*Possible spoilers.

An interesting and complex story concept.

Before I get into this review, I want to say the cover is stunning. I have much admiration for the author and applaud her for publishing her second novel!

Now. Onto the review.

I really hoped Bloodmarked would be a lot better than Legendborn.

Bree is now trying to navigate her newfound powers as King Arthur's heir and crowned scion, but everyone keeps getting in her way when she tries to help someone. I understand everyone's need to protect her because of her newfound title, but sometimes I really wish she was more defiant so we could see what she is made of. I wanted her to show up as a badass with her once-born power a lot more.

She also went back and forth from "I'm the king" to "I don't want this." And there are ways to do that tastefully to where you admire the character. But in this case, it felt like she only pronounced herself king when she needed people to listen, only to walk back on those words.

I don't feel like there was enough training of her powers throughout, and I would have liked to see more of that. I did enjoy the tension between her and Sel, but there were many times when this story dragged on for me. I also hoped this wouldn't be a whole book about finding Nick. While, yes, I think that is important, I wanted to see more focus on Bree getting stronger.

I also wish, and this is more of a personal preference, that she would have had people call her queen instead of king. It seemed a little weird to keep calling her king throughout. Ancestors be damned, especially when I learned about how her line was formed.

Tracy Deonn's Bloodmarked is a satisfying continuation of the Legendborn saga, developing the complex Arthurian world of which Briana, the novel's protagonist, is both the legitimate heir and the hunted. While I preferred Legendborn's exploration of Briana's two worlds-- the realistic and the magical-- particularly Briana's grief, loss, experience, and relationships among family and friends outside the magical realm, I do think Bloodmarked's full immersion in the magical world Deonn is building is exactly what her staunchest fantasy fans anticipated and will love in this sequel. And it ends with a huge cliffhanger! I'm looking forward to Book #3!

To remain spoiler free in my summary, I will note that Bloodmarked picks up a few weeks after the events of Legendborn. Bree now has to tackle her next hurdle, which is convincing the High Council of Regents that she should be a member of the Order. When this goes awry, Bree finds herself on a road trip with some unexpected companions as they attempt to unravel the mysteries surrounding the Order and Bree’s power.

In short, this is definitely the middle book in this planned trilogy. Bloodmarked does have a number of aspects in its favor. It expands the world the reader was introduced to in Legendborn. These additions offer more context and help the characters and reader make sense of specific elements, particularly the information that is offered about Rootcraft and Bloodcraft. The action is also amped up in this sequel. The battle scenes are intense and much more frequent than the initial installment. Fans of underutilized characters will also be thrilled to see them get more page time, specifically Sel, William, and Alice. A benefit of allowing Sel to take part in the road trip is that the reader gets to know him better. Though Nick is present, he plays a much smaller role, and yes, as I’m sure you might expect, the love triangle gets more complicated. Overall, Bloodmarked resolves some aspects of the first novel and prepares readers for a truly spectacular third installment.

My complaints are few since I do think this is a strong sequel. However, the road trip journey, which takes up a majority of the middle of the novel, is a bit slow at points. Additionally, since much of the novel takes place away from the Lodge, the reader misses out on standout characters, like Greer, Sarah, Felicity, and Pete. Finally, unlike the first novel, the sequel is not able to stand on its own. Be prepared for a cliffhanger since there’s a pretty big one.

Overall, this book was nothing that I expected, yet everything I needed. Pick it up as soon as you can!

I love the world that Tracy Deonn creates. I have been anxiously anticipating this release for almost a year. I was deeply inspired by Legendborn and Bloodmarked did not disappoint. Deonn's storytelling is so vivid and excited that it takes you into the world. Bree's characterization is so personal and honest that you feel like the story is being told to you by a friend. The supporting characters and their motivations give the story a sense of wholeness that make this an addictive world. I am so glad there are stories like this about black girls being published

It's a well-done sequel but I think it's my last read of this series. The characters' paths to growth feel a bit convoluted at times and Bree's voice frequently irritates me. The series has an interesting concept that's executed well but the characters keep me from really diving in. The book started slow but picked up the pace a bit after the first third or so. I enjoyed the first book most.

Fantastic sequel. Forgot that Bree was only sixteen, so I was thrown for a bit of a loop when she had her birthday. I was able to catch up and enjoy the story without re-reading the first. Kudos to the author for that as I tend to forget most books a few weeks after reading them.

I love the growth that Bree experiences throughout this series! She really grows into herself and is such a strong female protagonist.

There is so much more history, revelations, twists, and exploration of themes expanded in this sequel. She was able to really dive deeper into Bree’s trauma and grief and how she is processing through it.

Sel really shined in this book, and I switch my allegiance to Team Sel until the third book is released!

This world is so unique, complex, interesting, and magical! I’ve never read another King Arthur retelling, and I highly recommend this series.

AHHHHH loved this book! thank you so much for the arc netgalley! This book was discussed as this months podcast *anythingprosepod* and we both loved it so much! cant wait to see what happens in the third book!

Obsessed. The world, the characters, the magic. All top tier. And this cover art!!? 🔥🔥🔥

Legendborn and Bloodmarked are two of my favorite books I’ve read this year and I so highly recommend them!

Legendborn introduces you to the magical world of the Order, Rootcraft, demons, and oaths that Bree is flung into during her first year at Carolina. Bloodmarked goes even further into the Legendborn world and without spoiling anything, you get to meet other rootcrafters and aether users, visit some really unique locations, and get a lot deeper into the lore and inner workings behind everything we’ve learned so far. Bree is also reminded how important and valuable she is as herself, not just for the titles she holds.

A million thanks to net galley for an eARC of this one, which I was soo happy to read while I was waiting to get this beauty on release day!!

This was maybe my most highly anticipated sequel of the year! I was so so excited when I had the opportunity to read it early. I’m going to try to summarize my thoughts, but be prepared I feel like this review will be a bunch of rambling.

The book starts off immediately with the aftermath of the events in Legendborn (which I’m so happy to have done a reread of prior to starting this one). I felt like I was immediately thrown into the story, but I didn’t miss a beat. The whole time I felt like I was reading an action movie. The pacing of this book was so well done for me. I love fast paced books and this definitely delivered on that front. I was engaged the entire time and kept wanting to find out what happened next.

In terms of plot, there were so many new layers added throughout the book. I definitely think some of the question I had at the end of the last book were answered throughout this book. However, I do have more questions now at the end of this one and I’m hoping there is a third book to answer them (in my head there has to be a third book with the way this one ended)!!

Bree as a character takes an interesting journey in this book and I really felt for her as she’s thrown in so many directions at the same time. I felt that her character was further developed in this book as she came into her powers and learned more about them. Without spoiling anything, I thought her interactions with Sel were very interesting to read. For me, Nick was not as prominent a character in this book as I thought he would be, but I still thought his storyline was interesting. The standouts for me were Alice and William in this book! I was so happy they both were given bigger roles in this book and I really loved how they stood by Bree and were with her no matter what she went through.

For me, this sequel delivered!! I enjoyed reading it and I highly recommend this series. I’m looking forward to a third book and I can’t wait to see where the story goes!

This book. This series. The wait between Legendborn and Bloodmarked almost killed me, but dear gods, was it worth the wait. The first half of this book was non-stop in the best possible way. That being said, when we (both the readers and the characters) were finally given a chance to breathe, the emotions of the book hit like a wave. I have fallen in love with all of these characters, with their strength and flaws, time and time again. The fierce, strong Bree who is the embodiment of Black Girl Magic. Loyal William and Alice who will do anything for their friends. Nick and Sel, who I honestly don't know who to champion. The characters Deonn has created are so multi-faceted and watching them grow has been one of the best reading experiences I have had all year.

I am now convinced that Tracy's books will never let me down. Give me more of these in the book world. I can't wait for book 3, 4, 5, etc.

After reading Legendborn and diligently waiting for about a year, I was rather excited to be granted access to the ARC of Bloodmarked. Sadly, my excitement was short lived once I got to reading. Whereas Legendborn was a captivating mix of Arthurian lore with the brutality of American slavery and its continuing impact today, Bloodmarked seemed more of a jumble of parts without any real direction. The good news is that it appears that there will be another book in the series that will hopefully give the reader an ending worthy of Legendborn when all is said and done.

The middle book(s) in a series always feel a bit like a letdown. You know you're not going to get resolution and answers to all of your questions, and it is easy for the story to get swamped down in details and foreshadowing for the next book.

But...

That didn't happen in Bloodmarked. Deonn has written a wonderful second entry in the Legendborn Cycle that lives up to the promise of the first novel, and gets you ready for book three!

Bree is getting ready for the rite that will awaken Arthur's Table and complete her transformation into Arthur's Awakened Scion. She is woefully unprepared, given that she hasn't spent her life getting ready for this moment, like the other Legendborns. Luckily, she has her friends - Alice, William and Sel - to help her prepare for the Rite and deal with the pressure from the Regents and the Legendborn leaders. Unfortunately, she doesn't have her boyfriend Nick, who is Lancelot's Scion and was abducted by his father after Bree was Called. And she is having little success crafting armor and weapons from aether. Most of the time, she just burns herself.

Bree wants nothing more than to complete the rite so she can go rescue Nick, but, of course, nothing goes as she plans. After being betrayed by the Regents and the Legendborn leaders, Bree runs for her life. She goes to Volition, a Root stronghold, where she will be safe and can figure out her next move, but what happens next changes everything.

This is a book you don't want to put down because every chapter brings a new danger to Bree and her friends, as well as an escalation of the "will they, won't they" sexual tension between Bree and Sel. Being a Gen Xer, it reminds me of the Angel/Spike love triangle in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's hard to choose between Nick and Sel, because they both love Bree, and they love each other, having been bonded for so many years. They bring out different sides of her, and she needs both of them in her life.

Deonn's world-building is fantastic, and her description of the two branches of aether/root magic is fascinating. She has taken all of the racial unrest of the South (and all of the U.S.) and expressed it through the magical structure of her world. It feels all too familiar when people express racist sentiments and treat Bree as less-than in both the magical and non-magical world.

Now we have the long wait for the next book. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

My jaw dropped so many times reading this book. I loved Legendborn and had such high expectations with Bloodmarked. Sequels are hard for me and I wondered how the story would play out once the early college program had ended and all the characters had to adapt to a new setting. Tracy Deonn absolutely did not disappoint. These books are excellence in YA lit and I can't wait until we have the next one. (No seriously, when does the next one come out please?)

I don't know why I fooled myself into believing this wasn't going to be as dense as the first one! Instead of the depths of reveals from the first book, here we get layers of lore and world-building, along with so much story movement that there were times I wondered if this were really a second book (it is). And yes, there are a few big gasp-worthy moments, a reveal that was mostly guessable but that's not a bad thing, and just...so...much...book. Honestly, if books were rated by page-to-entertainment ratio, this would be five stars. Instead, it gets the five stars for being a truly excellent middle book, one of the most difficult things to be.

Finally finished this one. I think I’m done with this series though. Thanks for Netgalley and publisher for the e-arc for review, despite it not being to my taste… and even though I already had a good idea of what I was getting into, being the second of the series. If I do read the third book I expect I’ll borrow it from my library and maybe skim read it. 🥹😭

My main complaint is that I just don’t understand Bree as a character at all. She is impulsive, very angry, basically refuses to listen to anyone, and can’t decide between the two guys who are falling for her despite her childishness.

—-
Bree: screaming fit about something or other. Other characters: yo, calm down. Bree: Yall hating on me cause I’m Black and a girl and a king. You guys have to do what I say, now. Other characters: uh, yeah it’s not like that. We’re trying to keep you safe. Bree: but I’m king! You have to do what I say, right? …FINE. (Pouts). Maybe I’ll do what you are telling me is a good idea, but I’m not happy about it. Other characters/me: *sigh*…
—-

There are some good things in the book but Bree just kills it for me. And no, it’s not because of her skin color or gender.

I did like the broker bar and the idea of the safe haven and the root magic is still pretty cool. Unfortunately the world building here isn’t enough to carry the plot for me. In the last book the ending was enough to have me wanting to read more, but this time the plot twist wasn’t worth it imo.

Finally in this book I was really annoyed by King Arthur’s voice— I just don’t think a royal from that era would speak or think as he does in this series.

It is not often that a second book in the series will blow my mind that way that this book has. After reading Legendborn, that book immediately went on my top 10 list of books of all time. With Bloodmarked, Tracy Deonn has become one of my favorite authors, up there with Sarah J Maas and Rick Riordan. The writing is amazing, and the story telling is phenomenal. This book legit had all the feels and I really do need the next book now. The relationships between characters are so well though out and realistic. The stakes are high, but yet make sense. Really, I can't compliment this book enough.

I enjoyed the first in the series immensely, but this one didn't live up to expectations. It was well written and the characters are well developed, but it didn't feel that it was really a continuation of the same story. It went a different path than I was expecting and not in a way I enjoyed.

I was obsessed with Legendborn last year - one of my favorite fantasy reads with a unique take on Arthurian legend. Bloodmarked is the continuation of the story and it continues to address the history of race in the south and offering a diverse group of characters which takes a fun ya fantasy read and elevates it.

I will say this book took the story in ways I was not expecting and it info dumped a lot of information and characters which made it hard for me to follow with regard to the Order and Table - there are so many characters and lines to follow.

Bree’s journey hasn’t been an easy one and our girl struggles with figuring out to how to control both her own rootcraft magic and that inherited from Arthur while being on the run from so many different sides.

The main relationship in this book took a back seat and instead focused on Bree and Sel - the chemistry is there in spades and I was here for it. The side characters we meet in this book were fun - Valec was an interesting addition - but Alice and William stole the show for me.

The ending deviates so hard from the connections and story that I loved from the first book so it felt a little lacking compared to the first but I still cannot wait for the next book to see the continuation of this engaging plot line.