Author: Tracy Deonn
Summary of Legendborn
- Dedicated to every Black girl who was the first
Distraught from the sudden death of her mother, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants to leave behind anything that reminds her of home. She attends UNC-Chapel Hill, an Early College for advanced high schoolers, with her best friend Alice Chan. Her mother attended this school, but never wanted Bree to go. They got into an argument about it before her untimely death.
Her first night on campus is going great until she witnesses a magical attack. Selwyn Kane, a mysterious figure in the conflict, mesmers Bree to make her forget about what she saw. She begins to walk away, but, strangely enough, she realizes that she can fight against the mesmer.
Bree then finds out she’s seen magic before. The day her mother died.
Not sure what to do with the information, she doesn’t say a word to anyone, not even Alice. Later on, when she finds Alice, they get in trouble with the campus police.
Bree is given a ‘mentor,’ Nick Davis, who is the perfect role model. Not wanting a babysitter, she doesn’t pay him much attention. That is, until they see a hellhound.
From here on, Bree is introduced to a whole world of magic and secret society of college students called Legendborn.
Major Themes
- Blackness
- Love
- Grief
Character Quotes
Bree Matthews: “Some truths only tragedy can teach. The first thing I learned is that when people acknowledge your pain, they want your pain to acknowledge them back.“
Nick Davis: “Legends are dangerous Bree. Don’t underestimate them.”
Selwyn Kane: “You called me a monster once, maybe you were right. It looks like I came from one.”
Review
I genuinely enjoyed reading this book through and through! There is some info dumping, but it’s critical to the storyline and it has been interesting to learn about King Arthur.
Bree is such a strong-headed character who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to run into the unknown. As a Black girl, it’s truly nice to see this kind of representation! She is the kind of person I’ve always wanted to be on the inside. This book emphasizes the importance of community and family, which I admire whole-heartedly.
The second book, Bloodmarked, is out, but the third book, Oathbound, is coming out in 2025, so I’d suggest you start reading now if you like what you see!