Tracy Deonn

*Free e-book ARC received from the publisher through Edelweiss Plus - thank you!*
Also - necessarily spoilers for Legendborn.

Though Bree is now the awakened Scion of Arthur, she's not yet gone through the rite and the Order wants to keep her secret, using Nick's disappearance to mask both of their true bloodlines. She's desperate to go after Nick, but can't control her power. Root comes defensively, and she can't form armor out of aether the way William, the Scion of Gawain can. And Sel - show more well, he's not sure how long he can go without protecting Nick and fulfilling his oath. Then the Regents use the rite to their own ends, and Bree needs to use all her ingenuity to protect herself and her friends from their aims.

Where do I start? The world-building is fantastic, using both American history and Arthurian legend, exploring both through Bree's unique heritage and ability to wield both Root and Order magic and communicate with her ancestors. What was established in Legendborn is broadened as she and her friends learn more about the world they've been thrust into. The characters are realistically drawn and made me care deeply about what happened to them in a fast-paced sequel that lived up to the first book. At the end I was simultaneously annoyed not to know the end of the story but also looking forward to seeing where it leads next. show less

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 show more 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. show less

slight spoilers?

beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! you might need a cheat sheet to keep characters, welsh words, or legendborn vocabulary together. otherwise, this is an awesome ya fantasy centered around grief, the black experience, and some fucked up family stuff. hard to explain. just read it.

what i liked:

the writing itself was very craftful. the language, specifically when we're dealing with grief, ancestry, and slavery, is sensitive and careful. then, when we get to fighting scenes or show more moments of argument/frustration, the dialogue is powerful. the movements are easy to follow and imagine, in my opinion.

i loved the details that were realistic, down to earth, teenage things. the father checking up on her. the onceborn friend who worries and cares. the washing of hair. taking classes. liking boys. being embarrassed and scared. all the while, being a badass mf. i think it's also a wonderful intro, where she has just gotten here and talks about ppl jumping/being scared to jump. we get this idea that she truly is just a kid. and then this shift is even more contrasting.

before and after bree. this detail that keeps coming back is incredibly impactful to me. the grief has transformed her own personhood. it's insane. and genuinely heart wrenching.


what i wish was different:

too many characters. even 2-3 less characters would help. greer feels like they are simply filling a role as a non-binary character and there is very little else importance to them otherwise. even in the second book, (i have not finished) they seem to be a very flat character that does not influence bree at all, yet is mentioned often for some reason? vaughn is a character i wished we could get into more (after a ~certain~ scene, his resentment and jealousy for bree seems extremely important to me!).

i came into this with 0 knowledge on King Arthur. it was something i had to get used to and pretty much refused to google until i started book 2. read this for school and a visitor did a presentation on the myth of arthur which is what informs my understanding almost wholly. i wished we got a little bit of info on him. i understand many people already know about this stuff, but we are literally NEVER told ANYTHING about arthur on a level that matters. it was actually kind of jarring. and with that, we are told so so so much about the 'lines' and all this ancestry the present pages (ex. what each color means for each line)... for what? if you aren't explaining the ultimate ancestor why does this in-depth description of descendants matter? ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, i don't think writing exists in a vacuum and a readers lack of knowedlge is somewhat their responsibility to deal with. This is why I still think this book is 5 stars. This detail (or lackthereof) does not, at all, take away from the excellent representation of micro aggressions and racism, as well as the grief bree endures throughout this series. if i am somehow missing an entire background revolving around king arthur's myth/legacy, please let me know where in the book that occurs.

small moments i love:

“The unsettled spirits, the eager ones, look for ways in and you’re much more open to your ancestors now. And listen, this is the South; there are a lot of unsettled Black folk in the ground.”

“Then I will give you the power to do so, wound tight with truth.”

“She smears her blood onto the fruit and the flowers, presses the mixture and her hand as deep into the ground as they’ll go, and calls the ancestors to aid in a rhythmic chant of her own making.” show less

*E-ARC received from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline with the understanding that I would post an honest review. No money or other goods were exchanged, and all views are my own.*

Bree Matthews and her friend Alice are in the Early College program at the University of Carolina. She's still reeling from her mother's death, which happened just after they had a huge argument about her going in the first place. Only a few days into the semester, she witnesses a magical attack and shakes off an show more attempt to change her memories. Realizing her own strange abilities and the fact that someone adjusted her memories in the hospital after her mother's car accident, she joins a secret society in hopes of figuring out the truth.

This was a unique spin on Arthurian legend, bringing it to the American south and transforming it with the American history of slavery and racism that still affects the present day. The stakes continue to grow higher as Bree falls in love with Nick, the heir apparent, and learns more not only of his society's rules and history, but also an alternate approach to magic that her mother used that sharply contrasts with that of Nick and his friends. Maybe a little on the slower side because of all the aspects that Bree has to learn, but ultimately very satisfying how all the revelations come together in the end, and I enjoyed going along for the ride. It's left wide open for a sequel in this planned trilogy. show less