This is a fantastically written and super-fun YA fantasy novel with a great twist on Arthuriana, wonderful characters, and great magic. The only reason it's 4 stars for me is that I have an irrational hatred of love triangles - but for anyone who doesn't share my very subjective issues with that trope, I'm pretty sure it will be 5 stars all the way.

There are few books that impact as much as Legendborn. This book is simply epic, and it is more than a fantasy book. I loved reading it. I personally liked the characters, the plot, the unexpected twists, the love triangle, the rep diversity, and the fast-paced action. I am looking forward to the second book as the ending is a massive cliff-hanger.
The book starts with Briana (Bree) Matthews struggling to come to terms with her mum’s death in an what seems like a car accident. Her and her dad are in a little room talking to a police officer, or are they? The memory is fuzzy for Bree at the start of the story.
In order to move forward Bree and her best friend Alice go to Carolina North University (her mum’s alma matter) to take part in an Early program for gifted students and hopeful she will feel closer to her mum or even learn more about her. The first night there Bree breaks the ‘not leaving the dorm at night’ rule and so the story starts taking shape. At the quarry she witnesses a demon attack on humans and the forces that battle these demons. The leader of the fight party tries to replace the memory of the attack, but for unknown reasons, the attempt fails, and Bree can remember everything.
Bree and Alice are caught having broken the rules on the first night and Bree is set with a mentor to help her stay on the straight and narrow – however, plot twist, the mentor is none other than Nick Davis, Legendborn and Scion. I will not say anything more and I don’t want to reveal any spoilers.
The fight scenes in this book are abundant and well written. Tracy Deonn created an amazing world full of legend and shadows. I felt the pain of the characters when losing someone loved, and their hopes when winning or being successful. The characters are not perfect, none are fully good or bad, they are mostly human, who deal with human emotions, struggles and uncertainties.
This book is definitely rep diverse: Alice Chen, Bree’s best friend is a lesbian Taiwanese-American geek, Bree, her dad, Patricia and Mariah are Black, there are two bi characters, and a gay character. The order of the round table is mostly white, but this is a legacy of a world build around white men keeping the power throughout the centuries.
The main love story and other love interests are well written and kept me engaged. Also, the banter and friendship of Alice and Bree is sweet and strong. I loved the movie and book references the main characters had. Their friendship read like it had a history and it’s unbreakable.
Some characters display racism, but Bree and Alice speak against it and they both have some amazing comebacks against it. As someone who had to deal with racism herself, I liked that the author did not shy away from writing it as it is, but also loved that the main characters spoke against it and stood for what it’s right.

Legendborn is about 16 year old Bree, still dealing with the grief of losing her Mother when she gets sucked into a secret society of King Arthur's descendants.

I love Bree and the way that her grief is depicted. A strong character with genuine vulnerabilities, I really connected with her.

Unfortunately, I felt that the world building was a little weak and left me confused for part of the book, which made it something of a struggle to get through. I adored the premise and the plot, but had difficulty with the writing style. Overall, a mixed bag for me, but definitely worth picking up and giving it a chance!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave me so many nostalgic feelings of 2008/9. It takes a familiar premise and elevates to another level – it is unique in it’s representation of fantasy in YA. The magic system is interesting, but it also explores Black history in a way I wasn’t expecting. It is honest, full of characters that quench curiosity and Tracy Deonn absolutely knows how to tell a story. Legendborn is not one to miss, and I see it being an awesome TV series in the future if handled correctly.

Bree Matthews loses her mother at only 16 years of age. Right before she dies, they fought over Bree’s acceptance to an Early College program in Carolina. Still grieving, Bree moves into dorms with her best friend Alice, and they begin their life of independence. While Alice settles into her academics, Bree is drawn into a secret magical society that is somehow connected to her mother. Built on legacy, she is an outsider who knows too much to ignore.

The magic system is routed in the legend of King Arthur, with family lines driving the future of the society. Nick and Selwyn are Bree’s main companions throughout the book. Nick is set to be the next leader but he doesn’t want to be. Selwyn is a Kingsmage (a Merlin) set to serve Nick. I don’t want to detail the structure of the society too much because of spoilers, but it makes for a great competition and interesting politics.

What elevates this book is its discussions of African American history and slavery, particularly the way it handles the magic system. I loved the flashbacks, the family dynamics. Bree’s personality also works so well with her story, I honestly couldn’t find out what happens fast enough.

Fast paced with a great balance between action and detail, Legendborn is absolutely a book to look out for in the future. I can’t wait for the sequel, and can’t wait to add the final copy of this book to my shelves. Do you think you will read Legendborn? I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s UK for the early copy.

I think I’ve finally found my favourite book of 2020. If I could give this more than five stars, I would. From start to finish, it was incredibly well written, well paced and exciting. It felt fresh, breathing a new life into the YA Fantasy genre. Honestly, I’m still reeling from finishing this. It had me captivated at every turn, there’s no words for how incredibly breathtaking and enjoyable this was. Bree herself is one of the most well written lead characters I’ve read in YA in God knows how long. She’s strong willed, stubborn and most importantly, human. The world building within this was one of the most exciting parts. The way we slowly learn about the society and everyone involved is perfectly plotted and paced. Nothing feels as if we’re being overwhelmed with information, everything is given to us through natural discoveries that Bree makes. The magic system was so creative and well thought out, I cannot imagine the endless hours of work that went into constructing something like this. But it pays off, nothing feels underdeveloped. It was fresh, mixed with Bree’s own history and ancestry. I’ve never read something with as much creativity and brilliance channelled throughout. There’s so many amazing things within this novel, I could write a review that goes on forever. It was mesmerising.