful novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat, filled with unexpected twists and turns, and a touch of magic. This is the first book I've read by this author, and it certainly won't be the last.

Legendborn is possibly my favorite book that I have ever read. Deonn's exploration of what it means to be Black in predominately White area shied away from the harsh truths of neither the past nor the present. We meet the main character after her mother died suddenly and her grief makes her extremely relatable. There are often times in stories when the characters make choices that seem wrong to us in the audience, but I did not feel that way with Bree. I felt like, even when her grief and anger pushed her to decisions that weren't the best choice, her actions were defendable. Not only did I love Bree, but I also liked the full complement of side characters. They were well thought out and even the ones we were meant to hate played their parts perfectly. Everyone should read this book; it is a masterpiece.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is an awesome read! King Arthur and Merlin has always been one of my favorites. I love the new spin. Suspenseful! This book hooks you on the first page and you won't want to put it down! Happy reading!

I wanted to like this SO MUCH, but it started losing me with the overly complicated world building and magic rules. This is a me problem, probably not a book problem.

This is such a robust and gripping modern day fantasy tale. So thoroughly entertaining. This author deserves a lot of acclaim for the complex and intricate world building alone. The unconventional perspective on fantasy was so refreshing.

This was not for me. I had a hard time connecting with the story or the characters. It was not very enjoyable to me.

Nuanced, dynamic, and unputdownable! I haven't been this excited reading YA or fantasy in quite some time. The storytelling is superb, pace is at breakneck speed, and I truly can't wait for the sequel. This may also be the first time I've encountered a love triangle where I don't have a preference as to which ship will win - I'll be happy either way!

It was okay.

I thought the idea was great, but it was something about the execution that I wasn't a fan of. I thought Bree was kind of annoying and I think that is why I didn't really connect with the story. Also the connection with Arthur and Bree reminds me of Atticus and Wainwright in Lovecraft Country It's VERY similar. I like Bree's connection to The Root, and would have loved to spend more time on that storyline. Maybe in the next book we'll get that. *shrug

There are some really good, really poignant, really important moments in this book, and honestly, Deonn makes some fantastic connections that will truly speak to readers. That being said, I am completely uninterested in this love story (the second the one who wears all black, is broody, and seemingly hates our MC showed up I knew where it was going) and I'm not entirely certain I understand the world and all of the magics.

We covered Tracy Deonn's Legendborn in Episode 398 of The Skiffy and Fanty Show.

If it wasn't already clear, this is one of the big standouts for the year. We mentioned it several times throughout the year of release and continue to reference it from time to time because it's just that good!

Legendborn is a really solid Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy. The book starts out a bit slow for my taste, the writing was good but it felt a bit too detailed, however once the story reaches its denouement, all of those little detailed puzzle pieces come together in a very unexpected and unique way which in my opinion, leaves the reader anxious for more which is a good thing, especially for a trilogy. In spite of Legendborn's slow start, I really was vested in Bree as a character, her agency, and her family' origin story. Needless to say, I am very excited to read the next installment Bloodmarked. Nicely done!!

This book gave me my favorite kind of reading experience: I had no expectations, was hooked from the beginning, and was blown away by how fantastic the book was. Deonn draws on Arthurian legend, voodoo, and racial prejudice to create a fast-paced fantasy novel that reeled me in and did not let me go until I closed it. I read it in one-sitting and it was the best-spent Saturday I have had in a while!

Move over Harry Potter, LEGENDBORN is the magical teen book we all need! I am in love with this series, not just for its magic, but for our main character Bree herself. What a well-written, loveable character! This book keeps you on your toes with its mystery and intrigue while bringing modern social issues to the forefront. Loved every page!

After the death of her mother, Bree decides to enroll in the University of North Carolina's program for high schoolers. After her arrival, some strange things start happening. What's more these recent happenings are triggering Bree; causing her to remember the night of her mother's passing. She soon stumbles upon a secret society(i.e. Legendborn); and, quickly realizes that there is a lot more happening on campus than most people realize. This book is awesome; it's stuffed with Southern Charm, Arthurian Myth, and Black Girl Magic. With that being said, this title is ultimately about how our past informs our present.

"Whatever Mariah did sent cracks through all of my old walls and brought After Bree, raw and spiteful, clawing to the surface. I don't bother to repair them. I just let myself *feel.* More deeply than ever before, I feel the presence of death in my chest. My mother's my grandmother's, my great-grandmother's. Now that I hold all of that death, how can I just accept it?
If there's one thing the Order has taught me, it's that I'm *my* family's Scion. I have a duty to fight for them."

TL;DR: Sheer and absolute perfection.
Perfectly paced, perfectly plotted, and perfectly told. This book is like a perfume:
Top Notes: Black Girl Magic + Arthurian Legend Retelling + Contemporary Romance
Heart Notes: Grief + Loss + Healing + Inter-generational Trauma
Base Note: The Intersectionality of Systemic, Entrenched Racism & Misogyny that permeates the South and the revered and beloved institutions that still exist within it today.

There's even one little niggling mistake to prove the perfection rule (College football games are on Saturdays! The marching band might be rehearsing for other things, but more likely, they'd be *playing at* the game on Saturday, not rehearsing for one on Sunday).

Vibes: Arthurian Retelling + UNC Chapel Hill
A little bit of vibes from blockbuster fantasy series (a little bit Goblet of Fire, a little bit Hunger Games), but those are moreso common fantasy tropes and Deonn remixes them in an authentic and unique way.

Genre: New-Adult/True YA Urban Fantasy
**First in a series -- duology?
**MC Bree is *technically* 16 (and I think most of the other characters are between 17 and 21) so I'd say "True YA" in the way that HP & GoF - HP & DH are "True YA." The fantasy / myth events take priority, so the age of the characters, aside from being on a college campus, doesn't drive the story. Bree could just as easily be 26 as 16, if not for the technical parameters of the story.

Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 ♡
There is a lot of romance (and maybe a love triangle...? I can't really tell if Deonn is baiting us, or I'm just shipping Sel/Bree because I love a dark-and-twisty-and-broken magic boy) but it doesn't dominate the story or detract from the larger events.

Character MVP: WILLIAM, Scion of Gawain and resident healer. (In my mind, he's a gay Hufflepuff squish and he must be protected at all costs.)

Verdict: This book...blew my mind. I was literally unable to put it down and it consumed my waking thoughts. I thought it was just sheer perfection and everyone I know will be gifted a copy of this book.

Full Disclaimer: I'm a UNC Alumna and still live about 15 minutes away from Chapel Hill's campus, which probably increases my love for this book / story. The way Deonn managed to capture the history of the school as well bring the campus to life was just...perfection. (I'm going over-use the word and I don't care.)
There *is* a castle on campus -- Gimghoul Castle -- that IS associated with a secret society on campus, although it's not believed to be as old as the university itself (although, I suppose, who knows? Probably only a small handful of people).
In one of my creative writing classes at UNC -- Nature Writing with Bland Simpson -- we had class outside several times, in several of the spaces that Deonn features: the graveyard, the Arboretum, the amphitheater. It's my own personal HC that Tracy Deonn took one of those classes and sat outside in one of those spaces and started writing something that appears in this book....

ANYWAY.

There are so many layers to this book and they just fit together so. damn. well. I called this book a "perfume" above, because that's how I think of it: there are the "top notes" that hit you first: the strength and power and resiliency of Bree's character, together with the adventure / hijinks of the Arthurian legend overlay.
Then there's the layer of grief and loss and trauma which permeate the narrative, especially Bree's (and Deonn's) attempts to heal.
And finally -- perhaps the most powerful and lingering -- is the way Deonn weaves in the elements of entrenched racism and misogyny (and their intersection) in the South. For me, she did so in a way that made Black readers feel seen and which made white readers unsettled. She wasn't overly didactic or pedagogical, and she didn't attempt to educate white readers (NOR SHOULD SHE HAVE) about the history of places like UNC. Instead she did so in a way that forces us to sit with our privilege and carefully examine it, allowing us to empathize with Bree. I can only imagine the power of Bree's story -- of the legacy that Deonn shines a light on -- can have on Black readers.

This is one of my most heavily annotated recent reads; I just kept tabbing and marking lines that struck me and that I intend to revisit:

Growing up Black in the South, it's pretty common to find yourself in old places that just...weren't made for you. Maybe it's a building, a historic district, or a street. Some space that was originally built for white people and white people only, and you just have to hold that knowledge while going about your business. [...] You gain an awareness. Learn to hear the low buzzing sound of exclusion. A sound that says, "We didn't build this for you. We built it for us. This is ours, not yours."
The Lodge has a black-and-white historic site marker right at the open gates. 'Original mansion constructed in 1793' -- the same year as Old East. My dorm is an antebellum building. Not built *for* people that looked like me, but definitely built *by* them."

I want to quote more, but...spoilers. And this is a story that I definitely don't want to spoil for anyone. The way it all comes together at the end...

*chefs kiss*

This is a fantastic retelling of Arthurian legend! This will be a hit in my classroom because of the story and the representation of the main character! This is also a good way to look at background information on the old English stories and compare it to the modern retelling.

Wow what an amazing book. I loved this story with a strong female lead and a possible love triangle. The magical realism is intriguing and it’s complexity draws you in as you learn about how Bree and the Order are connected to her past, present, and future. Although this is a lengthy book, I didn’t feel it dragged. I started listening to the audiobook but found I needed to read along with the ebook because of the multiple characters and Arthurian roles. I am looking forward to Bloodmarked and seeing if SEL or Nick will be her destiny or will she find herself to be all she needs.