Legendborn (1) (The Legendborn Cycle)
An Instant New York Times Bestseller!
Winner of the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award
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 program 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.
Winner of the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award
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 program 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.
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Community Reviews
Wow. Tracy Deonn achieved so much in one book that it's hard to put into words. She not only pulled from her own experiences of grief of losing her mother but also that of multigenerational pain, loss, and suffering of marginalized black people in the South. Although only a small glimpse, I'm sure, of what she's felt in her life, it spoke volumes to hear the internal dialogue of the MC as she deals with racism and hate. And through all this, she also manages to weave a fantastical romance, magic, and lecacy with the background of King Arthur and the knights of the roundtable. True craftsmanship. I just ordered the next two books because I can't wait to read more.
I went into this book not knowing anything about it other than the cover is beautiful and the girl at the books store hyping it up like I’ve never experienced before… And for good reason! I love that this story is an Arthurian retelling that has many twist and turns and information that will make your head spin!
This is also my first book that has focus on growing up black and the history or lack there of that comes with it which was extremely interesting and such an eye opener!
I will recommend this book to everyone!
This is also my first book that has focus on growing up black and the history or lack there of that comes with it which was extremely interesting and such an eye opener!
I will recommend this book to everyone!
Excellent YA fantasy book, I only have it a 9 because of me trying to keep up with all the Welsh dialogs and remembering the pronunciations. Other than that I can't wait to read the 2nd series.
This was a solid YA fantasy that combines fantasy as we know and love with King Arthur and crew! I loved the connections to the actual black history of the U.S. and the implications that still are true today. The FMC was likable, and I enjoyed the relationships throughout the book.
I am planning on continuing the series!
I am planning on continuing the series!
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