#honestly i love tracy deonn's writing

[massiveladycat]

i have a.. lot of problems with bloodmarked to be honest. im not going to be talking about the romance portion of the book because honestly i don't even care for it anymore 1. why is bree yelling at vera on the plantation where she was raped?? why is bree this close to cussing out her ancestor who sacrificed too much because she was carrying her baby and the magical KKK was after her?? it's funny because after she literally denounces her entire ancestry bree makes a deal with the same being. the exact same being wtf honestly dude. 2. why is bree the only black character we have gotten to KNOW-KNOW, other than valechaz, who is not only a demon but also honestly is a pedophile (why is he hitting on a 16 year old girl)?? why don't we have more black characters that she's friends with and join her on the journey and are constants in the story?? 3. tying in with point 1, i don't understand if this is supposed to be a book about celebrating your ancestry and finding your roots when bree is literally out here screaming at all of her ancestors because shit was way out of their control and they were trying to make the most out of it?? if bree finds out that all of her ancestors go through the same things she does mostly (rootcraft and losing their mothers at young ages), why does she not communicate with them in healthy ways? they quite literally spent generations trying to clear the path for her. 4. bree doesnt feel like herself anymore. at first, she was great! amazing. her stubbornness got her to where she had to be. she made mostly good decisions. here,, her stubbornness got people and herself in danger. i still love bree, jsut pointing that out. SMALL EDIT: this isn't meant in an hostile way at all. i love tracy deonn's form of writing, i like nick, i like sel, i like bree. but i need to call this out because there's very few attention paid to genuinely good criticism on bloodmarked (in which, check goodreads for such or even youtube), and some things in this book irritate me, and people acting like any criticism on bloodmarked/legendborn is invalid or RACIST pisses me off even more. you can love this book, and im very happy that you found joy in it!! but dont call people racist for not liking legendborn lmfao you look goofy if you do that.

[theboarsbride]

Faerie Book Recommendations🧚✨📚

So reading Sarah J Maas and her very, very shitty interpretation and (under)utilization of fae lore is inspiring me to create a personal list of books I've read that I feel like have like... ACTUAL faeries and folklore in them (not the normal-looking-hot-folks-with-pointy-ears-and-MAYBE-wings brand of faerie SJM popularized), and are actually worth your time

And if you've any books, stories, comics, etc. that you'd want to add to this list, feel free to add them in the comments, reblogs, tags, or my DMs!!

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

Very eerie fairytale vibes that center on the aftermath of the disappearance, and even more mysterious return, of three sisters when one of them goes missing again almost 10 years later. And also the writing is legit just B E A U T I F U L!!!

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

This is chock-full of classical faeries and folklore, and almost reads like a textbook about them since this is about a woman, the titular Emily Wilde, traveling to a Scandinavian country to complete her own encyclopedia about the fair-folk. It also features some lowkey cottagecore vibes and an academic rivals-to-lovers romance!

Gilded (Gilded #1) by Marissa Meyer

A retelling of Rumpelstiltskin that reads like its own dark Grimm's fairytale, and it's as eerie and grim as a YA fantasy novel can get. It also centers on themes of telling stories and folktales since the main character, Serilda, is infamous for spinning wild tales - which is what leads to her encounter with the famed, and feared, Earlking (who, as a villain, is so sinister and creepy - and utterly FAE!). Personally, this book wasn't really my cup of tea and I'm unsure if I'll read the sequel, Cursed, however it still has some classic fae vibes that SJM's work lacks, so it deserves a place on this list!

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

I'm using the term 'faerie' very loosely here, as the idea of changelings (and trolls), for me, is more of a narrative device to help us look into grief in fatherhood. But there is still a very strange, vaguely Pans Labyrinth-esque urban fantasy vibe playing in the background throughout!

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

Not necessarily FAERIES but more of mischievous and distrustful woodland folk - and also forest gods. Very heavily steeped in early colonial America era folk horror vibes... if you love media like Robert Eggers' The VVitch then you will ADORE this book! Also Brom's accompanying artwork is so, so beautiful! This is honestly such a perfect fall-time read once Halloween season rolls around.

Legendborn Cycle series by Tracy Deonn

Ok no faeries but... mixes classic Arthurian legends with southern Black beliefs while also telling an epic urban fantasy story centering on themes of grief, trauma, and prejudice. So no fae, but LOTS of great urban fantasy vibes (which I mean... if you're looking for more series to put on your shelf instead of Harry Potter......) Just... Please... just... this series... it's so GOOD!! IDK what else to add that hasn't been said about this series!

Direwood by Catherine Yu

Once again, not necessarily faeries in this book but instead vampires that have a very fae-like quality about them! (as well as blood-hungry butterflies and caterpillars hee-hee) The story as a whole feels like a whimsical fever dream that is STEEPED in tasty Gothic vibes! It sort of has the feeling of being in a late '90s/early '00s Goth music video.

Like Falling Stars by Avalon Roselin (@roselin-books-official)

A story about a girl who's forgotten her past and comes to develop a sweet friendship with a brooding ice faerie prince, and is brimming with so many cozy fantasy vibes!! Also all the fae characters in this novel are so colorful and lively, and they're all very heavily tied to elements and the seasons. Also ALSO!! The main relationship focuses primarily on platonic love as opposed to romantic, and is just as endearing! A perfect cozy winter/fall-time read.

Netvor: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by @rosesnwater

Both a completed novel and an in-progress webcomic available to read on Tapas and Webtoons. Again, another story where major themes center on storytelling and fairytales, but also recovering from trauma and grief! There are so, so many classic faerie vibes, and even featuring pinnacle figures from classic fae lore like the Goblin Market, and it manages to feel equal parts nostalgic and unique in its use of faerie lore!

Dandies in Danger podcast by @dandiesindanger

A table-top RPG podcast instead of a novel! It features four queer men that are dragged into a world of fae and horror, all while set against the backdrop of Regency era London. It starts as a VERY eerie fae mystery (featuring figures like Titania and Oberon), but it slowly becomes a dark, horror historical-fantasy, and it's great! Also art by the podcast's creators is so good!

So these are the recs I have to offer for now!! As always, feel free to add more recommendations!!!💛

[claudeleine]

what would you say your favorite books are from this year? and you would recommend?

ooooo! i think i've read about 24 books this year, and rn i'm reading the vampire armand and the only good indians by stephen graham jones<3 liking both so far!

the hacienda by isabel canas - if you liked mexican gothic, this is a similar haunted house type story, and tbh i liked it more. also the author is a pnw local so <3 i also liked her book vampires of el norte, but i zoomedddd thru this one

the adventures of amina al-sirafi by shannon chakraborty - specifically the audio book though, there are a lot of asides where the narrators are speaking to ppl in the room with them, so it works better if it's like they're telling u the story rather than u reading what they wrote down if that makes sense. the narrators are also just phenomenal

martyr! by kaveh akbar - this book was just beautiful

near to the wild heart by clarice lispector - another beautiful book, i just love her writing style

legendborn and bloodmarked by tracy deonn - a phenomenal low fantasy book, and honestly if the publishing industry wasn't terrible to black women, especially in the fantasy genre, this could easily have been adjusted to be adult fiction/fantasy

starve acre by andrew michael hurley - we love gothic folk horror, it was like the prologue to a horror story but falls just between the chaos. it's a quick read, u could knock it out in a day probably

silver nitrate by silvia moreno-garcia - it takes a bit for the action to get going, but i really liked how well u get to know the two mcs and it really strengthened the story when shit starts hitting the fan. this is the 2nd or 3rd book i've read by this author and i'm not totally sure how i feel about her endings, but i did like this ending more than mexican gothic, which fully knocked that book down from 5 stars to 4 for me lol

carmilla by j. sheridan le fanu - but specifically only the version annotated by carmen maria machado

[bookcub]

Best Books Read in May 2023

A recap of the best books I read each month in 2023.

This was my BEST reading month!! Look at all these five star reads!! These honestly, might all make the top 10 of the year list!!

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J Brown

I started this nonfiction book in January and I really want everyone to read this book. I was highlighting and underlining so many lines. A fresh perspective on asexuality and sexuality in general, more than just a basic introduction to asexuality, which I loved. Incredibly insightful. I need to post more quotes.

Painted Devils by Margaret Owen

A worthy sequel, although I was worried, as the first one was wrapped up so nicely. It was more an adventurous love story, about discovering familial and romantic love in one's life. I was unable to put this book down!

City of Brass and Kingdom of Copper by SA Chakraborty

I have read adult fantasy before but this one has convinced me I need to give it more focus as a genre. Beautiful writing, amazing characters, vivid worldbuilding. I binged this trilogy in two weeks and it was such a fantastic feeling. If you love high fantasy and haven't read this series, what is stopping you?? Another series I cannot wait to reread!!

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

Probably one of my favorite books now, I am in love with it. A fantastic graphic novel with layers of storytelling and heartfelt moments. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Honorable Mention

At Midnight by Dahlia Adler

Mother's Mirror was sooooo good, trans Snow White. Amazing. I adored Tracy Deonn's retelling of The Nightengale as well!

[duchessas]

☁️🌷🌻 pleaseee I also can’t remember what the emoji is hahaha but who’s a writer on here that inspires you as well!

Love your writing so much. So talented 🫶🏼

Ooh, these are some JUICY ones!! Thank you so much 🤍

☁️ wip you want to write but haven't started yet

Omg so many. I have had this idea for AGES for a hotchniss fic where they go undercover in an arms or drugs ring posing as a married couple. Some scenes I already have in mind are a one bed scenario (obvs), Aaron realising Em isn’t wearing underwear under her dress, protective!Hotch and a shoot out. I can’t wait!!! However, I’m refusing to start it until I’ve finished exposure 🫢

And for the bridgerton girlies I really want to do a modern Polin au lol as I have IDEAS. But then my partner is also pushing me to do some original stuff, which I do really want to explore!

🌷 writing achievement you want to brag about

I don’t think I really have one lol 😅

🌻 least favourite character / hardest to write

I love Spencer, but he’s defs the hardest to write for me. I feel like it’s so hard to capture and am always jealous of authors who can! (Now you know why I write so much more of Morgan and Emily’s friendship, even though I adore her relationship with Spence!)

🐠 author who inspires you

Ooh, I haven’t read fanfic for AGES, but the authors I remember loving on ao3 are microwavebubbles and purpleplasticpurse - their plot lines are immaculate. I would love some other author recs, but I’m so behind on reading fic lol.

In terms of other authors, I love Olivie Blake, Eva Ibbotson, Tracy Deonn and Ava Reid. These writers all have the most incredible writing style I adore! (I’ve met Olivie Blake and it was fantastic).

And thank you so, so much for reading my work - that honestly means a lot to me xxx

[therubyreader]

My Review of Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

See a full list of my book reviews here

*Disclaimer: there will be spoilers later on in the review*

Review Word Count, non-spoiler: 824 Review Word Count Total: 1,432

So, I caved. After seeing all the hype that Legendborn was getting both on here and on TikTok I was finally convinced to read it despite the fact that I’m not a fan of Arthurian legends or really anything medieval for that matter and honestly, it does live up to the hype. Especially if you’re like me, and were weirdly obsessed with that Disney Channel movie, Avalon High, back in the day, this book has the same exact vibes and a very similar premise. Also, sidenote, I was Googling the movie to make sure I was remembering the title correctly, I found out it was originally a book written by Meg Cabot, aka the author of The Princess Diaries, so do with that information what you will. 

The book introduces us to Bree Matthews, a 16-year-old girl grieving the loss of her mother after she died in a tragic car accident. Her grief drives her away from home and to UNC-Chapel Hill, a university that has an early college program for promising high school students. On her first night there, she witnesses a flying demon that feeds on human energy get taken down by a group of teenagers, called Legendborn (roll credits), decedents of the knights of King Arthur with incredible abilities. When one of the teenagers, a Merlin, tries to wipe her memory of the night and it doesn’t work, Bree remembers this same magic was used on her the night her mother died. Realizing that there is more to her mother’s death than what she was originally led to believe, she infiltrates the Legendborn society on campus with the help of Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn, as they discover the secrets of the society while on the brink of a magical war between the demons and Legendborn. 

Like I said earlier, this book is great, definitely worth the hype it’s getting, it’s a great modern interpretation of Arthurian legends with a good amount of diversity that is treated respectfully and realistically. Of course, the most obvious one is Bree, a black girl, who is not only going through this magical adventure but being black and navigating the world and the magical adventure. Not to give too much away outside of the spoiler section but Bree’s background and the history of black people as a whole in the US is a big part of the plot and Bree’s journey which I think is beautiful. As a non-black POC I think that part of Bree’s story was done so well, and I can really sympathize with her despite not being able to explicitly relate. There’s also a nonbinary character in the book named Greer and I honestly didn’t fully realize they were nonbinary because they were so seamlessly integrated into the story that I didn’t bat an eye at the use of they/them pronouns. And there are also queer characters who are unapologetically queer, and happy, and just being people, their identities are very much a part of their character but not their whole character.  

And, for being the author’s debut novel, it honestly isn’t written like one, the writing is good and easy to follow so you become immersed in the world very easily. I will say the prologue is written a bit like a 2010s, Wattpad story and some of the rest of the book has the same vibes from time to time but it honestly isn’t a big deterrent. I will though, complain about the love triangle because I hate almost all love triangles and think they’re bad. I might’ve said this before, but I think most love triangles are a cheap way to make your plot more exciting (which this book did not need at all, it’s exciting enough as is) especially when one of the potential partners is a genuinely nice person and the other one is very obviously a POS. Honestly, the whole book could’ve done without it, the writing and story were compelling enough to where a love triangle wasn’t needed to fill in any spots that were lacking and I was going to talk more about why I specifically don’t like certain characters as love interests but I noticed that this fandom is violent about shipping so I will keep it to myself.  

Overall, I do recommend the book to anyone who’s looking for a fresh take on Arthurian legends or YA fiction and can stomach your standard amount of blood and violence. There are descriptions of violence experienced by slaves and general racism so be warned. Besides the aforementioned love triangle beef I have, and the fact that there is some Welsh that doesn’t get translated into English which was a pet peeve of mine even more so now that I have made a Welsh friend after I returned the book to the library, so I’ll just never know. I will give this book an it’s very good and worth all the hype out of ten. 

Spoilers Below!!

Ok, let’s talk a little bit about the love triangle. I will preface this with the fact that Bree is 16 and hasn’t really experienced any romantic attention up until this point so she’s acting how a regular 16-year-old would act in that situation, and I know full well that 16-year-old me wouldn’t have been any smarter. That being said, I honestly think that Sel is a bad choice based on his actions in this book alone (yes, I have read the second one but I’m not going to talk about it here). This man literally spent the majority of the book trying to kill her and sent literal demons after her, but they slow danced once, and he called her “cariad” now y’all are foaming at the mouth. This isn’t hate towards Sel as a character, mostly, but like, come on. That’s all I’m saying because this fandom is violent, and I like living.  

Moving on to things that don’t make me mad! Let’s just take a moment to appreciate Bree’s root. I absolutely loved how the author wove in traditional African and African American spiritual practices into a world where the knights of the roundtable were magical beings and the contrast, chef’s kiss. We have root where the users give back the magic they use, make offerings, and talk to their ancestors regularly versus aether which is just taken. There is a great metaphor here about colonialism and world history as a whole, but I’m not going to go deep into that and get too radical in a book review so I’m going to let you all just think on it.  

Another thing I really liked about the book was how real the characters felt, all of them were unique individuals with distinct personalities and motivations. Not all the characters were necessarily good people, some were honestly horrible and evil, but you can understand where they’re coming from even if you don’t agree, a la “cool motive, still murder”. I did like that in the story the villain wasn’t evil just because, he had a reason to want to be evil, but it honestly made for a more enjoyable story especially when you contrast Nick’s dad with the demons who are evil just because. Also, just a side note on Mr. Davis being the villain all along, that was so unexpected but made so much sense when he explained his evil plan, I think it was a fun surprise that I hadn’t predicted in the beginning.  

Of course, I have to talk about the twist at the end where it turns out that Bree is Arthur’s scion and not Nick, mind blowing. There’s something, I don’t know how to describe it, but karmatic about a black girl being the king of the round table after her ancestor was raped by the scion of Arthur all those years ago. That old slave owner couldn’t have ever predicted that his disgusting actions would one day see a black girl as the head of his secret organization, so take that horrible man. On top of that, the organization as a whole is pretty racist, just the way that it’s all white and how they treat Bree and Sarah’s dad, so double take that racists, a black girl is your king.  

Moral of the story, read this book for a YA adventure mixed with serious real-world topics and a lovable cast of characters. Everyone who is hyping this book online is correct and I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy especially since there are rumors that the last book in the series will be released sometime next year.  

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (03/04/24)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

Stain by A. G. Howard (9/10)

I had a great time rereading this book. This is the only book by A. G. Howard I've read that is high fantasy, not low or contemporary, and I honestly wish she did it more. She really nails the ethereal atmosphere which pairs beautifully with the fairy tale inspiration. This book is a bit on the slow side, and such flowery language isn't for everyone, but I think the mood is immaculate. Lyra and Vesper continue to be one of my favorite romances; their interactions in the last few chapters always have me giggling.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (6/10)

This book is honestly super intriguing and does a great job of building suspense. However, the last half is so oddly rushed with disjointed writing and so many sudden revelations that I felt like I was in a fever dream. Mara, despite being described as "not like other girls" by the love interest himself (a line that almost made me put down the book) is honestly quite likable as a main character. Personally, I would not put a normal high school life above addressing my hallucinations and constant trail of death, but other than that, Mara tends to react pretty reasonably and has a good inner struggle going on. The romance is probably what kept this book at 3 stars for me. Is it healthy? Hell no. But it is fun and they've got great chemistry. As for the negative, like I said, this book sort of goes off the rails. While I don't mind the paranormal elements, the random confession from Noah, deus ex machina potion, and general rushed writing makes it fall apart. There's a bit too much going on and not nearly enough time devoted to each scene. Still, what a great twist at the end.

A Bargain with the Fae King by Megan van Dyke (CR, 63%)

So far, this book is honestly just kind of boring. The whole story revolves around the main character, Lia, trying to get her little sister back, and there's a sort of half-hearted attempt to bring in some fae politics, but so far all it's done is slow things down. Lia herself is a very annoying main character. Half of what she does is berate and feel sorry for herself, only to proceed to make the same mistakes over and over, often by demanding she get to do things the other characters have very good reasons for trying to keep her from doing. It's a fantasy romance, and the chemistry is decent, but most romantic scenes are ruined by Lia harping on about her sister. There's nothing wrong with being worried, but her constant self-pitying is getting repetitive, especially when she's been told she needs to be patient.

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn (CR, 35%)

On the other side of the spectrum, so much is happening in this book and I'm eating it up. I really like that it's taking the route of going against the Order because I don't trust those Regents as far as I could throw them. I also like that race continues to be a prominent theme even though Bree should technically be in power at this point, as frustrating as it is. It was so satisfying to see Bree call the Regents out for their prejudice, as much as they try to hide it. I hope Bree, Nick, and Sel are reunited in this book since I love their trio dynamic.

[olivieblake]

Okay strange but my sleepover tradition has always been to binge fantasy/action movies with my bffs and just revel in the tension and suspense and eventual explosions! Slightly different but do you have any books with amazing action scenes you recommend?

aww that’s cute I love any sort of bff binge. I’m reading Legendborn by Tracy Deonn that has quite a lot of fantasy action scenes, and the Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab as well. it’s funny because I definitely write a lot of action scenes (or try to) but I don’t usually choose action-filled books... oh, definitely the Witchlands series by Susan Dennard! and maybe the tortall series by Tamora Pierce, which I’ve been thinking a lot about rereading lately. I’ll get back to you if I think of more (and please reply if anyone else has suggestions!! a lot of these are YA because honestly I haven’t read adult SFF in a long time...)