After the death of her mother, Bree Matthews wants to get away from home. She heads to UNC Chapel Hill for an early college program where she discovers the descendanta of Camelot embroiled in a generations battle with the Shadowborn. Bree just wants to know what happened to her mother, but you don’t just get out of this society, and there may be more to discover than the fate of her mother.

I mostly enjoyed this one, but holy mage, Batman! It’s a lot. Plot heavy, and the worldbuilding is impressive, but it does make for a rather long book, and I did get a taaaad lost here and there with so much information, characters, etc. That’s not a drawback, just an observation. I loved the representation of BIPOC and a bit of nonbinary rep as well. It’s set at UNC Chapel Hill, which is just over a half hour drive from me, so it was cool to have context in our world alongside the world of The Order.

If you’re prepared to get completely lost in a fantastic world that will have more books and can handle the stress, definitely check this one out. It’s available now wherever you like to get your books.

I absolutely loved Legendborn from the beginning to end. I loved the fantasy aspect, historical aspect, and the fact that the Bree highlights what it is like to be a Black girl and the micro aggressions we deal with often. I’m looking forward until part 2. Thank you for my gifted copy Netgalley and Margaret K McElderry Books.

A truly fantastic novel that combines fantasy and reality. I really appreciated how the author discussed a lot of the social and psychological situations African Americans face. A lot were things I had never considered before,, such as the lineage and how that affects Bree. The characters were awesome and I cannot wait to read the next book!

I devoured this book in a couple days and I absolutely loved it! If you love Arthurian legend, Black girl magic, Southern magic, secret societies, and just epic storytelling then pick up this book when it hits shelves this Tuesday, 9/15. I’m almost sad that now I have to wait so long for the sequel.

I haven’t read a book that has had me so engaged in a while and having a Black girl at the center of such a magical story like this was everything to me! The author does a fantastic job at talking about legacy and who gets a seat at the table. If you’re going to infiltrate a secret society that dates back to the 1700s, the institution of slavery cannot be ignored and let me tell you, Ms. Deonn took us there!

I was hoping that a new take on the King Arthur tale would overcome my general dislike for how pervasive the story has become. But, through no fault of the author, I could not get past my dislike for King Arthur's story. Honestly, I didn't make it very far before deciding to DNF and move on. I am hoping to try again in the future to see if maybe the general 2020 cloud of anxiety was also affecting my desire and ability to read when my heart craved stories of escape to things I found familiar and enjoyable.

Again, this is my personal issue and not the fault of author or publisher, but since I requested an e-arc I thought it only fair to share my thoughts after trying (and failing) to read this one.

I've always been a big fan Arthurian retellings, and Tracy Deonn has brought something truly new and exciting to the (round) table with Legendborn - an intimate look at grief and being Black in the South.

After the death of her mother, Bree Matthews escapes to the early college program at UNC-Chapel Hill. She's desperate to outrun her grief, but when she witnesses a demon attack off campus, strange memories come flooding back of the night her mom died. The memories lead her to the Order of the Round Table, descendants of King Arthur and his knights known as Lengendborn. The Order fights demons with the help of mages, and Bree now knows a mage tried to wipe her mind that night at the hospital. To discover the truth, Bree will have to infiltrate the Order by becoming their newest recruit.

Bree Matthews' quest to find the truth about her mother's death leads her to uncover a world of magic hiding in plain sight. This fantasy overlays the world of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table onto current day, mixing medieval European magic with African American root work. The worldbuilding is tight so the blend is smooth and believable. A fast paced plot, diverse characters and a strong narrative make this great book a must read.

I need at least 3 books in this series and a movie STAT! I really enjoyed this Arthurian-esque story. Twists I didn't see coming would have great cinematic possibilities.

It shows to be a very interesting story. I could not get past halfway since I've been in a reading rut, BUT the potential is there. I'm planning to reread it again, because I know its a good book.

I think this is will be the next YA fantasy? Yes, I think, if people don't sleep on it. Everything in this book is wonderful. I recommend this one.

A beautifully eloquent gem of a novel sure to set off a striking career for Deonn from this point forward.

DNF. I desperately WANTED to love this book, but I just couldn't. That said, I don't think that's any fault of the book, which is well-constructed and breathes new life into familiar tropes. I think it's just time for me to give up on this kind of urban fantasy - I just can't appreciate it properly.

This one really is me, not you!

Calling all King Arthur fans, this book will be your newest obsession. I’ve come across a lot of interpretations of the legend of King Arthur, but this one is the most unique. I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I think you will too.

The main character of this book is Bree Matthews, a 16-year-old who has just lost her mother. Now, she’s attending classes at UNC as part of the early college program with her best friend. Bree has dreamed of getting into this program, but it’s jaded now by her mom’s disapproval. Bree and her mom hadn’t had a chance to resolve their argument before her mom died in a car accident. Now, she’s at UNC, but it’s not like she pictured. One day, she comes across magic and demons, and she realizes that UNC really isn’t like she pictured.

That’s all I’ll say about the plot. My advice for readers is to always go in blind. It’s much more fun that way.

What I will say about this book is that it’s incredibly diverse and inclusive. Tracy Deonn shows what it’s like for a young black woman, like Bree, to grow up in the South. She discusses the history of slavery and how that still affects people to this day. She also includes a cast full of diverse representation. Bree’s best friend, Alice, is Taiwanese-American and lesbian. There are also two bi side characters, a gay character, and a non-binary character!

I only have two complaints about this book. My first complaint is that this book is pretty long, and it felt long. It’s 512 pages, and usually, I’m all for a long book–the bigger, the better– but the pacing in this book was a bit slow for me. I put this book down for a while because it wasn’t fully captivating my attention. However, don’t let this dissuade you from reading this book because the last 30% of the book was PHENOMENAL. I couldn’t put the book down. I had to see what would happen next. My second complaint is that there are a lot of tropes in this book. Like a lot. There is insta-love (though it’s written well), the chosen one trope, and a love triangle. Albeit, the love triangle doesn’t really start to form until the second half of the book. Oh, both of the love interests are also tropes. We have the golden boy on one side of the triangle, and the dark, mysterious bad boy on the other. Whoever will she choose?

I’m not a fan of love triangles–at all–so when my spidey senses started tingling, I prayed I was wrong. Alas, I was not. There will be a love triangle in the next book. *Sigh*

That being said, I thought this was a pretty solid debut. It’s also one of the best YA urban fantasy books I’ve read lately. I feel like there really aren’t that many YA urban fantasy books, which is sad because I adore that genre. This book is perfect for fans of the Legend of King Arthur, urban fantasy, and diverse books! If you fall into one of those categories, then you should pick this book up!

This book was spectacular. The world building in this book was so wonderful and fascinating. I loved all the characters and the plot was fast moving and action packed!

OMG. I could not put this book down and I need book two like right now. I absolutely LOVED this book. I'm a sucker for anything with King Arthur and this took that legend and turned it on its head and I enjoyed every minute. This is such a nice, refreshing take on the King Arthur mythos and would be a great book to pair with a unit on the King Arthur legend in a classroom. I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate it into mine. I cannot rave about this book enough. If you enjoy King Arthur myths, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. And if you don't, pick it up anyways. You won't regret it.

Solid first in a series. Bree is strong and believable. I also really liked the supporting cast. Although they weren’t racially diverse...and that was by design...they were diverse in other ways.

Recommended.

Legendborn is fantastic!! This cover is mind blowing. The story is creative and wonderful! I put this book off for a long time because it was such a long book. I am kicking myself for not reading it immediately! Loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was amazing and infuriating! The story, character development, and world building has me waiting for the next installment as I can’t wait to find out what happens. However, I found myself furious as the character was faced with many racist situations that are all too real in today’s society. No one deserves to be treated like this, fictional character or not. I hope people pick this book up and fall in love with the story as I did!

Many thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books and Hear Our Voices for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Black girl magic gets me every time, and so do stories based on the legend of King Arthur, so combining the two just seemed … efficient? Perfect? Like something I had to read? How about we just check all of the above.

Legendborn is an exploration into racism, the “sanctity” of tradition, family and friendship bonds, magic, and finding your place, with a healthy dose of secrets and betrayal.

I don’t even know where to start or what to say with this book other than read it? I mean, for sure. It has a little of something for everyone, and it tackles important issues in a way that doesn’t make the book about them, per se, but they’re an important discussion in regards to how the book unfolds.

My Thoughts:

- This world is magic layered on top of the real world, based on the legend of King Arthur, and it was so easy to slip into. I don’t want to go too much into the magic, because that would actually be a pretty big spoiler. You sort of have to see it. What I will say is that I love the twist to the Arthurian legend. It’s a little messier, a bit darker, but entirely compelling. Since just having magic clearly isn’t enough, and magic users need things to fight, right, this book throws in the added complication of demons. But they’re maybe not quite what you think. They tend to take the form of warped, giant, clearly evil and malevolent animals, which are absolutely terrifying. Would I still take one home and try to make it a pet? Yeah, probably. But not an approach I would recommend. Some of the descriptions of these demons were absolutely harrowing, and I absolutely loved it.

- Legendborn tackles a lot of tough issues, such as death and grief and racism. This are big issues, but this book tackles them with grace and a certain delicateness, while not shying away from the ugliness of either one. The grief is almost immediate, from page one, and it cut me to the quick right away. Get ready for some feels going into this, because I was not at all ready and it caught me off guard. Deonn does a stunning job capturing the mind-numbing, anxiety-inducing reality of finding out someone you love is suddenly gone. Where the narrative really shined was in its handling of the racism that Bree faces. The racism in this book is sometimes subtle, sometimes not, but always on the nose. It isn’t the focus of the book, but it’s an inevitable discussion arisen by the setting and content of the book, and it just struck such a chord.

- The romance in this is sweet and probably enticing to any fans of that sort of romance … but for people like me who crave enemies-to-lovers, there’s some whiffs of that, too. The best thing about finishing this book is that nothing with the romance is actually set for sure, which is nice since the protagonist is sixteen an what sixteen-year-old has it all figured out? I’m excited to see what the next books will bring for these teens. If you like a sweet romance, you’ll probably enjoy the one in this book … but don’t get settled in just yet. Because things may not be as happily ever after as it seems, and there’s a definite love triangle here. I thought the romance in this book felt a little too easy and cheesily sweet, and there’s not anything wrong with that. But there’s also some whiffs of some potential enemies-to-lovers plot going on. Nothing is settled or decided. So really, this has something for everyone. Want some sweet romance? This book has it. Still holding out for something a little more complicated in terms of the romance? Welp, you might just get that, too. We’ll have to wait for book two to find out!

- These characters absolutely wormed their way into my heart, in ways I hadn’t quite expected. Bree, in particular, is so similar to me, which may be why I connected so much with the book. Nick is a little too good to be true, and yet he is, which makes him a cinnamon roll deserving to be protected at all cost. Even though he’s not perfect, in a book full of darker people, he really stands out and shines. Sel is absolutely my favorite. Is that a surprise? He’s the dark, brooding, assassin type, who would sooner stab you than actually have a real conversation, with maybe a sprinkling of anger issues on top. In other words, he’s perfect. There are some definite squad vibes in this book, with all the kids in the secret society that work together. Even the side characters I started out hating, I learned to at least appreciate to some extent.

Absolutely phenomenal! Loved the magic system and our main character! 5 stars! Highly recommend and can't wait to read more from this author!