I love the characters, the magic system, the richness of the history behind every single thing. Tracy Deonn has also succeeded in creating two boys that could catch the MC's romantic attention and both of them are actually worthwhile. I am a big fan of that.

The only thing I didn't absolutely love is that the worldbuilding was a LOT. Deonn has created a very complex world and it was hard to keep track of various hierarchies and the way all the magic worked. Even if there had just been charts and glossaries in the back of the book, I think that would have immensely helped my understanding of how all the pieces fit together.

I enjoyed reading this book and loved the plot. It was a great young adult read that I brought on vacation!

The blending of European magic/legends and African-American Root magic/legends is new and offers a history/picture that is rarely seen in YA literature. The story is exciting and paced well, but still tackles serious issues of generational trauma, loss, and racism. Issues that need to be talked about in society today.

We have purchased this book for the library in multiple copies. The style of writing, local (to us) setting, and genre are all perfect for our students and we can't wait for the sequel.

4.5/5

Sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants to escape the pain of losing her mother in an accident, so she attends an early college program at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her first night on campus, she witnesses a demon attack and is swept up into something she never anticipated. Someone with the title of Merlin attempts, and fails, to wipe Bree’s memory of the night. She learns that there is a secret society of people called Legendborn and things begin to unravel from there.

This book draws some inspiration from the legend of King Arthur, but I don’t know much about Arthurian legends. Deonn seamlessly integrated the magic system into the world while also showing how oppression shaped the way people used magic later on.

Bree is such an interesting and well-written character. There is a delicate balance when writing about trauma and grief, and Deonn did an excellent job of explaining PTSD and PCBD without it feeling like the information came straight from a textbook. I also thought Sel was an interesting character, so I hope I can see more of him in future books.

My biggest (and honestly, only) complaint about this book is that there were probably a couple too many times that Bree passed out and woke up in a bed later on. It felt like it was a convenient way to move the plot along to the next event.

I recommend this for anyone who wants a unique fantasy that is character-driven and fast-paced. Legendborn also has tons of crossover appeal for people who primarily read adult versus YA.

This was a little slow for me to get into it, but I'm so glad I stuck it out. There is so much going on in this book and I'm excited to see Bree's story continue in book 2.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn will absolutely be included in my 8th grade and up classrooms. Legendborn follows Bree and Nick into a world of magic and mages that students want to read about. The magical war reminded me of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare that my students devoured - I cannot wait to introduce them to Bree's world and the "Legendborn" students.

Thanks to NetGalley for my e-ARC!

Listen, I’ve had this book on my kindle since June 2020. I was so excited that I got approved for it! But literally the next week, I was hired at a new school, and then preparations for a school year during a pandemic followed by the school year itself pushed this to the wayside.

I could not be more furious with myself over this delay. I want to shove this book into the hands of all of my students. Deonn deftly weaves generational trauma, grief, racism, sexism, classism, and teen angst into a tapestry that oozes with fantastic and engaging magic! I am going to buy a personal copy as well as encourage our library to get a classroom set for book clubs.

I solemnly swear to be in the inbox of anyone necessary to get an ARC/e-ARC for the sequel as well as preorder a hard copy for myself. I am counting down the seemingly endless days until that time.

Don’t be like me. Read this book NOW.

This is a contemporary YA adaptation of King Arthur, and I loved it. I had a digital copy, but I want to recommend the physical copy of this book. The magic/fantasy system in the world is a little complicated, and I wish I could have reread a few parts (which is harder for an ebook). I loved the intricate plot and the main character- Bree Matthews. At the end of 2021 this probably be in my top ten books of the year.

I do not gravitate toward fantasy, but I absolutely loved this story. It has a little bit of everything I could ever want in a fantasy novel.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Hear Our Voices Book Tours, Netgalley, and Margaret K. McElderry Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.


This will forever be one of my all time favorite books in the damn world! No lie, no exaggeration, just straight up fact. I LOVED THIS BOOK!

I feel like if I had all the time in the world, I could just sit here forever and continue to find things that I love about this book that I didn’t mention at the beginning of the conversation. It was like I didn’t want to finish this book because I didn’t want it to end, I didn’t want to get out of Bree’s world. I wanted to stay with her as she went through this journey, and find out everything that she found out and see what she’s going to do with that information. Bree’s story is one that makes you want to support her and feel for her because of everything that she has gone though and how she is trying to cope and deal with it.

Want some examples?

Having an argument with her mother the night she died in a car accident
Knowing that her mother didn’t want her to go to Carolina but she did anyway through Early College
Seeing hell demons for the first time
Finding out that maybe someone hid the reason why her mother died
Dealing with racist cops the first night on campus
Dealing with lame ass microaggressions her second day on campus
Getting into an argument with her best friend and roommate
Learning about the Legendborn
And that’s all I can really say without getting into spoiler territory, but look at that. All of this before the semester even really started. How stressful and tiring is that? And that’s not even including the fantasy aspect – although I did include the hell demon part and briefly the Legendborn part – but look at the majority of that. This is what Bree is dealing with in her life, and even that internal struggle of Before Bree and After Bree, trying to come to terms with the fact that she lost her mother at a young age, and also allowing her to express her anger and hurt without people thinking of her as the “angry Black girl.” Do you know how annoying that is? And do you know how hurtful that statement is in general? Why can’t Bree, anyone, express their anger and rage without people saying it’s because she’s Black?

And ugh the stupid racist crap that Bree had to go through. Honestly no freaking wonder Bree is always having to be on guard around everyone. She can’t even freaking relax because at any moment someone could say something that’s offensive and they may or may not know it. And whatever she may want to do as herself could be perceived as “ghetto” or “too Black” for some people. It’s so frustrating and I get it. I get where Bree is coming from and I’m honestly so proud of her for being able to stand up to people when they do something that she doesn’t like to do and telling them that they are being jerks.

I could go on and on and on, and honestly I feel like this was also part #ownvoices Reflection so that may be two birds with one stone, but I think you just really, really need to read this novel. It was just perfect. Perfection. Chef’s kisses all around.

Amazing read! I was captivated from the start, and was pleasantly surprised by the pace. This author and the story keep my attention the whole time. There wasn't a moment of "wanting to push through the fluff to get to the good stuff". Excited for where this is going and love the modernization of a classic tale.

This book took me a while to get through, I'm not going to lie. I wasn't sure how I was feeling about it at first. I didn't understand why everyone was loving this book and I just wasn't loving it as much as everyone else. But then the last half of the book happened and I needed to know how everything was going to play out and how it was going to end. I enjoyed learning about the magic system and all of the secrets that were discovered along the way.

An absolute amazing read. Beautiful voice and every page left me wanting to keep reading! A favorite new series for sure.

This book takes you on a such a unique twist of our classic author and the round knights story. It's full of female power and Bree is so so amazing! I love her will to not back down and do what she needs to learn about who is trying to attack her friends and what had killed her mother. Plus that frickin ending omg

This was a fast-moving, original fantasy, featuring a well-developed cast of characters. The main character, Bree, is extremely relatable as she discovers the world of the Legendborn and her part in it.

If you read one book this year, Legendborn should be one to consider. As one of the best retellings I have ever read with some of the greatest representation I’ve read, not just in young adult fiction, it makes for a great story and will keep you hooked from the first page. The author keeps you on your toes and while you think you know what’s going on, something else happens to make you question what you believed. A book with witchcraft, magic, secret societies, and a hero’s journey makes for one great read.

By the way, a sequel will be coming in the future!

This was amazing. The combination of Arthurian legend (which I loved as a child, but have gotten sick of the oversaturation in YA) and the realities of the history of the U.S. is SO well blended. THIS is how to talk about traditionally white mythology and history and create an engaging, accountable story that tells these deep, uncomfortable truths but is also FUN AS HECK. The magic system(s) and their history was so well thought out. The initial romance (spoiler alert) felt a little shallow to me but then IT WAS FOR A REASON and I am very interested in the potential future relationship arcs. A lot of side characters that I had a little trouble keeping straight, but not enough to bring the rating down. I didn't see the twist at the end coming until just before it happened and it was awesome and powerful. I need a sequel now!

Legendborn was one one my favorite books of 2020! I cannot wait to read the next book in this series and anything else Tracy Deonn writes! I was so captivated by her writing. I’m not usually interested in King Arthur stuff, but this retelling was different and interesting, and filled with Black Girl Magic! I loved the different magic systems talked about and can’t wait to delve more into that in the next book. Bree is one of my favorite characters I’ve read and I also loved her different relationships with all the people in her life. I know this has been compared to the Shadowhunters series, and while I can see similarities, in my opinion Legendborn is just so much better. I highly recommend giving this book a try if you enjoy YA Fantasy. I gave it 5 stars.

Legendborn is possibly one of the best Arthurian legend retellings I've ever read. There were just so many twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and I definitely need book two to find out what happens to Bree, Nick, and the others. I cannot wait for book 2.