Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

"Lies are easy when you're fighting for the right cause".

Buddy read with @readwithkapz

I purchased books 1 & 2 of the Legendborn cycle around 2 years ago & I kept telling myself (& others) that I would read it in September. That never happened. Why? The length & genre intimidated me. If I had checked the font size, I would have never read it 😫 micro font + fantasy = issa no from me, dawg. However, I'm so glad that Kapz proposed this as our next buddy read, or it likely would have ended up at the next book swap 😆

After the tragic death of her mother, Bree accepts a place within a residential college for bright 16yr olds. Everything is going swimmingly until she witnesses a magical attack off-campus. This new magical world will unlock some of Bree's memories of her deceased mother but will also awaken a desire to investigate her mothers passing further. But doing so may just compromise her safety within the Legendborn society.

This was a really interesting read, despite all the new words + no glossary, I was very much invested in this story.

Bree was a very interesting character, I was very much taken by her journey through the grief of her mother & how this grief manifested & affected her ability to maintain her relationships with her best friend & father. It also felt very realistic that Bree became so consumed by the quest to find someone or something to blame for her mothers death. Grief is irrational. Deonn's own experience of the passing of her mother speaks loudly through this authentic exploration of grief.

Another theme that I thought was explored well was racism & the maintenance of the status quo within elite societies. I loved that Deonn was able to tie in the historical aspect to this element of the story also, as I found it quite impactful.

The romance element of this story irked me. Like Nick, can you just get gone, or small up yourself likkle piece so man like Sel can get a look in! I loved his dark energy!

This was a long ssa book, but one that I am glad I invested my time in. Roll on book 2 & 3 (well when it's out in paperback).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

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