Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle, #1)

by Tracy Deonn

Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn's YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic.

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential programme for bright high-schoolers at UNC - Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape - until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called "Legendborn" students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a "Merlin" and who attempts - and fails - to wipe Bree's memory of everything she saw.

The mage's failure unlocks Bree's own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there's more to her mother's death than what's on the police report, she'll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society's secrets - and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur's knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she'll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down - or join the fight.

An explosive fantasy debut that's perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas!

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

5 of 5 stars

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Legendborn, written by Tracy Doenn, is a combination of epic fantasy, YA contemporary fantasy, and so much more. I can now understand why people have been talking nonstop about this novel.

Bree Matthews had a plan. She was to apply to UNC, as part of their high school program, and attend alongside her best friend. While the plan didn't change, her entire world did. The death of her mother split her life into two halves; the before, and the after.

As if that wasn't enough to deal with, there is more going on at UNC than meets the eye. Something that Bree is forced to acknowledge and handle, as her heritage and power comes to the forefront in response to all the magic and danger lingering in the air.

“Power taken and not returned incurs a debt. And the universe, and the debt, will always come to collect, one way or another.”

Legendborn is an amazing read, simply put. It captivated me from that very first paragraph, as refused to let go of my mind. Even having finished reading it, it still feels like I'm a captive audience. And I likely will be, until Bree's story comes to its proper conclusion.

There is just so much to love about Legendborn. From the way it is written, to all of the different elements woven into Bree's story. It's breathtaking, and absolutely full to the brim of surprises. Seriously, it felt like each chapter sent me reeling – but in a good way.

“Don't make your life about the loss. Make it about the love.”

The story weaves in Arthurian legend in a way that I have never seen before. It's fascinating and brilliant, and opened the world (and lore) to a whole new level. Not all of it was kind (to the legend, that is), and honestly, that made it feel even more at home here.

Bree's story is enchanting, and I cannot get enough of it. While this novel may actually be over five hundred pages, it passed in what felt like a blink of an eye for me. This is an imaginative and creative world, and I cannot thank Tracy Deonn enough for having created it.

Please, please, please, tell me that I'm not the only one out there eagerly awaiting any and all news about the sequel. I cannot wait to see how Legendborn continues after that seriously intense conclusion. I'm waiting on baited breathe.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 7 December, 2020: Finished reading
  • 7 December, 2020: Reviewed