Legendborn

I have a lot of feelings about this book so strap in.

Legendborn is about Bree, a 16 year old girl who is grieving the loss of her mother and is doing everything she can from letting that pain and sadness take her over. She’s taking an advanced course at Carolina, a university she has always felt a connection towards because her mother went there, and finds herself thrown into a magical and scary world. Bree meets Nick, a charming, attractive young man who the dean sets her up with as a student advisor, and after an attack by a strange creature, Nick introduces Bree to a world she never knew existed. Sel, an incredible powerful mage that has it out for Bree believing that she is infiltrating the Order and has sinister plans, makes things that much harder for Bree. On a mission to solve her mothers death, Bree joins this secret society born from the tale of King Arthur. With twists, turns, and information hidden under layers of secrecy and oaths, Bree does everything she can to find out the truth and save herself.

OK!!!! This book was amazing from start to finish. I am so invested in Bree and Nick and Sel and their relationships and how their lives intertwines in different ways. I loved the romance in this story, but in a rare turn of events, I’m actually interested in a love traingle??? Who am I? To be perfectly honest, I would prefer a poly relationship because I always do, and I really think that this one has the right elements and balance for that to happen. As far other topics in this book, the depiction of grief, generational trauma, and racism was so well written and how they were addressed was just so nuanced and delicate while being raw and real. I mean it literally addresses the fact that Bree is the only black person in this entire secret society, something that other books never even address or acknowledge. There’s usually no person of color, or the significance of their present is ignored. This is a prime example of why we need more books by BIPOC authors.

As someone who just can’t help but figure out the plot twists before they happen, I was able to predict a couple of them, not all of them though! And one that I was like “yes please happen omg that would be amazing DO IT” actually happened and not even in the way that I thought it would but OH MY GOD I’M SO HAPPY WITH IT. I was honestly cheering out loud during this book. The amount of times I said “YEEEESSSSSS!!!!” is a little silly lol. But the thing is is that this story was just so freaking good. I was so engaged from the start and it never failed to keep me entertained and invested. Honestly, this is the second King Arthur retelling that I’ve vibed super hard with and I’m coming to the conclusion that they really do something for me and I should pick up more. I’m not sure how many more there are, but if you do, please let me know so that I may enrich my life.

TLDR; This book is freaking unbelievable and you need to read it.