#legend born (2020) by Tracy Deonn

[megsbooknook]

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Don't make your life about the loss. Make it about the love"

Wow! When I finished this book that was the only thought on my mind. I'm not usually a big fan of fantasy novels but with this book I found myself truly giving this book my full attention. The magical system in this book is really cool and I found it pretty easy to understand. It was a little slow to start, but when it got started it really got started and I just couldn't stop reading.

Legendborn tells the story of Bree, a 16 year old girl attending a program for high schoolers at UNC Chapel Hill. Bree's mother dies in a car accident before the story even begins and throughout the book Bree is shown to be struggling with this sudden and tragic loss. Very quickly, she finds herself involved in a secret society dedicated to fighting demons on campus. When Bree realizes that there's a connection between her mother's death and this society, she starts to think that maybe it wasn't a simple car accident that killed her mom. And now she's determined to get to the truth even if it means infiltrating the Legendborns. She recruits Nick, a self exiled Legendborn to help her out and as they're drawn deeper into the society, they're also drawn closer together. When she learns of an impending magical war, Bree must decide if she should take down the society or join their fight before it's too late.

Deonn's writing had me completely engaged in the story. The way she wrote about Bree's grief and the connections she's trying to establish to her roots had me flipping pages when I probably should have been focused on other work.

I'm almost upset this was the first book I read for my reading project because all I want to do is crack open the second book, but I have 3 more books I need to read before I can do that.

[fiefgoldenlake]

Book Rec II

It’s been some time since my last book rec post, and here I am with some more (unrequested but hopefully not unwanted!) offerings! Each title contains a link to the storygraph page where you can learn more (they have a warning page for each entry), and each book is heartily recommended.  I’ve marked the two I would consider YA. Also, only two of the series are complete (Winternight and Montague Siblings), and only one of the books is a standalone - apologies! I do recommend supporting your local library.

Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle #1 - YA) Tracy Deonn 16 year old Bree starts a college programme, grieving the fresh loss of her mother. College marks a new beginning for Bree, not least because of the demons she discovers on her first day, but there are age old prejudices in the magical new world. This is based on Arthurian legend and inspired (in the author's own words) by African American history and spiritual traditions, yet it is thoroughly rooted in North Carolina. Delightfully queer secondary characters, and Bree is a force as a main character (funny, warm, sharp, raw with grief, and ready to challenge the status quo).

She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor #1) Shelley Parker-Chan This is a wonderful, brutal, brilliant book. Styled by publishers as a queer, fantasy reimagining of Mulan, delivering on everything that I could have wished for, with a driven protagonist. Explores gender, desire, identity, all in the midst of war. Plus, there’s a pun in the title, what more could you want?

The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy #1) Katherine Arden This is a Russian fairytale - and we open with a story which the pages inevitably follow. Vasya has her mother's gifts to see the household spirits, but her fearful and religious stepmother forbids her from communicating with them. Vasya defies her stepmother but there are other forces at work, roping in hearts and minds, and the Moscow priest also sees Vasya as a problem. This whole series is glorious, Vasya grows throughout, and examines what it means to be female and independent in a world where she is expected to be meek, demure, and subservient to a husband.

A Deadly Education (The Scholomance Trilogy #1) Naomi Novik Magical children from all over the world are packed off to a sentinent school, with no teachers, and no holidays... and monsters known as mals trying to feed on the schoolchildren. The best hope of survival is to be born into an enclave, a power-sharing body found in most major cities, but of course main character El has no such luck. This reminded me of Percy Jackson, and El is a wonderful protagonist - cynical, smart, warm-hearted under a very prickly exterior.

Gods of Jade and Shadow Silvia Moreno-Garcia Welcome to Jazz Age Mexico, where we go on a road trip with a girl called Casiopeia, and the Mayan god of death. Casiopeia feels trapped in her family life and expectations, and though there is danger, there is also freedom, exploration, joy, and a love story.

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (Montague Siblings #2 - YA) Mackenzi Lee @melodypowers65 told me that I’d like this one better than the first in the trilogy, and I thought she was wrong because I love boys being silly and in love, but turns out what I love better than that is their fiercely independent, clever sisters on their own lively adventures.

Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1) Rebecca Roanhorse This book is a Nebula/Hugo nominee for best novel of 2020/2021, and it’s masterclass in how to subvert euro-centric epic fantasy. Set in a fantasy world rooted in pre-Columbian South American culture, it’s a study of people who are dealing with generational trauma and feelings of not belonging. It centers around the solstice – a time for celebration and renewal. But this year there’s also a solar eclipse, which is said to be the unbalancing of the world, and people intent on fulfilling a potentially disastrous prophecy.  It steps outside of the gender binary and heteronormative spaces that fantasy has dwelled for too long and creates a world where people can simply be. It’s also a lush and descriptive piece of fiction. Be wary of a somewhat cliff-hanger ending; it’s the first in a trilogy and is the only one published as of yet.

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I hope you manage to find something you love in all this! Let me know if you have any recommendations in turn. Stay tuned for my next book rec post, where there be dragons (yes, I’ve read enough dragon-themed books to warrant a whole other post). Thanks to @lisafer​ for her assistance, again!