Review By: Andrea Martin
Published: 2020
Series: Legendborn Cycle, Book 1
Genre(s): Young Adult Fantasy
Audience: Grades 9 to 12, Adult
Content Warnings: Alcohol consumption, car accidents, death of a parent, death, demons, emesis, mild gore, grief, hospitals, memory manipulation, mind control, physical abuse (mentioned), racism, rape (on page, not explicit), sexual violence (mentioned), slavery, trauma, violence
Goodreads Link: Legendborn
Publisher’s Summary:
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.
Review:
It is difficult to summarize a 500 page book as layered as Legendborn. The story follows Bree, a sixteen year old who has recently lost her mother and joined an early college program. Still deep in grief and searching for answers, she becomes entangled in a world of demons, ancient magic, and descendants of King Arthur.
One highlight is the powerful depiction of grief. Bree’s emotional pain feels so real that the reviewer had to pause reading because of how strongly it resonated. For students or readers experiencing loss, this portrayal may feel both intense and validating.
The author’s reimagining of King Arthur is another standout. Tracy Deonn uses Arthurian legend to examine who gets to be a hero and how history can be reclaimed to reflect more inclusive narratives. The book challenges assumptions about power, legacy, and who is remembered.
Legendborn also intertwines contemporary issues with history. Set at UNC Chapel Hill, the novel acknowledges the South’s legacy of slavery, injustice, and racial violence. Bree faces racism and microaggressions as a young Black woman navigating predominantly white spaces. These elements are woven into the fantasy world with intention and depth.
There are also strong threads of romance and friendship. Bree develops meaningful relationships that add warmth and emotional grounding to the high stakes plot.
Overall, the reviewer loves this book and has reread it multiple times. Legendborn is complex, emotional, and richly imagined, offering both magical intrigue and powerful real world themes.
