Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this eARC for review.

I absolutely love this series. This novel was very well-written, and the world-building is excellent. While it builds on the real world, there is a fair amount of additional information needed. It has been at least 2 years since I read the first novel, and I the way the information was presented was clear enough that I was not lost, but concise so that it wasn't repetitive. I felt that Bree grew as a character, and I love the friendships she's forged so far. I look forward to continuing the series when the next book releases!

This review is very long overdue considering I finished reading the book back in January! I absolutely loved Legendborn and couldn’t wait to pick up this sequel – and Bloodmarked was no less amazing. This is going to be a much shorter review than I want, becasue if I start talking about this book, we’ll be here all day and this post will be full of spoilers.

At close to 600 pages, this was a pretty hefty read, but the pages flew by and by the end, I was wishing it was a few hundred pages longer. The writing style felt much better in this book as did the narration style, and with way fewer info dumps, this was a much smoother read than Legendborn for me.

Bree continued to be a phenomenal protagonist, and while was still in over her head with the whole magical abilities and being the Scion of Arthur, she really started to grow into it and her arc was an intriguing one to follow. As for the love triangle aspect of the story, it’s not typically a trope I like seeing, especially in fantasy novels, but I’m very curious as to where this will go, so I’m reserving judgement for now. Despite much of the story revolving around Bree, Nick and Selwyn, I love that this book continued to develop the side characters like William and Alice so well. They had significant roles to play and I was just as invested in their arcs.

On the downside, I did see a little second book syndrome with this sequel, especially in the first part which felt like the same sequence of events on loop until the real plot finally got started.

Overall, Bloodmarked was a brilliant read and after that ending, book 3 can’t get here fast enough! Highly, highly recommended!

I received an e-arc of Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm here for BreeNickSel they have me in a chokehold and I need book 3 after that ending. I didn't love this one as much as Legendborn though, I don't enjoy travel/on the run plots as much.
3.5 / 4 stars

Thank you ti Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the digital copy.

This was such a good sequel, dare I say I enjoyed it more than the first?

Eagerly awaiting the third installment!

If I thought the original book was good and wonderful, and everything exciting and new about the fantasy genre, then I was wrong because this book, the sequel, definitely tops that one.

Tracy Deonn is amazing. Seriously completely wonderful and amazing, and truly good at weaving a story that will grip you and keep you in its grip until you find yourself flipping through the pages quicker and quicker until I was at the end and was ready to cry because it is over.

The beauty in this book is how each person has their own power and the way it is presented in the books through their actions, their magic and their reactions to the situations they find themselves in.

The action in this book is always compelling and it kept me interested with each turn of the page.

The new characters are interesting and sometimes sinister, but always complex and sometimes not what they seem.

I honestly think this is one of the most well-written fantasy I've read in a very long time and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Woo, there was a lot to unpack in this book! Bree & Nick, Bree & Selwyn, Bree & the Order/Regents, Bree's powers, and so much more. The second book in this trilogy was fantastic and I cannot wait to read book #3 when it is released. I love Tracy Deonn's take on the Arthurian legends and the surviving blood lines. I also love the root magic and the fact that Tracy doesn't shy away from explaining how Bree obtained Arthur's magic. Can't say enough good things about this book series, you just need to read it and find out for yourself.

Oh wow, this was such a fantastic read! I was a little bit nervous, because the first book was so excellent, and it has been a minute since Legendborn came out, but oh, I loved all the developments, and I'm so excited for book 3!

Taking place shortly after the ending of Legendborn, this book pretty quickly gets into things. What with the reveal at the end of Legendborn about Bree, well, that puts her in an interesting situation. One that the Regents are very unequpited and uncomfortable about, given what light it puts on things.

If this ends with a threesome with Bree, Nick and Selwyn, I wouldn't be mad! I think the only relationship that hasn't hinted at romance is Nick's feelings for Selwyn, and that everyone else has expressed or hinted at something. Because why choose?

So much happens in this book! What with Nick's dad did, and is doing, going on, as well as the politics. There were some really fantastic reveals, and that ending with Bree figuring things out...I'm so excited to see how that is going to work out!

This was a really amazing read, and I can't wait for more!

Honestly this book is immensely important for any young reader (and older for that matter). The concepts and topics it highlights are very prevalent and ones we need to talk about more often. The ideas of racism and prejudice threaded with fantasy is immaculate in this portrayal. The issue I had was the complexity of the plot became a bit too much, especially for young adult — there were too many pieces at play and hard to remember everything going on. It’s still a superb series I would recommend to any fantasy lover though! I’m very invested to see where Bree’s story ends! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

rating - 5/5 ⭐️

if you know me you know that bloodmarked was my most anticipated read ever!!!
i will always remember the way tracy deonn’s wonderful writing from legendborn made me tear up from feeling so seen and represented.
i’m not even sure that i can articulate how much seeing a main character as relatable and powerful as bree has impacted me. thank you so much @tracydeonn for using your writing to represent me and every other person who can relate to bree.

now onto my proper review:

i had the highest expectations for bloodmarked and it was such a phenomenal book that delivered and exceed those expectations so well. from the very first page, i was immediately drawn in by the familiar rush of excitement and other giddy emotions i feel every time i immerse myself in tracy deonn’s decadent writing. the events of bloodmarked pick up a few days or so after the epic ending of legendborn and we are back with our favorite characters who are trying to deal with the reality of all that has happened.

from the incredibly detailed world building to the gorgeously interwoven themes of race, gender, oppressive power systems, and corruption. bloodmarked is a must read that you are guaranteed to enjoy every single part of. the plot itself is so mind blowing and complex that i’m still processing what just happened and i am still in awe of how remarkable every aspect of it is.

in terms of characters, i thoroughly appreciated the way every single character was given so much more depth especially bree and the way we were able to see her growth and overall journey to becoming as powerful and self aware as she is now.

i also have to talk about the relationship aspect in bloodmarked. from newly formed friendships to possible romances, i was just in love with all of it. i want to say more but i feel like doing so would give out spoilers.

to conclude, bloodmarked is an astonishing work of art that EVERY SINGLE PERSON should read!!!!

following the events of legendborn, the sequel is just as amazing as we all hoped it would be. with a bit of a darker vibe, bloodmarked will make you gasp with it’s plot twists, cry with it’s emotional moments but also smile with it’s sweet romances and friendships. it’s commentary on class, racism and grief is just as powerful as it was in the first book. although a bit confusing at times, as it is setting up the third book, i had such a great time reading this.

thank you simon & schuster canada and netgalley for providing me of an arc in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for an eARC via NetGalley.

CWs: death, blood, injury detail (minor), rape (historical)

I was so excited to read this one. I loved Legendborn, and I’ve been highly anticipating this sequel. I thought it was a really good sequel, and it sets up nicely for the next book.
We learn more about Bree’s root and Arthur in this one, and Bree is trying to understand and control her powers. I liked seeing more of her Medium powers, and also more about her ancestors.
We also see more of the Legendborn world, and the Regents play a big role in this one. It was interesting to see the power structures of this society, and their reactions to Bree.
I struggled to get through this one at times. There were lots of interesting and exciting moments, but I felt like the pacing was a bit off at times. There were a lot of repetitive conversations between the characters, and I felt like they didn’t actually do very much at times in the middle.
I really liked seeing more of Bree’s character as she struggled with her new role in Legendborn society. I also liked seeing more of William and Sel. I liked seeing Bree’s relationships with people change and evolve.
Overall this was a solid sequel that had fast-paced action moments and lots of magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of Bloodmarked in exchange for an honest review!

This was hands down one of my favourite books of the year. What an incredible sequel to Legendborn. I actually received this ARC before reading Legendborn and absolutely flew through the first book. This book was no different. Tracy Deonn has created such an incredible selection of characters in this King Arthur retelling. Legendborn and Bloodmarked have just enough of the original King Arthur vibe to it that those familiar with the story of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table will be familiar enough with the lore to connect to Deonn's version, This series takes its readers on a completely new journey with Bree, our protagonist and her Knights. I'm a sucker for King Arthur retellings and this series has taken over my favorite spot on the list of versions I've read.

Legendborn focused primarily on Bree and her introduction into the Order, and the tale of King Arthur and how it related to Deonn's world. Bloodmarked takes us on a journey where Bree makes the decision to learn more about Root and its relationship with the women in her bloodline. This book takes its readers through twists and turns and left me speechless on many occassions. Bree Matthews is such a well written character. I think Deonn did such an amazing job creating a strong female lead character, that ultimately controls her own destiny.

Legendborn had a heavy focus on Bree's relationship with Nick, as we see them fall for each other throughout the novel. I was a fan and supporter of this relationship, as these two seemed right for each other. After reading Bloodmarked, boy have I changed sides. While I do think that Bree and Nick make a cute couple, Bree and Sel have amazing chemistry. I can't wait to see what Deonn decides to do with this love triangle, but I am all for it!

I can't wait to see what comes next from Deonn! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys King Arthur retellings, fantasy YA novels and a book with a strong female lead character.

5 ⭐️/♾️

It’s been 17h since I finished this book and just…what the hell just happened…I’m going to need 5-10 business days to even try and have a coherent thought it was just 😳😨😟

This was such an amazing sequel! It definitely lived up to the hype after Legendborn. And that ending! I did not see that coming!!

I absolutely loved this. Legendborn was one of my favourite books and Bloodmarked simply blew me away.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Tracy Deonn and Simon Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.


This is the sequel to Legendborn and if you haven’t read it, read it first. This series is definitely worth it. There are so many layers in this story. This continues from where the first book left off. Bree has come into her power, although she still doesn’t understand it. Nick has been taken and all she can think about is rescuing him. However, the Order has other ideas. Under the pretence of protecting Bree, in order to protect the bloodline, they take her captive. What they really want to do is understand her power and in between drugging her, interrogating her and want to experiment on her, Bree is trapped. No one knows the true story except for a precious few. Luckily they are ready to rescue Bree and go on the run. Bree is torn between wanting to rescue Nick and needing to find out more about her power. The adventure continues and it is a ride! Selwyn Kane is alongside Bree all the way and with Nick missing things really heat up.

What separates out this story from others, in my view, is the many commentaries that are going on while the fantastic tale is being told. So you have the fantasy tale (which in my opinion is always saying something about society), you have the King Arthur legend being reinterpreted and you have Bree and her friends bucking the system. This alone is told really well, the characters are varied and interesting, the adventure is exciting and the magic captivating. You have the trauma that Bree is going through because of the loss of her mother. Through that loss, she has also lost her personal history.

Along side all of these interesting parts of the story you have Bree and everything she is going through told through her eyes, as a young African American girl. From simple things like her saying “Don’t touch my hair” to racist comments to the larger institutional fight of The Order not letting a Black girl be in charge. The Root system connects Bree to a part of her heritage that she never got a chance to learn from her mother. All of this is an added dimension done in such a thoughtful, touching way. It is woven so expertly through the story that it sets it apart.

Deonn is an incredibly talented writer. The world building, the characters, the storyline all crafted expertly. The history that she takes us through accurately telling us how white men got into power and to consider all the ramifications of how that happened is a teaching moment. Also to build on the first book and take us deeper into the story with new things being added creates an excitement and interest. I mean, I thought the first book was great! Now comes the tough part, I have to wait a couple of years for the third book.

Bloodmarked picks up right where its predecessor Legendborn left off. Expertly paced, full of higher stakes, and with deepening character arcs and worldbuilding, Bloodmarked will have you racing through the pages as Bree’s journey unfolds. This series continues to offer one of the freshest reimaginations of Arthurian myth that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The only drawback is having to wait until the next book comes out—watch out for the frankly illegal cliffhanger.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

Such an amazing sequel! They can be stressful if they dont live up the the first book but this one definitely does. I cant wait to see where it goes from here, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time

This book was such a disappointment for me since I adored Legendborn. It's almost like the characters are completely different people without there being any reason for the changes in their personalities and actions. I was especially disappointed with how Bree spends the entire book doing the same thing over and over and over again expecting different results, she was definitely not the same smart girl from the first book. I also really didn't enjoy Selwyn nearly as much in this book, probably because he had no one else to play off of except Bree for most of the book and it just got too repetitive.

I think that the pacing made it hard to get into the story, there just wasn't a thread that was pulling me through the story the way that the first one all seemed to be leading up to Arthur's Scion being called. I didn't know where we were going in this one, and every time it seemed like we were headed in a good direction we would veer off and do some other strange and pointless side quest.

Honestly I don't think I will continue with this series, it went from being a very original YA book with a complicated main character to just another YA series where horny teenagers who don't know what they are doing make dumb decisions.

Sorry if this was too brutally honest, but this was my most anticipated sequel of the year and it really didn't deliver.

This is seriously one of my fave series. I am not usually one for King Arthur retelling but there is just so much MORE to these books than that. They have so much to then that you wouldn’t expect from a typical paranormal like series. The discussions regarding race and racism, power imbalances, etc were just so poignant and well done.

Also: I didn’t know there will be a third book so getting close to the end and not everything being answered was giving me anxiety. I need the next book now!!!