Proceed with Caution:
This book contains death of a parent and grief, slavery, rape, and a post-whipping scene.
The Basics:
Legendborn is narrated in first person by Bree, a sixteen-year-old Black girl who is discovering the magic within her.
The book is set at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where Bree and her best friend Alice have been accepted into the Early College program.
Bree knows something was weird about her mother's death and she believes an Arthurian secret society on campus holds the answers. She manages to get sponsored as a page, and tries to find the answers. Instead she discovers her mother's secrets and their family history, while fighting demons and preparing for an upcoming war.
My Thoughts:
Legendborn is definitely unique! It combines Arthurian legend with folkmagic, which is something I've never read before. Bree is also a no nonsense type of heroine and isn't shy to go after what she wants. And what she wants is answers and revenge!
My one complaint about Legendborn was the worldbuilding. Whenever Bree is learning something new about the secret society and their mission, it comes in the form of page long info-dumps. A bunch of names and definitions are thrown at us and it's not very interesting. In fact, that whole thing is quite convoluted and confusing. I like what the author was doing, but it just wasn't presented in a way that worked for me.
However, whenever Bree was learning about her Rootcraft and family history it was done in a more showing rather than telling way. She's actually shown what their magic can do while it's being explained. This mainly takes place in the form of a type of time travel and possession! It was really cool. I enjoyed how Rootcraft was firmly rooted in African American history. It wasn't just a Black version of the white character's magic. It was its own system passed down through families.
The last quarter of Legendborn was much better than the middle section. The tension and action finally ramp up. We know what's going on and it's time to just do it! There was a super fun plot twist that I didn't see coming, and it has me excited to read more.